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Archives of Nethys

Archives of Nethys

Pathfinder RPG (1st Edition) Pathfinder RPG (2nd Edition) Starfinder RPG

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Dark Archive / Cryptid Adjustments

Experimental Cryptids

Source Dark Archive pg. 58
An experimental cryptid has been purposefully altered through alchemy, engineering, magic, or ritual to contain some degree of construct components. Although powerful, the process is volatile and imperfect.

Experimental Cryptid Adjustments

You can turn an existing creature into an experimental cryptid by completing the following steps. Increase the creature's level by 1 and change its statistics as follows.
  • Increase the creature's AC, attack bonuses, DCs, Perception modifier, saving throws, and skill modifiers by 1.
  • Increase the damage of Strikes and other offensive abilities by 1. If an ability can be used only a small number of times (such as a dragon's Breath Weapon), increase the damage by 2 instead.
  • Increase the creature's HP by the amount listed on the table.

Starting LevelHP Increase
1 or lower10
2–415
5–1920
20+30

Experimental Cryptid Abilities

An experimental cryptid gains the experiment trait and, depending on the type of construct parts, might gain the alchemical trait, clockwork trait, or another construct-related trait as appropriate. An experimental cryptid gains the following abilities.

Darkvision

Augmented An experimental cryptid is partially artificial and designed in a way to specifically prevent biological afflictions and instant death. It gains a +2 circumstance bonus to saving throws against death effects, disease, and poison.

Operational Flaw An experimental cryptid has a flaw in its construction that can be identified with a successful Perception check to Seek against the hard DC of the creature's level. An experimental cryptid has weakness equal to its level to the attacks of any creature that has successfully located the experiment's operational flaw.

Clobber [two-actions] The experimental cryptid Strikes a creature. On a hit, the creature is pushed 5 feet (10 feet on a critical hit) and knocked prone. If this causes the creature to collide with a solid object, the creature takes an additional 1d10 damage. If the experimental cryptid is at least 5th level, this Strike deals one additional weapon damage die of damage, and if the experimental cryptid is at least 15th level, this Strike deals two additional weapon damage dice of damage.

Energy Wave [two-actions] The experimental cryptid unleashes a 30-foot line of energy of a type specific to the experimental cryptid (typically electricity or fire). Creatures in the area take 1d6 damage per level of the cryptid with a basic Reflex save. The experimental cryptid can use this ability once every 1d4 rounds. This action has the damage type's trait. If the experiments that reshaped the creature were magical, this action also has the evocation trait and the trait matching the magical tradition of the experiments (arcane, divine, occult, or primal).

Power Surge [one-action] The experimental cryptid draws on its augmentations to empower its attacks. It attempts a DC 5 flat check. On a success, the experimental cryptid deals 1d6 additional damage with its Strikes until the end of its turn. On a failure, the experimental cryptid takes that much damage instead. The damage and traits for Power Surge are the same as those of Energy Wave.

This additional damage increases to 2d6 if the experimental cryptid is 9th level or higher, 3d6 if the experimental cryptid is 15th level or higher, and 4d6 if the experimental cryptid is 18th level or higher.