HellHound
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Lesser Hivemind
Lesser hiveminds are collections of creatures who operate together as a single entity in many ways, linked mentally to a central intellect composed either of a hive queen or a common intellect formed by the entire lesser hivemind. While a lesser hivemind does not actually share a single intellect across all its members, the individuals that comprise the lesser hivemind are able to share information, thoughts and experiences among themselves to a degree that makes it seem as if indeed they do have a fully-functional hive intellect.
The individual creatures within the hivemind seem little different from their non-hivemind kin, except when encountered in groups. Most hiveminds will tend to communicate with outsiders through a single member of the hivemind, typically the individual with the highest charisma or the most social skills. In truly uniform hiveminds, the hive is just as likely to continue to change which hive member does the communicating as it is to delegate a single element of the hive to communication duties. Regardless, communication with multiple members of a hivemind can be disconcerting as each member is quite likely to know the details of a conversation with the others.
The term ‘hivemind’ is a misnomer for these collected groupings of creatures, as many lesser hives do not have a ‘hive queen’, and therefore have no single overriding intelligence that controls the individual members. In these cases, the lesser hiveminds are actually akin to a collective intelligence, based around the flow of adaptive and functional information between the members of the group.
Sample Lesser Hivemind
This example uses dust mephits as the lesser hivemind members.
Dust Mephit Lesser Hiveminder
Small Outsider (Air, Extraplanar, Psionic)
Hit Dice: 3d8 (13 hp)
Initiative: +7
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares), fly 50 ft. (10 squares) (perfect)
Armor Class: 17 (+1 size, +3 Dex, +3 natural), touch 14, flat-footed 14 (+1 AC / 3 additional hiveminders present)
Base Attack / Grapple: +3 / -1
Attack: Claw +4 melee (1d3)
Full Attack: 2 claws +4 melee (1d3)
Space/Reach: 5 ft. / 5 ft.
Special Attacks: Breath weapon, spell-like abilities, summon mephit
Special Qualities: Damage reduction 5/magic, darkvision 60 ft., fast healing 2, psi-like abilities, perfect teamwork, borrow abilities
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +6, Will +4
Abilities: Str 10, Dex 17, Con 10, Int 8, Wis 13, Cha 15
Skills: Bluff +8, Escape Artist +9, Hide +13, Diplomacy +6, Disguise +4 (+6 acting), Intimidate +6, Listen +7, Move Silently +9, Spot +7, Use Rope +3 (+5 with bindings).
Feats: Dodge, Improved Initiative
Environment: Elemental Plane of Air
Organization: Collective (2-200) or Hive (2-200 + Hive Queen)
Challenge Rating: 4
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Usually Lawful Neutral
Advancement: 4-6 HD (Small); 7-9 HD (Medium)
Level Adjustment: +6
Hive Mephits are a dangerous phenomenon that spring into existence in some lawful nodes of the elemental plane of air, as well as some other environments where they may have moved. They are known to form huge ant-like colonies in some deserts, and a massive hive is said to exist at the Southern edge of the Duan’Khat jungle as it encroaches on the deserts to the South.
Combat
Dust mephits are no fools to begin with. Although not highly intelligent, they are fairly cunning. In a lesser hivemind, they will test the powers of a target or enemy before deciding how to handle them. They employ hit-and-run tactics to best take advantage of the delay required to recharge their breath weapons.
Breath Weapon (Su): A mephit can use its breath weapon once every 1d4 rounds as a standard action. The dust mephit’s breath weapon is a 10-foot cone of irritating particles, dealing 1d4 damage, Reflex DC 12 half. Living creatures that fail their saves are tormented by itching skin and burning eyes. This effect imposes a –4 penalty to AC and a –2 penalty on attack rolls for 3 rounds. The save DC is Constitution-based and includes a +1 racial bonus.
Spell-Like Abilities: Once per hour, a dust mephit can surround itself with a plume of dust, duplicating the effect of a blur spell (caster level 3rd). Once per day it can create a mass of roiling dust that duplicates the effect of wind wall (DC 15, caster level 6th). The save DC is Charisma-based.
Summon Mephit (Sp): Once per day, a dust mephit can attempt to summon another dust mephit, much as though casting a summon monster spell, but with only a 25% chance of success. Roll d%: On a failure, no creature answers the summons that day. A mephit that has just been summoned cannot use its own summon ability for 1 hour. This ability is the equivalent of a 2nd-level spell.
Fast Healing (Ex): Mephits heal 2 points of damage each round, provided they are still alive and in an arid, dusty environment.
Psi-like Abilities (Sp): at will: mind link, missive; 1 / day: mass missive. These powers can only be manifested upon other members of the hivemind.
Perfect Teamwork (Su): Lesser hiveminders can use the aid another action to grant a +4 bonus instead of the normal +2 bonus. If the aid another check results in a total of 20 or greater, the bonus is increased to +6.
Borrow Abilities (Su): As a standard action which provokes an attack of opportunity, a lesser hiveminder can ‘borrow’ a feat or Int-based skill from another lesser hiveminder with whom he has an established mind link. The ‘donor’ of the feat or skill must be willing, and the ‘borrower’ must make a successful Will save with a DC of 20 to succeed at the task (this can be attempted repeatedly, but the borrower cannot ‘take 10’ or ‘take 20’ on a Will save). The borrower gains the use of the feat or skill ranks for 1d4 minutes, and the donor does not lose access to this feat or skill during that time.
Creating a Lesser Hiveminder
“Lesser Hiveminder” is a template that can be added to any sentient creature.
A lesser hiveminder uses all of the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here.
Size and Type: The base creature’s size and type remain unchanged, unless the creature is an animal (in which case it becomes a magical beast [augmented animal]). It gains the psionic subtype.
Armor Class: Due to their sensory link, lesser hiveminders gain an insight bonus to their armor class equal to one-third of the number of additional lesser hiveminders who have the creature within line of sight. For ease of use, calculate this bonus for a group of lesser hiveminders at the beginning of an encounter, and only reduce it by 1 for every three lesser hiveminders slain or rendered hors-de-combat.
Special Qualities: a lesser hiveminder retains all the special qualities of the base creature and gains those described below:
Psi-like Abilities (Sp): at will: mind link, missive; 1 / day: mass missive. These powers can only be manifested upon other members of the hivemind.
Perfect Teamwork (Su): Lesser hiveminders can use the aid another action to grant a +4 bonus instead of the normal +2 bonus. If the aid another check results in a total of 20 or greater, the bonus is increased to +6.
Borrow Abilities (Su): As a standard action which provokes an attack of opportunity, a lesser hiveminder can ‘borrow’ a feat or Int-based skill from another lesser hiveminder with whom he has an established mind link. The ‘donor’ of the feat or skill must be willing, and the ‘borrower’ must make a successful Will save with a DC of 20 to succeed at the task (this can be attempted repeatedly, but the borrower cannot ‘take 10’ or ‘take 20’ on a Will save). The borrower gains the use of the feat or skill ranks for 1d4 minutes, and the donor does not lose access to this feat or skill during that time.
Abilities: Increase from the base creature as follows: +2 Intelligence, +2 Wisdom
Organization: Collective (2-200) or Hive (2-200 and 1 Hive Queen)
Challenge Rating: Same as the base creature +1.
Alignment: Usually lawful.
Advancement: Same as base creature.
Level Advancement: Same as the base creature +3.
Lesser hiveminds are collections of creatures who operate together as a single entity in many ways, linked mentally to a central intellect composed either of a hive queen or a common intellect formed by the entire lesser hivemind. While a lesser hivemind does not actually share a single intellect across all its members, the individuals that comprise the lesser hivemind are able to share information, thoughts and experiences among themselves to a degree that makes it seem as if indeed they do have a fully-functional hive intellect.
The individual creatures within the hivemind seem little different from their non-hivemind kin, except when encountered in groups. Most hiveminds will tend to communicate with outsiders through a single member of the hivemind, typically the individual with the highest charisma or the most social skills. In truly uniform hiveminds, the hive is just as likely to continue to change which hive member does the communicating as it is to delegate a single element of the hive to communication duties. Regardless, communication with multiple members of a hivemind can be disconcerting as each member is quite likely to know the details of a conversation with the others.
The term ‘hivemind’ is a misnomer for these collected groupings of creatures, as many lesser hives do not have a ‘hive queen’, and therefore have no single overriding intelligence that controls the individual members. In these cases, the lesser hiveminds are actually akin to a collective intelligence, based around the flow of adaptive and functional information between the members of the group.
Sample Lesser Hivemind
This example uses dust mephits as the lesser hivemind members.
Dust Mephit Lesser Hiveminder
Small Outsider (Air, Extraplanar, Psionic)
Hit Dice: 3d8 (13 hp)
Initiative: +7
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares), fly 50 ft. (10 squares) (perfect)
Armor Class: 17 (+1 size, +3 Dex, +3 natural), touch 14, flat-footed 14 (+1 AC / 3 additional hiveminders present)
Base Attack / Grapple: +3 / -1
Attack: Claw +4 melee (1d3)
Full Attack: 2 claws +4 melee (1d3)
Space/Reach: 5 ft. / 5 ft.
Special Attacks: Breath weapon, spell-like abilities, summon mephit
Special Qualities: Damage reduction 5/magic, darkvision 60 ft., fast healing 2, psi-like abilities, perfect teamwork, borrow abilities
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +6, Will +4
Abilities: Str 10, Dex 17, Con 10, Int 8, Wis 13, Cha 15
Skills: Bluff +8, Escape Artist +9, Hide +13, Diplomacy +6, Disguise +4 (+6 acting), Intimidate +6, Listen +7, Move Silently +9, Spot +7, Use Rope +3 (+5 with bindings).
Feats: Dodge, Improved Initiative
Environment: Elemental Plane of Air
Organization: Collective (2-200) or Hive (2-200 + Hive Queen)
Challenge Rating: 4
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Usually Lawful Neutral
Advancement: 4-6 HD (Small); 7-9 HD (Medium)
Level Adjustment: +6
Hive Mephits are a dangerous phenomenon that spring into existence in some lawful nodes of the elemental plane of air, as well as some other environments where they may have moved. They are known to form huge ant-like colonies in some deserts, and a massive hive is said to exist at the Southern edge of the Duan’Khat jungle as it encroaches on the deserts to the South.
Combat
Dust mephits are no fools to begin with. Although not highly intelligent, they are fairly cunning. In a lesser hivemind, they will test the powers of a target or enemy before deciding how to handle them. They employ hit-and-run tactics to best take advantage of the delay required to recharge their breath weapons.
Breath Weapon (Su): A mephit can use its breath weapon once every 1d4 rounds as a standard action. The dust mephit’s breath weapon is a 10-foot cone of irritating particles, dealing 1d4 damage, Reflex DC 12 half. Living creatures that fail their saves are tormented by itching skin and burning eyes. This effect imposes a –4 penalty to AC and a –2 penalty on attack rolls for 3 rounds. The save DC is Constitution-based and includes a +1 racial bonus.
Spell-Like Abilities: Once per hour, a dust mephit can surround itself with a plume of dust, duplicating the effect of a blur spell (caster level 3rd). Once per day it can create a mass of roiling dust that duplicates the effect of wind wall (DC 15, caster level 6th). The save DC is Charisma-based.
Summon Mephit (Sp): Once per day, a dust mephit can attempt to summon another dust mephit, much as though casting a summon monster spell, but with only a 25% chance of success. Roll d%: On a failure, no creature answers the summons that day. A mephit that has just been summoned cannot use its own summon ability for 1 hour. This ability is the equivalent of a 2nd-level spell.
Fast Healing (Ex): Mephits heal 2 points of damage each round, provided they are still alive and in an arid, dusty environment.
Psi-like Abilities (Sp): at will: mind link, missive; 1 / day: mass missive. These powers can only be manifested upon other members of the hivemind.
Perfect Teamwork (Su): Lesser hiveminders can use the aid another action to grant a +4 bonus instead of the normal +2 bonus. If the aid another check results in a total of 20 or greater, the bonus is increased to +6.
Borrow Abilities (Su): As a standard action which provokes an attack of opportunity, a lesser hiveminder can ‘borrow’ a feat or Int-based skill from another lesser hiveminder with whom he has an established mind link. The ‘donor’ of the feat or skill must be willing, and the ‘borrower’ must make a successful Will save with a DC of 20 to succeed at the task (this can be attempted repeatedly, but the borrower cannot ‘take 10’ or ‘take 20’ on a Will save). The borrower gains the use of the feat or skill ranks for 1d4 minutes, and the donor does not lose access to this feat or skill during that time.
Creating a Lesser Hiveminder
“Lesser Hiveminder” is a template that can be added to any sentient creature.
A lesser hiveminder uses all of the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here.
Size and Type: The base creature’s size and type remain unchanged, unless the creature is an animal (in which case it becomes a magical beast [augmented animal]). It gains the psionic subtype.
Armor Class: Due to their sensory link, lesser hiveminders gain an insight bonus to their armor class equal to one-third of the number of additional lesser hiveminders who have the creature within line of sight. For ease of use, calculate this bonus for a group of lesser hiveminders at the beginning of an encounter, and only reduce it by 1 for every three lesser hiveminders slain or rendered hors-de-combat.
Special Qualities: a lesser hiveminder retains all the special qualities of the base creature and gains those described below:
Psi-like Abilities (Sp): at will: mind link, missive; 1 / day: mass missive. These powers can only be manifested upon other members of the hivemind.
Perfect Teamwork (Su): Lesser hiveminders can use the aid another action to grant a +4 bonus instead of the normal +2 bonus. If the aid another check results in a total of 20 or greater, the bonus is increased to +6.
Borrow Abilities (Su): As a standard action which provokes an attack of opportunity, a lesser hiveminder can ‘borrow’ a feat or Int-based skill from another lesser hiveminder with whom he has an established mind link. The ‘donor’ of the feat or skill must be willing, and the ‘borrower’ must make a successful Will save with a DC of 20 to succeed at the task (this can be attempted repeatedly, but the borrower cannot ‘take 10’ or ‘take 20’ on a Will save). The borrower gains the use of the feat or skill ranks for 1d4 minutes, and the donor does not lose access to this feat or skill during that time.
Abilities: Increase from the base creature as follows: +2 Intelligence, +2 Wisdom
Organization: Collective (2-200) or Hive (2-200 and 1 Hive Queen)
Challenge Rating: Same as the base creature +1.
Alignment: Usually lawful.
Advancement: Same as base creature.
Level Advancement: Same as the base creature +3.
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