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Environmental Hazard: Carnomorphic Foodstuff
To cope with dwindling resources and calamitous shortages, The Ancients turned to biogenetics to manufacture miraculous victuals that would sustain the world's over-population...
...but thanks to the unholy commingling of bacterial DNA and that of humans...
...THE SUPER-FOOD DEVOURED THE ANCIENTS INSTEAD!!!
Carnomorphic foodstuffs are bacterial- / human-hybridized "bio-meats" encountered in nutrient tanks or terraria in abandoned Ancient laboratories. They begin their life cycles as 1 HD cocoon-clusters that lie dormant in computer-controlled containers...
...until someone enters the room and disturbs their enclosures...
...wherein the clusters activate, each hatching a 1 HD "larva". Possessed of shrewd cunning, these critters try to escape the first chance they can...
...usually via victims that get too curious for their own good!
A larval carnomorph leaps up to 3' and adheres to its quarry, and then extends piercing barbs that inject a Class 20 acidic toxin. Death is agonizing, and takes 2d6 terrible rounds. The crafty creature stealthily slithers away as the victim expires.
But death isn't the end of the process, as the toxin breaks down the body into a gooey protoplasmic slop that expands, divides, and replicates in a semi-life of its own, culminating in quivering, viscous masses of gory goop that far exceed the victim's original mass.
While the dissolution transpires, the foul food-thing slithers to an isolated place (ventilation system, closet / cabinet, desolate rock formation, etc.) to form another cocoon...and emerges as a giant, corpulent, toothy beast of ferocious fury and brilliant guile!
Carnomorph, Adult
No. Enc.: 1 (1)
Alignment: Chaotic
Movement: 60' (20')
Armor Class: 2
Hit Dice: 11
Attacks: 3 (2 claws, 1 bite)
Damage: 1d10 / 1d10 / 2d8
Save: L11
Morale: 9
Hoard Class: XXII
XP: 2,800
Adult carnomorphs are 6' tall, 12' long, vaguely insectoid, multi-limbed, fleshy masses sporting heads with massive, toothy maws. Their piercing claws not only inflict savage wounds, but also inject the same Class 20 venom as above...because carnomorphs feed exclusively on the globular goo of dissolved victims!
Highly intelligent, carnomorphs can bio-mechanically merge with computer systems and electronics. Not only does this allow them to address (or, more accurately, lie to and deceive) others, but also grants them complete control over a building's / vehicle's systems: life support, environmental, lighting, communications, navigation, etc. Carnomorphs frequently turn the laboratory complexes of their births into "aquariums" for their humanoid prey, so as to create perfect habitations to tend and breed their own captive food stock!
Well-fed carnomorphs grow rapidly, gaining another 1d4 HD and +1d4 damage per melee attack [plus corresponding XP] per week.
Carnomorphs die instantly (in particularly messy, vomitous fashion) if injected with diseased cancerous / tumorous cells. Accordingly, they avoid targets suffering from cancer, and won't feed on them.
Mutations: Frailty ("Cancerous Vulnerability") [D], Toxic Weapon ("Dissolving Proteins")
