Duct Creeper

Background

The Duct Creeper is a pest which has become widespread throughout the galaxy, carried as unwelcome stowaways on starships of all species. It lives in wiring ducts and similar spaces, where it feeds on plastics and similar hydrocarbon compounds, causing havoc with electronics and the like. It can be found on planets, in asteroid settlements, space stations, and starships -- just about anywhere, in fact. Its persistent survival has given it the unflattering cognomen among Terrans as the Cockroach of the Spaceways.

The origin of the Duct Creeper is unknown for sure, but it has similarities to other life forms which suggest it may have come from Korun.

Appearance

The Duct Creeper looks superficially like a terrestrial centipede, but differences become apparent on close examination. It has a rasp-like mouth structure which it uses to grind its food into dust, which it then vacuums up. It has no obvious eyes or antennae. It has a metallic sheen to its deep grey carapace, like polished graphite.

Powers & Tactics

The creeper's small size is its greatest asset, allowing it to fit into spaces no human-sized creature could get into, or even get their extremities into. It is not aggressive, and if startled will immediately flee for the nearest such haven. It can climb vertical or overhanging surfaces, even very smooth surfaces, with ease. Its alien metabolism makes normal anti-vermin poisons ineffective, and if subjected to vacuum, very high or low pressure, high levels of radiation or very low temperatures it becomes inert, going into a survival stasis until conditions improve. It is vulnerable to very high temperatures, but burning it out of its territory is likely to do even more damage to the sensitive workings of a ship.

Personality & Motivation

Standard animal motivations -- eat, reproduce, eat some more.

Campaign Use

This creature is designed as a convenient plot device for GMs who need something to impair a ship's systems. If a comprehensive sensor sweep of a potential danger spot would ruin the planned scenario, it's a simple matter to decree that duct creepers have been chewing on the appropriate hardware.

Disadvantages

Cost Disadvantage

0 Normal Characteristic Maxima

15 Physical Limitation: Non-intelligent (Frequently, Greatly Impairing)

15 Physical Limitation: Tiny (Frequently, Greatly Impairing)

10 Physical Limitation: No fine manipulation (Infrequently, Greatly Impairing)

Total Disadvantages Cost: 40

Abilities

8 Easily Hidden: +6 to Concealment (12 Active Points); Self Only (-½)

30 Hard To Hit: +6 with DCV

12 Hard To Perceive: +6 to Stealth

11 Survival Trance: Life Support (Eating Character does not eat; Safe in High Pressure; Safe in High Radiation; Safe in Intense Cold; Safe in Intense Heat; Safe in Low Pressure/Vacuum; Self-Contained Breathing), Inherent (+¼) (27 Active Points); Concentration, Must Concentrate throughout use of Constant Power (0 DCV; Character is totally unaware of nearby events; The Duct Creeper goes into a hybernation-like state when subjected to potentially harmful environmental conditions; -1 ½)

10 Alien Metabolism: Life Support (Immunity All terrestrial poisons and chemical warfare agents)

10 Creeping: Clinging (normal STR)

3 Tunnel Boring: Tunneling 1" through 5 DEF material (17 Active Points); Extra Time (1 Hour, Character May Take No Other Actions, -3 ¼), Limited Medium Hydrocarbon compounds such as plastics (-½), no Noncombat movement (-¼) END: 2

15 Silicoid Body: Armour (4 PD/6 ED)

6 Extra Limbs (16 legs) (1), Inherent (+¼) (6 Active Points)