Tentaculat

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Tentaculats are a fictional aliens in the DOS/Windows game series X-COM.

[edit] Description

Although it possesses no ranged attack capability and can use no conventional weapons, it can however attack through more insidious means.

The attack of a Tentaculat does not normally cause any damage to its subject (exceptions being attacks on HWP's and other aliens), instead it transmutes the unfortunate soul into a mindless zombie creature which may attack in a similar manner to the Calcinite. When this zombiefied thing is destroyed a newly hatched Tentaculat rises from its corpse to start the cycle again. This self replicating style is identical to the Chryssalid from the original UFO : Enemy Unknown.

These fearsome creatures are usually found in the company of Lobster Men and Tasoth, but have been observed with most of the alien races, and only ever in underwater locales. They are always present throughout both Base and Artifact sites, and often accompany high ranking aliens on the larger vessels.

The average Tentaculat is very swift and has the ability to hover at any depth it desires. It has a high degree of intelligence, and has no difficulty in pinpointing X-COM troops even in the inky depths. It also has formidable resistance to Molecular Control attacks.

Note that the visual appearance of the Tentaculat appears to have been taken directly from the depiction (in literature predating the XCOM series) of a vintage Dungeons and Dragons monster called the Grell. A modern visualisation of the creature can be seen here.

Tentaculat-like creatures can also be found in the final level of the game Zeliard.