Name: Ænt
For most Gardeners, their primary weakness is their lack of mobility; the Ænt was developed to mobilize Solarious’ forces in order to bring maximum firepower into any engagement.
Bio-E Cost: 60+
Growth Time: 1D4 hours for an immature plant (Æntling), 3D6 days to develop into a mature plant.
M.D.C.: Æntlings have two legs for fortifications that take up less than 5 square feet, and four legs for larger fortifications, with 5 M.D.C. each that gain an additional 5 M.D.C. every day until fully matured, in addition, the M.D.C. of the bonded Plant Fortification acts as the creature’s Main Body M.D.C..
Effect: Ænts are mobile gardens in their own right, beginning as creatures similar to gorehounds, and eventually growing into creatures of similar size to War Mounts when they are Elder Ænts. Ænts do not produce effects in and of themselves, rather a Gardener may plant a single Plant Fortification onto a seedling and it will grow and develop without needing to be planted in the ground. An Ænt sapling cannot be planted without first being grafted to its first bonded Plant Fortification.
Additional Penalties: Plant Fortifications grown on an Ænt mature at half the speed of Plant Fortifications grown in soil.
Control Bonus (in addition to the bonuses above): As the Bonded Plant Fortification, however, a Plant Fortification bonded to an Ænt counts as one more Fortification than the number of bonded Fortifications on the Ænt (see Elder Plant Bonus) towards a Gardener’s limit.
Elder Plant Bonus: As an Ænt becomes an Elder, it is able to be bonded to additional Plant Fortifications, once the bonded Plant Fortification gains its first Elder bonus, a new sapling may be bonded to the Elder Ænt, once this new Fortification becomes an Elder another sapling may be bonded, and so on and so forth. An Ænt’s legs gain 5 M.D.C. per month after maturity.
Ænt Vital Statistics:
Speed:
Running: as per Speed Attribute.
Leaping: 5 feet (1.5 m) up and 10 feet (3 m) across.
Digging: One quarter Spd in dirt, cannot dig in concrete or rock.
Swimming: Not possible.
Flight: Not possible.
Statistical Data:
Height, Width, and Length are all dependent upon the bonded Plant Fortification(s), use the largest of the Fortifications, all others inhabit the same space.
Weight is determined by combining all of the bonded Plant Fortifications together.
Cargo: Only what can be carried.
Physical Strength: 3D6+6 Splicer Strength.
Trade Value: Limited. Will only obey the Gardener that created it, if its creator Gardener dies it will listen to Solarious and only Solarious.
Bio-Regeneration Rate: As per bonded Plant Fortification(s).
Horror Factor: 8.
Senses & Features: As per Plant Fortification(s) and Photosynthetic Metabolism, also a Gardener may spend additional Bio-E to enhance their Ænts, any Host Armor modification can be made, however, these modifications cost 5x as much Bio-E and apply to all future Ænts, once an Ænt has left the sapling stage it can only be modified by being bonded to a Plant Fortification.
Feeding and Sleep Requirements: Photosynthetic Metabolism, requires 4 hours of Sunlight per day.
Alignment: Same as creator Gardener.
Attributes: I.Q. 1D8+5 (low human), M.E. 2D6, M.A. 1D6+4, P.S. 3D6+6 (Splicer), P.P. 3D6, P.E. 3D6, P.B. 1D6+4, Spd 5D6+10 (MPH).
Number of Attacks per Melee: 2, Plant Fortification(s) each individually gain their own actions.
Combat Bonuses (in addition to possible attribute bonuses):
In addition to the bonuses for Photosynthetic Metabolism, +2 to Initiative, +1 to strike for all Plant Fortifications, +5 to save versus poisons, toxins and diseases and +4 to save versus Horror Factor.
Equivalent (instinctive) Skills of Note: Botany (80%), Identify Plants (not animals) (75%) Land Navigation (65%) and Dowsing (98%).
Combat Capabilities: Can kick, but knows no other combat moves. Hand to hand damage is based on the P.S. of the Ænt. Ænts can also use whatever ranged or melee Bio-Weapons have been grown on them.
Name: Topiary Spore
The Topiary Spore is a devious trap developed by Solarious, by grafting in DNA from various beasts and even Biotech, the Topiary Spore was developed to baffle the Machine’s (and rival Houses’) sensors and senses by mimicking the thermal and electromagnetic signatures of common Bio-Tech such as Gorehounds and War Mounts. This trait is used to draw in a reconnaissance unit to be subjected to the highly corrosive spores that constantly surround the fortification. The Machine is at -75% to recognize the Topiary Spore as a trap as opposed to an ordinary Splicer Unit, whereas Splicers must make an Operate Bio-Equipment roll at -60% to recognize the ruse, members of House Solarious make this roll at no penalty; Humans operating machine sensors, such as Technojackers, must make either a Read Sensory Equipment or Machine Technology roll at the same penalty as the Machine. Immature Topiary Spores are approximately the same size as a Gorehound, mature Topiary Spores are about the same size as Host Armor, Elder Topiary Spores have been known to dwarf even the largest of the common War Mounts.
Bio-E Cost: 55
Growth Time: 2d6 minutes to grow from a sapling to an immature plant, 3d6 weeks to grow from an immature plant to a mature plant.
M.D.C.: 15 as an immature plant, 2d4x10 as a mature plant.
Damage: 1D6 MD per melee of exposure and 1d6 melees after exposure for an immature plant, 2D8 MD per melee of exposure and 3D6 melees after exposure for a mature plant. Flora and Biotech creations with Photosynthetic or Thermosynthetic Metabolisms are immune to the spores.
Range: Creates a cloud with a 20 foot radius around an immature plant and 80 foot radius for a mature plant.
Payload: An immature plant has 1d4 hours of spore production before it dies, spores must be released in 10 minute increments, mature plants never stop releasing spores.
Control Bonus (in addition to the bonuses above): When under the control of the Gardener, the penalty to recognize the Topiary Spore is increased to -89% for the Machine and -74% for Splicers not of House Solarious. In addition, controlled Topiary Spores deal an additional die of damage per melee.
Elder Plant Bonus: Topiary Spores gain an additional 1d4x10 M.D.C. for each six months after maturity, in addition for each year of maturity their spores deal an additional die of damage and are spread out an additional ten feet.
EDIT: Edited with clarifications
