Sci-Fi Monsters

These monsters can be used in any game system. I tried to make them as generic as possible.

NAME: Deltor's Ooze

DESCRIPTION: Deltor's Ooze is the name given to a species of semi-intelligent slime that is attracted to electricity. It was first discovered by the merchant Kelrax Deltor when his ship suddenly underwent a complete systems failure. Deltor was extremely surprised to find his electrical systems infested with a viscous, gray slime that impeded the power flow. Seeing the profit that could be made, Deltor gathered up the slime, cloned it, and (after the 3 or 4 days it took to repair the damage to his ship) began selling the substance to pirates and other unscrupulous sorts. If a bit of this ooze could be placed aboard a ship, the craft could easily be crippled and taken over.

The ooze is usually found in half-gallon, vacuum-sealed metal containers. Once a container is opened, the ooze slowly finds its way into nearby electrical systems, sliding through the smallest cracks and openings. Within an hour all electrical systems within 500 feet become inoperative. The ooze will keep spreading at that rate in any oxygen atmosphere, its cells multiplying on contact with electricity. The consequences of an ooze being released in a planet- based power plant can be crippling. The only way to kill this creature is to completely deprive it of oxygen or electricity.

NAME: Flicker

DESCRIPTION: The flicker is an enigma that has yet to be explained. It is not known for sure that this phenomena is actually a living creature; no living being has ever seen one. An unmanned probe that landed on an obscure planet on the fringes of known space captured on 3- D holographic video a strange, insubstantial, flickering light floating towards the edge of a cliff. Following it were several small animals that seemed to be hypnotized by its intricate, colorful flashes of light. These animals followed the light right off of the cliff, after which it buzzed over to the other side. A manned expedition to the planet found the bodies of many different creatures at the bottom of several gorges in the area. Indeed, it was no mystery when a member of the expedition was found dead at the bottom of a deep chasm. What is puzzling is the reason for the flicker's "Pied Piper" ploy.

The truth is that the flicker doesn't realize what it is doing. Its only aim in life is to soak up energy from the sun and buzz over chasms of its planet, where the updrafts are strongest. It has no idea that its flickering light patterns are mesmerizing to other life forms. In fact, it is totally oblivious to anything but itself.

NAME: Ninyukab

DESCRIPTION: The ninyukaba are a race of thieves and pirates. Their entire existence is based on the theory that "might makes right." Their physical appearance is that of a muscular, bipedal humanoid, but with a few deviations from this standard. They have four arms: one on each side, one in the center of the chest, and one sprouting from the back. Their eyes are arranged similarly. As a result, the ninyukaba have poor depth perception, but are hard to surprise or ambush. Their skin is grayish-brown with the texture of sandpaper.

The ninyukaba have acquired everything they possess by brute force or theft. As a result, no two ninyukaba are alike: in fact, they pride themselves on their individuality. Each one strives to develop a specific style that will set him apart from his associates. This makes it very hard to fight a ship full of these creatures; each of them fights in a different way. One thing is shared by all ninyukaba, however. Every move is calculated to intimidate whoever is watching. Being a prisoner on one of their ships can be a harrowing experience.

On board a ninyukab ship, the captain is the supreme authority. No one questions his orders, unless he shows some kind of weakness. At that point, he is immediately killed and the remaining members of the crew drop their weapons and engage in a no-holds-barred, bare- knuckle free-for-all. The last man standing becomes the new captain. It was because of such anarchistic traditions that these creatures have no home to go back to. It was devastated as a result of a squabble over the ownership of a small plot of land, which was settled by each side calling in their friends, and their friends' friends, and so on, until the entire planet became a war zone. The survivors of this holocaust hijacked a passing freighter, and thus was born the ninyukab tradition of piracy. Fortunately for the rest of known space, the ninyukaba respect no authority higher than their captain. If they ever became a unified force, they could conceivably dominate much of the galaxy.

NAME: Onyx Beast

DESCRIPTION: The onyx beast is one of the most feared creatures in existence. This monstrosity is a mile-long amorphous blob that seems to glitter like a precious gem in the starlight. The cause of this phenomenon is unknown, because no one has ever killed or captured an onyx beast to study it. This creature is notorious for seeking out the power sources of starships and enveloping them, digesting the ships and all their contents. Most conventional weaponry has no effect on them, but they do seem quite sensitive to changes in their environment. If a ship attempts to leave the empty vacuum of space (by entering an atmosphere, a nebula, or some other spatial body), the beast will not follow. To this date, no method has been discovered to kill or even injure these galactic marauders.

NAME: Piercer

DESCRIPTION: The piercer is a three-meter-long bullet-shaped creature covered with bony plates as strong as steel. It has two black, slit-shaped eyes, one on either side of its body. Its bullet-like form comes to a point, at the end of which is the creature's mouth, a tiny hole through which the piercer sucks its food. These creatures are capable of flying in the atmosphere of their low-gravity home planet, usually hunting for food in packs of five to ten. Their favorite prey is the prag'aa, a species that resembles a flying whale. When the piercers encounter a spacecraft in their airspace, they often mistake it for a prag'aa, which results in a swarm of these creatures propelling themselves though the hull of the craft. When they realize that they are sucking on liquid nitrogen instead of blood, the creatures fly away, but by this time the damaged spacecraft will be forced to make an emergency landing. The piercers have no hostile intent; they are merely trying to feed.