SJCC: 'Roid Jumpers

The following creatures are meant to fit into the asteroid empire I've
posted about so often though they easily fit in any campaign setting
using asteroids (such as Clusterspace).

'Roid Jumper

CLIMATE/TERRAIN:        Wildspace earth bodies (up to size C), any climate
FREQUENCY:              Common
ORGANIZATION:           Pack
ACTIVITY CYCLE:         Any (nocturnal preferred on worlds with day-night
variations)
DIET:                   Omnivorous scavenger
INTELLIGENCE:           Semi- (2-4)
TREASURE:               Incidental
ALIGNMENT:              N(E)
NO. APPEARING:          2-5 to 10-100
ARMOR CLASS:            6
MOVEMENT:               15", Sw 6"
HIT DICE:               1/2
THAC0:                  20
NO. OF ATTACKS:         1
DAMAGE/ATTACK:          1 (1-2 if 1 ½' or larger)
SPECIAL ATTACKS:        bite has 1% chance of inflicting a disease
SPECIAL DEFENSES:       Nil
MAGIC RESISTANCE:       Nil
SIZE:                   T to S (4" to 2 ½')
MORALE:                 Unreliable (2-4)
XP VALUE:               15

'Roid jumpers are small rodent-like creatures that inhabit small
wildspace earth bodies (and water and air bodies with solid areas for
them to live on).  They are never found on any planetoid larger than
mid size C (around 650 mile diameter) unless introduced through unusual
means.  Apparently their innate teleport-like ability is not usable on
larger worlds and they will lose this ability within 3-5 generations of
being introduced to such an area.
    These odd relatives of rats have a very unusual ability that many
sages have attempted to explain and many mages have attempted to copy:
they can teleport safely to nearby asteroids that they've never visited
before.  Some of the researchers have suggested that they can actually
feel the presence of a nearby asteroid in some manner but this is
unproven.  'Roid jumpers can teleport from any mid-range size C or
smaller world to any other world of similar size.  They can even
teleport onto passing spelljammers, though the ship must be moving at
no greater than tactical speed.  The 'roid jumpers apparently have no
control over what they actually teleport to because they are just as
likely to jump to void earth worlds as to fire worlds as to inhabitable
worlds.  They are found in asteroid fields in sphere throughout space
(including the Astromundi Cluster) and it is speculated they can even
teleport to other spheres.  They cannot teleport into, out of, or
within the phlogiston, however, and lose their teleport-like ability
within one generation if introduced into the phlogiston.  As they need
at least 3 days to recharge so they can jump again they will die if
they end up on too many barren asteroids in a row or in a hostile
environment.  They cannot teleport in response to combat but only in
response to population pressures.  When teleporting they always travel
to other worlds, never remaining on their current one (though a
subsequent teleport may bring them back).

Combat:  'Roid jumpers only fight if cornered or extremely hungry.  Due
to the isolated nature of the areas they inhabit they have less chance
to encounter disease than normal rats but they can carry any disease
they encounter just as easily as any rat does.

Habitat/Society:  'Roid jumpers live in small packs, ranging from 2-5
jumpers to almost 100.  Packs wil split into two or more smaller packs
if they get larger than this, usually with at least one of the packs
using their teleport-like ability.  'Roid packs operate closer to
canine packs in social structure than they do to rat packs.  An alpha
male dominates the pack and will mate with any female he desires.  The
first to produce a litter has the only litter the pack will support
until they are fully grown, whereupon another litter is produced
(female 'roid jumpers are fertile at all times from maturity on until
death just like males).  'Roid jumpers that violate the ways of the
pack are exiled (possibly teleporting) and ones that can't keep up are
left behind.  In this case they operate more like territorial rats,
however, and are rarely nomadic (other than when teleporting).  Their
chief purpose is to find food.  Packs will eat anything though they
prefer carrion when they can get it (it's easier than fighting for or
chasing down a meal).  On inhabited asteroids and ships they live much
like their rat cousins though the two species are deadly enemies and
will fight to the death whenever they encounter each other.

Ecology:  'Roid Jumpers will strip a world bare, almost.  As food
starts to become scarce they will teleport away, avoiding completely
destroying the local ecosystem.  Nevertheless, their presence will
severely ravage it while they are there.  They fill the same niche as
most other scavenging rodents (namely rats) do on other worlds.  They
steal eggs, consume carrion, and dwell in refuse.  They are one of the
primary bases of life in space and are eaten by most anything
carnivorous just as they will eat most anything.  For some reason they
will never become cannibalistic, however.
     Many mages would like to develop a spell that mirrors the
teleport-like ability of the 'roid jumpers and these wizards track down
specimens wherever they can find them.  It is rumored among many
spacefarers that early dwarves had magics that allowed them a similar
means of travel but was limited to jumping from earth world to earth world.

=====

Do you really think I'd admit to stealing that much money in my email sig?  Uhh, don't answer that.

The crazier the people are around me the saner I am.  That's why I work
in an asylum.  No, not the rubber room again!  No, but, but, my email...



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