From the Stars Without Number Compatible – Alien Database
Sonic Burst. The sonic burst has a range of up to 100 meters and sprouts from the central membrane to form a conic shape sonic wave. Every target caught by a sonic burst must make a Con/Physical save or be stunned for 1 minute. The burst itself does not cause any damage, but more fragile components made of crystal or crystal-like materials have 3 on 6 chances of crippling, and if a 1 is rolled they will break.
COMBAT & TACTICS
The crystal fungi is a passive hunter that relies on surprise attacks with its sonic burst when bringing down large prey or menaces. Thanks to its keen tremor sense, which works both with ground and atmosphere (see Biology), it can detect and identify anything moving and quantify both distance and size. Whenever
something bigger than a cat comes within the reach of the sonic burst, the crystal fungus immediately launches its sonic attack to stun the target and continues so until the target generates vibrations by moving. Once the target is reduced in such a state, the fungus unleashes its tentacles toward the prey and drags it closer to start a slow acidic digestion that will enrich the soil around it.
DESCRIPTION
The crystal fungus resembles, at first glance, a rocky formation with an irregular arc made of rocky-like material, very similar to the material sea corals are made of. A full-grown specimen may reach an arc radius of 6 meters, with both extremities rooted on the ground. What may betray their true nature is their color, which may assume tones of blue, light blue, or pink, with a texture very similar to colored marble. The hole inside the arc structure has a transparent membrane that is barely visible to the naked eye unless observed from a close distance. Another trait that may call the attention of the careful observer is the presence of 1-inch holes on the ground around the crystal fungi in a radius more or less equal to the arc radius.
HABITAT
Crystal fungi grow on barren and cold badlands, on planets unsuited for carbon-based life forms, with a thick atmosphere composed of ammonia and hydrocarbons, where winds and atmospheric pressure are higher than the standard. Crystal fungi organize in the equivalent of forests which can extend for kilometers if proper conditions are met, favoring flat soils rich in silicates and other minerals, with flat badlands flogged by winds representing the optimal environmental condition.
BIOLOGY
Crystal fungi feed on almost everything they can, classifying this life form as an omnivore. First, they employ the central membrane as a sort of fishing net, used to capture sand particles and small flying creatures, then, once the membrane is saturated with nutrients it is retracted and the substances are assimilated by the metabolism. The other mobile parts are root-like tentacles where the fungus grows underground. These roots, or tentacles, sprout from holes in the ground the fungus patiently excavates while growing to maturity, and are employed to capture and assimilate preys stunned or killed by the sonic burst. The tremor sense ability extends to up to 100 meters, varying with the composition of the soil and
the atmosphere density, and lies in the central membrane. The smell sense instead, lies in the tentacles and is activated when tracking a stunned prey. Crystal fungi are especially appreciated for the material provided by their corallike structure, which is used to create fancy objects and luxury jewelry