Zat

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Zats are huge, metallic creatures built like delta-winged planes. Their bodies are cylindrical and about 100' long, while their knife-edge metal wings span about 150'. The "stem" of their bodies are blunt, while their "bows" are sharp enough to act as piercing rams. Zats are made entirely out of high-melting-point metal alloys, which has an almost perfect mirror finish. In another universe, they might be considered to be artifacts; in the SPELLJAMMER game universe, however, they are definitely alive. They soar through the fire-ring of the planet Garrash, apparently using their huge wings to "tack" against the light pressure from the fire world like huge solar sailors.
Zats are highly intelligent, although their mentality follows a totally different model from that of most life-forms. They communicate among themselves using subtly-changing magnetic fields. This type of communication is virtually instantaneous, and its range is measured in the millions of miles. It requires a clear line-of-sight, so although a zat has the range to communicate with another such creature on the other side of Garrash, the mass of the planet would block the communication.
Communication can be established with zats by using telepathy, but not much comes through the link. The spell caster would receive a colossal sense of surprise, followed by a welter of incomprehensible thoughts. A spellcaster trying to penetrate this confusing flood of thoughts must save vs. spells. A failed save leaves the spell caster confused for 1d10 turns. A successful save means he has established communication with the zat.
Zats are peaceable creatures, and very curious about things that happen in "their" area of space, although they are indifferent about virtually everything else. They seem to be immortal, and have observed the planet Garrash for several million years. Unfortunately, what a zat considers to be important isn't the kind of thing a demihuman would want to know. Zats notice changes in thermal and luminous flux from the fire world, changes in the density of the firering, and such things. They have no conception that there are living creatures on the planet, and honestly couldn't care less. They speculate endlessly on complex philosophical issues that would leave even thri-kreen totally confused.
Any spelljamming vessel approaching or entering the ring will attract the attention of 1 or 2 zats, who will approach to observe the "strange creature" that has come to visit them. (Considering their size, it's only logical that the zats would think that the ship itself is a living creature. It won't be easy to convince them that the ship is inanimate, and the controlling intelligence lies with the insignificant specks scurrying about on deck.)
==Combat==
While zats are basically peaceable creatures, they share with virtually every other living thing a strong sense of self-preservation. If they're attacked, they'll definitely fight to protect themselves.
Combat with a zat uses the same techniques as ship-to-ship combat, as detailed in the SPELLJAMMEWM boxed set (thus the fact that their movement is described in terms of "Ship Rating"). Their only attack is a ram, which can't be used against anything smaller than 1 ton (e.g., an elven Flitter). There is some characteristic - as yet unexplained about the zat's sharp "bow" that inflicts more hull damage than a "vessel" of its size should be able to.
Zats save as "hard metal," and are totally immune to heat- and fire-based attacks. Electrical attacks inflict only half damage. Note that a zat's "HD" figure is expressed in terms of "hull points." It takes 10 hit points of damage - inflicted on exactly the same spot - to cause 1 hull point of damage. They are totally immune to charm-based magic, and other magical and quasi-magical powers that affect the mind (illusions, psionics, etc.).
Although zats are basically fearless, they aren't stupid, and won't fight to the death except under the most exceptional of circumstances. They can use their long-range communication to summon more of their kind if things are getting dicey. Militant PC's should soon realize that, no matter how tough their ship is, it's not up to "dogfighting" with a whole squadron of zats. All in all, it's much safer to talk than fight.
==Habitat/Society==
Zats are basically solitary creatures. They enjoy philosophical discussions with others of their kind, but their long-range magnetic communication means they don't have to congregate to do this.
Nothing is known about zat reproduction. In fact, the zats themselves can't even comprehend the concept when they've been asked telepathically. The most widely held belief is that all existing zats were created - by what or by whom is a key question - at some time in the distant past, and they have no need or capacity to reproduce.
If a zat is killed, every other zat within communication range - about 75 million miles - knows it immediately, and receives a "mental picture" of who or what caused the zat's death. All surviving zats will feel an implacable - and eternal - hatred for whoever or whatever killed one of their fellows. (Thus, any spelljamming vessel that dispatches a zat will find Garrash's ring a very inhospitable region until the end of time...)
==Ecology==
Zats have no orifice through which they can absorb matter. The only conclusion to draw from this fact is that they don't have to. The fire-ring of Garrash is definitely a high-energy environment, and it seems likely that the massive creatures absorb all the energy they need to survive from that source.
Category:Creatures
Category:Practical Planetology Creatures