Exsurgent Types

A few of the known exsurgent types are detailed here.

Creeper

Creepers are autonomous femtobot swarms; a level of technology far beyond transhuman nanotech. They commonly appear as an amorphous cloud of floating black bubbles, fuzzily defined due to a visual refraction effect. Like TITAN nanoswarms, they are self-replicating and can both manufacture and disassemble materials and items. Because femtobots work at the atomic level, they can also create advanced materials with superconducting, supercomputing, superdense, or even invisible properties, including degenerate matter or strange matter fluids. Though they crawl/float slowly, they can fabricate mobility systems for speed. They can physically penetrate almost any material in a short amount of time and interface with electronics and implants.

Motivation: +Assimilate and Grow +ETI/TITAN Interests. Lacking direction from the TITANs, some creepers have developed their own agendas.

Use: Often deployed as an area-denial weapon, creepers act with intelligence and cunning, establishing traps and adapting to threats.

Creeper

• Stress Test: SV 1d6

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• Initiative: 8 • Fray: 40 • AV: 0/0
• WT: — • DUR: 100 • DR: 200
• Insight 8, Moxie 0, Vigor 5, Flex 3

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• Convert Matter: 70 (touch), DV 1d10 per action turn, damage added to creeper’s DUR/DR
• Grapple: 60 (Grappling), requires superior success, victims are converted on next action, grappled targets get no defense
• Repulsion Wave: No defense, 30 meter radius effect, kinetic armor applies, strange matter mass pushes all physical things back 1d10 meters, SOM Check or knockdown; repulsion effect may be maintained for 1d6 action turns, applying −60 to all attacks and halving damage, but there is a 10% chance each turn the strange matter begins converting normal matter around it, creating a DV 10d10 blast area effect

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• Perceive: 50, 60 hearing/vision
• Move: Walker/Microlight (Slow 4/12)

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• COG: 30 ⁹⁰ • INT: 20 ⁶⁰ • REF: 20 ⁶⁰ • SAV: 10 ³⁰ • SOM: 15 ⁴⁵ • WIL: 30 ⁹⁰
• Skills: Free Fall 50, Infiltrate 80, Melee 60, Program 80, any Technical or Know skill they need at 40+

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• Ware: 360-Degree Vision, Chem Sniffer, Electrical Sense, Enhanced Hearing, Enhanced Vision, Fractal Digits, Nanoscopic Vision, Radar, Radiation Sense, T-Ray Emitter

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• Femtoswarm: Functions like a nanoswarm, except immune to guardian nanoswarms, nanophages, adhesives, corrosives, chemicals, vacuum, and armor mods; they are self-sustaining and do not require a nanohive
• Invisibility: Can be invisible like a nanoswarm or can materialize forms with refractive metamaterials, like an invisibility cloaks
• Nanofabrication: Can nanofabricate items at 10 times the speed of transhuman nanofabricators; can replicate effects of any nanoswarm at will
• Penetration: Can penetrate inside/through objects at the rate of 50 AV/DUR per action turn, much like water seeps through fabric; may penetrate inside most morphs in one action
• Self-Repair: Automatically repair 1d10 damage per hour
• Take Form: Can cohere/dissipate simple physical/mechanical forms (arms, mobility systems, tentacles, cages, traps, etc) with a complex action; these may take physical actions such as Fray or Melee Tests

Fractal Troll

Deployed by the TITANS as drones and servants, these malformed, albino humanoids stand 2 meters tall, with elongated forearms, prehensile feet, massive claws and two pairs of smaller limbs with fractal digits extruding from their back and chest. They can handle both cryonic conditions and vacuum, but have been know to resort to necrophagy and cannibalism in the abandoned confines of TITAN stations.

Motivation: +Defend Territory +Fear/Serve the TITANs. Many fractal trolls still possess fragments of their pre-transformation egos; others operate with personas imposed on them by the TITANs, merged together from the shards of multiple egos. Some attempt to recreate aspects of their former lives, in the form of twisted art or a sort of macabre parody; others are driven solely by madness.

Use: Fractal trolls are hostile to outsiders, either attacking or fleeing in order to ambush later. They are especially hostile towards synthmorphs and machines, perhaps fearing a return of their TITAN enslavers.

Fractal Troll

• Stress Test: SV 1d10

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• Initiative: 8 • Fray: 55 • AV: 8/8
• WT: 11 • DUR: 60 • DR: 90
• Threat Pool: 5

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• Claws: 70, DV 3d10, reach
• Grapple: 70 (Grappling), requires superior success, grappled targets get no defense against subsequent attacks
• Fractal Gouge: 70, DV 1d10 + 6, armor protects but AV is reduced, damaged targets exposed to xenomorph nanoplague

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• Perceive: 60, 70 smell/vision
• Move: Walker (Medium 4/20)

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• COG: 10 ³⁰ • INT: 20 ⁶⁰ • REF: 20 ⁶⁰ • SAV: 10 ³⁰ • SOM: 30 ¹⁰⁰ • WIL: 15 ⁴⁵
• Skills: Athletics 50, Free Fall 40, Infiltrate 40, Melee 70, Provoke 50 (Intimidate 60), Survival 60

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• Ware: Access Jacks, Claws, Cryogenic Protection, Direction Sense, Enhanced Smell, Enhanced Vision, Fractal Digits, Hibernation, Mesh Inserts, Muscle Augmentation, Nanoscopic Vision, Oxygen Reserve, Prehensile Feet, Puppet Sock, Toxin Filters, Vacuum Sealing
• Traits: Edited Memories, Mental Disorder (Choose Two), Neural Damage (Choose One)

Jelly

Jellies take the form of massive, slimy, mucus-filled bubbles. Their soft, amorphous shape allows them to squeeze, slide, and slither through cracks and tiny spaces. They use studded tonguelike protrusions to grip and move. They are coated with a corrosive lubricant that they can also spit at targets.

Motivation: +Hunting +Propagation +Survival. Jellies are ambitious predators, using their sense of smell to track and olfactory communication to coordinate swarm tactics.

Use: Jellies use venting, pipe systems, and similar cramped spaces to move about unseen and stage ambushes. They seem aware of their repulsiveness and use it to their advantage.

Jelly

• Stress Test: SV 1d10 + 3

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• Initiative: 7 • Fray: 30 • AV: 12/12
• WT: 14 • DUR: 70 • DR: 105
• Threat Pool: 3

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• Engulf: 50 (Grappling), requires superior success; on second turn, target is completely enveloped. Enveloped victims take double damage from corrosive coating, asphyxiate, lose their mesh connection, and are blinded, deafened, and impaired (−30).
• Spit: 60, Range 20; see Corrosive Coating/Spit, below
• Tongue: 40, DV 1d10 + 3; see Corrosive Coating/Spit, below

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• Perceive: 60, 70 smell
• Move: Ooze (Slow 4/12)

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• COG: 20 ⁶⁰ • INT: 20 ⁶⁰ • REF: 15 ⁴⁵ • SAV: 10 ³⁰ • SOM: 20 ⁶⁰ • WIL: 20 ⁶⁰
• Skills: Athletics 80, Exotic Skill: Spit 60, Free Fall 50, Infiltrate 60, Melee 50 (Engulf 60), Provoke 50 (Intimidate 60), Survival 40

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• Ware: Chem Sniffer, Cryogenic Protection, Enhanced Respiration, Enhanced Smell, Grip Pads, Pressure Adaptation, Thermogenic Protection

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• Concentrated Spit: Jellies may spend a point of Threat Pool to make a ball of spit more concentrated; increase the DV per turn to 2d6
• Corrosive Coating/Spit: Application D, O; Onset Time: 1 action turn, Duration: 5 action turns, Effect: DV 1d6 per action turn, armor protects but AV is reduced by DV. Biomorphs must make a SOM Check or be impaired (−10) by pain. This coating also provides immunity to nanoswarms, corrosives, and dermal-vector drugs and chemicals. Liquid-based attacks against the jelly suffer a −30 modifier.
• Invulnerability: Jellies take the minimum DV from kinetic weapons and blades
• Lubrication: Jellies are immune to grappling attacks
• Propagation: When a jelly has consumed 100 DUR of victims, it splits into two jellies
• Vacuum Expansion: Jellies expand to Large size in vacuum

Mimic Jelly

Certain jellies have the ability to ingest a biological creature and mimic all aspects of its form: shape, size, visual texture, and features (including clothing and gear, though these are false). Mimics also duplicate their victims’ neural architecture, consuming memories and personality for increased social infiltration. They use the same stats as standard jellies, with the following changes:

Motivation: +Hunting +Infiltration +Mimicry

Use: Mimic jellies use their impersonation to lure victims away to locations they can be safely consumed. If their nature is questioned, they will quickly attack or melt through floor grates or vents to escape.

Mimic Jelly

• Threat Pool: 5

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• Perceive: 60, 70 smell/vision

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• Skills: Add Deceive 60 (Impersonate 90), Kinesics 50; see also Mimicry, below

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• Ware: Add Chameleon Skin, Enhanced Vision

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• Electronic Jamming: Mimic jellies can spend a threat pool to generate a bioelectric field and jam all wireless radio signals in a 30-meter radius for 1 minute (Jam Signals). Treat this as an Interface of 50 for attempts to bypass.
• Mimicry: Mimic jellies take the form of their pre-exsurgent self or victims they engulf. The initial process of absorbing and copying a victim takes half an hour. Afterwards, changing shape from victim to jelly (or something in between) takes only one action turn. The jelly takes on the victim’s memories, skills, ego traits, and voice. Their gelatinous nature is immediately noticeable with t-rays or physical contact, or with an enhanced vision/radar Perceive Test at −30. Characters familiar with the victim may notice oddities with a Kinesics Test, opposed by the jelly’s Deceive (Impersonation) skill. Mimic jellies may only impersonate one biomorph at a time. To reset, another transhuman must be consumed.

Shifter

The shifter xenomorph nanoplague converts synthmorph and robot frames into a liquid metal composed of exotic smart matter, allowing it to liquefy, solidify, and reshape according to the exsurgent’s needs.

Motivation: +Infiltration −Transhumanity

Use: Shifters prefer isolating and eliminating targets one-by-one, luring victims into low-security areas for execution and hiding the corpses. Shifters do not assume their victims’ identity or memories and so rely heavily on visual trickery to maintain cover. Once exposed, a shifter exsurgent will weaponize every portion of their anatomy to inflict maximum casualties.

Shifter

• Stress Test: SV 1d6

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• Initiative: 10 • Fray: 60 • AV: 13/13
• WT: 12 • DUR: 60 • DR: 120
• Threat Pool: 5

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• Blade: 65, DV 2d10 +1d6 (+1d6 each if wielding more than one), armorpiercing, possible Reach +10
• Shredder: 55, DV 2d10 + 6, SA/BF/FA, Ammo 100, Range 25, cone area effect

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• Perceive: 50, 60 hearing/vision
• Move: Walker (Medium 4/20)

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• COG: 20 ⁶⁰ • INT: 20 ⁶⁰ • REF: 30 ⁹⁰ • SAV: 20 ⁶⁰ • SOM: 30 ⁹⁰ • WIL: 10 ³⁰
• Skills: Athletics 55, Deceive 60 (Impersonation 90), Free Fall 50, Guns 55, Infiltrate 60, Kinesics 40, Know: Transhuman Culture 50, Melee 65, Persuade 50

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• Ware: Access Jacks, Cyberbrain, Enhanced Hearing, Enhanced Vision, Mnemonics, Shape-Adjusting, Synthetic Mask, others dependent on original morph and/or shape-adjustment
• Traits: Lethal

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• Mimicry: Mimicking another form takes 1 action turn. PCs may make a Kinesics Test opposed by the shifter’s Deceive (Impersonation) skill to see through the charade. The synthetic nature of mimicked biomorphs is immediately noticeable with t-rays or physical contact, or with an enhanced vision/radar Perceive Test at −30. Shifters can mimic any form they have seen of medium size.
• Shape-Adjusting: The shape-adjusting of shifters is more advanced that transhuman technology, able to create complex mechanical forms and electronics such as firearms and implants. They can change their form to function as up to 4 Minor complexity items (taking only 1 action turn) and 2 Moderate complexity items (taking 1d6 action turns). At the GM’s discretion, they may even create Major complexity items.

Skrik

Skriks are tiny creatures coughed up by biomorphs infected with the skrik strain of the exsurgent virus. They resemble tiny versions of the exsurgent’s morph, though often with minor physiological differences or mutations, such as claws, poison stingers, prehensile tails, or a single wing to maneuver in microgravity. Most skriks are tiny when regurgitated, less than 20 centimeters, depending on the throat size of the exsurgent’s morph, though over time they will grow to 40 centimeters in length or more. Skriks are not sapient, though they have been known to use simple tools.

Motivation: +Mayhem +Nest

Use: Skriks will immediately seek to hide and escape upon their “release.” When possible, they will establish a secret nest near the exsurgent, leaving pheromonal trails so that other skriks produced by the exsurgent can join up with them. They prefer to attack by surprise and with safety of numbers.

Skrik

• Stress Test: SV 1d6 (skrik), SV 2d6/1 (regurgitation)

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• Initiative: 7 • Fray: 60 • AV: 0/0
• WT: 1 • DUR: 5 • DR: 8
• Threat Pool: 1

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• Bite: 60, DV 1d6
• Shiv: 60, DV 1d10

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• Perceive: 40
• Move: Walker (Slow 4/12) (may have others)

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• COG: 5 ¹⁵ • INT: 15 ⁴⁵ • REF: 20 ⁶⁰ • SAV: 5 ¹⁵ • SOM: 5 ¹⁵ • WIL: 10 ³⁰
• Skills: Athletics 60, Free Fall 50, Melee 60, Survival 40

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• Ware: Skriks will have the same bioware as their biomorph “parent,” but not cyberware or nanoware. Some skriks will have mutations such as Claws, Gills, Poison Glands, Wings, etc.

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• Exsurgent Carriers: Most skriks carry the exsurgent virus, exposing it to others if they are eaten or exchange bodily fluids (bio pathogen) or releasing it when they die (nanoplague)
• Scale Assault: Against larger targets, skriks can take a complex action and make an Athletics Test, opposed by the target’s Fray. If successful, the skrik has scurried onto the opponent’s back, undercarriage, or other difficult-toreach spot. The victim suffers a −30 modifier to attack the skrik. Skriks use this position of advantage to make called shots to bypass armor.
• Swarm Tactics: A large number of skriks (20+) will attack as a swarm. Treat as a single Large size entity, DV 3d10 (no defense, armor-piercing), DUR 80+, ignore wounds, immune to called shots, grappling, knockdown, psi sleights, shock, and unconsciousness. Victims within the swarm suffer an impairment (−30) modifier from being harried.

Snapper

One version of the xenomorph nanoplague targets synthmorphs, bots, and vehicles, breaking them down, merging them together, and transforming them into centipede-like monstrosities known as snappers. Multiple sets of articulated, double-jointed limbs with pincers line three sides of their modular, hexagonal tube frames.

Motivation: +Mayhem +TITAN Interests

Use: Scrappers prefer to twist into a circle and roll directly into a group of enemies, unfolding and lashing out in multiple directions at once. They intentionally target biomorphs first, to maximize casualties. They will split apart to pursue multiple fleeing opponents.

Snapper

• Stress Test: SV 1d6

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• Initiative: 7 • Fray: 40 • AV: 16/16
• WT: 6 • DUR: 30 • DR: 60 (per module)
• Threat Pool: 5

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• Pincers: 65, DV 2d10 + 1d6, armor-piercing, reach, each module may make a separate attack
• Crushing Slam: 65, DV 4d10 • SOM Check or knockdown, reach, requires 2+ modules, only effective against medium and smaller targets

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• Perceive: 40, 50 vision
• Move: Roller (Very Fast, 8/40), Walker (Medium 4/20)

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• COG: 15 ⁴⁵ • INT: 15 ⁴⁰ • REF: 20 ⁶⁰ • SAV: 15 ⁴⁵ • SOM: 25 ⁷⁵ • WIL: 20 ⁶⁰
• Skills: Athletics 65, Free Fall 60, Guns 65, Hardware: Robotics 50, Infiltrate 50, Melee 65

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• Ware: 360-Degree Vision, Cyberbrain, Enhanced Vision, Lidar, Magnetic System, Mnemonics, Modular Design, Neurachem, Structural Enhancement
• Traits: Lethal

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• Modular Design: Similar to flexbots, snappers deploy a modular design. For each additional module, combine WT/DUR/DR. 1 module is Medium size, 2–4 modules make a Large size, 5+ make a Very Large size.
• Stretch Slam: Snappers may spend a Threat Pool point to whip out and crushing slam two targets in different directions at once; roll attacks separately

Wastewalker

These exsurgent cyborgs served the TITANs as elite infantry during the Fall. Wastewalkers are tall and wiry, with claws and spines. A white mask covers their face and their skin is replaced by an armored black polymer. Each carries nanoswarm hives in thin cylinders protruding from a hump of excess mass feedstock on their back.

Motivation: +Survival +TITAN Interests −Transhumanity

Use: Lacking TITAN leadership, wastewalkers band together for survival. Wastewalkers are intelligent and tactically minded, often commanding other exsurgents.

Wastewalker

• Stress Test: SV 1d6 + 1

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• Initiative: 6 • Fray: 70 • AV: 14/8 (polymer skin)
• WT: 10 • DUR: 50 • DR: 75, ignore 1 wound effect
• Threat Pool: 3

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• Claws: 40, DV 1d10 + 2
• Railgun SMG: 80, DV 2d10, SA/BF/FA, Ammo 60 + 1, Range 75, armor-piercing, two-handed
• TMP Grenades: 60, Frag: DV 3d10 + 6, HE: DV 3d10 + 10, centered blast, knockdown

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• Perceive: 50, 60 hearing/vision
• Move: Walker (Medium 4/20)

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• COG: 15 ⁴⁵ • INT: 15 ⁴⁰ • REF: 15 ⁴⁰ • SAV: 15 ⁴⁰ • SOM: 15 ⁴⁰ • WIL: 15 ⁴⁵
• Skills: Athletics 60, Free Fall 50, Guns 80, Infiltrate 40 (50/70), Know: Small Unit Tactics 60, Melee 40, Provoke 40 (Intimidate 50), Survival 60

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• Ware: Chameleon Skin, Claws, Cold Tolerance, Enhanced Hearing, Enhanced Respiration, Enhanced Vision, Medichines, Neurachem, Skinlink, Toxin Filters, plus 1–4 Hives (Disassembler, Engineer, Guardian, or Saboteur)
• Gear: Smoke Grenades (4), Spindle, Utilitool

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• Mask: Touching or wearing a wastewalker mask exposes you to the wastewalker xenomorph nanoplague

Whipper

These creatures have barrel-shaped torsos. From the bottom, they skitter around on dozens of vaguely arachnid legs. From the top protrudes a mass of 3-meter long, whipping tentacles, some with sticky mucus for grabbing, some with sharp bone blades for cutting.

Motivation: +Mayhem −Transhumanity

Use: Whippers ambush victims in large numbers and avoid open conflict. They are sapient and will use tools, weapons, and technology to their advantage.

Whipper

• Stress Test: SV 1d10

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• Initiative: 10 • Fray: 60 • AV: 10/5 (skin)
• WT: 7 • DUR: 35 • DR: 53
• Threat Pool: 2

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• Tentacle Grapple: 55 (Grappling), requires superior success, reach
• Tentacle Whip: 55, DV 2d10 + 2, armor-piercing, reach

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• Perceive: 50, 60 vision
• Move: Walker (Fast 8/32)

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• COG: 15 ⁴⁵ • INT: 20 ⁶⁰ • REF: 30 ⁹⁰ • SAV: 10 ³⁰ • SOM: 20 ⁶⁰ • WIL: 15 ⁴⁵
• Skills: Athletics 40, Free Fall 40, Infiltrate 50, Melee 55, Provoke 40 (Intimidate 50), Survival 40

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• Ware: Enhanced Vision, Neurachem

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• Armored Variant: Add AV +4/+8, Cryogenic Protection, Medichines, Oxygen Reserve, Radiation Tolerance, Vacuum Sealing
• Undersea Variant: Add Cryogenic Protection, Eelware, Gills, Pressure Adaptation, Sonar

Worm

Named for their habit of worming their way into people’s minds, worms retain their transhuman appearance — but their minds are fully exsurgent. Worms are noted for their mastery of psi sleights, which they use to full advantage to infiltrate and sabotage transhuman civilization from within.

Motivation: +Infiltration +TITAN Interests −Transhumanity

Use: Worms make heavy use of their psi sleights, slithering their way into people’s confidences as easily as they sneak their way into off-limits areas. They seem to take a particular delight in tormenting non-exsurgent asyncs.

Worm

• Stress Test: SV 1d6 − 2 (witness sleights)

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• Initiative: 7 • Fray: 50 • AV: 4/10 Light Armor Vest
• WT: 7 • DUR: 35 • DR: 53 (or as morph)
• Threat Pool: 3

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• Eelware: 65, DV 1d6, shock effect, touch-only
• Psychic Stab: 70, DV 2d10 (Psychic Stab)

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• Perceive: 50 (60)
• Move: Walker (Medium 4/20)

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• COG: 15 ⁴⁵ • INT: 20 ⁶⁰ • REF: 15 ⁴⁰ • SAV: 20 ⁶⁰ • SOM: 10 ³⁰ • WIL: 15 ⁴⁵
• Skills: Athletics 40, Deceive 60 (70), Free Fall 40, Guns 45, Infiltrate 60, Kinesics 50 (60), Melee 45, Persuade 55, Provoke 50, Psi 70

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• Ware: Biomods, Cortical Stack, Eelware, Mesh Inserts
• Traits: Mental Disorder (Choose Two), Psi (Level Two)

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• Notes: Stats above assume an exalt morph; adjust as appropriate
• Psi-Chi Sleights: Heightened Awareness, Scramble, Superior Kinesics; adjust as needed
• Psi-Gamma Sleights: Deep Scan, Illusion, Psychic Stab, Sense Infection, Subliminal; adjust as needed