Aspis

[BOZ]

ok, due to much popular demand (why, i don't know, heheh), i've started converting these weird insect dudes.

here are the basic stats as i have them so far. please feel free to comment, so that this will go easier for me.


ASPIS, DRONE
Medium-Size Monstrous Humanoid?
Hit Dice: 6d8+6 (33 hp)
Initiative: +2 (Dex)
Speed: 40 ft
AC: 19 (+2 Dex, +5 natural, +2 shields), touch 12, flat-footed 17
Attacks: 2 short swords +5 melee; or 2 claws +5 melee; or 2 javelins +6 ranged
Damage: Short sword 1d6+1; claw 1d4+1; javelin +1d6+1
Face/Reach: 5 ft by 5 ft/ 5ft
Special Attacks: ?
Special Qualities: Scent, immune to cold and electricity, fire resistance 20, darkvision 60 ft
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +7, Will +6
Abilities: Str 13, Dex 15, Con 13, Int 12, Wis 12, Cha 7
Skills: X
Feats: X

Climate/Terrain: Any underground
Organization: Gang (1-6 drones) or hive (2-20 drones, 6-60 larvae, and 1 cow plus 1-10 giant ants)
Challenge Rating:
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 7-12 HD (Medium-Size)

ASPIS, LARVA
Tiny Vermin?
Hit Dice: 2d8+2 (11 hp)
Initiative: +2 (Dex)
Speed: 1 ft, swim 15 ft
AC: 14 (+2 size, +2 Dex), touch 12, flat-footed 12
Attacks: Bite +4 melee
Damage: Bite 1d6+1
Face/Reach: 5 ft by 5 ft/ 5ft
Special Attacks: Stench
Special Qualities: Scent, tremorsense, immune to cold and electricity, fire resistance 20, blindsight
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +2, Will -1
Abilities: Str 12, Dex 15, Con 12, Int ---, Wis 8, Cha 7
Skills: X
Feats: X

Climate/Terrain: Any underground
Organization: Gang (1-6 drones) or hive (2-20 drones, 6-60 larvae, and 1 cow plus 1-10 giant ants)
Challenge Rating:
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 3-4 HD (Tiny); 5-6 HD (Small)

ASPIS, COW
Large Aberration
Hit Dice: 10d8+50 (95 hp)
Initiative: -5 (Dex)
Speed: 10 ft
AC: 13 (-1 size, -5 Dex, +9 natural), touch 4, flat-footed 13
Attacks: Bite +10 melee
Damage: Bite 2d6+6
Face/Reach: 5 ft by 15 ft/ 5ft
Special Attacks: Acid
Special Qualities: Scent, immune to cold and electricity, fire resistance 20, blindsight
Saves: Fort +8, Ref -2, Will +8
Abilities: Str 18, Dex 1, Con 20, Int 6, Wis 13, Cha 11
Skills: X
Feats: X

Climate/Terrain: Any underground
Organization: Gang (1-6 drones) or hive (2-20 drones, 6-60 larvae, and 1 cow plus 1-10 giant ants)
Challenge Rating:
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 11-20 HD (Large); 21-30 HD (Huge)


COMBAT


The aspis first appeared in A1 Slave Pits of the Undercity (1981), and later in Monster Manual II (1983) and MC5 Greyhawk Monstrous Compendium (1990).

 

[Krishnath]

Uhm, what do they look like?

 

[BOZ]

i'll get to those details later. they're bug-men, the drones are whitish with six limbs (two for standing, two each for shields, two each for weapons). drones have no personality, and serve the cow. the cow is really just a gigantic larva.

 

[Krishnath]

In other words, they're termite people...

 

[BOZ]

something like that.

 

[Krishnath]

Sounds interresting...

 

[Wolf72]

if you have a scanner, or can find a pic online ... there is a great illustration in A1 (I guess you kinda know that already huh boz?)

I think termite men is the best analogy I've heard yet!

 

[BOZ]

i don't have A1. i do have the supermodule though, somewhere... but i don't know how much that differs.

 

[Draconigeno]

Dragon magazine also printed an article on RPing them for 2nd edition. They had some pretty good pics of what an aspis looks like. Reminds me a bit of a weevil, at least facially.

 

[Richards]

Originally posted by Draconigeno:

Dragon magazine also printed an article on RPing them for 2nd edition. They had some pretty good pics of what an aspis looks like. Reminds me a bit of a weevil, at least facially.

That would have been "The Ecology of the Aspis," from Dragon #260. And yes, aspis drones are very much like humanoid weevils. The artwork in that article didn't do them justice, in my opinion.

Johnathan