#formian queen

[dailycharacteroption]

Magic Academy Student (Starfinder Archetype)

(art by Cementiet on DeviantArt)

We’ve moved on from the Magaambya for now, but we’re not quite done with magical schools yet, for now we’re taking a look into the far future of Starfinder.

Though Starfinder is a science fantasy setting, there are still four spellcasting classes, and many more classes and archetypes that are at least magic adjacent (Not to mention the remnants of older casting traditions presumably best represented by converting Pathfinder casters to Starfinder), which in turn demands the need for magical schools to teach a handy percentage of them. After all, not everyone is self-taught or learning via correspondence course.

Some schools may specialize in a certain discipline or be broader in scope, but all have their share of eager young students. Heck, some may even be practical courses teaching courses for certain vocations, such as magical soldier, first, leaving theory for later, while others are more esoteric and seek to inspire students to seek answers to the great mysteries.

Today’s archetype represents someone who is currently attending, or perhaps recently attended, such a school, and offers benefits based on the lifestyle and mindset of such a student. Some may wish to retrain out of it in the future, but others may continue to enjoy the multidiscipline magic and skills that it offers.

This archetype is perfect for any sort of game that focuses on such a magical academy, but remember it can be also used by spellcasters learning remotely, or those that joined the party as part of research for their thesis.

So without further ado, let’s look at what makes these students so special.

Naturally, only spellcasters can take this archetype, since the abilities therein are tied to spellcasting as a whole.

Anyone who’s attended higher education is no doubt familiar with the idea of cramming for exams, and these mages can put that skill to use by studying hard on a single spell to temporarily add it to their arsenal.

Academia also exposes them to many different disciplines, allowing them to add a single spell to their arsenal from another spellcasting class, which they can change as they grow in skill and knowledge, though obviously as someone outside the discipline, they can never learn a spell on equal power with their own focus.

As students of magic, these mages also spend time researching the minutae of specific spells as part of their various thesis, making that spell a bit more potent and hard to resist, though again, as they grow in power they usually move on to other spells, specializing in them instead.

As we can see, Magic Academy Students bring themes of youthful vigor to a character, as well as a dash of versatility thanks to their ability to learn a useful spell in an emergency and take a single spell from outside their discipline. (It is very easy to forget to take language-based spells when traversing the galaxy). What’s more, buffing their favorite spell and gaining an extra casting of it each day can be very useful indeed for some characters, and every spellcasting class can benefit from it in some way.

While magic schools have been handled in all sorts of media, not all of it good, a school in a science fantasy setting likely feels a bit different compared to the medieval fantasy or even a modern fantasy setting, making it ripe for interesting plot points to bring up with your character. Just try to avoid some of the grosser tropes of college fiction. Just because your character was somewhat inspired by American Pie or Van Wilder doesn’t give you carte blanche to make the rest of the group uncomfortable.

What started out as a way to spy on their rivals has grown far beyond the control of espionage as the Intergalactic Mage Games have grown beyond the initial proposal by the embri school of Arcana Dominatus. However, many embri political figures have been lobbying to shut the games down for fear of “cultural pollution” from other species and ways of life, especially now that the games now occur in neutral territory instead of on AD grounds.

Perpetual nervous and fearful of the outside world, the dromada Peega is struggling to work up the courage to leave the school she has been studying with for field research for her thesis. So, eventually, she put her precognitive powers to work and saw glimpses of the crew that would keep her safe on this journey, which leads her to the party.

Receiving the blessing from her queen, the young formian alate who has come to be known as Chirpsong has decided to attend a magical academy to further her understanding of her own burgeoning psychic magic in hopes of becoming a truly mighty queen someday. However, fearing that outside forces may see the future queen as a tempting prize, the queen quietly offers some of her classmates payment in exchange for watching over her.

[monmatch]

Ant Queen! -and this is her LESS monstrous form lol

We’re kind of figuring out her origin, I think her father was a Formian worker who broke conventions and caught the eye of a powerful Fiend. But- this is like... deep lore, we'll probably leave it ambiguous. Even the queen herself is kind of a mythical figure in the campaign but I still really wanted to draw her.  

[enddaysengine]

Planscape Monster Index (A)

Last updated: Dec 11, 2022

A

Aasimar

Abadar (Power)

Abaddon Gigas

Aballonian

Abaraxas (Demon Lord)

Aboleth

Abrikandula (Tanar’ri)

Abyssal Drake

Abyssal Eviscerator

Accomplice Devil (Baatezu)

Accuser Devil (Baatezu, Incomplete)

Achaierai (Incomplete)

Adaro

Addu

Adherer (Incomplete)

Adhukait (Asura)

Adlet

Advodaza (Baatezu) - Discussion

Aeon (Type, Monitor)

Agathion (Type, Celestial)

Aghash (Div)

Aghasura (Asura)

Ahuizotl

Air Drake

Air Elemental

Air Mephit

Air Weird

Akata

Akhana (Aeon)

Akhult

Albino Cave & Giant Solifugids

Alchemical Golem

Aldinach (Demon Lord)

Alichino (Infernal Malebranche)

Allip

Almiraj

Allosaurus & Compsognathus (Dinosaur)

Aloer (Infernal Duke)

Alraune

Amethyst Dragons

Amoeba Swarm and Giant Amoeba

Amphisbaena

Andirifkhu (Demon Lord)

Android

Androsphinx

Angazhan (Demon Lord)

Angel (Type, Celestial)

Animal Lord

Animate Dream

Anhur & Monju (Egyptian Powers)

Ankheg

Ankylosaurus & Brachiosaurus (Dinosaur)

Annis Hag

Antelope & Elk (herd animals)

Apollyon (Daemon Horseman)

Apostasy Wraith

Apostate Devil (Baatezu)

Apostle Kyton (Template)

Apshai (Egyptian Power)

Aranea

Arbiter (Inevitable)

Arboreal Dragon (Dragon)

Archelon & Baluchitherium (megafauna)

Archon (Type, Celestial)

Ardad Lili (Infernal Iron Queen)

Areshkagal (Demon Lord)

Argorth

Argus

Argus Wall

Armadillo and Platypus

Armadon Formian

Armand

Armanite Demon (Tanar’ri)

Army Ant Swarm & Giant Ant

Arsinoitherium & Glyptodon (megafauna)

Arqueros (Empyreal Lord)

Arshea (Empyreal Lord)

Ascomoid

Ashava (Empyreal Lord)

Ash Giant

Ash Rat

Ashen Husk

Asmodeus (Baatezu, Power)

Astomoi

Awakened Plants and Animals

[spewagepipe]

Dungeon23/05/02: Apocrita Queen Chamber

I was kind of surprised by the paucity of giant, intelligent/anthropomorphic, eusocial insect monsters when I went sifting through the classic D&D monster manuals to find one. I'm sure they exist, but the formians are perhaps the only ones that I've ever encountered in an actual adventure before. Nevertheless, I believe that an enchanted forest needs a giant beehive, and so I've just decided to make my own. Besides its namesake occupant, the queen chamber includes valuable queen eggs, nutritious royal jelly, and apocrita guards who have armoured carapaces, venomous stingers, powerful jaws, and the ability to create a deafening, terrifying noise with their wings.

[thecreaturecodex]

Xenomorphitude

Or: Rating the Xenomorph Knock-offs of D&D and Pathfinder

The xenomorph of Alien, Aliens and a bunch of other movies that aren’t very good is one of the most distinctive film monsters. Which means it’s one of the ones that’s most widely copied, ripped off and cited as “inspiration”. Multiple monsters with decidedly xenomorph-like characteristics have appeared in D&D and PFRPG over the decades. Here’s a survey, in loosely chronological order.

Xill

This is included mostly as a formality. The xill isn’t inspired so much by Alien as by Alien’s own inspiration. Voyage of the Space Beagle is a SF novel collecting multiple short stories, one of which features the “ixtl”, which lays its eggs in a crew-member and cannot be killed with conventional weaponry, so is launched into space. The “xill”, first appearing in D&D 1e’s Fiend Folio, is a take on that monster, although it gives them weapons and makes them explicitly sapient. It was promoted to the core Monster Manual in 3.x, which is why it appeared in Pathfinder RPG (and has ended up more prominent there than in “real” D&D for the last 15 years.

Oddly, the xill’s most recent appearance in D&D is in the 5e Mordenkainen’s Folio of Fiends, a semi-canonical book written by Mike Mearls and sold online for charity. The xill’s appearance in that book is the most xenomorph like yet. And yet, it’s said that they abduct people to the Ethereal Plane for “unknown purposes”. It’s to lay eggs in them, guys. We know this.

Xenomorphitude: 2/10, included mostly for completeness sake. 6/10 for that 5e version.

Yitsan

Appearing in the Spelljammer Monstrous Compendium II, this is visually and mechanically a straightforward take on an Alien ripoff (although I love the pointy ears!). Unlike the original, the yitsan isn’t a parasitoid. Presumably the authors of the book realized that in D&D, a character that gets something latched onto them from a mysterious egg is going to get cure disease at the first possible opportunity. Instead, its eggs mimic gold coins, so the PCs will be happy to take them aboard! Xenomorphitude: 8/10. Pretty darn xenomorphy.

Hivebrood

This is a Mystara monster. They seem to be a slantwise take on the Tyranids of Warhammer 40,000 as much as a conventional xenomorph clone. They reproduce by implanting their larvae into humanoids, the hybrid stage of which is called the broodling. These broodlings psychically transmit their skills to a controller, which can then grant them to the various warriors of the hive. Interestingly, they’re neutral in alignment as opposed to some variation of evil.

Xenomorphitude: 3/10. If not for the broodlings, I’d peg them as just another colonial insect species, like the formians or aspis.

Kythons

Moving now into 3rd edition, these guys are definitely stolen from the Tyranids, as they were originally written to give Monte Cook an excuse to use Tyranid miniatures in his D&D game. They win points for flagrancy of the ripoff by laying eggs that look like “wet stones”—but these can also supply weapons instead of just new individuals! Hey, that’s a thing the Tyranids can (sort of) do! They also don’t have a Queen Alien, instead mutating into “slaymasters” or “slaughterkings”. Because the Book of Vile Darkness is nothing if not subtle. 

Xenomorphitude: 7/10. You look at these guys and go, “oh, it’s a xenomorph”, but they have enough tricks to keep you on your toes. Most of these tricks were stolen from a different xenomorph ripoff, but still.

Grendelspawn

Appearing in the d20 Modern Urban Arcana book, they basically have no flavor text except “yeah, they kill indiscriminately. The hunters protect the queen”. Apparently they can be trained as guard animals. Weyland-Yutani had the right idea, it seems.

Xenomorphitude: 10/10. Take this one to the bank, boys. It’s just a xenomorph with eyes. The most interesting thing about it is how brazen it is.

Kruthiks

The kruthiks seem like a way to water down the kythons to make them palatable to publish in a more mainstream book than Vile Darkness. They come in three basic varieties, although the largest being a “hive lord” wasn’t established until 4th edition. They have also been getting progressively less like a xenomorph in appearance, with the 5e version being decidedly more reptilian:

Xenomorphitude: 5/10. Basically the most generic “yeah, it’s a xenomorph but…” I can think of.

Essence Reaver

From the Secrets of Sarlona book in Eberron, these creatures are described as being “wingless dragons” that hunt down psionics users and drain their mental energy before eating them. Looking at their stats, only the presence of a barbed tail might make you think “xenomorph”, but then you get to that illustration!

Xenomorphitude: 3/10. You got your dragon in my xenomorph! You got your xenomorph in my dragon!

Akata

I’m using the Starfinder illustration because it’s better, but these alien tentacle dogs appeared before Pathfinder RPG split off from D&D 3.5, in Children of the Void. Their bite infects people with their worm-like larvae, which turn them into slug-tongued zombies until the tongue breaks off and grows up into a new akata.

Xenomorphitude: 1/10. I had to be reminded that they’re supposed to be xenomorph analogues. The zombies remind me more of Night of the Creeps.

Lunarma

Tentacled parasitoids from space, the lunarma seem to be the crossover of the Venn diagram between “xenomorph” and “metroid”. I do like the barbed defense ability—the fact that fighting a xenomorph in melee will get you killed by its passive defenses is something that gets ignored by most ripoffs and clones.

Xenomorphitude: 4/10. Different enough to be its own thing, similar enough to make the inspiration clear.

The Hive

Appearing in Horror Adventures for Pathfinder, the Hive creatures have a proper queen/warrior/larva caste system and a parasitoid life cycle with a twist. If you get infected with the larvae but cured, you can start to mutate into an aberrant creature, making use of the Corruption mechanics introduced in this book. It’s the rare xenomorph ripoff that takes inspiration from the later movies (namely, it appears to be “what if Alien: Resurrection made a little more sense?”).

Xenomorphitude: 9/10. About as blatant a ripoff can get without making copyright lawyers’ ears perk up. 

[justavulcan]

The Heavens Are Empty: Apiarian Worker

This creature is undeniably bee-like, as if a massive honeybee developed three-fingered hands and a less disconcerting mouth.  She carries a bow and quiver on her belt, wrapped around the junction of her abdomen and thorax, but her intentions appear benevolent; after all, she comes bearing a gift of fine Arcadian honey.  Her carapace is faintly fuzzy about the thorax, but she otherwise wears only her belt, which appears to carry mostly weapons and tools.

Apiarians are a race of bee-like celestials native to the plane of Arcadia.  Structured into tightly ordered hives in the service of a queen, apiarians are an example of a benevolent society without concept of self; few mature apiarians have names, and although they do identify themselves as individuals, few have any thought of their own benefit, instead preferring to think of what would advance the hive’s interests best.

Apiarians’ sting attacks are primarily for subduing would-be foes; as their poison paralyzes without killing, this is their weapon of choice if the hive faces attackers who may be reasoned with or captured and tried according to local law.  If, however, they are attacked and either their poison proves ineffective or their attackers clearly demonstrate ill intent (for example, fiends bent on conquest or destruction, formians from Mechanus ignoring diplomatic overtures in favor of aggression, or mortals who attack the hive with fire), they prefer to remain mostly at range, where they can take advantage of their shortbows and fly speed.  Apiarians tend to cluster up in combat, both to take advantage of Pack Tactics in melee and to grant their allies the benefits of their Death Burst should an attacker kill them first.  Indeed, injured apiarians will volunteer to shoulder the burden of their sisters’ injuries on the brink of death, and will submit to attacks from allies if their demise will heal the others.

Apiarians’ self-sacrificing tendencies are most at home in Arcadia, although their crafts (mostly waxworks, honey, and mead), organized nature, and commitment to joyous and never-ending labor place them comfortably in Mount Celestia and Bytopia as well.

[dungeon-deeds-homebrew]

You're the best. Thanks a lot too. I've got one left rolling around in my head and it's Formians again. Trying to think of something for a 4th tier party. I want to use a stinger for something other than a dagger or pen. I have thought to a wand, but there are already so many. Not really combat oriented item but something to give after defeating the queen.

(Tin Eye found a big old goose egg for sources on the image. why do i even bother?)Cloak of the brood mother:Rarity: Very RareEffects: Once per long rest grow one of 3 sets of insect like limbs for 1 hour.1: Scorpion Tail: As an action make an attack with the tail, adding dex to hit. Damage is 1d8+dex and on a hit the target must make a con save (DC 16). On a failed save the target is poisoned for 1d4+1 rounds. At the end of the poisoned effect the target takes 4d6 necrotic damage.2: Spiders legs: 4 spider like legs sprout from the back of the cloak, allowing the user to walk up most sheer surfaces and even on ceilings as if they had spider climb cast on them. in addition these legs can be used to anchor the user to any surface, giving advantage on checks against being moved against your will.3: Dragonfly wings: These wings cant be used to fly in the way most people think but they CAN give them a fly speed of 60. The trade off being that the user cannot fly more than 15 feet above the ground underneath them. (This is more of a gimme for the DM since i seem to be the only person on the planet other than matt and griffon who like adding a vertical element to combat.)

[thirdtofifth]

Armadon Large monstrosity, lawful neutral Armor Class 17 (natural armor) Hit Points 152 (16d10 + 64) Speed 40 ft. Str 22, Dex 13, Con 19, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 11 Damage Immunities cold, poison, acid Damage Resistances fire, lightning, thunder Condition Immunities charmed, petrified, poisoned Senses passive Perception 11 Languages - Challenge 8 (3900 XP) Hive Mind. Any formian within 50 miles of its queen is in constant communication with her, and all other formians within 50 miles of the queen. If one formian is aware of a threat, all of them are. Magic Resistance. The armadon has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Actions Multiattack. The armadon makes four attacks: one with its bite, two with its claws, and one with its sting. Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d6+6) piercing damage. Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (1d8+6) slashing damage. Sting. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 11 (2d4+6) piercing damage and 10 (3d6) poison damage. Acid Spray (Recharge 5-6). The armadon spews acid in a 20-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw, taking 42 (12d6) acid damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Shock troops of a formian hive, armadons are sent in by the queen when a threat proves to be too much for a group of warriors to handle. Bulky and hunched, the armadons are less ant-like than their kin, but their huge claws and heavy carapaces make them too effective of a combatant to pass up as an ally. An armadon will usually open combat with a spray of acid from the glands in its tail, before rushing in to tear apart as many foes as it can with its claws.

Below are some additional formorians to supplement those I posted previously. 

Formian Observer Medium monstrosity, lawful neutral Armor Class 14 (natural armor) Hit Points 117 (18d8 + 36) Speed 40 ft. Str 12, Dex 15, Con 14, Int 18, Wis 19, Cha 17 Damage Immunities cold, poison Damage Resistances fire, lightning, thunder Condition Immunities charmed, petrified, poisoned Senses truesight 120 ft. passive Perception 14 Languages understands Formian and Common Challenge 5 (1800 XP) Hive Mind. Any formian within 50 miles of its queen is in constant communication with her, and all other formians within 50 miles of the queen. If one formian is aware of a threat, all of them are. Magic Resistance. The formian observer has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Telepathy. An observer can communicate telepathically with any creature within 250 feet of it that has a language. Evaluation. Formian observers constantly watch their enemies, analyzing their strengths and weaknesses. Any creature with the Hive Mind ability that attacks a creature the formian observer can see, gains advantage on its attack roll. Innate Spellcasting. The formian observer's spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 14). The formian observer can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components: At will: clairvoyance, detect magic, detect thoughts 3/day each: dominate monster Actions Sting. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 7 (2d4+2) piercing damage and 10 (3d6) psychic damage.

Observers serve as tacticians and commanders in formian hives. They tend to stay out of melee combat, keeping to the back ranks where they can watch and learn the enemy’s habits and idiosyncrasies, passing what it learns through the hivemind to aid the warriors in the fight. An observer confronted in melee will usually try to magically dominate one or two opponents to cover its retreat. Observers try to plan ahead so as not to be trapped. 

Winged Warrior Medium monstrosity, lawful neutral Armor Class 14 (natural armor) Hit Points 78 (12d8 + 24) Speed 20 ft., fly 60 ft. (hover) Str 15, Dex 18, Con 15, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 11 Damage Immunities cold, poison Damage Resistances fire, lightning, thunder Condition Immunities charmed, petrified, poisoned Senses passive Perception 11 Languages - Challenge 6 (2300 XP) Hive Mind. Any formian within 50 miles of its queen is in constant communication with her, and all other formians within 50 miles of the queen. If one formian is aware of a threat, all of them are. Magic Resistance. The winged warrior has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Tail Spikes. The winged warrior has eight tail spikes. Used spikes regrow when the winged warrior finishes a long rest. Actions Multiattack. The winged warrior makes two attacks: one with its bite and one with its claws, or three with its tail spikes. Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d4+4) piercing damage. Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d6+4) slashing damage. Tail Spike. Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, range 20/80 ft., one creature. Hit: 6 (1d4+4) piercing damage and the target must make a Constitution saving throw (DC 13) or take an additional 36 (8d8) poison damage.

Serving as scouts, and cavalry of a sort, winged warriors are specialized soldiers a bit smaller than the average formian warrior. In place of its stinger are rows of spines which it can fire from its tail at opponents. Agile and steadfast fliers, they can remain in the air for hours at a time without needing to rest. As such, they are often sent to patrol above-ground, keeping an eye on formian territory, and making sure no one gets too close to the hive.

Originally from the Fiend Folio.  If you have a favorite monster from D&D 3.5 or Pathfinder that you want to see converted to 5e, feel free to send me a message or submit a monster request on the submit page.

[omg-toowolfcollection-things]

Formian Queen https://ift.tt/2O2q0uL

[zarpaulus]

Think a Formian Queen could create warlocks?

Warlock is just the fighter of casters

It’s not bad, but you have fairly limited room to really pop off (Action Surge vs. Spells), but you have a lot better consistency (Fighters aren’t reliant on Rage or special abilities to do damage and Warlocks have Eldritch Blast) and room for a lot of customization (Fighting Styles vs. Eldritch Invocations)

[dragon-above]

Etherclaws

The Etherclaw Hive Mind is a vast network of psionic potential that flows throughout Khyber, from the bowels of the Labyrinth to the enclaves of the Umbragen. Colonies of these creatures can be found across Eberron, concentrated into large groups in small, critical locations. A strike from an etherclaw colony is fast, efficient and lethal to those that oppose them. On top of all this, the psionic hive mind allows the attacks to be precisely timed and well planned. Current rumours among the creatures of Khyber whisper that the etherclaws are congregating beneath the Mournland, drawn to its unnatural power as if they recognise it. Etherclaw colonies consist of a number of distinct castes, with the drones, warriors and clairvoyants being documented in Khorvaire’s archives. The clairvoyants lead the etherclaws in their elusive quests, while the drones and warriors fight. Beyond these few facts, almost nothing is known of these creatures, their appearances tend not to leave survivors. The etherclaws originated on Daanvi, their caste system a remnant of their ant-like progenitors, the formians. When Daanvi became coterminous with Eberron centuries ago, a small group of formians attempted to expand their colony into the material plane. However, as they crossed over from the Perfect Order, a backlash of magical energy, the cause of which is still a mystery even to the etherclaws, hurled the creatures through the dark space between the worlds. Within the barren tunnels of Khyber's Shadowfell, the formians waited for their chance to return, but the twin energies of madness and death twisted the outsiders to become the abominations they are today.

Etherclaw Drones

Many of the other formian castes quickly died out, and with no queen to regenerate the colony doom would come quickly. However, over time the strange magic at work caused the worker caste to degenerate into the Etherclaw drones, mindless relics of the formian kind with the ability to seed other living creatures. When the Etherclaws were finally able to cross over to the material plane, the drones spread their curse to the living creatures they found, thereby creating the warrior caste.

Etherclaw Drone Tactics Etherclaw drones swarm their prey in large numbers, often moving around the front lines to target the less armoured enemies. Once a creature is infected they move on to the next in line.

Etherclaw Warriors

When the Etherclaws left the Shadowfell and came to Eberron, they found a new way to expand and strengthen their numbers. By implanting their cursed seed in the bodies of the living creatures of the land, the drones created the warrior caste. The warrior etherclaws are fast, strong and psionically aware, making them extremely dangerous combatants. Upon transformation, an etherclaw warrior is a hideous sight to behold. Chitin plates grow on the infected creature’s skin, and ethereal tendrils rise from the creature’s back. Hands are replaced by long claws with knife-like fingers, eyes become wide, black orbs, teeth become long and serrated and all body hair falls out. The mind of an etherclaw warrior is an unusual composite of etherclaw and the afflicted creature. The etherclaw curse keeps the mind intact, allowing the warrior to draw upon the memories and experiences of the body it inhabits. For the afflicted creature, the pain of playing host to the invading etherclaw presence is constant suffering, a fate worse than death.

Etherclaw Warrior Tactics Etherclaw warriors are capable of complex battlefield tactics, directed by the hive mind. They often begin by surrounding heavily armoured foes in groups, luring their enemies into a false sense of security, then teleporting at once to surround any who would hide behind the front lines. 

Etherclaw Clairvoyants

The formian queen that followed the expansionists away from Daanvi became fatally cursed by the crossover to the Shadowfell. Before she withered and died, preventing the colony from expanding, she birthed a small number of hideously mutated eggs. The eggs lay dormant for many years, and only as the other formians began to be changed by the unusual magic of the region did they hatch. The creatures that emerged from the aberrant shells were the etherclaw clairvoyants, powerful monstrosities that would lead the surviving formians to power. The clairvoyants are few in number, but their power is unrivalled. When the clairvoyants reached maturity and the etherclaws crossed over to the world, they split the etherclaws among themselves and set off across Khyber. Using the psionic powers granted to them, the clairvoyants immersed themselves in a perpetual hive mind, so that even as they split physically they would remain as one mentally. The motivations of the clairvoyants range from lust for power to pining for the homeland. Some of the clairvoyants urge their drones and warriors to the surface world to conquer the Dragon Between and perhaps learn the magical secrets that changed them. Others harass the Daelkyr and the fiends deep in Khyber. One clairvoyant has found that warriors born of the Umbragen and their purer form of shadow are particularly potent.

Etherclaw Clairvoyant Tactics A clairvoyant's aim is to bring its foes as close to it as possible, to weaken their defenses under the power of the hive mind, without them being able to attack. To achieve this, it uses hostile jaunt to teleport its enemies next to it, then targets the more dangerous at close range with fate link and visions of doom. If a clairvoyant finds itself in an disadvantageous position, it uses hostile jaunt to teleport adjacent enemies out of reach before moving.

Etherclaw Lore A character knows the following information with a successful Arcana check. DC 20: Etherclaws are a twisted, psionic race which spreads its curse through the bite of their drones. DC 25: There are three casts of etherclaw: the drones who are little more than curse carriers; the warriors born of the ether curse, psionically powerful and able to steal the strength of their foes; and the clairvoyants, their elusive leaders. DC 30: Etherclaw clairvoyants hold power over destiny and the future, and can even show an enemy a glimpse of their death. It is said the clairvoyants hatched from the eggs of a cursed formian queen, twisted by an expedition into Khyber's Shadowfell. The drones, too, are changed formian workers.

Encounter Groups

Etherclaws never work with other creatures, instead they kill and transform all them come across, expanding their colony throughout Khyber's dark tunnels.

Level 14 Encounter (XP 5,000)

3 etherclaw warriors (level 14 brute)

8 etherclaw drones (level 14 minion)

Level 18 Encounter (XP 10,000)

1 etherclaw clairvoyant (level 17 solo controller)

2 etherclaw warriors (level 14 brute)

Level 19 Encounter (XP 12,000)

1 etherclaw clairvoyant (level 17 solo controller)

2 etherclaw warriors (level 14 brute)

8 etherclaw drones (level 14 minion)

[dailycharacteroption]

Races Among the Stars 6: Formian

Longtime competitors with the lashunta, today we are looking at a people that were once in the bestiary of Pathfinder, but now have a playable option!

Formians are a species of ant-like people with potent psychic abilities, which actually have their gaming origins in the earliest days of D&D. Back then, they were outsiders and denizens of the lawful neutral (bordering good) plane of Arcadia, where they acted communally but still gave their citizens free will. (this varied somewhat between editions, of course, with 3.x reframing them as being willing to enslave other species with psychic domination to supplement their workforce.

In any case, the formians of Pathfinder and Starfinder have a new look and are now entirely mortal.

In the distant past of Pathfinder, individual colonies warred with each other and with the lashunta. However, in the far future of Starfinder, formians on Castrovel, and indeed the wider galaxy, have mostly united under a single unified front, and even quelled their rivalry with the lashunta thanks to the intervention of shirren diplomats who were able to convince the formians that constant wars for expansion were untenable and did not serve the greater good of the hive.

And it is indeed the greater good that most formians strive for, each member serving the whole unquestioningly much like the ants they resemble. However, rather than being slaves to their own social structure, the formians look after their own, seeing to their medical care, happiness, and well-being, even if that well-being brings them to leave the hive.

As we will elaborate on further, the formians are interesting in that they clearly are working off deep-ingrained and useful instincts, but also benefit from the creativity and capacity to try new lines of thinking that can only come from true sapience. Ironically, they are perhaps even more capable of changing their ways than species and cultures with more individualistic denizens. If a new line of making makes sense and disproves the old one, they pursue it with uncanny uniformity.

 While they are sometimes described as being “ant-centaurs”, that descriptor doesn’t quite do them justice. Certainly they have a similar body plan, what with having four legs and two arms, but the long, slender formian legs are placed tighter together along with an abdomen that mostly hangs under the thorax, making this insectile species much more vertically aligned than one would expect from anything described as centaur-like.

They also don’t quite have the same facial profile as one would expect from an ant, having two forward-facing compound eyes as well as a trio of simpler eyes on the forehead. What’s more, their mandibles are more concealed than that of an ant. Workers also sport large storage glands on their backs, while warriors and greater castes sport a more spikey, armored carapace, all the way up to their queens, who sport powerful armored abdomens and sometimes even vestigial wings from their youth. Many formians decorate their carapaces with complex etched designs of various meanings as well.

 As mentioned previously, the formians live in an ordered society where each caste member fulfills their role, willing to sacrifice everything to ensure the survival and prosperity of their people. However, they are also a people that treats these individuals are an important part of the whole, allowing for freedom of expression (though preferably in a productive way), and even exiting the collective, such as hearing “the call”, an imperative to leave their colony to seek new meaning. Some use this to establish new colonies, while others seek new wonders for the hive, and so on.

Others don’t feel a call, but instead find no instinct to serve the hive as others do. In the past, such individuals were treated as mentally ill or defective, but thanks to the efforts of shirren allies, these deviants are treated with greater respect and given the opportunity to adapt to individualistic life elsewhere.

 The playable formian stats, which can represent a worker, warrior, or other formian caste without special innate powers, are strong and tough, but are often lacking in insight, preferring to leave that to their leaders or those they look up to for guidance.

Adapted to tunnel life, they have both excellent nightvision and a keen sense of smell.

They also exhibit limited telepathy much like their lashunta neighbors.

While not quite as strong as their ancient past, formians sport strong jaws and claws which they can use in a pinch.

The composition of their carapace also makes them resistant to extreme sonic frequencies as well.

 Some formians, however, are alates, reproductively viable individuals that will become queens or their consorts. These individuals lack the strong natural weapons or the resilient carapace of their kin, but sport functional wings!

 With their strength and toughness, formians are well-suited to combat classes like soldier, solarian, nanocyte, and vanguard. However, they can also be strong operatives that can weather harsh outdoor conditions. Their lack of insight but no penalty to intellect means they probably favor studious biohackers, while they probably favor either exocortex mechanics or a drone or other alternate device that suits the role they with to play. Evolutionist could be interesting for one seeking to use their own bodies to find a way to improve all formians, or perhaps rare individualists seeking a personal path to perfection. While some tread the path of a spellcaster, they find some difficulty with the magus class, though those that do stand tall among the precogs, technomancers, and witchwarpers among them.

 That about does it for today, but I hope you can see that the formians, despite the seeming conformity and focus on the bigger picture, are much more than mindless, hive-minded automatons serving tyrannical queens.

[keptin-indy]

Dresden Files: Salem 6

This was a big infodump session, but there is a link to the speech Baz gives.  You need to read it in a thick Boston accent to truly experience it.

Father Macklepenny and company made it to the church unmolested and put his dangerous burden in a lockbox whose key he then broke and threw away before calling the emergency Vatican number to request a demon specialist.  With the coin as safe as it could reasonably be, the group exchanged phone numbers with the priest and left.  Baz mentioned that they were all invited to his family’s “supernatural orphan Thanksgiving” (*actual orphan status not required).  Evelyn came home from a work conference to find several calls from the police asking for her help with a group of traumatized people from a building that smelled strangely like fire despite not being at all burned and about 50 voicemails from Adler for roughly the same reason.

The next day, Murchah got a call from the Father saying that the coin had been collected for safekeeping and the sigil had been identified as the demon Ankariel.  Murchah called the rest of the group, who set about trying to figure out if Ankariel was known to work with any other Denarians and to what ends.  Adler met with the most success with the private library of one of the Witches he knew.  The old tomes said that the Order was trying to bring about the apocalypse, or at the very least make the world miserable enough to count as one.  Ankariel’s particular flavor of this was magnifying people’s darker emotions and he tended to use the same methods each time.  Luckily, he wasn’t thought to be part of any power bloc within the Order or to have any regular associates and he tended to treat his hosts like meatsuits rather than partners, making him one of the less creative - and therefore dangerous - Denarians.  Pleased that that problem was entirely dealt with, the group turned toward preparing for Sunday’s announcement and beyond.  Murchah asked if the proposed advisor position came with a stipend so he could go about disentangling himself from his current mortal identity should the Formori come looking for him.  Baz told him that the Wardens were paid a decent salary, but that most of his was going toward putting his sister through college, so he would have to try to requisition funds from the White Council for any paid adjuncts.  Murchah put in his two weeks’ notice at the maritime institute where he worked anyway, just in case he needed to make a sudden getaway in the near future.  Baz called the temporary Council headquarters in London and was put through to one of the overworked clerical staff, who told him that they couldn’t pay a non-Warden a salary, but they could exert some influence in the mortal courts to get him the Rowlands’ inheritance.  Baz was shocked and wanted to know who the estate was supposed to be going to, but evidently, as Sylvia was Michael’s beneficiary and she had not thought to make a will so young, the closest living relative was only dubiously related and lived on the other side of the country.  Conflicted about his decision, Baz told the clerk to go ahead with it, but held off on telling his family until more solid word came that it was legally possible.

On Saturday, Baz got a call at home from a hoarse, unnatural-sounding voice saying to bring his companions to a certain park outside the town where they would receive information about the Formorians.  Baz assembled the others, who all treated it as an obvious trap.  Murchah was unsettled and said that he would be taking further steps to be circumspect, though he didn’t specify what and would only offer “there’s a reason he doesn’t climb mountains” which was received with much confusion.  When they got to the park, however, it became obvious that the Summer Court had invited them, as there were a remarkable number of suspiciously beautiful people paying court to a man with the head of an ass - the source of the strange-sounding voice on the phone.  Lord Cluracan was resigned but not happy with his new face, so Adler offered to give him voice training for unusual vocal chords and braided flowers into his mane.  Cluracan told the group that Lord Oberon had agreed to share what he knew about the Formori, and Adler made flower crowns for the rest of the group to make sure they’d be presentable for fairy nobility (Murchah refused his, so Baz got two, though there was tragically not enough time to braid any into his beard).  A Sidhe courtier led the group to the top of a hill and then past it, up into the illogic of the NeverNever.  They found themselves in a splendid orchard where the fruiting trees grew into the shapes of furniture for the court’s use.  The most impressive tree had grown into a magnificent throne and was occupied by a tall, ethereal man with long white hair and a crown of living flowers.  Lord Oberon greeted them graciously and exchanged pleasantries before getting down to the meat of the matter: In ancient days, the Formorians had been another type of fae, more or less a third Court, but with no interest in maintaining the balance of power.  They had sought to take everything for themselves and the Summer and Winter Courts both had banded together to defeat them and lock them away.  Adler asked if they would make another alliance like that if the Formorians broke out, but Oberon told him forebodingly that he would have to ask the Faerie Queens.  Baz asked about the prisons and Oberon told them that the Queens had built them with their magic and will, but they had never been meant to last forever, for it would be a shame to end the “game” entirely.  Those who had already broken free were likely collecting supernatural assets like they had the cultists, though none of the “kings”, of which there were several, had yet escaped, merely “lords” or “champions”.  Adler asked if they shared the Sidhe’s weakness, and Oberon confirmed that they too feared the Bane (iron and derived metals).  About this time, Eunice manifested with her usual restraint and tact and demanded to know if Evelyn had gotten herself “abducted by hippies again”.  The group tried (probably unsuccessfully) to apologize for their ghost and to get things back on topic by asking about the jails’ breakdown and any methods to shore them up.  Oberon told them that they could add more guardians, but the fact that the Formians were able to reach out with their minds at all meant that soon the time would come for glorious battle to imprison them once again.  The sidhe didn’t seem to have bothered with anything like tactics the last time and they were eager to prove themselves in honourable combat against their old foes once more, though the ultimate decisions would of course be up to the Queens (Eunice asked exactly what kind of “fairy queens” he meant, provoking Baz to a rare reprimand).  When questioned about the cultists, the Sidhe said that their mental enslavement could be lifted in the usual ways up until they showed any physical changes, as that was a sign that they had given in to the Formorians’ will and pledged their souls, however unwillingly.  Oberon mentioned that the armies of the fae had included mortals in the previous war and Baz asked if they had left any writings they could consult, but Oberon told him dismissively that the Summer Court saw little use in libraries when there was so much life to be lived.  Baz tried to sell him on the idea of romance novels with Eunice’s expert help.  They also asked for a letter of introduction from him in the event that they really did have to talk to the Queens and Oberon agreed, but said that it might not win them any favour.  According to him, the Queens were “jealous” of his title as lord of the Sidhe.  Oberon waved his hand and the rinds of the melon he had eaten turned into two letters, one sealed with gold and the other with silver.  If they wanted a guaranteed way to reach the Queens, however, he would want something in return.  Baz said it hopefully wouldn’t even be necessary, but that they could negotiate if the time ever came.  The group took their leave and Cluracan’s courtier led them back into the real world.

With Lord Oberon’s information, the Evelyn and Baz decided to start work on a divination and alarm spell that would alert them when Bres reached out to anyone in the city.  They had little time before the Sunday night meeting, so the planning session with ideas for the spell’s design and what sympathetic object would have the most thaumaturgical resonance had to be cut short after some truly outrageous suggestions from the others.  Representatives from all of the factions were at Hamilton Hall and the relatively low-powered Witches looked nervous about their fate should a more predatory faction take control of the city.  Fitzpatrick gave the floor to Baz, his two enormous and intimidating dogs, and his small group of human-shaped advisors.  The Warden gave a painstakingly-prepared speech off of notecards where he very carefully did not claim to be in charge of the city, merely continuing his mentor’s work of keeping them all safe.  He also introduced his advisors in a semi-official capacity, and briefed the audience on the recent threat of the Denarian and the ongoing threat of the Formori.  The Summer Court was enthusiastic in their applause, giving him a standing ovation because they didn’t have to run Boston after all.  The rest of the crowd was more subdued, but relieved that the status quo was apparently in good hands.  Only the White Court was somewhat frosty in their (still polite) reception, once more relegated to minor players in supernatural Boston.  Daniyah approached Baz afterwards as he held an awkward meet and greet with people he already knew.  She asked for clarification about the size and capabilities of the leftover shadow spirits, then said that her owl-spirits would be happy to take care of something the size of a squirrel any time they encountered one.  The Winter Court also wanted to have a word about working out the specifics of their arrangement to “be a scourge upon the wicked”.  They had already assembled a list of potential victims for Baz to look over.  Immediately after the meeting, Baz called the White Council to ask about supernatural lawyers so he wouldn’t have to rely upon the local vampires, but they referred him to the Venatori Umbrorum.  The Venatori said that they had someone Baz could run his own proposals by, but if he wanted serious legal services, they would require real payment, possibly of the magical kind.  

For now, the group got back to their ritual-building, finally settling on asking Bres’ jailers if they could take something from the dead cultists to center the spell around.  Everyone went down to the old shipwreck, mysteriously right where they had seen it before, despite its jaunt to the breaker island.  It began to glow as they got near, but no one wanted to venture inside in case the guardians decided to use them as “entertainment”.  After standing around awkwardly for a while, the fisherman who served as the boat’s pilot came out and said he was surprised to see them there.  The group explained their plan and asked if they could take anything from the cultists’ bodies.  Adler gruesomely suggested their bones, and the fisherman disappeared back inside the boat and came out a while later with a freshly-severed, bloated foot.  Baz accepted this with guilt and disgust and Eunice asked if there was anything they could bring the fisherman, since he always seemed so down.  He replied that books didn’t exactly keep well underwater and anything they could give him would only remind him of the life on the surface he’d lost.  On that cheerful note, the group departed to start work on the alarm spell.  Everyone was put to work, mage or not, and after a long night of plotting ley lines and laying the framework out just so, they were left with a series of sensitive bone pendulums over a map of the Massachusetts coastline that would pinpoint any mental incursions from the Formori.

[theravenousgm]

The Characters: A summary pt 2

Alright let’s keep it going.

Next up we have the shy but reliable Rassdun, Elvish Cleric. Rassdun is accompanied by the knowledgeable falcon Aya. A hermit still adapting to the chaos of civilization, Rassdun is cautious and awkward.

Weapon of choice: Playing the pan flute at inappropriate times. (Jk its his giant longbow)

Worships: Erastil- “Old Deadeye”

Last but not least, the one character bio we don’t have yet, Casey.  An android monk with a mysterious past that lead her to fuse her consciousness with a human girl, Casey is curious, innocent, and always bubbly. She isn’t good with social cues but is very intelligent and able to learn new things quickly, and her awkwardness endears her to her friends, even if her curiosity can get the party into trouble at times.  

Weapon of choice: Hand to hand combat (kirin style), and a recently acquired enchanted staff from a Formian queen.

Worships: Nobody! She’s still trying to figure out how the divine stuff “works”

And thats it!! Our 5th player (Alphonse) hasn’t been able to attend any of the recent sessions thanks to a heavy school/workload. 

[eyeofhorusmpls]

Harrow of the Week: The Queen Mother

Harrow of the Week: The Queen Mother

All hail the Queen. 

The Harrow deck has more than its share of striking images, and few are more striking than this week’s card, The Queen Mother. The Queen herself is a formian, a race of intelligent, anthropomorphic ants. She wears a crown, and a royal robe, and she sits upon plush cushions. In one pair of pincers, she holds a bunch of grapes. She is worshipfully attended to by a trip of…

[dailycharacteroption]

Silksworn (Occultist Archetype)

 The occultist class hinges on the notion of psychic impressions and potential being found in objects, and for the most part, those impressions are fueled by the object’s history. However, not all are content with something as esoteric as the part.

Indeed, some occultists instead focus on the make of objects, drawing upon the mystical significance of the most expensive materials. Thus are the silksworn a valid course of development.

As their name suggests, these mystics adorn themselves with expensive clothing and jewelry to infuse themselves with magical might, which, by necessity, means they either come from the upper classes, or seek to join them.

An occultist that is powered by fancy clothes may seem silly, but there is no denying the sheer mystical power they wield, not to mention gravitas on the social battlefield.

 Despite the occult nature of the class, these mystics actually utilize arcane magic with their spells, which may hint at the differences in what is valuable to each type of casting. This does mean that their spells require the classic verbal and somatic components, rather than thought and emotion.

Furthermore, rather than having individual implements, the occultist must adorn specific parts of their body in valuable and/or magical decorations in order to be able to cast their spells and invoke their various focused magics.

In addition to their great cunning, these mages also add their force of personality to the pool of energy they draw upon when infusing their jewelry and fancy clothing with power.

While not as skilled with strength of arms and armor like other occultists, the silksworn gain access to many more schools of magic, as well as a greater pool of energy to cast spells with, making them versatile spellcasters.

As one might imagine, they use the magic channeling through their opulent garb to bolster their social skills and confidence, the more they wear, the better.

Their extravagant clothing also helps conceal the gestures and words of their spells, making all but the most obvious spells hard to pin on them.

Additionally, while they can get by with expensive but nonmagical clothing, a silksworn can use magical articles and adornments to bolster the magic associated with that area of the body, making them harder to resist.

True to their mastery of more magics, silksworn that master the secrets of their vocation master not one but two different implement schools, becoming even more powerful in regards to those schools.

If the melee and magic circle aspect of occultists bores you, and you just want to play a mage with neat school-related powers and the charisma to deal with social situations, this archetype is probably right up you alley. Increased spell slots and spells known are your friend here, as is getting yourself a nice set of magic items in all your appropriate item slots. Beyond that, explore what this means for your build with the entirety of the occultist spell list.

 Both extremely magical and extremely fashionable, the appearance of a silksworn is their life. As such, whether they are dilettante nobles or courtiers, or are court mages, they rarely go unnoticed. Conversely, they may also become extremely vulnerable if robbed or forced into destitution.

  In the Croaking Courts, grippli discuss matters of rulership over the jungle below the treetop palace. The king’s advisor is a vibrant young man dressed in an outfit of the most bright and colorful feathers from the rainforest’s depths, which shimmers and shifts whenever he casts his magic.

 The entire point of a masquerade party is anonymity, where anyone could be anyone, escaping from the clout and grandeur of one’s own life in favor of a temporary façade. However, one man at the party seems to have an irresistible pull on his fellow guests, one that may not be so innocent.

 A strange visitor has come to the court of Queen Halsennia. The formian taskmaster known as Gildshell has come bearing gifts and treaties for trade routes along with his jewelry-adorned carapace. Some suspect the insectile visitor of trickery, but every spymaster finds their efforts stymied by the ant-folk’s magic.