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SFS Standard Surnoch Creature 9

Surnochs inhabit lifeless asteroids and small moons throughout the cosmos. A surnoch's mouth is deep, funnel-like, and lined with numerous rows of sharp, pointed teeth, which allow it to grind matter down as it chews and melts its way through rock and stone. Surnochs have an innate sense of which minerals their bodies require most and can find these minerals even through miles of rocks. Surnochs excrete condensed forms of these minerals, leaving tunnels full of strange alloys and gem-quality materials in their wake.

When multiple surnochs gather together, their appetites synchronize, causing them to hunt for specific minerals en masse. The worms rain destruction on whole regions until their need is sated, then suddenly turn on each other in a show of dominance.

Elite | Normal | Weak

Elite Weak Surnoch Creature 9

Image of a surnoch
Source Alien Core pg. 173
Recall Knowledge DC 24 26 27 •
Animal (Nature)
Perception +21 (tremorsense 60 feet, no vision)
Skills Athletics +20, Stealth +18, Survival +16
Str +6 Dex +4 Con +4 Int -4 Wis +2 Cha +0
AC 27
Fort +21
Ref +17
Will +14
HP 117
Immunities acid, visual
Reactive Strike [reaction]
Speed 25 feet, burrow 25 feet; tunneling expert
Melee [one-action] bite +21 (reach 10 feet), Damage 3d12+6 piercing plus surnoch's kiss
Ranged [one-action] acidic wad +19 (range increment 60 feet), Damage 2d6+6 acid plus 2d6 acid splash damage
Area Fire [two-actions] tail smash (5-foot burstrange 10 feet), Damage 3d10+6 bludgeoning (DC 25 basic Reflex save)
Corrosive Spines [two-actions] With impressive control, the surnoch can launch its spines in a tight grouping over a great distance. All creatures in a 30-foot line take 8d8 piercing damage with a DC 25 basic Reflex save. On a failure, the creature also takes 1d8 persistent acid damage (or 2d8 persistent acid damage on a critical failure). The surnoch can't use Corrosive Spines again for 1d4 rounds.
Surnoch's Kiss (poison) Saving Throw DC 25 Fortitude; Maximum Duration 6 rounds; Stage 1 1d6 poison damage and sickened 1 (1 round); Stage 2 1d6 poison damage and sickened 2 (1 round); Stage 3 1d6 poison damage and sickened 3 (1 round)
Tail Smash The surnoch's tail smash has a burst centered on a corner of its space. It's excluded from the burst.
Tunneling Expert Surnochs have adapted to move swiftly underground. When burrowing, a surnoch worm leaves a tunnel behind itself. When moving through a previously created surnoch tunnel, it gains a +10-foot status bonus to its Speed.

All Creatures in "Space Worm"

Space Worm

“Space worm” is a nonscientific term for a xenobiologically complex clade of invertebrate animals and beasts that make their home in the vastness of space. Some, like the diaspora and dust worms, show signs of intelligence and are directly related to each other. Others, like the surnoch, evolved separately, with their origins completely unknown to science.

Other Space Worms

Able to mutate and adapt to nearly any climate, many types of creatures that might be categorized as “space worms” exist across the galaxy, even if it's unclear how they're related to other space worms. Some can survive the depths of space, inhabiting small moons and asteroids or floating endlessly through the cosmos in search of hunting grounds. Others inhabit volcanoes, boiling deep sea trenches, and more mundane terrain on terrestrial planets. While typically solitary, space worms might band together to protect their hunting grounds from outside forces—especially other varieties of space worm.

Salvaging The Surnoch

Ingredients abound in the corpse of a surnoch for the modern crafter. Their leathery hides are most often sold for high-end luxury goods, such as personal accessories or furniture. Their acid glands and spines can be harvested for weapon components, chemical solvents, or specialized mining solutions to dissolve rocks. Lastly, the minerals in their gullets are often unique in both shape and quality for jewelers and collectors to covet.