Rock Scorpion

Created by Brett Hegr
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Rock scorpions are carnivorous predatory D-bee animals that have flourished across the Megaverse®. They exhibit an uncharacteristic guile ability to reason and think logically. Enemies/food tend to underestimate these creatures. They use hit and run tactics, ambushes, and teamwork. The social structure of a nest is much like that of a pack of wolves with a dominant male and female, their young, and one to three other non-mated scorpions who help hunt and take care of the young. Offspring are born from the female into beachball size eggs which sit for a year until the young creatures mature. When they hatch they are fully functional and can hunt, though only small life forms at first as it is 30% the size and M.D.C.^tm of the adults. They grow to maturity in four years (half size and M.D.C.^tm), at which point their psionic abilities manifest and they leave the nest. The nest is usually made in a cave, thick and secluded areas of forests, or some other area with solitude and protection from the elements.

The beast looks basically like a long scorpion with six legs and a snake-like head, complete with fangs. The body is covered in an exoskeleton with the texture and appearance of smooth granite. The tail is divided into over 20 segments, and splits into a wickedly forked appendage 2/3 of the way down the tail from the body. Near the base of the neck on the underside there are two open areas in the skin where the retractable feeding tentacles are extended from. They are weak and not used for combat, as they have a P.S. half that of the rock scorpion. It's color is a generally solid hue of the color appropriate for their environment.

Alignment: Animal predator.
Attributes: I.Q.: 2d4 (has the ability to reason), M.E.: 3d6, M.A.: 2d4, P.S.: 3d6+10, P.P.: 3d6+4, P.E.: 2d6+18, P.B.: 2d4, Spd.: 4d6+20, all attributes considered supernatural.
M.D.C.^tm by Location:
Head - 60, -4 strike on a called shot
Legs(6) - 50, -3 strike on a called shot
Tentacles(2) - 20, -5 strike on a called shot
Tail - 100+1d4x10, -2 strike on a called shot
Main Body - 280+2d6x10
Hit Points and S.D.C.^tm: In an S.D.C.^tm world this creature has an S.D.C.^tm equal to 100 less than it's M.D.C.^tm and hit points equivalent to the P.E.x3. Has an A.R. of 14.
Horror Factor: 14
Permanent P.P.E.^tm Base: 1d4x10
I.S.P.^tm: M.E. plus 1d4x10, +2d4 per additional level of experience.
Natural Abilities: Rock-like skin and very fast. Impervious to cold and normal fire, magic fire and plasma does half damage. Can prowl at 70%, climb at 60%, and has a chameleon ability that it uses instinctively (at will, without duration, same as spell).
Vulnerabilities: Destroying the head or the main body will kill the beast. Blasting or hacking away two legs will reduce it's speed by 30% and its attacks by one. Destroying three or more will render it unable to move. It cannot swim (too heavy) so drowning it is a viable option.
Magic Knowledge: None.
Psionic Powers: Mind Block, See the Invisible, Bio-Regeneration(self), and three others from the sensitive or healer category. Saves as a major psionic.
Cybernetics/Bionics: Not very likely at all.
Average Level of Experience(NPC): 1d4.
Combat/Attacks Per Melee: Five. A stomp does 2d6 damage while a melee long trample causes 1d4x10+10 damage. A tentacle strike causes 1d6+2 damage, while a blunt tail swat does 3d6 damage and has a 40% chance of knocking down targets under eight feet tall. Super beings, robot vehicles, and power armor aren't knocked down. Against these targets it will try a body ram with a 45% chance of knockdown (doubled for small targets) which does 6d6 damage. This takes three attacks and the rock scorpion cannot dodge while charging. It's bite does 2d6 damage and a sting from the tail does 3d6+6 damage. It's poison is injected via the tail or the fangs, and causes 2d6 damage per melee for the next 1d4 melees. Multiple bites will not increase the damage, just the duration. Twice per melee they can spit this venom like a snake would, with a +4 bonus to strike and a 30ft range. It's sticky and can permanently blind an opponent if it gets in the eyes (a natural 19 or 20). In this form it does 4d6 damage initially and 1d6 damage per melee for 1d4 melees.
Bonuses: +3 to perception, +2 to initiative, +4 to dodge and is automatic (fast, but cannot parry).
Size & Weight: Average six to eight feet from head to base of tail, and the tail is twice as long as the body. Each leg is about three feet long, which give it a height of five feet.
Average Life Span: 200 years
Natural Habitat: Deserts, mountains, forests, and anything in between. They hate water so they prefer dry climates. Known to exist in the red deserts of the Nightlands (see Nightspawn^tm), many mountain ranges in Rifts® earth, the Scorched Lands (Phase World^tm), and are cultivated as pets and guardians by the Red People of South America (see RWB9 South America 2) and Gargoyles in Europe (RWB5 Triax & NGR).
Standard Equipment: None. Smashed and broken objects may be strewn about it's dwelling.
Money: 2d6x100 credits in valuables might be found scattered on the floor of it's nest.