The Tentacle Monster!

[parmasson]

Mind Flayer experiment using Hiver DNA as a base.
Black bulbous mass about 1 meter across and high with a large gaping mouth ringed by a row of razor sharp teeth that open into a stomach filled with acid. Feeding this monstrosity are eight muscular tentacles that are three meters long from base to tip. Each tentacle has little barbs that it uses to grip its prey and pull it in for a good chomp.
Sight
The monstrosity sees with eight eyes that ring the central mass inset into eye sockets and covered with a semi-transparent eyelid making them very hard to spot. The creature sees in the infrared spectrum meaning it can fight in absolute darkness. The most terrifying thing is that this creature is not immobile.
Movement
If severely injured the Type A monster will raise up on six short stubby legs and begin to move! These massive creatures can also attach themselves to ceilings and walls thanks to a sticky web like substance they excrete from glands around their legs.

Classic Traveller Stats
Tentacle monster type “A” Experiment # 141-3 “Door Guard”
Trapper/Killer
A3 F11 S1
Weight: 200kg
Hits: 20 for a K.O./+9 more hits to kill
Armor: Jack
Speed: 1
Teeth: 5 wounds
Tentacles:
Str: 9 Dex: 7, 2D/1D
If the creature can reach a character it will attempt to grab him (8+) and will do 2D crushing damage if successful. The next turn the Type A monster will try to eat the character as a yummy treat. If the creature uses its tentacles to attack it will do 1D damage.
Special notes:
If the creature takes more than 5 hits it will transmit a psionic scream to alert its masters.
If more than three Type A creatures are present they may swarm attack after at the referee’s discretion.
The monster emits a sweet citrus odor.

 

[Chuck Anumia]

Are also Psionic?

 

[parmasson]

They only have animal intelligence and are engineered to kill and psi-scream. I had not given them any other psionic skills but they could have them if you want. I wanted a room of them to be dangerous but not automatically deadly. 8-10 of these things with “assault” would mean instant death for most PCs. IMTU the MFs use bioscience to accomplish many of the things we would use electronic technology for. The idea comes from the Pentapod stuff in AD 2300 IIRC.

 

[Rossoneill]

i take it the Pcs do not have PSI helms built into there Armour or that PSI helms are not common in your Traveller Universe ?

 

[parmasson]

They are available but the PCs just don’t run into psi stuff much. That is what makes this sooooo scary.

 

[Rossoneill]

Cool i like the monster ,
I might steal it for my lost Derelict (So the pcs think )2nd imperium ship .
Of course the derelicts computer is not happy with intruders onboard ,but it is happy to get more subjects willing or unwilling for genetic mods .
My game is set in year 30 of the 3rd empire at TL 12 max ,using T20 with Milleau 0 as the base setting, so its easier to introduce higher tech like 13 or 14 and still have the sense of wonder with the pcs

 

[parmasson]

My favorite touch is the sticky dripping web-slime. Imagine what happens when a PCs boot comes in contact with it. “Oh SHI* I can’t move my feet!” Its blood can smell real foul too. Like roll an End. check or you throw up!

 

[Fritz_Brown]

Or, Parmasson, they encounter some old goo, first. "Eeeeewwwwww!"

"What's this crap?!" It's sticky, but doesn't hold them fast... Then they start to wonder if the Alien is going to come out of somewhere....

 

[parmasson]

I might steal it for my lost Derelict (So the pcs think )2nd imperium ship .

I once toyed with the idea of the PCs opening a pressure door on a derelict ship out where it is cold only to find the entire section was a solid block of ice. About six inches from the door is the frozen corpse of a crewman still in his vaccsuit arm outstretched as if trying to activate the door. It was a scene from a TNE adventure that was never finished. Use it if it can help.