Project Simulant
Project Simulant was a mysterious initiative undertaken by a group of commissioned scientists, creating reproductions of various zerg specimens using entirely terran technology, or so they said. Whether they were successful or not is anyone's guess, as the team unexpectedly vanished.
CENTRAL OFFICES: Space station orbiting Korhal III
MAJOR REGIONAL OFFICES: Several other research and sales facilities throughout Koprulu sector, 2 large research ships that are roaming the Alpha Quadrant.
MAJORITY STOCKHOLDER: Unknown
INFORMATION:
The project began with construction of a mechanical drone that could be used during target practice and test alternate combat techniques and weapons, but soon grew much larger, including orverloads, zerglings, mutalisk and others. Unfortunately eventually the robotic zerg became uncontrollable and destroyed the lab and all staff.
In Coreline, Project Simulant wasn't destroyed, and had greater control of their robotic zerg. As the staff discovered other aliens and creatures, they began creating robotic versions after getting examples to study and replicate. Some are custom ordered by clients that bring them samples to replicate. The main facility is a large station in orbit of Korhal III, which has a large sales and storage area, multiple levels of research, development and manufacturing facilities. An extensive defensive fleet patrols around the planet and throughout the system. There are testing areas on Korhal III, where clients are given live demonstrations of several simulants combat and non combat capabilities, depending on the simulant in question.
Several smaller research, sales, manufacturing and mining facilities are spread around the Koprulu sector to prevent centralizing everything, although primary manufacturing is done at the Korhal III facility. Two large research vessels, plus escort fleet, with mining and manufacturing equipment, roams the Alpha quadrant currently, collecting samples of new creatures and attempting manufacturing of prototypes of new simulants. If the ships can't produce the prototypes, copies of all materials are rushed to the main facilities in Korhal for manufacturing and testing.
Simulants are robotic versions of living creatures, particular zerg, using technology of terran technology of Terran Dominion, to be as close to the originals as possible, including any abilities, using technological equivalents. This includes, for the simulant zerg, the ability to evolve into other zerg that the original can, such as larva turning into almost any other zerg strain, similar to the original. In terms of behaviour, simulants will act like the original creatures they are based on, but obey the commands of their controllers
Available simulants include baneling, brood lord, corruptor, drone, hydralisk, infestor, larva, lurker, mutalisk, overlord, overseer, queen, ravager, roach, swarm host, ultralisk, viper, zergling. Simulants of Earth based creatures are also available.
Simulant Traits
Simulants are robotic versions of a creature, using technology to replicate its abilities.
Simulants all have the following traits:
Type: Construct and gain Simulant (type of the original creature). Simulant are constructs, but do behave same as their organic versions. As constructs, they are non living, thus have no CON score, but for Fortitude saves for abilities, saves, that can affect objects, have the equivalent 'CON' bonus based on size: Small +0, Medium +1, Large +2, Huge +3, Gargantuan +4, Colossal +5, although some specific units may have a greater bonus, noted as only a modifier in the CON stat field. As constructs, their hit dice change, but only to the next size up, and if already at d12, gain a bonus die of hit points. Gain bonus hit points based on size. Also immune to poison, death by massive damage, mind influencing effects unless they can also affect constructs. However uses original type for attacks, saves, skills and feats.
Darkvision (Ex): Fiends have darkvision out to a range of 60 feet. Darkvision is black and white only, but is otherwise like normal sight, and a fiend can function with no light at all.
Hit Dice: Simulants use one type higher of the base creature. If the base creature is d12 already, gains one additional hit die. Gain bonus hit points like constructs.
Repair* (Ex): If the original had fast heal or regeneration, this is now replaced with repair. Able to repair damage over time. Fast heal just repairs Hit Point damage, not able to replace destroyed limbs, unless specified in the specific simulant stats. Regeneration will actually replace destroyed limbs over time, but at double the time of organic versions. Magic healing, or first aid methods do not work on the simulant, unless can also affect objects.
Abilities that drain ability scores, or deal wounds (wounding weapon ability) do not affect the simulant unless also affects objects. If the original had such abilities, it can still perform these abilities, but any that would heal hit points of the simulate upon doing damage to the original target only affect objects or heavily armoured targets.
Controller (Ex): Simulant are controlled by a central unit that is keyed to an owner, which can allow up to 5 recognizable 'owners' per 50 simulants, Adding or removing an owner takes a Computer Use check DC 20 and 1 hour to program, as requires blood sample, and scans of the owner's voice, retinal, finger prints, and other bio scans so that it is incredibly difficult to falsify the identity of an owner. The main controller unit itself is a large device that is about 5 by 5 by 3 foot, containing powerful communication systems to link to simulant. It has several hand held units which are carried on its owners which help identify them and allow the owner's communication units to link to the main controller unit to give orders to the linked simulant units. Simulants can't disobey their owners, and will not attack their controllers. If orders from different controllers contradict each other, the orders of the owner that has been programmed the longest override all others.
PDC: use base price of robot with similar body plan and locomotion, maniuplators and equipment from d20Future, plus +1 for each additional special equipment/ability, +1 for every HD over 10.