(I am dedicating this “lecture” to a feline who brightened our internet surfing with glares, not smiles—Grumpy Cat.)
Welcome back to Xenobiology 101. Today, we return to the MCU for a look at the newest celeb “cat,” actually an alien Flerken.
Flerken are a very, very rare sentient alien species, with an off-Earth reputation so scary that 99% of intelligent non-Earth Humans demand that “[Someone] shoot to kill and don’t ask questions!” upon sighting one. (The other 1% suggest that someone else capture it to sell for a fortune.) Earth natives–even experienced galactic travellers–are shocked by this attitude, having been lulled by the Flerken resemblance to the familiar pet cats of their homeworld.
But Flerken are not felines; they may not even be mammals, since only a handful of the most primitive mammals lay eggs. Flerken are also quite toxic, and even relatively mild wounds can result in loss of an eye or other body part. But these, and their sentience aren’t the most dramatic differences between Flerken and Cats. These unique creatures hold at least 1 pocket dimension in their mouth or stomach, which can result in many valuable things (or beings?) going missing. For good or ill…
FLERKEN PL 4 (67 PP)
STR –3 STA –2 AGL 3 DEX –2 FGT 3 INT 0 AWE 1 PRE –2
Powers
Affliction (Poisonous alien) 10 (Impaired/Disabled/Transformed [missing/maimed body part]), Linked to Strength-based Damage 5
Belly of Holding (Dimensional Travel 2: related dimensions [internal pocket dimensions], affects others only, affects objects, increased mass x1)
Morph 1 (Earth Housecat)
Senses 1 (Low-Light Vision)
Shrinking 8 (Permanent, Innate)
Space Teleport (Space Travel 3)
Advantages: Benefit 1 (Athletics based on Agility), Close Attack 3, Diehard, Evasion 1
Skills: Acrobatics 3 (+6), Athletics 3 (+6), Perception 4 (+5), Stealth 2 (+13).
Initiative: +3
Offense: Init +3, Claw/Tentacle +6 (Close, Damage 2)
Defenses: Dodge 7, Parry 7, Fortitude 5 Toughness –2 Will 1
Totals: Abilities -4 + Powers 57 + Advantages 6 + Skills 0 +
Defenses 6 = Total 67 points.
Complications
Quirk–Capricious Nature. Way more so than the housepet they resemble, they have been known to injure even those they appear to like.
Quirk–Not a Housecat! Flerken look and act like the domesticated cat of Earth, and are easily mistaken for them, by Earth’s Humans.
Quirk–Expensive Merchandise. Because they are so rare, there are beings who want to capture and sell them to the highest bidder, instead of killing them.
Reputation: Other sentient species–except for Earth’s Humans–regard Flerken as an extremely deadly species that should be killed on sight.
Design & Play Notes: Note the Power Level given is per total Power Points and Defenses; however, GMs might consider treating the creature as more of a plot device than an NPC, much as in the Captain Marvel movie. While there are, of course, other ways of mechanically depicting the nasty wounds they can produce, I found the Transform Affliction to be the easiest.
Linda Whitson
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