Design Phase 4 - Omega
Stymphalian Crab
[Efficacy: 2]
-Base Incidence Rate: 30%
-Evolution Chance: 25%
-Available Evolutions:
-- Stymphalian Crab+ 100%
-Mutagenic Potential 4
-Description: The Stymphalian Crab is an unfortunate proof of the Omega Entity’s relative inexperience and immaturity with shaping. This particular Molt from the Medusa is one of constant disappointment - not outright failure, but it consistently performs below its expectations. The armor modifications of the Stymphalian crab are perhaps the only exception, with the small tailorings done to increase the surface area on lower sections to improve radiative cooling and the upper restructuring to allow its polyps to retreat to shade when not in use, both achieving their modest goals.
Its living ammunition is now very easily separated via controlled necrosis of the base tissue, rather than manual snipping, and the polyps are now aerodynamically shaped and hardened against frontal impact. However, some considerable difficulty was had both in shaping the spikes for flight, hardening them against the rigors of impact and launch, allowing them to eat as independent entities (as the Stymphalian does not have any other means of eating), and adding in the ability to both store and pressurize a choking gas cloud in useful quantities. The result is that they do all of these things poorly. In about a tenth of launches, the stress of launch kills the polyp early, triggering a premature detonation. In other cases, differences in stomach contents, anomalies in carapace formation, and general biology uniqueness result in projectiles that all of their own unique weight and deviance. The Stymphalian crab lacks both the senses and intelligence to dynamically adjust to the diverse projectile flaws, dramatically reducing accuracy at longer ranges. On impact, the gas payload is… lackluster. A direct impact that penetrates chitin still provides excellent damage, as a dead polyp will explode internally and a live one will chew internally until it dies, but external gas detonations provide very little toxic damage except in enclosed environments with still air. Even then, multiple impacts are required to create a toxic layer of sufficient thickness to suffocate even a baseline grub or put out a small fire.
The launch system has its own issues. The spring-tight coils of telekinetic energy used to impel the dart take longer to wind than hoped and the Stymphalian cannot alter the impact point greatly after the beginning winding. While this produces no additional difficulties for aiming, as small adjustments can be made, it means that directly punching entities using psionic strikes is both slow and highly inaccurate against moving targets. Its telekinetic manipulation is passable, but most anything larger and stronger than its own polyps will likely be able to fight free of its grip.
In short, the Stymphalian has excellent damage when it hits and penetrates armor, but it fires slowly and inaccurately, occasionally detonates polyps prematurely when firing, has limited gas dispersion ability, and its ability to directly strike telekinetically is best suited to very slow or stationary targets - or targets it can pick up or hold in place with its claws and pop like grapes.
Stymphalian Crab+
-Evolution Chance: NaN
-Mutagenic Potential 4
-Description: Covered in wicked-looking thorned growths, the Elite Stymphalian crab gains a tri-lobed mouth system of mandibles and maxillae and its own independent gastric system. While this does mean that it is more vulnerable to toxic dietary infiltration than the Medusa, it does mean that it can support itself and simplify the biology of its polyps. Its polyps, for their part, are enhanced with a calcic-keratin internal ring structure, making them segmented and less flexible, but much more durable. Their own mouths and stomachs remain, but are vastly simplified and no longer filter toxic products, and instead merely give the Elite a way to support its progeny without leeching its own reserves to keep them alive.
These modified polyps are much more able to withstand their own internal pressures, modestly increasing gas load, are heavier and more likely to punch into enemy targets, and never break apart on firing. However, there’s only so much improvement that can be made. The elite is telekinetically stronger, able to fire the heavier polyp-darts with more force and a greater rate of fire, but no more intelligent. The darts are more accurate as a result of their restructuring, but the Elite crab is still a relatively inaccurate assailant, and its direct telekinetic strikes are still best reserved for very slow targets or ones that it can catch within its claws.
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