Space Beldon

Creature Feature

By Brian Campbell

In the outer atmosphere of many planetary gas giants, the majestic sight of dozens of beldons floating
through the clouds is a common one. Visitors to systems like Bespin regard these sightings as an
experience they'll never forget.

Each airborne leviathan is essentially a roughly spherical gas bag, capable of growing to a shape several
kilometers across. (Even compared to starships, they're Colossal.) As herd animals, they remain content
to drift through large clouds of favored gases. If attacked, a beldon uses ionized sparks of electricity
and the hundreds of writhing tentacles on its underside to defend itself.

A rather exotic species of beldon can actually survive in space, albeit within a rarefied ecosystem.
Spacefaring beldons limit their wanderings to gaseous clouds capable of sustaining them. Over eons,
they gradually transform the vapors they consume into rethen, a light gas that allows them to swell to
their full size, and Tibanna, which they expel into their surroundings. Most varieties can also derive
sustenance from the mineral elements within small planetoids and asteroids. By excreting a naturally
developed acid, the space beldon can use the thousands of tiny tentacles on its underside to gradually
bore into a chunk of rock or metal and burn out nutrients.

Since larger asteroids are sometimes capable of supporting life -- including everything from swift
mynocks to ponderous space slugs -- a beldon in a gaseous asteroid belt may live as part of a highly
specialized ecosytem. Space beldons can actually pose a significant hazard to ships traveling in these
areas, as the Tibanna they expel can interfere with or limit the range of a ship's sensors. This is
certainly a serendipitous occurrence for the local life forms, as it may aid mynocks in sneaking up on a
damaged ship... or help a space slug swallow it whole.

To survive in such a hazardous environment, space beldons are faster than airborne varieties -- just fast
enough to steer clear of an asteroid, if necessary, but too slow to actually pursue a troublesome
starship. (In game terms, when compared to small starfighters, their top speed is roughly equivalent to
cautious speed.) Nonetheless, because starfighters themselves contain a vast array of "rarefied mineral
content," space beldons have been known to latch onto crippled starships and slowly wear them down
with thousands of acid-tipped tentacles.

Both varieties of beldon can defend themselves by suddenly releasing an ionized charge into the
atmosphere surrounding them. The trace clouds where space beldons drift is barely enough to carry
such a charge. Any ship within 10 meters of this discharge reacts to this ion charge as if hit by an ion
gun. The beldon navigates by "electrolocation," routinely releasing smaller charges at nearby objects.
Unfortunately, some pilots interpret this as a hostile action. A panicked pilot should get a Knowledge
(space lore) check (DC 15) to realize that firing back is pointless. Killing a beldon with a blaster bolt
causes the gas within it to discharge in a fiery explosion, inflicting 4d10x2 points of damage to anything
within a radius equal to twice the creature's diameter. Because of their rudimentary herd instinct, one
beldon is willing to sacrifice itself so that other leviathans nearby can drift away from hostile intruders.

Vacuum herd animal 1; Init -1; Defense 1 (-8 size, -1 Dex); Spd 50 m fly (poor); VP/WP 6/128; Atk +8
melee (1d4+16, 8 tendrils) or +0 ranged (special, ionized spark); SQ Blindsight, darkvision, explosive,
ionized spark; SV Fort +5, Ref -1, Will -3; SZ C; Rep 1; Str 42, Dex 8, Con 16, Int 3, Wis 4, Cha 2;
Challenge Code: C.
Skills: Spot +5, Survival +5.
Special Qualities:Explosive -- Many of the gases contained in a beldon are highly flammable. While the
creatures remain immune to most forms of ionization and electricity, a sufficient discharge of blaster
fire can cause a space beldon to explode. Any hit that inflicts wound damage to a space beldon forces
it to make a Fortitude save (DC equal to the number of wound points dealt minus 20). On a failed save,
the beldon erupts, causing 4d10 points of damage in a blast radius equal to twice its own diameter. For
example, if a beldon 1 kilometer across suffers 4 points of wound damage, and it fails a Fortitude save
(DC 14), the gases inside the beldon explode. Anything within 2 kilometers of the beldon suffers 4d10
damage.

Note that since beldons invariably float in at least a trace gaseous atmosphere, this damage radius also
applies above and below the creature. The danger of an accidental beldon eruption increases the
danger of even fighting near one of the giants -- a miss against a starship could easily strike one of the
colossal beasts.

Ionized Spark -- Beldons sense their environment by creating massive electrical fields around
themselves and sensing disturbances within those fields. On gas giants, herds of beldons join these
fields together -- a big herd can extend the field for hundreds of kilometers. If a handful of space
beldons are drifting in the center of an asteroid field, the combination of ionization and the Tibanna
gas they expel can play havoc with a ship's electronics, such as starfighter sensors. Any vehicle that
gets too close to a beldon may get hit by an ionized spark, which can also disrupt electronics. If a
vehicle comes within 10 meters of a beldon, the GM should make an attack roll with a +8 circumstance
bonus. On a successful hit, treat the vehicle as if struck by an ion cannon. Fortunately beldons are slow
and easily avoided.

Space beldons aren't the only creatures to bedevil a starship. Find out more inStarships of the Galaxy!

Want more nasty critters like this one? Check out the Alien Anthology accessory, which features more
than 100 aliens and creatures ready for use in your campaign!