Spelljammer Wiki

A Zat is a creature native to the fire-world Garrash[1] in the crystal sphere known as Vistaspace from the Spelljammer campaign setting.[2]

Overview[]

Zats are huge, metallic creatures that resemble vessels with delta-shaped wings, and while they may appear to be artificial constructs, they are in fact living creatures. They soar through the ring of liquid fire that encircles the planet Garrash,[3] apparently using their huge wings to "tack" against the light pressure from the fire-world like huge solar sails.[1]

Description[]

A zat has a cylindrical body about 100-feet long, maybe a little more, while its knife-edged metal wings span about 150-feet wide. At the tips of its triangular wings are forward pointing spines dozens of feet long. A zat's "stern" is blunt while its "bow" is sharp enough to act as a piercing ram. A zat appears to be made entirely of a metal alloy, polished to a near perfect mirror finish.[4]

Zats are highly intelligent, though the way their minds work is quite alien to that of most life-forms. They communicate among themselves using subtly-changing electromagnetic fields, a form of communication which is virtually instantaneous, and has a range that can be measured in the millions of miles. However, to be effective it requires a clear line-of-sight, so while a zat has the reach to communicate with other zats on the other side of Garrash, the bulk of the planet would block their communication.[1]

Behavior[]

Zats are easy-going creatures, and very curious about events that occur in "their" area of space, though they are typically indifferent to virtually everything else. They appear to be functionally immortal, and have observed the planet Garrash for millennia. Unfortunately, what a zat considers to be interesting or important isn't quite what a humanoid would be interested in. Zats perceive the universe through magnetic field gradients,[5] and are particularly interested in their immediate environment, from changes in thermal and luminous flux of the fire-world below, to changes in the density of the fire-ring, and other comparable events. They have no idea 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 the thri-kreen totally confused.

Any spelljamming vessel approaching Garrash's fire-ring will attract the attention of one or two 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 is possible to communicate with a zat using telepathy, though the process can be quite difficult due to the differences in mind-set and thought processes, and apparently is initially quite painful.[6] The spellcaster or crewman making contact will be blasted by a welter of incomprehensible thoughts and images, accompanied by indescribable pain, though if they remain steadfast they will soon gain a sense of the creatures' enormous surprise. At first the zat will be convinced it is communicating with a primitive creature similar to itself, possibly infested with small parasites that need to be cleansed. Though it may take some doing, a zat can be persuaded that the spelljamming ship is in fact inanimate, and that they are conversing with one of the insignificant specks scurrying about on its decks.[7][1]

Combat[]

While zats are basically peaceful creatures, they will fight to protect themselves if need be. In combat, zats prefer to ram opponents using their sharply pointed prows, and can only engage targets larger than one ton (i.e. an elven flitter or similarly sized creature). Strangely, a zat's sharp "bow" can inflict significantly more damage than a "vessel" of its size should be able to due to some unexplained characteristic.

Zats are fully encased in a metallic shell that ensures they are completely unaffected by heat- and fire-based attacks, while electrical attacks inflict less damage than normal. They are also completely unaffected by charm-based magic, and other magical and quasi-magical abilities that affect the mind, including illusions, psionics, etc.

While zats are practically fearless, they are not stupid, and will not fight to the death except under the most exceptional of circumstances, and will use their long-range communication to request aid from others of their kind if things are getting dicey. Overly aggressive attackers soon realize that, no matter how tough their ship is, it is in no way capable of facing a whole squadron of zats.[1]

Society[]

In practical terms a zat is a solitary creature. However, their ability to communicate across vast distances means they can engage in their favorite past time of debating philosophical questions with others of their own kind without having to congregate.

Nothing is known about zat reproduction. In fact, the zats themselves appear not to understand the concept when they've been asked telepathically. The most widely held belief among scholars is that all existing zats were created - by what or by whom is a key question - at some time in the distant past, and that they have no need or capacity to reproduce.

If a zat is killed, every other zat within communication range - about 75 million miles - becomes aware of the fact 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.

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.[1]

Notable Zat[]

  • Teldin Moore, the Cloakmaster, had the opportunity to speak to a Zat when he travelled to Garrash in Vistaspace, using a form of telepathy provided by his cloak.[7]

Signature Spelljammers[]

Zats have the innate ability to travel at spelljamming speeds and can achieve an SR of 5,[1] and while they seem to be able to travel through the void of wildspace near their homeworld, they cannot leave their crystal sphere or travel through the phlogiston.[8]

Appendix[]

External Links[]

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Nigel D. Findley, SJR4 Practical Planetology, 1991, (TSR Inc.), Zat (Garrash) entry, pages 63-64
  2. Nigel D. Findley, The Cloakmaster Cycle, The Broken Sphere, 1993, (TSR Inc.), pages 200 and 201 (first mention)
  3. Nigel D. Findley, SJR4 Practical Planetology, 1991, (TSR Inc.), Garrash entry, chapter 3: Fire Bodies, page 24
  4. Nigel D. Findley, The Cloakmaster Cycle, The Broken Sphere, 1993, (TSR Inc.), pages 226-227
  5. Nigel D. Findley, The Cloakmaster Cycle, The Broken Sphere, 1993, (TSR Inc.), pages 235-236
  6. Nigel D. Findley, The Cloakmaster Cycle, The Broken Sphere, 1993, (TSR Inc.), page 228
  7. 7.0 7.1 Nigel D. Findley, The Cloakmaster Cycle, The Broken Sphere, 1993, (TSR Inc.), pages 228-237
  8. Nigel D. Findley, The Cloakmaster Cycle, The Broken Sphere, 1993, (TSR Inc.), page 236