APE-MAN
The Ape-Man
August 10th, 2018 (last updated August 11th)
This will be the first monster I've made from scratch specifically for this blog, at the request of another friend of mine. The ape-man could represent any prehistoric ancestor of modern mammalian humanoids, and allows your Starfinders to encounter savage primates with a rudimentary grasp of tools, and sometimes, magic, in the tradition of 2001: A Space Odyssey, the works of H.P. Lovecraft, and many other works of pulp and science fiction.
I am going to make several specimens of these ape-men, to represent a few different possibilities and to provide the possibility for larger encounters. The ape-men presented below are considered humanoids with the human subtype, but they could easily be modified to be other subtypes such as dwarf or elf.
APE-MAN
A hairy biped with both human and ape-like features emerges from the forest to stand before you. It has a flat nose, strongly projecting jaw, and thick body hair like an ape, but its teeth and upright stature are more human in form. It has strong, lengthy arms, and its long fingers grasp a crude club.
APE-MAN WARRIOR CR 1
XP 400
N medium humanoid (human)
Init +6; Senses Perception +5
DEFENSE
HP 20
EAC 11; KAC 13
Fort +3; Ref +5; Will +1
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft.
Melee club +5 (1d6+7 B)
Ranged thrown rock +5 (1d6+1 B)
STATISTICS
Str +4; Dex +2; Con +1; Int -2; Wis +0; Cha +0
Skills Acrobatics +10, Athletics +5 (+13 when climbing), Survival +5
Other abilities improved initiative
ECOLOGY
Environment forest or plains
Organization solitary, group (2-12), or band (12-22, plus an equal number of noncombatants)
Though on some worlds the evolution of mammalian humanoids was, according to legend, influenced by alien powers, ranging from aboleths to dragons to even deities, on many worlds modern humans arose strictly through the forces of natural selection. Ape-men represent what could be called a transitional period, when humans began to diverge from their ape cousins, developing larger brains and a more upright body structure over the course of countless generations. Ape-men can use rudimentary tools, weapons, and sometimes even magic, to great utility, but have yet to develop language or advanced tools of any kind.
Ape-men societies, despite their rather misleading name, are typically matriarchal, with the eldest female in the band making the most important decisions about how the band gathers food, how it interacts with other bands of ape-men, and often even how mating pairs are arranged. Some of the most venerable of these females develop mystical powers in their old age. Other females communally raise and oversee the infants and juveniles, care for the elderly of the group, and gather food, while adult males are typically responsible for the majority of the hunting and tool-making.
APE-MAN DRUIDESS CR 6
XP 1,600
Ape-man mystic
N medium humanoid (human)
Init +6; Senses Perception +18
DEFENSE
HP 75; RP 3
EAC 17; KAC 18
Fort +6; Ref +6 Will +10
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft.
Melee quarterstaff +10 (1d6+9 B)
Ranged thrown rock +10 (1d6+5 B)
Offensive abilities grasping vines (DC 16), animal adaptation
Mystic Spells Known (CL 6th)
2nd (3/day)- augury, mind thrust (DC 18)
1st (6/day)- keen senses, lesser remove condition, mystic cure
At-will detect affliction, stabilize
Connection xenodruid
STATISTICS
Str +0; Dex +0; Con +3; Int -2; Wis +5; Cha +2
Skills Mysticism +18, Survival +13
Other abilities improved initiative, mindlink, speak with animals