Formians
One of the monsters of the 3E I found interesting but barely got to use were the Formian. I guess since the Borg from Star Trek, I like Hive creatures.
My idea of the Formians for 4E is that they are continuosly expanding their territories. Different Hives sometimes fight each other, but they also often ally each other for a common goal. They are as orderly as ever.
For 4E, I introduce more variants of the typical Formian Warrior. I am assuming that a mix of arcane manipulation and selective feeding allows the same base creature to shape into very different creatures, ranging from a simple worker over an independently thinking Myrmach to a Formian Queen itself.

I'll start with the typical "battle army" monsters. (Time and allowed space forces me to limit my post a little bit)

Formian Drone Recruit – Level 16 Minion
Small Immortal Magical Beast (Formian)
Initiative +16, Perception +12
HP: 1 (a miss never deals damage to a minion)
Defenses: AC 32, Fort 29, Ref 31, Will 29
Speed: 6 squares, Burrow 2 squares
Attacks & Powers
Basic Melee: Bite (Standard, At-Will)
+20 vs AC; 9 damage

Retreat (Immediate Reaction, Encounter)
Trigger: An enemy attack misses the Drone.
Effect: The drone shifts 4 squares.

Cure Wounds (Standard, Encounter)
To use this power, at least 3 Formian Drone Recruits or regular Drone Workers have to be adjacent to a bloodied ally. The ally can spend one healing surge.

Hive Mind
Formians never grant combat advantage by being blinded, deafened or flanked, unless all of the Formians in the same encounter are under one of these effects.

Alignment: Unaligned
Skills: Endurance 20; Language: Supernal
Ability Scores: Str 15, Con21, Dex24; Int6, Wis21, Cha9


Formian Warrior – Level 16 Soldier
Medium Immortal Magical Beast (Formian)

Initiative +17, Perception +12
HP 157; Bloodied 78
Defenses: AC 32, Fort 30, Ref 28, Will 28
Speed: 8 Squares, Burrow 2

Attacks & Powers
Basic Melee – Claw (Standard, At-Will)
+23 vs AC; 2d8+7 damage and the target is marked until the Formians next turn.

Sting (Standard, Recharge 5 6)
+21 vs Fortitude; 3d10+7 poison; Ongoing poison 5 (save ends). If the first save fails, the target is also dazed (save ends both).

Zeal (Standard, Recharge 6 or when bloodied)
The Formian Warrior may make a Claw and a Sting attack.

Combat Superiority
Formian Warriors gain a +5 bonus to opportunity attacks.

Hive Defense (Immediate Interrupt, Encounter)
Trigger: An enemy attacks an ally adjacent to this Formian. The attack is resolved against this Formian Warrior.

Hive Coordination
For each Formian adjacent to the target, the Formian gains a +1 bonsu to his melee attack roll.

Hive Mind
Formians never grant combat advantage by being blinded, deafened or flanked, unless all of the Formians in the same encounter are under one of these effects.

Alignment: Unaligned
Skills: Athletics +20, Endurance +18, Stealth +18; Languages: Supernal
Ability Scores: Str24, Con21, Dex21, Int16, Wis21, Cha10



Formian Scout – Level 14 Lurker
Medium Immortal Magical Beast (Formian)
Initiative +16; Perception: +17
HP: 118; Bloodied: 59
Defenses: AC 29, Fort 26, Ref 27, Will 26
Speed: 8 squares, burrow 4 squares
Attacks & Powers:

Basic Melee: Claw (Standard, At-Will)
+19 vs AC; 2d8+6 damage

Melee: Poison Sting (Standard, At-Will)
+19 vs AC; 2d8+6 damage and Followup: +17 vs Fortitude: Ongoing Poison 5 (save ends). If the first save fails, the target is dazed in addition (save ends both).

Melee: Erupt from Earth (Standard, Recharge 5 6)
The Formian scout must b burrowed to use this ability. Before the attack, he may shift at his burrow speed.
+19 vs AC; 3d6+6 damage, and the target is knocked prone.

Burrow Escape (Immediate Reaction, Encounter)
Trigger: An attack bloodies the Formian Scout.
The Formian Scout shifts at this burrow speed into the ground.

Hive Coordination
For each Formian adjacent to the target, the Formian gains a +1 bonsu to his melee attack roll.

Hive Mind
Formians never grant combat advantage by being blinded, deafened or flanked, unless all of the Formians in the same encounter are under one of these effects.

Alignment: Unaligned
Skills: Athleics +15, Acrobatics +17, Perception +17, Stealth +17
Ability Scores: Str17, Con20, Dex21, Int14, Wis20, Cha11




Formian Poison Hurler – Level 14 Artillery
Large Immortal Magical Beast (Formian)
Initiative +16, Perception +17
HP: 118; Bloodied 59
Defenses: Ac 27, Fort 26, Ref 27
Speed: 6 squares, Burrow 2

Basic Melee: Claws (Standard, At-Will)
+21 vs AC; 1d10+6 damage

Basic Ranged – Sting Hurl (Standard, At-Will)
Ranged 20/10: +19 vs Reflex; 1d10+6 acid and ongoing acid 5 (save ends)

Hurl Poison (Standard, Recharge 5 6)
Ranged 10: +19 vs Reflex; 2d6+6 acid and poison; Follow-Up: +19 vs Fortitude: Ongoing Poison 10. If the first save fails, the target is also dazed (save ends both).

Spray Corrosive (Standard, Encounter)
Close Blast 3: +19 vs Reflex: 3d10+6 damage and ongoing acid 5 (save ends). Miss: Half damage and no ongoing damage.

Hive Coordination
For each Formian adjacent to a target, the Formian gains a +1 bonus to his melee attack roll.

Hive Mind
Formians never grant combat advantage by being blinded, deafened or flanked, unless all of the Formians in the same encounter are under one of these effects.

Alignment: Unaligned
Skills: Perception +17, Stealth +17; Languages: Supernal

Ability Scores: Str17, Con20, Dex21, Int14, Wis20, Cha11


Formian Battlewing – Level 14 Skirmisher
Medium Immortal Magical Beast (Formian)

The Formian Battlewing is a rare Formian variant. Not all Hive Queens have the ability to spin off Battlewings, as they are a recent result of the Formian experimentations.
His greatest weakness is his frail body, more importantly his frail wings.

Initiative +17; Perception +17
HP: 140; Bloodied 70 (see Fragile Wings)
Defenses: AC 29, Fort 26, Ref 27, Will 26
Speed: 8 squares, Fly 8 squares (Hover)

Attacks & Powers:
Basic Melee – Claw (Standard, At-Wil)
+19 vs AC; 2d8+6 damage

Dive Attack (Standard, At-Will)
While flying, the Formian may make a charge attack and move half his flight speed after the attack is completed.

Sudden Retreat (Immediate Reaction, Encounter)
If an enemy misses the Formian, he can immediately shift 4 squares.

Fragile Wings
A Formian Battlewing that is bloodied loses its fly speed and – if still midair – crashes.

Hive Coordination
For each Formian adjacent to a target, the Formian gains a +1 bonus to his melee attack roll.

Hive Mind
Formians never grant combat advantage by being blinded, deafened or flanked, unless all of the Formians in the same encounter are under one of these effects.

Alignment: Unaligned
Skills: Endurance +13, Perception +17, Stealth +18; Languages: Supernal
Ability Scores: Str20, Con12, Int14, Wis20, Cha11


Next to Come: The Formian Myrmach, Taskmaster, Warmaster, the Queen and the regular (non-Minion lower level) Drone.

Mustrum_Ridcully

Another post on a conversion from the Diamond Throne to 4E. Here is a selection of Giants (Hu-Charad - the Diamond Throne variant of Giants) using NPC/monster creation rules of the DMG.
If you want to use them in a non-AE campaign, you might want to change their type from Natural Humanoid to Elemental Humanoid. Elemental subtypes are probably mostly Earth, and sometimes Water (though none of the write-ups in this post fit that - but I plan on creating the "sailor" Giants, too)


Giant Guard – Natural Humanoid
Level 5 Soldier
This presents a run-of-the-mill Diamond Throne Giant Guard. It could also be used as a Mercenary.


Giant Commissar – Large Natural Humanoid
Level 11 Soldier (Leader)
The Giant Commissar is not something found in the regular Diamond Throne campaign, but in the one I ran for my group. (So here I am, forcing my campaign flavor on you.) One of the players came up with the idea of playing a Giant that was working as a Commissar of the Diamond Throne. The idea was that a Commissar is a representative of the Giants government. He did get a few silver pieces each month, and it was not per se a full-time job. The tasks of a Commissar is to investigate crimes, cult activities, oddities or anything else that a local Guard or Patrol might not be able to cover. The guards are compelled to aid the Giant, but generally, he fends for himself. I went with the concept, using it often as a plot hook to advance the story.

Even non-Giants can be Commissars, but they are rarer. A typical encounter with a Giant Commissar should probably have him being assisted by some kind of adventurers (often Sibeccai, Faen and Humans), and less often by a city patrol or members of a military patrol.


Giant Warmain – Natural Humanoid
Level 13 Brute
The Giant Warmain is a brutish warrior, focusing on offense. This seems to fit the concept of the Warmain class in Arcana Evolved best – Warmains might have carried heavy armor, but tricks to deal more damage were also a strong part.


Giant Green Bond – Large Natural Humanoid
Level 14 Controller (Leader)
Partially, this special monster is also a result of my Diamond Throne campaign – the aforementioned Giant Commissar was a Greenbond / Champion of Life, and this makes me associate Giants and Greenbonds.
I envision the Green Bond as a leader with a few controller-like abilities. I am considering using “Green” as a power source, though at the moment, there is only one class that would fit this power source. If it doesn't work out, I'd probably go back to “Divine” as power source.

Mustrum_Ridcully