Nanocyte Cloud (3.5e Monster)

= Nanocyte Cloud =



A faintly visible, shimmering cloud of electrical discharges softly crackles as it consumes and reorders the matter in its path.

Nanocyte clouds are aggegrates of billions of nanoscopic machines called nanocytes, that can manipulate matter on a molecular and atomic level. Although the cloud itself is invisible to the naked eye, the trillions of miniscule electrical currents running through the cloud make it visual as a constantly shifting and faintly shimmering distortion in the air.

Nanocyte clouds are mindless and function according to specified programming, which commands them to harvest, mine or reshape various types of matter and reconstitutes them into easily manageable shapes and forms. A nanocyte's weight is negligible, and does not exceed 1 ounce for every 10-foot cube.

Combat
A nanocyte cloud is not built for combat; its primary purpose is breaking down and reshaping matter. Its swarm attack is a defense mechanism that can be activated at will if it encounters a threat, but the strength of the electrical discharges inside a nanocyte cloud can otherwise be reduced to the least possible emission (which is harmless). It will however resort to hostilities if programmed to 'mine' organics, in which case it will also apply its matter reconstitution abilities.

In areas of bright illumination, you must make a DC 20 Spot check to notice a nanocyte cloud. The spot DC is 15 in areas of shadowy illumination, and 10 in an area of non-magical darkness.

The save DC is Constitution-based.

 (Ex): Nanocyte clouds can harvest, mine and reshape virtually any form of matter and reconstitute it into various shapes, including breaking down molecules of vegetable matter in their constituent elements.

Using matter reconstitution is a full-round action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity. When active, it deals 8d6 points of damage to every object or creature it chooses (or is programmed to) within its volume (Fortitude DC 18 half). This damage is reduced by the object's hardness. Matter reconstitution first affects the outer layers of any object or creature, causing half of the damage to be dealt to any armor a targeted creature might be wearing. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Furthermore, gathered mass can be reshaped and reconstituted. This mostly functions as per the fabricate spell, where matter is reshaped into matter of the same kind, but in different shapes or consistency; rock may be changed to dust or sand, or shaped into perfectly straight walls or other objects made of stone, whereas organic matter can be changed or reshaped into various amounts of other vegetable matter. Creating vegetable matter functions like a permanent minor creation (maximum 1 cubic foot per minute), using the appropriate amount of breakdown matter. Material arrangements that require extreme amounts of pressure for its formation (such as crystal and diamond) cannot be fabricated, but they can be broken down. A nanocyte cloud can roughly excavate two 10-foot cubes of rock in a day, making them precocious tunnel diggers.

A single nanocyte cloud can break down or reconstitute up to 1 cubic foot of a certain material in a number of rounds equal to the material's hardness (up to 14), or a number of minutes equal to the material's hardness (15 to 20). A nanocyte cloud cannot damage, break down or otherwise manipulate materials with a hardness over 20.

 (Ex): A nanocyte cloud's electric field disrupts the synapses of the brain of any living creature. Any creature that takes damage from a nanocyte cloud's swarm attack must make a DC 18 Fortitude save or be stunned. A creature that is already stunned at the start of the nanocyte cloud's turn must then make another save or be paralyzed. The effects of synaptic overload persist until the creature leaves the nanocyte cloud's space (either by it being moved, or the nanocyte cloud moving off). The save DC is Constitution-based.

 (Ex): Instead of a 'spirit', a nanocyte cloud is held congruent by the effort of its polyphase electric field. Extreme temperatures disrupt the electrical signals between nanocytes and can render them inoperable. Plasma effects, Cold or Fire spells followed by a successful DC 25 caster level check, weapons with cold or fire-related special abilities (like flaming or frost), or effects that disrupt electric currents will be able to lethally damage as well as permanently destroy a nanocyte cloud.

If brought to 0 hit points by other effects, a nanocyte cloud merely disperses for 2d4 hours only to return with full hit points afterwards.