Supernatural Sliver Symbiots

(Version 1.04 - Last Modified: 03/10/2006)

• Crypt Sliver
• Crystalline Sliver
• Essence Sliver
• Hibernation Sliver
• Mindwhip Sliver
• Shifting Sliver
• Synapse Sliver
• Spectral Sliver
• Ward Sliver

Crypt Sliver

Illustration Edward P. Beard, Jr. ©1995-2006 Wizards of the Coast, Inc.

As the Splugorths' bio-wizards got a hold of the Slivers, they began to experiment. Of course there were many different types of Slivers already, but there were some areas, especially in the area of magic, that were left vacant simply because the Slivers never evolved in that direction as far as in other areas. Given the Slivers innate abilities, the bio-wizards did not find it very hard at all to modify them just enough to hold new types of magic. The first area of magic that would benefit from this line of research was Necromancy. A wealthy Necromancer aligned with the Splugorth that was heavily investing into Sliver research had paid handsomely for the development of a Sliver that was dedicated to Necromancy, and he was not disappointed with the results, ordering over two hundred Crypt Slivers after witnessing a single demonstration.

The Crypt Slivers are terrible abominations, shunned and pitied by its own kind. While other Slivers pity what has befallen a member of their race, the strong presence of evil magic is too strong for most of them and they reject the Sliver almost immediately, unfortunately there is little they can do to help the Crypt Slivers. What the Splugorth had no way knowing was what the Sliver Queens' reactions would be to the development of the Crypt Slivers. They had taken the development of all of the other Slivers in stride, and the bio-wizards had expected nothing else from the introduction of the Crypt Slivers, but they were totally unprepared for the violent and destructive responses of the Sliver Queens, most of which had to be restrained to avoid killing the bio-wizards that sought to introduce the new strain into the Sliver Queens. Even though a few compliant Sliver Queens were discovered, almost all of the Sliver Queens had already been introduced to the Crypt Sliver and would remember it for many years to come, which would prove disastrous for the bio-wizards.

Racial Statistics

• P.P.E.: The Sliver provides the host with an additional +80 PPE that regenerates at the same rate as the host’s natural PPE.
• Natural Abilities:
  
  1. Death Touch:
     
     The host gains the ability to perform a special touch attack up to once per minute, but it costs 10 PPE to use each time. This attach can be delivered while the host wears body armor, but nothing heavier, and it can be used against a living target that is wearing anything up to power armor. The host also receives a bonus of +3 to strike with the Death Touch attack. If the attack touches the target, the target must save vs. spell magic with a penalty of -4. If the target makes the save, they take 3D6 points of damage directly to their hit points, or double damage if they are an M.D.C. creature, and receive a penalty of -4 to all combat roles and lose half of their attacks per melee for 1D4 melees. If the target fails the save, they take 5D6 points of damage directly to their hit points, or double damage if they are an m.D.C. creature and they are completely immobilized for 1D4 minutes.
  2. Death Magic:
     
     The host automatically learns and can cast the following Necromancy Magic spells: Animate and Control Dead: Simple, Crawling Bones, Death Mask, and Object Read the Dead. The host can select an additional two spells from the following list: Assemble Bones, Bone & Joint Bonding, Maggots (Insects), Recognize the Undead, Stench of the Dead. If two Crypt Slivers have different spells and are within range to share their abilities, then each Sliver gains the spells of the other Sliver for as long as they remaining within range.
  3. Twin Tails:
     
     The two tails of the Crypt Sliver can be used to deliver the Death Touch attack, but the host can still not use it more often then once per minute.
  4. Bonuses:
     
     The host gains +2 to save vs. all types of magic, +3 to save vs. mind control, and +4 to save vs. horror factor.


• Side Effects: The host loses 30% of their body mass, but they suffer no physical penalties because of it, instead their bodies' become gaunt and their features become sunkun. The host's skin and hair will turn several shades closer to grey and they will look generally unhealthy, although there is nothing physically wrong with them.

Crystalline Sliver

Illustration L. A. Williams. ©1995-2006 Wizards of the Coast, Inc.

While a good portion of the Splugorths’ strength comes from their technology, they still rely heavily on magic, and this reliance proved to be a large vulnerability when they faced this type of Sliver. These Slivers have powerful anti-magic capabilities and they possess enough intelligence to use this ability properly. For example, Crystalline Slivers can differentiate between beneficial spells and harmful spells.

Racial Statistics

• Attributes:
  
  • I.Q.: +2
• M.D.C.: Crystalline Slivers possess 1D6x10 M.D.C. in their main body, which is not shared with the host. Each tail has 25% of the M.D.C. of the main body, rounded up.
• M.D.C. Armor Rating: +1 for the main body and +2 for all other body parts.
• P.P.E.: The Sliver provides the host with an additional +50 PPE that regenerates at the same rate as the host’s natural PPE.
• Natural Abilities:
  
  1. Counter Spells:
     
     Has the ability to use PPE to counter spells that would otherwise affect the Sliver or the host. For example, this could be used to counter a Fire Bolt spell cast at the host or at a cloud of poison gas that would affect the host, but it could not counter an Armor of Ithan spell or a Fire Bolt spell cast at someone else. To counter a spell, the Sliver must spend 1 PPE for each PPE used to cast the spell being countered, so a spell that needs 5 PPE to be cast requires 5 PPE to counter. Once countered, the spell is instantly dispelled, along with all of its effects. Spells that have durations do not have to be countered immediately, and can be countered as long as the Sliver is affected by the spell at the moment they attempt to dispel it. Non-magical effects of a spell, such as the death of someone because of a magical poison cannot be dispelled even if the spell is still active in the person.
  2. Counter Psionics:
     
     This power is nearly identical to the Counter Spells ability, except that it costs 2 PPE to counter every point of ISP. For example, a psionic power that costs 6 ISP to cast would cost 12 PPE to counter. This ability can be used to counter psionic powers that are used to attack the host, such as psi-sword, but cannot be used to counter powers that are used to manipulate the environment, even if they result in an attack on the host, such as using telekinesis to throw rocks at the host.
  3. Bonuses:
     
     The host gains +2 to save vs. all types of magic and +2 to save vs. psionics.


• Side Effects: The host loses some of their proficiency in magic and psionics, if they possess any. Spells and psychic powers cost 10% more PPE or ISP to cast, rounded down. Also, the duration of all spells and psychic powers are reduced by 25%.

Essence Sliver

Illustration Glen Angus. ©1995-2006 Wizards of the Coast, Inc.

The Essence Sliver filled an interesting role in the complex Sliver hierarchy on their home world. The Slivers are not intelligent, at least as far as the Splugorth are concerned, but the presence of the Essence Slivers attests to some kind of intelligent purpose. The Essence Slivers are healers, pure and simple. They travel throughout Sliver communities healing injuries, repairing wounds, and tending to sick Slivers. Unfortunately, the Slivers did not have much respect for that kind of activity and while the Essence Sliver was one of the first Slivers captured, it was one of the last to be transformed into a symbiot and as expected, they sell very poorly.

Racial Statistics

• P.P.E.: The Sliver provides the host with an additional +120 PPE that regenerates at the same rate as the host’s natural PPE.
• Natural Abilities:
  
  1. Healing Touch:
     
     The touch of the Essence Sliver or the host can be used to heal wounds. Once per melee round, a touched creature can be instantly healed 3D6 M.D.C., S.D.C., or hit points, depending on the nature of the target. This ability cannot be used on the host or the Sliver and can be delivered through the host's touch or with the Sliver's tail.
  2. Healing Magic:
     
     The host automatically learns and can cast the following Invocation Magic spells: Cure Minor Disorders, Heal Self, and Light Healing. The host can select an additional four spells from the following list: Heal Wounds, Cure Illness, Greater Healing, Super-Healing, Restore Life, Restoration, and Resurrection. If two Essence Slivers have different spells and are within range to share their abilities, then each Sliver gains the spells of the other Sliver for as long as they remaining within range.
  3. Bonuses:
     
     The host and the Sliver is immune to poison and disease, whether it is mundane, magical, or supernatural.

Hibernation Sliver

Illustration Scott Kirschner. ©1995-2006 Wizards of the Coast, Inc.

The discovery of the Hibernation Sliver came only years after the completion of the invasion of the Slivers' home world. It was only luck that allowed the minions of the Splugorth to discover the Sliver only hours before they were going to destroy the planet to prevent others from gaining access to the Slivers. Just prior to the departure of one of the last scout units, a small group of Hibernation Slivers awoke and climbed to the surface from the homes beneath the ground. The minions were caught completely off guard by the sudden group of slivers around them that were casting powerful temporal magic. It took over an hour for the minions to kill all but one of the Hibernation Slivers. Following the initial discovery of the Hibernation Slivers, the Splugorth responsible for the invasion delayed the destruction of the planet just long enough for its minions to locate and capture a large number of the Slivers for future study.

After years of intense study, the bio-wizards in the service of the Splugorth responsible for the invasion were finally able to modify the Hibernation Slivers in ways that would allow them to be sold as useful symbiots. While not nearly as popular the slivers dedicated to combat, the Hibernation Sliver is a useful alternative to the psychic Mindwhip Sliver.

Racial Statistics

• Average Life Span: 100 years
• P.P.E.: The Sliver provides the host with an additional +100 PPE that regenerates at the same rate as the host’s natural PPE.
• Natural Abilities:
  
  1. Hibernation:
     
     The host gains the ability to hibernate indefinitely. The host can enter into a state of suspended animation at will, but they must select how long until they wake up, such as one day or a thousand years. No force can wake the host once hibernation begins except killing the Hibernation Sliver. While hibernating, the host does not age, does not require food or drink, does not breathe, cannot catch any diseases, and is immune to all heat and cold, normal and magical, which includes plasma.
  2. Temporal Magic:
     
     The host automatically learns and can cast the following Temporal Magic spells: T-Dep (Time Deprivation), Wink-Out, and Time Warp: Slow Motion. The host can select an additional two spells from the following list: D-Phase, Retro-Viewing, Sense Dimensional Anomaly, S-Dep (Sensory Deprivation), Time Warp: Age, and Dimensional Pockets. If two Hibernation Slivers have different spells and are within range to share their abilities, then each Sliver gains the spells of the other Sliver for as long as they remaining within range.
  3. Bonuses:
     
     The host gains +3 to save vs. all types of magic, +2 to save vs. mind control, and is immune to magical and psionic sleep.


• Side Effects: The host cannot keep track of time as easily as other people, and are constantly running late unless they repeatedly look at a clock or are heavily concentrating on the passing time. Also, Hibernation Slivers interfere with the use of psionic powers. All psionic powers used by the host cost 10% more ISP to use, rounded down, and the duration of all psionic powers are reduced by 25%.

Mindwhip Sliver

Illustration Jeff Miracola. ©1995-2006 Wizards of the Coast, Inc.

With great psionic powers, the Mindwhip Slivers are often employed by psychics to enhance their existing powers, but non-psychics can still use them. The main problem with this Sliver is that it disrupts magical abilities of the host and is not as physically strong as the other Slivers. During the invasion, the Mindwhip Slivers were very difficult to detect, because they often used their psychic powers to manipulate patrol groups that came too close to their lairs. Eventually, the Splugorth were able to circumvent these difficulties through sheer weight of numbers.

Racial Statistics

• M.D.C.: Mindwhip Slivers possess 1D4x10 M.D.C. in their main body, which is not shared with the host. Each tail has 25% of the M.D.C. of the main body, rounded up.
• M.D.C. Armor Rating: -1 for the main body
• I.S.P.: The Sliver provides the host with an additional +80 ISP that regenerates at a rate of 5 ISP per hour of normal activity and 15 ISP per hour of meditation or sleep.
• Natural Abilities:
  
  1. Psionic Powers:
     
     The main power of the Mindwhip Sliver is that it possesses a number of psionic powers that it shares with the host. The host gains the following psychic abilities: Bio-Manipulation, Empathic Transmission, Hypnotic Suggestion, Mind Block, Mind Bolt, See Aura, and Telepathy.
  2. Enhanced Psychic:
     
     The Mindwhip Sliver also increases the potency of psychic powers used by the host, except when using the abilities listed above. All targets of psychic abilities cast by the host or the sliver have a penalty of -2 to save vs. psionic powers.
  3. Bonuses:
     
     The host gains +5 to save vs. horror factor / awe factor, +1 to save vs. psionics, and counts as a master psychic.


• Side Effects: Mindwhip Slivers despise magic and often use their psychic powers on the host to convince them that magic users are not to be trusted. While the host may be able to convince the Sliver that a particular magic user can be trusted, and the Sliver will be more easily convinced if the magic user saves the life of its host, it will always distrust any new magic user it meets. Also, the presence of the Sliver disrupts magic being cast by the host and all spells cost 10% more PPE to cast, rounded down, and the duration of all spells are reduced by 25%.

Shifting Sliver

Illustration Darrell Riche. ©1995-2006 Wizards of the Coast, Inc.

The Shifting Sliver is a popular Sliver, custom built by the bio-wizards. It was built to assist wizards with their metamorphosis spells and is well worth its price, nearly triple that of the other Slivers. The Shifting Sliver not only provides its host with a variety of Metamorphosis spells, but it also assists the wizard in casting and enhancing those spells. This is a great help to wizards that heavily rely on these spells for whatever reason and the Sliver was designed to fulfill the very specific needs of these wizards.

The Shifting Slivers, unlike the Crypt Sliver, was welcomed into the Sliver race with the equivalent of open arms. The bio-wizards never even considered why the Shifting Sliver would be so easily accepted while the Crypt Sliver was rejected so violently and all of the other created Slivers were met with suspension, they were just so grateful that the integration went smoothly. What the bio-wizards never even contemplated was that they had just introduced into the Sliver race the ability to easily and cheaply use metamorphosis spells. The bio-wizards never even looked twice when the first mobile Shifting Sliver walked out of the research laboratory where they were being help in the form of a Human.

Racial Statistics

• Attributes:
  
  • I.Q.: +2
• P.P.E.: The Sliver provides the host with an additional +120 PPE that regenerates at the same rate as the host’s natural PPE.
• Natural Abilities:
  
  1. Enhance Transformation Spells:
     
     Whenever the host attempts to cast a Metamorphosis spell (such as Metamorphosis: Insect), the duration of the spell is tripled and its PPE cost is reduced to 25% of its normal value, rounding all fractions up. For example, if the spell normally cost 300 PPE, it would cost the host only 75 PPE. Whenever the host attempts to cast any other type of spell that causes them to transform physically in any way, such as the Biomancy spell Minor Body Weapons, the duration of the spell is doubled.
  2. Metamorphosis Magic:
     
     The host automatically learns and can cast the following Invocation Magic spells: Metamorphosis: Animal, Metamorphosis: Human, and Metamorphosis: Fish. The host can select an additional two spells from the following list: Metamorphosis: Crustacean, Metamorphosis: Insect, Metamorphosis: Mist, Metamorphosis: Shark, and Metamorphosis: Superior. If two Shifting Slivers have different spells and are within range to share their abilities, then each Sliver gains the spells of the other Sliver for as long as they remaining within range. Please note that Metamorphosis: Fish, Crustacean, and Shark are all Ocean Magic spells.
  3. Twin Tails:
     
     The two tails of the Shifting Sliver are quite weak and inflict -5 points of damage per attack, with a minimum of 1 point of damage.


• Market Cost: Triple the cost of purchasing a Shifting Sliver.

Spectral Sliver

Illustration Pete Venters. ©1995-2006 Wizards of the Coast, Inc.

As the bio-wizards began experimenting with the Slivers, they discovered that they could manipulate the Sliver's unique properties to create amazing abilities. The Spectral Sliver is one of the most recent Slivers created by the minions of the Splugorth, but it already promises to sell well. The Spectral Sliver has the ability to alter its tentacles to place them outside of normal reality. This ability allows the Sliver's tails to penetrate all non-living matter, similar to phase weapons and provides the Sliver with several other interesting abilities.

Racial Statistics

• P.P.E.: The Sliver provides the host with an additional +40 PPE that regenerates at the same rate as the host’s natural PPE.
• Natural Abilities:
  
  1. Spectral Tail:
     
     The Spectral Sliver has the ability to alter one of its tails to make it almost intangible. In this state, the tail cannot be damaged and all attacks pass right through it. Unfortunately, in its spectral state, the tail cannot damage anything else and all attacks by the tail or anything coming from the tail, simply pass through the target. It costs 2 PPE per melee for a tail to remain spectral, but it only requires one melee attack to transform a single tail. Each tail must be transformed separately.
  2. Armor Piercing:
     
     While in its spectral state, a tail can be used to pass through non-living matter, but still be able to damage living matter. For example, it could pass completely through a target wearing armor in order to damage the person inside the armor. The host must pay 2 PPE for each attack that will use this ability and the tail inflicts damage according to the nature of the target, but inflicts half damage if converting from S.D.C. to M.D.C. and double damage if converting from M.D.C. to S.D.C. depending on the damage inflicted by the tail. For example, if a tail normally inflicts 3D6 M.D. and this ability was used to damage a normal Human, then the tail would inflict 6D6 S.D.C., likewise if the tail normally inflicted 6D6 S.D.C. and was used against a dragon, it would inflict 3D6 M.D. per attack. This ability could be used against a target that was not wearing armor and is a useful way to allow a non-M.D. tail to damage an M.D.C. creature. This ability inflicts no damage on non-living matter such as buildings, golems, undead, and metal.
  3. Energy Drain:
     
     While in its spectral state, a tail can be used to drain energy from a living target, unfortunately, the host does not gain any of this drained energy. For 2 PPE the host can drain 2D4 PPE or ISP from a living target with a single attack. If the target is reduced to zero PPE or ISP, then the host can only drain as much as was remaining and can no longer drain any more energy of that type from the target. For example, if an attack would drain 6 PPE, but the target only had 3 PPE remaining, then only 3 PPE is drained and no more PPE could be drained. The host is aware when their most recent attack using this ability has draining all the energy of a particular type, but they have no way of knowing how much is remaining at any given time or if the target uses the last of their energy without it being drained.
  4. Bonuses:
     
     The host gains +3 to save vs. horror factor.

Synapse Sliver

Illustration Thomas M. Baxa. ©1995-2006 Wizards of the Coast, Inc.

A deadly complement to the Mindwhip Slivers, the Synapse Slivers were also powerful psychics, possessing some of the most powerful psionic powers available, but unlike the Mindwhip Slivers, the Synapse Slivers could not confuse the patrol groups. Once the Synapse Slivers were eliminated, the Mindwhip Slivers lost a large portion of their power, so they became much easier to detect and capture.

Racial Statistics

• I.S.P.: The Sliver provides the host with an additional +80 ISP that regenerates at a rate of 5 ISP per hour of normal activity and 15 ISP per hour of meditation or sleep.
• Natural Abilities:
  
  1. Psionic Powers:
     
     The main power of the Mindwhip Sliver is that it possesses a number of psionic powers that it shares with the host. The host gains the following psychic abilities: Astral Projection, Ectoplasm, Induce Sleep, Psi-Shield, Psionic Invisibility, Psychic Omni-Sight, and Suppress Fear.
  2. Enhanced Psychic:
     
     The Mindwhip Sliver also increases the potency of psychic powers used by the host, except when using the abilities listed above. All psychic powers have double their normal range and duration.
  3. Twin Tails:
     
     The two tails of the Mindwhip Sliver are quite weak and inflict -5 points of damage per attack, with a minimum of 1 point of damage.
  4. Bonuses:
     
     The host gains +3 to save vs. mental possession and counts as a master psychic.


• Side Effects: Synapse Slivers despise magic. While the host may be able to convince the Sliver that a particular magic user can be trusted, and the Sliver will be more easily convinced if the magic user saves the life of its host, it will always distrust any new magic user it meets. Also, the presence of the Sliver disrupts magic being cast by the host and all spells cost 10% more PPE to cast, rounded down, and the duration of all spells are reduced by 25%.

Ward Sliver

Illustration Pete Venters. ©1995-2006 Wizards of the Coast, Inc.

The Ward Sliver was one of the few supernatural Slivers that proved the most annoying when the Splugorth invaded the Slivers' home world. The Ward Slivers possessed powerful protection magic and they operated in large groups, working together to help each other and to help the other Slivers. Even worse for the invaders, the Ward Slivers were capable of recognizing which of the Slivers were the most important in a given group and attempted to ensure that they were well protected. Along with the Armor Slivers, the Ward Slivers were given special attention by the Splugorth extermination squads.

With wizards of all stripes, the Ward Sliver has proven very popular. Protection spells have been a staple among wizards that often take part in combat, both to protect themselves and to protect their allies and the Ward Sliver assists in that job. Although its name may be confused with Ward magic, the Ward Sliver provides the host with protections spells and enhances the protection spells cast by the host.

Racial Statistics

• Attributes:
  
  • P.E.: +3
• P.P.E.: The Sliver provides the host with an additional +60 PPE that regenerates at the same rate as the host’s natural PPE.
• Natural Abilities:
  
  1. Enhance Defensive Spells:
     
     Whenever the host attempts to cast a defensive spell (such as Armor of Ithan or any spell that the GM determines to be defensive in nature), the host can either double its duration or decrease its PPE cost by 25%, rounding all fractions up. For example, normally an Armor of Ithan spell costs 10 PPE and has a duration of 1 minute per level of experience, but when the hosts casts the spell, the spell will either last 2 minutes per level of experience or will cost 8 PPE.
  2. Protection Magic:
     
     The host automatically learns and can cast the following Invocation Magic spells: Armor of Ithan, Impervious to Energy, and Wall of Defense. The host can select an additional three spells from the following list: Armor Bizarre, Deflect, Impervious to Fire, Impervious to Poison, Magic Shield, Protection Circle: Simple, and Watchguard. If two Ward Slivers have different spells and are within range to share their abilities, then each Sliver gains the spells of the other Sliver for as long as they remaining within range.
  3. Bonuses:
     
     The host gains +1 to save vs. poison, +2 to save vs. all types of magic, and +2 to save vs. mind control.


• Side Effects: Ward Slivers are defensive and very cautious and these traits are often duplicated in their hosts, through increased anxiety and fear. The host takes a penalty of -2 to save vs. Horror Factor.