The Insectoids! (Dragon #32)

The insectoids owe their creation to the mad druid-turned wizard Geltar Telomax, who was obsessed with combining humanoids and insects. By mating giant vermin with evil races through magic, he was able to create five new species. These experiments only succeeded when merging kobolds, goblins, and orcs with giant ants, scorpions, and wasps; all other attempted crossbreeds either died soon after birth, or were infertile. These varied races do breed true now, but cannot interbreed.

The insectoid races are: Scorpiorc, Koasp, Antold, Woblin, and Skag. They should all be coming up sometime this week... Enjoy!

INSECTOID, SCORPIORC
Medium-Size Monstrous Humanoid
Hit Dice: 2d8+4 (13 hp)
Initiative: +0 (Dex)
Speed: 40 ft
AC: 16 (+6 natural), touch 10, flat-footed 16
Attacks: 2 claws +4 melee, longsword -1 melee
Damage: Claw 1d6+2, longsword 1d8+1
Face/Reach: 5 ft by 5 ft/ 5ft
Special Attacks: Sneak attack
Special Qualities: All-around vision
Saves: Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +1
Abilities: Str 15, Dex 10, Con 14, Int 7, Wis 6, Cha 6
Skills: Climb +6, Listen +8, Move Silently +10, Spot +8
Feats: Alertness

Climate/Terrain: Any land and underground
Organization: Solitary or colony (2-12)
Challenge Rating: 1
Treasure: 50% standard
Alignment: Often neutral evil
Advancement: By character class

A scorpiorc is a hideous crossbreed of orcs and giant scorpions. These insectoids have a scorpion-like lower body, and the upper body of an orc, and stand 5-6 feet in total height. The lower body has four legs, and two pincer claws. It has two middle appendages, similar to arms, which can be used for movement or for grasping objects or weapons. These claw-arms also allow the monster to climb and help it run faster.
The scorpiorc’s head looks like that of an orc, except that its eyes protrude from two eyestalks, and rotate independently. Scorpiorcs are afraid of flame, and never carry anything that produces fire. They typically make their lairs in caves, or simple structures that they build themselves. Scorpiorcs usually attack other insectoids on sight, except for skags whom they fear.
The insectoids owe their creation to a mad druid-turned wizard who was obsessed with combining humanoids and insects. By mating giant vermin with evil races through magic, he was able to create five new species. These experiments only succeeded when merging kobolds, goblins, and orcs with giant ants, scorpions, and wasps; all other attempted crossbreeds either died soon after birth, or were infertile. These varied races do breed true now, but cannot interbreed.
Scorpiorcs speak Common and their own broken form of Orc.

COMBAT
Scorpiorcs are capable of wielding only simple or martial melee weapons that can be wielded one-handed. The claw-arms are not dexterous enough to handle two-handed weapons or any sort of ranged weapon, though they do allow the scorpiorc to use a shield. They never wear armor, or any type of clothing, but may carry packs or other items strapped to them.
Sneak Attack (Ex): A scorpiorc may make a sneak attack, like a rogue. When a scorpiorc makes a successful sneak attack, it deals the same amount of extra damage as a rogue with the same number of Hit Dice and levels that the scorpiorc currently has. If the scorpiorc has levels as a rogue, then it adds its regular bonus onto this base amount.
All-Around Vision (Ex): The scorpiorcs’ rotating eyes allow them to see in every direction. These eyes provide them with a +4 racial bonus to Spot and Search checks, and they can’t be flanked.
Skills: Scorpiorcs receive a +6 racial bonus to Move Silently checks.

SCORPIORC CHARACTERS
A scorpiorc’s favored class is barbarian, and scorpiorc leaders tend to be barbarians. Scorpiorc clerics can choose any two of the following domains: Chaos, Evil, Strength, and War. Most scorpiorc spellcasters, however, are adepts (see page 37 in the Dungeon Master’s Guide). Scorpiorc adepts favor spells that deal damage.

The scorpiorc first appeared in Dragon 32 (“Leomund’s Tiny Hut”, Len Lakofka, 1980?).

WOOHOO! Yes, finally & much thanks!

*Sigh****I'm not only a geek, but a bug geek.

you're welcome.

do you think i converted this fairly? if not, suggest a better way please: "They can move silently as a medium-level thief (70%) and can strike from behind for double damage if they surprise."

From another bug geek I must say it is rather nice and I am even tempted to use them in the campaign I am working on. (Contrary of not having a group to inflict it upon)

Edit/PS: I forgot to say, I would have considered (minding that I have yet to see the original) vermin immunities.

i thought about that, but i'm not sure if i want to go with it. the vermin qualities, after all, assume that the creature is essentially mindless.

INSECTOID, KOASP
Small Monstrous Humanoid
Hit Dice: 1d8+ (4 hp)
Initiative: +2 (Dex)
Speed: 20 ft, fly 40 ft (good)
AC: 14 (+1 size, +2 Dex, +1 natural), touch 13, flat-footed 12
Attacks: Short sword +1 melee; or light crossbow +3 ranged
Damage: Short sword 1d6; light crossbow 1d8
Face/Reach: 5 ft by 5 ft/ 5ft
Saves: Fort +0, Ref +4, Will +3
Abilities: Str 11, Dex 14, Con 11, Int 9, Wis 12, Cha 9
Skills: Hide +6, Intuit Direction +5, Listen +6, Move Silently +6, Spot +9
Feats: Alertness

Climate/Terrain: Any land and underground
Organization: Solitary or hive (2-20)
Challenge Rating: 1/2
Treasure: 50% standard
Alignment: Often lawful evil
Advancement: By character class

The koasp is a short humanoid creature that is the result of mixing kobolds with giant wasps. These insectoids range from 2 to 4 feet in height and are always very thin. They look a lot like ordinary kobolds and are often confused for them at a distance, though they wear no clothing of any sort and have a set of folding insect wings. These wings are not very strong, and kobolds cannot remain in the air for more than half an hour at a time. Their eyes are larger and segmented like an insect’s.
A koasp hive is a large structure of 2 to 4 levels, with a central passageway for vertical movement. They sometimes lair in caves, but do not like to be enclosed in these places and remain near the opening. Their society demands that koasps live in groups to help them cooperate and defend the females, which are very rare.
The insectoids owe their creation to a mad druid-turned-wizard who was obsessed with combining humanoids and insects. By mating giant vermin with evil races through magic, he was able to create five new species. These experiments only succeeded when merging kobolds, goblins, and orcs with giant ants, scorpions, and wasps; all other attempted crossbreeds either died soon after birth, or were infertile. These varied races do breed true now, but cannot interbreed.
Koasps can speak Common, and some have managed to learn Draconic.

COMBAT
Koasps are stronger and more intelligent than kobolds, as their fighting techniques show. Though they cannot fly for long, they do try to keep to the air during combat with grounded creatures and attack with crossbows.
Skills: Due to their multifaceted eyes, koasps receive a +4 bonus to Search and Spot checks.

KOASP CHARACTERS
A koasp’s favored class is rogue, and koasp leaders tend to be rogues. Koasp clerics can choose any two of the following domains: Evil, Law, Luck, and Trickery. Most koasp spellcasters, however, are adepts.

The koasp first appeared in Dragon 32 (“Leomund’s Tiny Hut”, Len Lakofka, 1980?).

INSECTOID, ANTOLD
Small Monstrous Humanoid
Hit Dice: 1d8+1 (5 hp)
Initiative: +0 (Dex)
Speed: 30 ft
AC: 14 (+1 size, +3 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 14
Attacks: Bite +3 melee, short sword -1 melee
Damage: Bite 1d4+2 and poison, short sword 1d6+1
Face/Reach: 5 ft by 5 ft/ 5ft
Special Attacks: Poison, spell-like abilities
Special Qualities: Detect thoughts
Saves: Fort +1, Ref +2, Will +2
Abilities: Str 14, Dex 10, Con 13, Int 8, Wis 10, Cha 9
Skills: Climb +6, Hide +4, Listen +4, Spot +4
Feats: Weapon Focus (short sword)

Climate/Terrain: Any land and underground
Organization: Solitary or colony (3-18)
Challenge Rating: 1
Treasure: 50% standard
Alignment: Usually neutral evil
Advancement: By character class

Antolds are essentially giant ants combined with kobolds. This insectoid moves along the ground by the use of four leg appendages. Near the front, it has two arm-like appendages that allow it to grasp and use small weapons. The creature’s head looks like a kobold’s, but with a set of sharp mandibles.
Antolds have a loose societal structure, more like kobolds than ants. They are independent thinkers, though all come to the defense of their lair. They dig their homes out of soft earth, making mounds much like that of ants. Females are common among the species, and they lay 2-8 eggs after mating.
The insectoids owe their creation to a mad druid-turned-wizard who was obsessed with combining humanoids and insects. By mating giant vermin with evil races through magic, he was able to create five new species. These experiments only succeeded when merging kobolds, goblins, and orcs with giant ants, scorpions, and wasps; all other attempted crossbreeds either died soon after birth, or were infertile. These varied races do breed true now, but cannot interbreed.
Antolds know Common, and the particularly intelligent ones know Draconic as well.

COMBAT
Antolds like to bite their opponents with their paralytic poison, and then follow up with an attack from a melee weapon. Only antolds with a Wisdom of 12 or higher are able to use spell-like abilities, and even then they may not possess all of those listed below. All antolds have the detect thoughts ability, though, and are thus nearly impossible to surprise.
Poison: Bite, Fortitude save (DC 11); initial damage 1d6 temporary Dexterity, secondary damage 1d4 temporary Dexterity. These effects are cumulative with successive bites, and the damage caused is multiplied by the Hit Dice of the antold.
Spell-Like Abilities: 1/day – message, mirror image, scare, shocking grasp, spider climb. These abilities are as the spells cast by a sorcerer with as many levels as the antold’s Hit Dice +2.
Detect Thoughts (Ex): Antolds have a limited form of telepathy, always active, that resembles the detect thoughts spell. The use of psionics near an antold increased the range of this ability to 40 feet.

ANTOLD CHARACTERS
An antold’s favored class is sorcerer, and antold leaders tend to be sorcerers or sorcerer/rogues. Antold clerics can choose any two of the following domains: Evil, Law, Luck, and Trickery. Most antold spellcasters, however, are adepts.

The antold first appeared in Dragon 32 (“Leomund’s Tiny Hut”, Len Lakofka, 1980?).

BOZ said:

Sneak Attack (Ex): A scorpiorc may make a sneak attack, like a rogue. When a scorpiorc makes a successful sneak attack, it deals the same amount of extra damage as a rogue with the same number of Hit Dice and levels that the scorpiorc currently has. If the scorpiorc has levels as a rogue, then it adds its regular bonus onto this base amount.

Click to expand...

Does that mean that a scorpiorc with, say, 3 levels of rogue (class-granted sneak attack +2d6), having a total of 5 HD (+3d6), will deal a total of 5d6 sneak attack damage ? Since they can progress only by character class, that's how I read it.

I would simply give them a set and fixed +2d6 sneak attack damage. Like meazels in MC: Monsters of Faerûn.

they look good