Mon 02 Dec 2019, 21:19
HI, I'm Dave and as Matt said I wrote the xenomorph and extrasolar species stats and attack rules. Thanks for your post: you make some really good points. Here's my take on how this should be played, but obviously this isn't an official addition to the rules, just how, from my point of view, I'd play it.
I'm not aware of any canon that explicitly states whether or not a xenomorph can detect that a Synth isn't a viable host for a Facehugger, but I'm going to rule in my games that they can't detect it until and unless they try (this gave me the idea for a "egg-gathering squad" of Synthetics who deliberately get facehugged in order to capture live eggs from facehuggers....).
As Diego says, Synths take damage in the normal way, so ANY Signature attack that includes an attack roll may damage the Synth, as will an ACID SPLASH.
But, for specific Signature attacks, I'd handle them in the follow ways:
1. Obviously, if the Synth is immune to the effect of an attack (eg, take Stress, make a Panic roll or suffer the effects of Drowning) these are ignored. This includes the Chestbursters "birth display" that otherwise shocks witnesses, causing them to roll for Panic.
2. CAPTURE FOR THE HIVE (Stage IV Attack #5, and Stage V Attack #4) does damage but otherwise has no effect. A xeno that tries once (and pulls its attack to inject venom) won't make that mistake twice, and any further attacks of this type on the same Synth will do maximum damage.
3. FACEHUGGER TAIL GRAPPLE, Attack #4. A roll of 5-6 on the type of tail grapple cannot choke or panic a Synth.
4. FACEHUGGER FINAL EMBRACE, Attack #6. The Facehugger can successfully face hug a Synth as an action, but the Synth is not Broken by it (she may be blinded as it's over her eyes, and it may be impossible to remove without acid damage to the Synth (make an ACID SPLASH attack if it's cut free) until an egg is laid - the egg cannot survive in a Synth and will die. It could be removed though...).
5. CHESTBURSTER LEG SLASH, Attack #5. The Synth suffers critical injury #2, instead of the listed injury.
6. CHESTBURSTER THROAT BITE, Attack #6. Roll on the Synth crit table. A result of 6 counts and the synth's head is smashed, otherwise apply crit #4, Head Dis-location.
7. HEADBITE Attack #6 for Stages IV, V and VI - Roll on the Synth crit table. A result of 6 counts and the synth's head is smashed, otherwise apply crit #4, Head Dis-location.
8. Other Stage VI Attacks:
BEASTLY BITE #3. Roll 1d6 on the Synth Crit table
CRUSHING BLOW #4. Roll 3 times on the Synth Crit table and apply all results.
TAIL SPIKE #5. The Synth suffers #6 from the Crit table, and is torn in two by the blow (it "does a Bishop").
That all feels about right and narratively satisfying. Hope that helps!