Dessamar
Dessamars are a race of alien insectoids from Starfinder... no, not shirrens, these are space butterfly-folk from the Alien Archive 3.
Evolving on the highly magical, aura-wreathed world of Koshoria in Azlanti space, Dessamars begin their lives as sapient caterpillars with prehensile hands, which are widely known as "Instars" due to early translation errors when they were first discovered by outsiders. These "grub-folk" are just as smart and self-aware as their adult forms, the four-armed two-legged two-winged butterfly-like "Imagos", and only need to transform in order to be able to reproduce. In fact, older Instars are encourged to explore the galaxy and learn on their own so they can discover their path in life prior to undergoing the metamorphosis into racial adulthood. Once the larvae feel ready, they feast enough to double their size before spinning magical cocoons. About two weeks later, out pops the Imago form. As Instars, the dessamars feed on magical plants, allowing them to excrete a magic-based hallucinogenic venom to dissuade predators; the Imagos instead rely on flight or more direct means to protect themselves. A typical dessamar adult is around 5 feet tall and weighs only 60 pounds. A developed instar is about 3 feet tall and weighs 40 pounds. Female dessamars are most often larger and stronger than males.
Dessamar society is based largely on magic, the study of Koshorian auras, and the worship of Desna. Much like their goddess, dessamars are good-natured, whimsical, and given to exploration and self-expression. Their technology focuses on either the bioengineered route ("organic technology"), the hybrid route (magitek), or both at the same time. Their social hierarchy is somewhat clannish, but fundamentally meritocratic, valuing the wisest of their race as their leaders. Instars mostly pursue their passions, while imagos seek wisdom and mastery of a life path. However, dessamars can be peaceful to a fault, and they can seem aloof and strangely detached.
Although the Azlanti are largely content to ignore the dessamars, who ignore them in turn, the buggies have a dirty little secret. The magical auras of Koshoria have some nebulous connection to "The Dark Tapestry", the great evil empire of aberrations and Yog-Sothothery in Starfinder, and the dessamars strive constantly to monitor and control these auras to prevent them from attracting the Dark Tapestry to Koshoria.
PC Stats[edit | edit source]
There are differences in a Dessamar's statblock depending on if you're playing an Instar or an Imago, but they do have some traits in common:
- Hit Points: 3
- Type: Humanoid (Dessamar)
- Dessamar Magic: Dessamars have the spell-like abilities below, with a caster level equal to the dessamar’s level.
- 1/day—charm person
- At will—detect magic, telepathic message
- Dessamar Senses: Dessamars have blindsense (scent) with a range of 30 feet, as well as low-light vision.
- Twinkle (Su): Once per day as a move action, a dessamar can teleport 40 feet. The dessamar can’t bring other creatures along, and if a solid body occupies the arrival point, the ability fails without expending its daily use. This ability otherwise functions as the dimension door spell.
Imagos
- Ability Adjustments: +2 Wis, +2 Cha, –2 Str
- Size: Medium
- Imago Movement: Imagos have a land speed of 20 feet and an extraordinary fly speed of 20 feet with average maneuverability.
- Dream Skill: Each time an imago rests for 8 hours, they can choose one skill to gain a +1 racial bonus, losing any previous bonus from this ability.
- Fragile Limbs: An imago’s four arms, two legs, and six wings are fragile. The imago takes a –2 penalty to saves against severe wound and wound critical hit effects against these limbs. Extra arms don’t allow an imago to make more attacks than normal, and an imago can hold objects of only light or negligible bulk in one hand, allowing it to hold up to four such objects at the ready. An imago treats one-handed objects of greater than light bulk as two-handed. Two-handed objects of 2 bulk require three hands, and objects of 3 bulk or more require four hands.
Instars
- Ability Adjustments: +2 Con, +2 Wis, –2 Dex
- Size: Small
- Dream Dust: When an adjacent creature damages an instar, as a reaction the instar can puff out dream dust. The attacker must succeed at a Fortitude save (DC = 10 + 1/2 the instar’s character level + their Con modifier) or be dazzled for 1 round and take a –2 penalty to Will saving throws for 1 minute. An instar can use this ability again after taking a 10-minute rest to recover Stamina Points.
- Instar Movement: Instars have a land speed of 30 feet and a climb speed of 30 feet.
- Poor Vision: An instar takes a –2 penalty on sight-based Perception checks, and anything farther than 60 feet away has concealment from the instar.