Nihili Creature 5

Dying from exposure in space is horrific, and many starship crews obsessively monitor their hull and armor integrity to avoid such a fate. It can also lead to the creation of the foul undead known as nihilis. A nihili arises after an individual in vacuum dies of asphyxiation while all gases exit their body and their lungs collapse from attempts to hold their breath. Legends say the first person to die in such a terrible manner had a vision of the goddess of undeath, Urgathoa, who bestowed upon them a single kiss, transforming them into the very first nihili. The same legends go on to claim that this nihili still floats aimlessly through space, waiting to cling to an unsuspecting starship.

The physical appearance of a given nihili varies. Most appear as zombie-like versions of their respective ancestries, but with gruesome stretch marks and pockets of bloat caused by escaping gases during their death. A nihili maintains their prior intellect, subverted entirely to inflicting the same suffering on the living that they endured. By focusing their gaze on a target, a nihili can impart to that creature the memories of their own demise, potentially suffocating them.

Elite | Normal | Weak

Elite Weak Nihili Creature 5

Source Alien Core pg. 116

Recall Knowledge DC 19 20 22 •

Undead (Religion)

Perception +10; darkvision

Languages Common, Necril

Skills Athletics +13, Stealth +10

Str +4 Dex +3 Con +0 Int +2 Wis +1 Cha +0

Items tactical laser rifle (1 tactical battery)

AC 19

Fort +9

Ref +10

Will +8

HP 82, void healing

Immunities death effects, disease, paralyzed, poison, unconscious

Decompressing Glance [reaction] (occult, visual) Trigger A creature within 30 feet that the nihili can see starts its turn; Effect The target must attempt a DC 20 Fortitude save. If it fails, it's fatigued for 1 minute as it struggles to catch its breath.

Speed 25 feet

Melee [one-action] fist +15 (magical), Damage 2d8+7 bludgeoning

Ranged [one-action] laser rifle +15 (expend 2mag 20range increment 80 feetreload 1techtracking +1), Damage 1d8 fire plus 2d6 void

Decompressing Gaze [two-actions] (concentrateincapacitationoccultvisualvoid) The nihili stares at a creature they can see within 30 feet and imparts vivid visions of their prior death by decompression. A creature affected by this gaze must attempt a DC 20 Will save. If it fails and hasn't already been fatigued by Decompressing Glance or this ability, it becomes fatigued. If the creature is already fatigued, a failed save causes the creature to begin suffocating until the end of the nihili's next turn. The creature remains conscious and can take actions on its turn, such as casting a spell or searching for a source of air. The creature can hold its breath as normal.
A creature can attempt a DC 20 Will save at the end of its turn to break free from the experience being projected into its mind; on a success, the effect of Decompressing Gaze ends. The nihili can Sustain Decompressing Gaze on their turn or end this effect as a free action. The targeted creature's access to air is restored when the nihili targets a new creature with their Decompressing Gaze or the creature successfully saves against the effects. This otherwise follows the rules for suffocation.

Gravity Grab [two-actions] The nihili generates a field of gravity that pulls all creatures and unsecured objects toward it. Each creature within a 30-foot emanation must attempt a DC 20 Reflex save.

Critical SuccessThe creature is unaffected.

SuccessThe creature is pulled 5 feet toward the nihili.

FailureThe creature is pulled 15 feet toward the nihili.

Critical FailureThe creature is pulled 30 feet toward the nihili.

The Last Gasp

Some older space stations still use an extra wire tied to the tethers that secure spacewalks. Grimly called “the last gasp,” the wire serves as a backup if communications are severed, and the station suspects a crewmate is dead. Modern armor, communication equipment, and spacewalk procedures make it unlikely that an astronaut will become a nihili while repairing the hull of a ship or station. But nihili are so feared that there have been cases of bodies sent floating into space rather than risk a nihili being brought aboard and propagating itself by decompressing an entire station.