Micro Bestiary - Hive Horrors

[Sam Baughn]

Another set of monsters. Although they are written up in the Dungeon Fantasy format, these guys could work in a number of different genres: giant bugs are a natural for horror games, pulp adventurers might find them living in a lost world deep in some rainforest, they could be post-apocalyptic mutations created by atomic radiation or a race of alien monstrosities populating a newly colonized planet.

Hive Horrors

Hive horrors are a breed of giant bug with a hive society similar to ants or termites, although physically they have more in common with crustaceans. They live in underground nests ruled by a queen and are divided into many different castes. A typical hive horror has an oval body with eight legs underneath and a large flat head equipped with powerful grasping jaws, long antennae and six simple eyes.

Burrower

The largest and strongest of the worker castes, burrowers dig the hive horrors' tunnels and are also used to carry supplies back to the nest. Their powerful jaws are adapted to break up rocks, their heads shaped to shovel earth and their broad backs to carry the load out of the tunnel for use elsewhere. Burrowers lack the antennae found on most hive horrors and so have rather reduced senses.

ST 40; DX 10; IQ 2; HT 10.
HP 40; Will 10; Per 8; FP 10.
Speed 5.00; Move 5; SM +3.
Dodge 8; Parry N/A; DR 9.

Bite (10): 4d crushing.

Traits: Bad Sight (Nearsighted); Extra Legs (Eight Legs); High Pain Threshold; Horizontal; Infravision; No Fine Manipulators; Tunneling (1 yard per second).
Skills: Engineer (Mining)-10.
Class: Dire Animal.

Farmer

A more intelligent worker type, farmers cultivate the fungus crops which feed the hive when they can't find enough meat. Usually only encountered inside the hive itself. Farmers have spindly legs and elongated bodies compared to other hive horrors.

ST 12; DX 10; IQ 4; HT 10.
HP 12; Will 10; Per 10; FP 10.
Speed 5.00; Move 5; SM 0.
Dodge 8; Parry N/A; DR 3.

Bite (10): 1d-2 cutting.

Traits: Bad Sight (Nearsighted); Discriminatory Smell; Extra Legs (Eight Legs); High Pain Threshold; Horizontal; Infravision; No Fine Manipulators; Peripheral Vision; Vibration Sense (Air).
Skills: Climbing-12; Farming-10.
Class: Dire Animal.

Gatherer

The most common type of hive horror encountered are the gatherers. These small workers roam about on the surface looking for food and drag it back to the hive.

ST 8; DX 10; IQ 3; HT 10.
HP 8; Will 10; Per 10; FP 10.
Speed 5.00; Move 5; SM -1.
Dodge 8; Parry N/A; DR 3.

Bite (12): 1d-3 cutting.

Traits: Bad Sight (Nearsighted); Discriminatory Smell; Extra Legs (Eight Legs); High Pain Threshold; Horizontal; Infravision; No Fine Manipulators; Peripheral Vision; Vibration Sense (Air).
Skills: Brawling-12; Climbing-12; Tracking-14.
Class: Dire Animal.

Overseer

The basis of the hive horrors' society are their psychic overseers who co-ordinate the actions of the other castes. Overseers have enlarged heads and especially long antennae.

ST 10; DX 10; IQ 5; HT 10.
HP 10; Will 12; Per 10; FP 10.
Speed 5.00; Move 5; SM 0.
Dodge 8; Parry N/A; DR 4.

Bite (10): 1d-3 cutting.
Psychic Lash: Affliction (Terrible Pain; Malediction, regular spell range penalties; Will vs. Will).

Traits: Bad Sight (Nearsighted); Discriminatory Smell; Extra Legs (Eight Legs); Horizontal; Infravision; Mind Reading (Racial); Telecommunication (Telesend; Racial); No Fine Manipulators; Peripheral Vision; Vibration Sense (Air).
Skills: Leadership-12; Tactics-10.
Class: Dire Animal.

Queen

Ruling the hive is the queen, the only hive horror who lays eggs. If the queen of a hive is killed, all the other hive horrors will become confused and the overseers will start fighting amongst themselves until one becomes dominant and develops into a new queen. Killing a hive queen is no easy task though, as she always resides deep inside the hive and is protected by a guard of fierce soldiers.

ST 20; DX 10; IQ 6; HT 10.
HP 20; Will 15; Per 12; FP 10.
Speed 5.00; Move 5; SM +2.
Dodge 8; Parry N/A; DR 6.

Bite (10): 2d-2 cutting.
Psychic Lash: Affliction (Terrible Pain; Malediction, regular spell range penalties; Will vs. Will).

Traits: Bad Sight (Nearsighted); Discriminatory Smell; Extra Legs (Eight Legs); Horizontal; Infravision; Mind Reading (Racial); Telecommunication (Telesend; Racial); No Fine Manipulators; Peripheral Vision; Vibration Sense (Air).
Skills: Leadership-12; Tactics-12.
Class: Dire Animal.

Scout

Scouts are long-legged and large-eyed, adapted to exploring the surface world to find fresh sources of food for their nest-mates. They are the only type of hive-horror frequently encountered alone and far from the hive itself.

ST 10; DX 12; IQ 4; HT 10.
HP 10; Will 10; Per 12; FP 10.
Speed 6.00; Move 6; SM 0.
Dodge 10; Parry N/A; DR 3.

Bite (14): 1d-2 impaling + follow up 1d fatigue (Cyclic, three one-minute cycles; Resistable, HT-3).

Traits: Combat Reflexes; Discriminatory Smell; Enhanced Move 1; Extra Legs (Eight Legs); High Pain Threshold; Horizontal; Infravision; No Fine Manipulators; Peripheral Vision (Easy to Hit); Vibration Sense (Air).
Skills: Brawling-14; Climbing-14; Stealth-14; Tracking-16.
Class: Dire Animal.

Soldier

The soldier caste guards the hive and leads raids on prey species. They have massive jaws whcih they use to grab and tear their victims.

ST 12; DX 10; IQ 3; HT 10.
HP 12; Will 12; Per 10; FP 10.
Speed 5.00; Move 5; SM 0.
Dodge 9; Parry 11; DR 4.

Jaws (14): 1d+3 cutting.

Traits: Bad Sight (Nearsighted); Combat Reflexes; Discriminatory Smell; Extra Legs (Eight Legs); High Pain Threshold; Horizontal; Infravision; No Fine Manipulators; Peripheral Vision; Striking ST +3; Vibration Sense (Air).
Skills: Brawling-14.
Class: Dire Animal.
Notes: Jaws are a Striker with reach C, 1.

Spitter

A special variation on the soldier, the spitter has a special organ which projects a spray of acid rather than the oversized jaws of the normal soldier. They can also sometimes be found working with burrowers to dissolve some especially tough obstacle.

ST 12; DX 10; IQ 3; HT 10.
HP 12; Will 12; Per 10; FP 10.
Speed 5.00; Move 5; SM 0.
Dodge 9; Parry N/A; DR 4.

Bite (12): 1d+1 cutting.
Acid Spit (12): 1d-1 corrosion (Jet, Range 5/10).

Traits: Bad Sight (Nearsighted); Combat Reflexes; Discriminatory Smell; Extra Legs (Eight Legs); High Pain Threshold; Horizontal; Infravision; No Fine Manipulators; Peripheral Vision; Striking ST +3; Vibration Sense (Air).
Skills: Brawling-12; Innate Attack (Breath)-12.
Class: Dire Animal.

[SCAR]

They remind me somewhat of the Bugs from the Starship Troopers movie. Of course that might just be because I watch said movie a couple of nights ago.

Is it worth combining the common traits into a Meta-Trait as a shorthand?
Hive Horror: Extra Legs (Eight Legs); Horizontal; Infravision; No Fine Manipulators;

Is the Burrower really supposed to be SM+3? It seems a little out of proportion to the rest of the 'family'?
I'm not suggesting it shouldn't be, it actually works pretty well!

Overall nice beasties, I'll save them for a future bug hunt!

[Sam Baughn]

Originally Posted by SCAR

They remind me somewhat of the Bugs from the Starship Troopers movie. Of course that might just be because I watch said movie a couple of nights ago.

Yeah, they were a big inspiration (not that giant social insects are exactly a new idea).

Originally Posted by SCAR

Is it worth combining the common traits into a Meta-Trait as a shorthand?
Hive Horror: Extra Legs (Eight Legs); Horizontal; Infravision; No Fine Manipulators;

Maybe. Or at least lumping everything except Infravision into an Arachnoid meta-trait.

Originally Posted by SCAR

Is the Burrower really supposed to be SM+3? It seems a little out of proportion to the rest of the 'family'?

Yes, it's really supposed to be massive. I wanted something like the tanker bug from ST so that they had something capable of knocking down walls, tipping vehicles over and generally making a bit of a spectacle.