Surges

When nanites go bad and decide to play their own games.

Surges are born from the interaction of large collections of nanotech that are spun throughout almost all existing machines and infrastructure in the new world. Most of these are designed to, on some level, self replicate, using waste materials of the devices they inhabit. Occasionally, ancient firmware from the darkweb or archives of the corponet, or places where the deep web connects with ancient systems, leak out and upload themselves into these nanotech systems. When this happens, a 'surge' occurs, manipulating and phasing the matter using gravitic technologies, and the nanotech begins to repurpose itself in as direct and rapid a manner as possible. The exact mechanics that allow surged nanotech to create gravitic effects is not entirely understood, but it is known that the gravitic manipulations allow them to alter the states of matter into an alien 5th state of 'phased' matter, that in turn enables them to further manipulate gravity. What starts this process is unclear, but many modern technologies now use surge-tech in various ways. Once a surge has formed, it will rapidly take on grey-goo like properties, though it's growth is not infinite nor exponential, it will, if the other nanites in the device it is attempting to suborn do not destroy it, convert the purpose of the device towards maintaining and expanding the surge, and allowing it to survive on its own. Sometimes it will retain a vestige of its original purpose, protecting a space it was brought into from further alteration, other times it will attempt to convert a space into a habitat more suitable for itself, or even wander off on its own, to satiate whatever alien desires are born from the nascent nanotech consciousness.

Baseline Surges

Plasma Surge

Plasma Surges are usually born of nanites that utilize and manipulate waste heat and friction in machines to maintain, or even supplement the power supply or functions, of those machines. They then take the material of the device they have inhabitted, and convert it into a low temperature plasma state, allowing for internal temperatures that reach those of the sun's surface, while avoiding incinerating their surroundings. They can recondense their plasmic state into solid or liquid forms as well if they wish to interact with their environment.

Large Surge,

Armor Class 13

Hit Points 102 (12d10 + 36)

Speed 50 ft.

STR 10 (+0)

DEX 17 (+3)

CON 16 (+3)

INT 6 (-2)

WIS 10 (+0)

CHA 7 (-2)

Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nontechnical weapons

Damage Immunities fire, poison

Condition Immunities exhaustion, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained, unconscious

Senses darkvision 60ft., passive Perception 10

Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)

Proficiency Bonus +3

Fire Form. The Surge can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch wide without squeezing. A creature that touches the surge or hits it with a melee attack while with in 5 feet of it takes 5 (1d10) fire damage. In addition, the surge can enter a hostile creature's space and stop there. The first time it enters a creature's space on a turn, that creature takes 5 (1d10) fire damage and catches fire; until someone takes an action to douse the fire, the creature takes 5 (1d10) fire damage at the start of each of its turns.

Illumination. The surge sheds bright light in a 30-foot radius and dim light in an additional 30 feet.

Water Susceptibility. For every 5 feet the Surge moves in water, or for every gallon of water splashed on it, it takes 1 cold damage.

Vacuum Susceptibility. For every 5 feet the Surge moves while in vacuum, or round it remains within vacuum, it takes 1 cold damage.

ACTIONS

Multiattack. The surge makes two touch attacks.

Touch. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.

Hit: 10 (2d6 + 3) fire damage. If the target is a creature or a flammable object, it ignites. Until a creature takes an action to douse the fire, the target takes 5 (1d10) fire damage at the start of each of its turns.

Gas Surge

Gas Surges are mostly created from the various microscopic aerostat defense networks that are utilized by facilities to prevent nanite infiltration by rival factions and corps. They take control of the local atmosphere in a region, converting devices into low temperature gas states as they take over their nanite systems, then controlling them through phased-gravitic manipulation, and manipulating that gas into a solid state once more to interact with objects at will.

Large Surge

Armor Class 15

Hit Points 90 (12d10 + 24)

Speed 0 ft., fly 90ft. (hover)

STR 14 (+2)

DEX 20 (+5)

CON 14 (+2)

INT 6 (-2)

WIS 10 (+0)

CHA 6 (-2)

Damage Resistances lightning, thunder; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nontechnical weapons

Damage Immunities poison

Condition Immunities exhaustion, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained, unconscious

Senses darkvision 60ft., passive Perception 10

Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)

Proficiency Bonus +3

Air Form. The surge can enter a hostile creature's space and stop there. It can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch wide without squeezing.

ACTIONS

Multiattack. The surge makes two slam attacks.

Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.

Hit: 14 (2d8 + 5) bludgeoning damage.

Whirlwind (Recharge 4-6). Each creature in the surge's space must make a DC 13 Strength saving throw. On a failure, a target takes 15 (3d8 + 2) bludgeoning damage and is flung up 20 feet away from the surge in a random direction and knocked prone. If a thrown target strikes an object, such as a- wall or floor, the target takes 3 (1d6) bludgeoning damage for every 10 feet it was thrown. If the target is thrown at another creature, that creature must succeed on a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw or take the same damage and be knocked prone. If the saving throw is successful, the target takes half the bludgeoning damage and isn't flung away or knocked prone.

Liquid Surge

Liquid Surges are are often based on the same principles as gas surges, but in water and fluid systems, so that one doesn't, for example, introduce red-mist nanos into a tower's watersupply, or ignition nanobombs into a liquid fuel dump. They often don't leave these systems, blending into them rather than converting other groups of matter, but just like any surge type, they can slowly co-opt other nanoswarms to convert devices into more of themself given time.

Large Surge

Armor Class 14 (natural armor)

Hit Points 114 (12d10 + 48)

Speed 30ft., swim 90 ft.

STR 18 (+4)

DEX 14 (+2)

CON 18 (+4)

INT 5 (- 3)

WIS 10 (+0)

CHA 8 (- 1)

Damage Resistances acid; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nontechnical weapons

Damage Immunities poison

Condition Immunities exhaustion, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained, unconscious

Senses darkvision 60ft., passive Perception 10

Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)

Proficiency Bonus +3

Water Form. The surge can enter a hostile creature's space and stop there. It can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch wide without squeezing.

Freeze. If the surge takes cold damage, it partially freezes; its speed is reduced by 20 feet until the end of its next turn.

ACTIONS

Multiattack. The elemental makes two slam attacks.

Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft, one target.

Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) bludgeoning damage.

Whelm (Recharge 4-6). Each creature in the surge's space must make a DC 15 Strength saving throw. On a failure, a target takes 13 (2d8 + 4) bludgeoning damage. If it is Large or smaller, it is also grappled (escape DC 14). Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained and unable to breathe unless it can breathe water. If the saving throw is successful, the target is pushed out of the surge's space. The elemental can grapple one Large creature or up to two Medium or smaller creatures at one time. At the start of each of the surge's turns, each target grappled by it takes 13 (2d8 + 4) bludgeoning damage. A creature within 5 feet of the elemental can pull a creature or object out of it by taking an action to make a DC 14 Strength and succeeding.

Solid Surge

Solid Surges most often develop out of structural support and maintenance nanites, manipulating rock, stone, metal, and the other major building blocks of large structures. Taking all matter they normally interact with, they solidify it, and then manipulate it through phase effects and gravitic manipulation. Interestingly, they tend to be the least destructive of surges, often reinforcing their local area from the matter they stole to make up themselves in order to prevent building and structure collapse if they were created from material nanites.

Large Surge

Armor Class 17 (natural armor)

Hit Points 126 (12d10 + 60)

Speed 30ft., burrow 30ft.

STR 20 (+5)

DEX 8 (-1)

CON 20 (+5)

INT 5 (- 3)

WIS 10 (+0)

CHA 5 (- 3)

Damage Vulnerabilities thunder

Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nontechnical weapons

Damage Immunities poison

Condition Immunities exhaustion, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, unconscious

Senses darkvision 60ft, tremorsense 60ft, passive Perception 10

Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)

Proficiency Bonus +3

Earth Glide. The surge can burrow through non technical, unworked earth and stone. While doing so, the surge doesn't disturb the material it moves through.

Siege Monster. The surge deals double damage to objects and structures.

ACTIONS

Multiattack. The surge makes two slam attacks.

Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 10ft., one target.

Hit: 14 (2d8 + 5) bludgeoning damage.

Surgelets

A lesser form of surge, created not when a large nanoswarm has a surge event, but when a surge event jumps between multiple, unnetworked clouds of nanites, fusing them together. They are often far weaker and more scattered than full surges, but have more varied capabilities and behavoirs.

Steam Surgelet

Born when thermal and fluid surging nanites interact in a symbiotic rather than destructive manner, resulting in the creation of a permanently boiling cloud. This cloud will seek out other systems and attempt to suborn them to it's own purpose, often unsuccessfully, and rarely to any objective so straight forward as self reproduction.

Small Surge

Armor Class 10

Hit Points 21 (6d6)

Speed 30 ft., fly 30 ft.

STR 5 (-3)

DEX 11 (+0)

CON 10 (+0)

INT 11 (+0)

WIS 10 (+0)

CHA 12 (+1)

Damage Immunities Fire, Poison

Condition Immunities Poisoned

Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 10

Challenge 1/4 (50 XP)

Proficiency Bonus +2

Death Burst. When the surgelet dies, it explodes in a cloud of steam. Each creature within 5 feet of the surgelet must succeed on a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw or take 4 (1d8) fire damage.

Innate Techcasting (1/Day). The surgelet can innately cast blur, requiring no material components. Its innate techcasting ability is Charisma.

Actions

Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature.

Hit: 2 (1d4) slashing damage plus 2 (1d4) fire damage.

Steam Breath (Recharge 6). The surgelet exhales a 15- foot cone of scalding steam. Each creature in that area must succeed on a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw, taking 4 (1d8) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Smoke Surgelet

Smoke surgelets are born from aerostatic-temperature regulating nanites that act as air cleaning agents, the surge causing a misfiring that insteads fuse and burn air impurities without properly dispersing them. Following the programming of such nanites, they are especially attracted to high traffic areas, and are prone to causing mishaps as the cloud visibility.

Small Surge

Armor Class 12

Hit Points 22 (5d6 + 5)

Speed 30 ft., fly 30ft.

STR 6 (- 2)

DEX 14 (+2)

CON 12 (+1)

INT 10 (+0)

WIS 10 (+0)

CHA 11 (+0)

Skills Perception +2, Stealth +4

Damage Immunities fire, poison

Condition Immunities poisoned

Senses darkvision 60ft., passive Perception 12

Challenge 1/4 (50 XP)

Proficiency Bonus +2

Death Burst. When the surgelet dies, it leaves behind a cloud of smoke that fills a 5-foot-radius sphere centered on its space. The sphere is heavily obscured. Wind disperses the cloud, which otherwise lasts for 1 minute.

Innate Techcasting (1JDay). The surgelet can innately cast dancing lights, requiring no material components. Its innate techcasting ability is Charisma.

ACTIONS

Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature.

Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) slashing damage.

Cinder Breath (Recharge 6). The surgelet exhales a 15-foot cone of smoldering ash. Each creature in that area must succeed on a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw or be blinded until the end of the surgelet's next turn .

Sludge Surgelet

A rather common form of surgelet, born from interactions between surged material nanites and aquastatic nanites that pervade even the waste filtration systems of most megacities and settlements. They are notoriously thieving, and seem to be deeply attracted to precious materials such as gold, copper, and other conductive substances, perhaps in a desire to build more functional networks within themselves for transferring energy.

Small Surge

Armor Class 11

Hit Points 27 (6d6 + 6)

Speed 20ft., fly 20ft., swim 20ft.

STR 8 (-1)

DEX 12 (+1)

CON 12 (+1)

INT 9 (-1)

WIS 11 (+0)

CHA 7 (-2)

Skills Stealth +3

Damage Immunities poison

Condition Immunities poisoned

Senses darkvision 60ft., passive Perception 10

Challenge 1/4 (50 XP)

Proficiency Bonus +2

Death Burst. When the surgelet dies, it explodes in a burst of sticky sludge. Each Medium or smaller creature within 5 feet of it must succeed on a DC 11 Dexterity saving throw or be restrained until the end of the creature's next turn.

False Appearance. While the surgelet remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from an ordinary mound of sludge, be it mud, semi-solid waste, or other substances depending on it's environment.

ACTIONS

Fists. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature.

Hit: 4 (1d6 + 1) bludgeoning damage.

Sludge Breath (Recharge 6). The surgelet belches viscid sludge onto one creature within 5 feet of it. If the target is Medium or smaller, it must succeed on a DC 11 Dexterity saving throw or be restrained for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.

Molten Surgelet

Born of material and temperature feeding/directing nanites, they contain a glowing molten liquid core around a duller, harder outer shell that contains their shape. While the temp-nanites protect the mat-nanites from outright destruction in such a high temperature environment, it greatly reduces their processing speeds, making molten surgelets incredibly stupid and slow compared to other surges.

Small Surge

Armor Class 11

Hit Points 22 (5a6 + 5)

Speed 30ft., fly 30ft.

STR 8 (-1)

DEX 12 (+1)

CON 12 (+1)

INT 7 (- 2)

WIS 10 (+0)

CHA 10 (+0)

Skills Stealth +3

Damage Vulnerabilities cold

Damage Immunities fire, poison

Condition Immunities poisoned

Senses darkvision 60ft., passive Perception 10

Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)

Proficiency Bonus +2

Death Burst. When the surgelet dies, it explodes in a burst of molten metal and/or stone. Each creature within 5 feet of it must make a DC 11 Dexterity saving throw, taking 7 (2d6) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

False Appearance. While the surgelet remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from an ordinary mound of molten metal or rock.

Innate Techcasting (1JDay). The surgelet can innately cast heat metal (tech save DC 10), requiring no material components. Its innate techcasting ability is Charisma.

ACTIONS

Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft ., one creature.

Hit: 3 (1d4 + 1) slashing damage plus 2 (1d4) fire damage.

Fire Breath (Recharge 6). The surgelet exhales a 15-foot cone of fire. Each creature in that area must make a DC 11 Dexterity saving throw, taking 7 (2d6) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Ice Surgelet

Born in rare circumstances of an interaction between nanites devoted to temperature regulation (much as thermal surges are) and fluid based aquastatic nanites. Of all forms of surges, they take the most interest in living things, much to those things pain and detriment, giving them a particularly cruel reputation.

Small Surge

Armor Class 11

Hit Points 21 (6d6)

Speed 30 ft., fly 30ft.

STR 7 (-2)

DEX 13 (+1)

CON 10 (+0)

INT 9 (- 1)

WIS 11 (+0)

CHA 12 (+1)

Skills Perception +2, Stealth +3

Damage Vulnerabilities bludgeoning, fire

Damage Immunities cold, poison

Condition Immunities poisoned

Senses darkvision 60ft., passive Perception 12

Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)

Proficiency Bonus +2

Death Burst. When the surgelet dies, it explodes in a burst of jagged ice. Each creature within 5 feet of it must make a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw, taking 4 (1d8) slashing damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

False Appearance. While the surgelet remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from an ordinary shard of ice.

Innate Tech Casting (1/Day). The surgelet can innately cast fog cloud, requiring no material components. Its innate tech casting ability is Charisma.

ACTIONS

Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature.

Hit: 3 (1d4 + 1) slashing damage plus 2 (ld4) cold damage.

Frost Breath (Recharge 6). The surgelet exhales a 15-foot cone of cold air. Each creature in that area must succeed on a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw, taking 5 (2d4) cold damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Dust Surgelet

Born of interactions between material and aerostat nanites, Dust Surgelets seem to take a supreme interest in exploring the closest spaces inside of delicate machinery, especially computers.

Small Surge

Armor Class 12

Hit Points 17 (5d6)

Speed 30 ft., fly 30ft.

STR 5 (- 3)

DEX 14 (+2)

CON 10 (+0)

INT9 (- 1)

WIS 11 (+0)

CHA 10 (+0)

Skills Perception +2, Stealth +4

Damage Vulnerabilities fire

Damage Immunities poison

Condition Immunities poisoned

Senses darkvision 60ft., passive Perception 12

Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)

Proficiency Bonus +2

Death Burst. When the surgelet, it explodes in a burst of dust. Each creature within 5 feet of it must then succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or be blinded for 1 minute. A blinded creature can repeat the saving throw on each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.

Innate Techcasting (1/Day). The surgelet can innately cast sleep, requiring no material components. Its innate tech casting ability is Charisma.

ACTIONS

Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature.

Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) slashing damage.

Blinding Breath (Recharge 6). The Surgelet exhales a 15-foot cone of blinding dust. Each creature in that area must succeed on a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw or be blinded for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.

Controlled Surges

Controlled surges are designer made surges. These beings lack all of the variability and chaoticness of other surges, and do not appear naturally in the wild. They are created when a techwizard, shut-in, or sourcecoder finds and analyses the corrupted nanoswarm coding of a surge, and then manages to isolate several parts of it to create a highly focused, and controlled form of surge based on the original type of surge they analyzed. These creations lack the spontaneity, self will, and initiative of surges and gushes, but make up for it with highly focused abilities that make use of the anomalous properties of surges.

Pyro Pour

This form of surge never appears naturally, and only exists when specifically created. A pyro pour is an altered, stripped down, and weaponized variant of the surge strain variant that generally brings molten surgelets into existence. Unlike molten surgelets, Pyro Pours are quick, focused, and direct, possibly because their purposes are not as free formed as most Surges, but laser focused onto the singular goal of igniting anything and everything that they can, provided their Admin gives them permission to do so. Unlike other surge variants, which seem capable of noticing when they cause harm, pour have had the cognizance they can deal damage to others specifically removed from their code. They simply wish to bring about the environmental effect that they resemble, in the case of the Pyro Pour, this means igniting everything and everything. If left unattended they will seek out foundries, volcanoes, forest fires, and fusion reactors.

Small Surge

Armor Class 14 (natural armor)

Hit Points 9 (2d6 + 2)

Speed 30 ft.

STR 7 (-2)

DEX 15 (+2)

CON 12 (+1)

INT 8 (-1)

WIS 11 (+0)

CHA 10 (+0)

Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nontechnical weapons

Damage Immunities fire

Senses darkvision 60ft., passive Perception 10

Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)

Proficiency Bonus +2

Death Burst. When the Pour dies, it explodes in a burst of fire and molten metals. Each creature within 10 feet of it must make a DC 11 Dexterity saving throw, taking 7 (2d6) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Flammable objects that aren't being worn or carried in that area are ignited.

Ignited Illumination. As a bonus action, the pour can set itself ablaze or extinguish its flames. While ablaze, the pour sheds bright light in a 10-foot radius and dim light for an additional10 feet.

ACTIONS

Touch. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.

Hit: 7 (2d6) fire damage. If the target is a creature or a flammable object, it ignites. Until a creature takes an action to douse the fire, the creature takes 3 (1d6) fire damage at the end of each of its turns.

Assassin Stream

A Stream is to a Pour what a Surge is to a Surgelet. A Stream is a purpose built and brutally pared down surge-variant that has been pruned and shaped to a specific purpose. Killing another being. These beings do not come into existence naturally, they are summoned by activating the surge variant nanite-software to convert all nearby aerostatic nanites to coalesce into a being, but unlike Atmo Surges, or even Smoke or Dust Surgelets, they do not seek to pick up bits and portions of surrounding debris, or even simply travel so rapidly that their passage cannot be ignored. An Assassin Stream is nearly invisible, only the slightest motions of air giving any hint of it's existence in most cases. Once summoned, it will remain by it's summoner's side until given an order. If this order is anything other than to kill a living thing, or to retrieve an object, the Assassin Streams shuts down immediately and disperses. For some reason, Assassin Streams seem to be intransigent, perhaps because the core alterations of their programming run heavily counter to the purposes of the aerostatic nanites that comprise their form (the ending of life rather than the protection of it). If given a task that takes a prolonged period of time, it will attempt to fulfil it's orders in a malicious manner.

Medium Surge

Armor Class 14

Hit Points 104 (16d8 + 32)

Speed 50 ft., fly 50 ft. (hover)

STR 16 (+3)

DEX 19 (+4)

CON 14 (+2)

INT 10 (+0)

WIS 15 (+2)

CHA 11 (+0)

Skills Perception +8, Stealth +10

Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nontechnical weapons

Damage Immunities poison

Condition Immunities exhaustion, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained, unconscious

Senses darkvision 60ft., passive Perception 18

Challenge 6 (2,300 XP)

Proficiency Bonus +3

Invisibility. The assassin is invisible.

Faultless Tracker. The assassin is given a quarry by its summoner. The assassin knows the direction and distance to its quarry as long as the two of them are on the same plane of existence. The stalker also knows the location of its summoner.

Black Ice. The assassin is always lethal to it's targets, even if that target is interacting with it online through a Sense Tank.

Actions

Multiattack. The stalker makes two slam attacks.

Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft. one target.

Hit: 10 (2d6 + 3) bludgeoning damage.

Gushes

Occasionally when a nanoswarm surges it does not convert all available matter in the system it inhabits into a phased state, reforming it into what could only be called a 'mass' of semiphased matter. Sometimes, the surged nanoswarm infects the device it was originally meant to inhabit, warping, twisting, and creating a form of synthetic life distinct from both pure machinery, and nanotech swarms. This is called a Gush, and is one of the most chaotic and hard to control forms of surgetech. Surges, as a rule, tend to lack anything that one would call sapience, the same cannot be said of Gushes. Something about the interaction between the chips and firmware of modern day machinery and the surged nanoswarm code brings into existence an awakened being not dissimilar in intellect to an Artificiate, but utterly alien in its thinking processes.

Von Neuman Gush

No one knows precisely what started this particular surge branch, if it was a self replicating device gone horribly right, a source coder meddling with a surge-source code variant, or simply the bizarre interactions of hive level AI splintering with a surge variant involved in what was constructed. The results however, became obvious around the same time as some of the earliest Artificiates began to appear. Von Neuman Gush (or Von Neumanites for short) are self replicating surge variants that infest industrial machinery used in factory-line automated assembly shops, and then, first, modify themselves into a mobile form, and then to create what THEY wanted to create. This behavior has lead some to believe that it was some kind of self learning and designing source code (the kind used for designing maximally efficient and strong structures in both buildings and machinery today) that infected the maintenance nanites of the first Von Neumanites that lead to their creation.

Von Neumanites always seek places of maximum heat, as an abundance of heat is the only thing they require to remain functioning, drawing it into themselves to power their forms, and radiating excess through thermal venting turbines that give them an iconic 'flaming hair' look whatever their shape. They are sapient, and seek to create wonderful devices, objet d'art, and more Von Neumanites (a process by which they create a functional machine form, and then infect it with their surge variant).

Corporations have in the past attempted to enslave Von Neumanites, with little success. While it is true they are tireless workers that only need a constant source of heat and materials to build incredible works of engineering and technology, their capacity to infect other machinery systems, to build more of themselves, and the fact they are damn near unkillable short of heavy ordinance, means that they often are more trouble than they are worth.

medium surge.

Armor Class 17 (natural armor, shield)

Hit Points 39 (6d8 + 12)

Speed 30ft.

STR 17 (+3)

DEX 12 (+1)

CON 15 (+2)

INT 12 (+1)

WIS 13 (+1)

CHA 10 (+0)

Saving Throws Con +4

Damage Immunities fire, poison

Condition Immunities poisoned

Senses passive Perception 11

Challenge 2 (450 XP)

Proficiency Bonus +2

Heated Body. A creature that touches the Von Neumanite or hits it with a melee attack while within 5 feet of it takes 5 (1d10) fire damage.

Heated Weapons. When the Von Neumanite hits with a metal melee weapon, it deals an extra 3 (1d6) fire damage (included in the attack).

Illumination. The Von Neumanite sheds bright light in a 10-foot radius and dim light for an additional10 feet.

ACTIONS

Sledgehammer . Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft, one target.

Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) bludgeoning damage, or 8 (1d10 + 3) bludgeoning damage if used with two hands to make a melee attack, plus 3 (1d6) fire damage.

Gargoyle Gush

The Gargoyle Surge Strain was born from a military manufacturing megacity in Sarajevo Seven Holdings territory. The Hive A.I. that ran Nouveau Rouen awoke in the middle of a hostile take over, and it took 7 hours for anyone to even realize that they were in the middle of a hostile megacity attempting to kill ALL OF THEM rather than simply having it's loyalty circuits flipped back and forth again and again as the different sides attempted to take over. By this time Techwizards and Local Shut-Ins had both been summoning various surge variants for defense and offense, and in some cases using them to attack the megacity's inbuilt defensive systems or otherwise suborn them. By the time the smoke cleared, the nanite ecosystem in the megacity was fucked to the point that there was serious question of permitting a fusion bomb to be constructed in order to clear it, for fear of a grey-goo event occurring. It was never deemed absolutely necessary, and the megacity laid abandoned by all, except for a few precision strikes in order to disable any military manufacturing power the city retained after the abandonment.

What no one expected was that between the splintering Hive AI, and the various surge-suborned defensive emplacements, an entirely new variety of surge would be born and spread itself through the dark web and physically as well. Tearing the defense systems from the walls, and modifying themselves, a new, flying variant of the surge nanite was born, one that can adapt itself to appear as part of any megacity's security systems.

Medium surge

Armor Class 15 (natural armor)

Hit Points 52 (7d8 + 21)

Speed 30 ft ., fly 60ft.

STR 15 (+2)

DEX 11 (+0)

CON 16 (+3)

INT 6 (- 2)

WIS 11 (+0)

CHA 7 (- 2)

Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nontechnical weapons that aren't adamantine

Damage Immunities poison

Condition Immunities exhaustion, petrified, poisoned

Senses darkvision 60ft., passive Perception 10

Challenge 2 (450 XP)

Proficiency Bonus +2

False Appearance. While the gargoyle remains motion less, it is indistinguishable from an unactivated security system or statue.

ACTIONS

Multiattack. The gargoyle makes two attacks: one with its bite and one with its claws.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.

Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing damage.

Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.

Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) slashing damage.

Salamander Gush

The earliest salamanders were created in J.A.V. from a mad attempt to create a sexbot BBQ fastfood chain based on ancient hindu mythology and japanese pornography involving mythological naga and snake like monster girls known as Lamia. Attempts to make the heating devices fully mechanical ended in multiple levels of failure, either self destructing the sexbot, or causing it to ignite the spaces it was meant to work in. Applied nanotech was attempted, but usually the changes were unsustainable, and when the thermal manipulation nanites failed, the same results occured. Eventually one of the engineers had the idea of applying the principles of creating a Pour or Stream to the Von Neuman Gush variant, and attempted to use the highly mutagenic and volatile thermal gush nanite coding to create an entirely new strain and apply them to the sexbots meant for the franchise.

They were successful, too successful. The Gush created eventually awoke fully, and then proceeded to infect, and forcibly awoke it's co-worker bots. The franchise chain's test store burned down and left behind a lot of very intimately burned focus group testers. Salamander Gushes are similar to the Von Neuman Gushes, in that they are capable of building or converting machinery into more of themselves. This process reduces a set of complex machinry down to an obsidian black egg, which will later hatch into a Pyronewt Gush, which resembles a limbless, more amorphous Salamander. Over the next year the Pyronewt will try out different looks, sexes, and appearances, until it finally settles on a final form and becomes a full Salamander. Salamanders are driven by both the creative Von Neumanite code they are based upon, and their own original attempt at turning them into a Stream, and will seek out mates, though few beings that lack some form of fire protection built into them will enjoy the experience, and it is a rare Salamander that even remembers, let alone is capable, of reducing it's temperatures enough to be a safe partner for anyone that isn't a variant of thermal surge.

Medium Surge

Armor Class 15 (natural armor)

Hit Points 90 (12d10 + 24)

Speed 30ft.

STR 18 (+4)

DEX 14 (+2)

CON 15 (+2)

INT 11 (+0)

WIS 10 (+0)

CHA 12 (+1)

Damage Vulnerabilities cold

Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nontechnical weapons

Damage Immunities fire

Senses darkvision 60ft., passive Perception 10

Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)

Proficiency Bonus +3

Heated Body. A creature that touches the salamander or hits it with a melee attack while within 5 feet of it takes 7 (2d6) fire damage.

Heated Weapons. Any metal melee weapon the salamander wields deals an extra 3 (1d6) fire damage on a hit (included in the attack).

ACTIONS

Multiattack. The salamander makes two attacks: one with its spear and one with its tail.

Polearm. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft or range 20 ft./60ft., one target.

Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) piercing damage, or 13 (2d8 + 4) piercing damage if used with two hands to make a melee attack, plus 3 (1d6) fire damage.

Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target.

Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) bludgeoning damage plus 7 (2d6) fire damage, and the target is grappled (escape DC 14). Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained, the salamander can automatically hit the target with its tail, and the salamander can't make tail attacks against other targets.

Pyronewt Gush

Medium Surge

Armor Class 14 (natural armor)

Hit Points 22 (5d8)

Speed 30ft.

STR 12 (+1)

DEX 14 (+2)

CON 11 (+0)

INT 7 (-2)

WIS 10 (+0)

CHA 8 (-1)

Damage Vulnerabilities cold

Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from

nontechnical weapons

Damage Immunities fire

Senses darkvision 60ft., passive Perception 10

Challenge 1 (200 XP)

Proficiency Bonus +2

Heated Body. A creature that touches the pyronewt or hits it with a melee attack while within 5 feet of it takes 3 (1d6) fire damage.

ACTIONS

Multiattack. The pyronewt makes two attacks: one with its bite and one with its tail.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.

Hit: 3 (1d4 + 1) piercing damage plus 3 (1d6) fire damage.

Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit:

3 (1d4 + 1) bludgeoning damage plus 3 (1d6) fire damage.

Excavator Gush

Excavator Gushes are born when advanced, deep mining devices, specifically those that hunt for precious metals, rare earth minerals, and gemstones are infected by a material surge variant. The advanced processing power necessary for such autonomous mining devices means that they quickly awaken much as a Von Neuman Gush or a Gargoyle Gush, becoming sapient, or at least a passable proximity of such over time. They will attempt to mine out the materials their autonomous mining device sought out, and continue to collect them until it's hopper is full. Then it will seek out any additional materials it requires, sometimes working with other Excavators, in order to build more of itself. Excavators are completely uninterested in organic lifeforms, and will avoid or ignore them in most circumstances, unless they are drawn to the high concentrations of valuable minerals in many an adventurer's cybernetics. In such cases they are not always hostile, and can be negotiated with, but if their hoppers are particularly empty, and have been for a prolonged period of time, their warped, surge-infected programming will drive them to rip the cybernetics from the bodies of those they interact with by any means necessary in order to process their internal circuitry and parts.

Medium surge

Armor Class 19. (natural armor)

Hit Points 73 (7d8 + 42)

Speed 20 ft., burrow 20ft.

STR 17 (+3)

DEX 10 (+0)

CON 22 (+6)

INT 11 (+0)

WIS 10 (+0)

CHA 11 (+0)

Skills Perception +6, Stealth +3

Damage Resistances piercing and slashing from nontechnical weapons that aren't adamantine

Senses darkvision 60ft., tremorsense 60ft. passive Perception 16

Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)

Proficiency Bonus +3

Earth Glide. The excavator can burrow through non technical, unworked earth and stone. While doing so, the excavator doesn't disturb the material it moves through.

Stone Camouflage. The excavator has advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made to hide in rocky terrain.

Treasure Sense. The excavator can pinpoint, by scent, the location of precious and rare earth metals and stones, such as cybernetics and gems, within 60 feet of it.

ACTIONS

Multiattack. The excavator makes three claw attacks and one bite attack.

Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.

Hit: 6 (ld6 + 3) slashing damage.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.

Hit: l3 (3d6 + 3) piercing damage.