snarfoogle said:
Arkhandus Zergling
Pros: Good stats all around, nice in combat for a CR 2
Cons: CR2, magical beast creature type, size Medium. Constitution is a little low.
Arscott Zergling
Pros: CR1, Abberation creature type, size Small
Cons: Int -- I don't think it would be mindless. The swarm is at least as smart as an animal with a cerebrate. It would probably decrease to mindless for rogue zerg. Dexterity looks low for crack addicted little dogs of death.
That last line I am seriously considering adding to my sig, I love it. {:^D
Anyway, the reason I put mine at CR 2 is that they're weaker than Marines but not really half as potent; two Zerglings can probably tear up a marine with one Zergling left standing but wounded. Typical Marines will be something like 3rd or 4th-level, such as a Strong 3/Soldier 1. I figure the Zergling's combination of two claws and a bite do a fair representation of their rapid attack rate, but they're still so fragile that a Marine could blow one to bits with a burst or two his gauss rifle; the Zergling's just likely to savage him moderately before it splatters. A Zergling at a full run could reach a Marine in time for the Marine to get off 0-3 shots beforehand (depending on how far they were when spotted), but at most the Marine would only get off 1 shot without serious range penalties on the attack roll, so would only be likely to hit once before the Zergling charged him and got in at least one good bite. If the Zergling were burrowed beforehand and got the jump on the Marine, it'd savage him pretty well in the 1-2 rounds of full-attack actions before the Marine's gauss rifle could make a smoking crater out of the Zergling. The low Constitution is because I didn't want them to be so tough that they could almost rival an armored Marine in toughness, or shrug off 2-3 grazing hits from a clumsy Marine; those gauss rifles pack a serious punch, even on grazing hits.
So I figured CR 2 for a single Zergling would be close enough in comparison to a common Marine; they're just tough enough to be a threat and survive 1 grazing hit (but not a well-rolled hit for nearly max damage). And unarmed civilians are going to drop before a Zergling like flies, but could still gun it down or beat it dead with a crowbar if they're brave enough (and lucky enough to evade 1-3 rounds of Zergling blitzkrieg). I've read the Starcraft novels, and wish they'd make more of them..... Besides, Zerglings aren't the weakest of units; that honor goes to Broodlings and Larvae. So Zerglings shouldn't be CR1 pushovers.
Sizes: watch the Starcraft cinema where some guy in a car hits a zergling. It appears to be Small size.
Type: The Magical Beast might fit crunchwise, but I think Abberation makes more sense for flavor reasons.
As for size, I based it off a picture in the Starcraft manual, that shows a Marine trying to fire at a Zergling that just leapt out at him, hardly a foot from his face, and they look to be of nearly equal size. With the Marine in his power-armor suit, that makes him actually a bit taller and bulkier than normal, so Zerglings are definitely Medium-sized, even if a tad on the lower end of that (5 feet in body-length perhaps). Aberration gives Zerg an annoyingly high Will save, and annoyingly low Fortitude/Reflex saves, for a monster that supposed to be very genetically advanced, adaptable, predatory, and successful in absorbing numerous bigger species into the Swarm. Zergs are mostly uncontrolled and simple-minded without a Cerebrate or Overlord babysitting them actively. They act on instinct most of the time and have a simple, strict hierarchy that has no need nor encouragement for individual cleverness, ambition, skill, or what-have-you. Total subservience to any local Overlord or Cerebrate. No reason to have developed any significant strength of will. So once again I wish they'd have left out the "Magical" part in Magical Beast for d20 Modern/Future, so it wouldn't make peopel squeamish about using it for alien beasts....... Also, Aberrations don't have such good attack bonuses and such as Magical Beasts, and they have more emphasis on skill points and proficiencies, whereas Magical Beasts are assumed to generally be more physical and, well, beast-like in body and mindset.
Personally, if I was making a Zergling, it would look like this:
STR 12, DEX 17, CON 10, INT 1 (-- w/o cerebrate), WIS 6, CHA 4
Hit Dice: 2d8+0 (9), Size: Small
Attacks: Claw +2 melee (1d4+1) or bite +2 melee (1d6+0)
(You only get 1/2 strength for secondary natural weapons, right?)
Fast healing 1, etc.
Anyway, I'm really looking forward for the vehicles. I might try my hand at making a Corsair or Scout... I really want to play a Protoss Dogfighter.
Seems decent enough, but as above, the pictures I've seen make Zerglings appear Medium-sized, and predatory animals should have Intelligence of 2 (as noted, I think, in D20 Modern or at least the 3E D&D Monster Manual...Int 1 is mostly for herbivores who don't need cunning, whereas predators need some cunning to track down, ambush, and overcome herds of prey; Zerglings are like pack predators anyhow, like velociraptors).
And yeah, secondary natural attacks (when used in a full-attack action) apply only half the Strength modifier, rounded down, to damage, but they also suffer a -5 attack roll penalty. Primary natural attacks suffer no penalty. When using a secondary natural weapon for a single attack (rather than part of a full-attack), they deal full Strength modifier to damage and don't suffer the -5 attack roll penalty.
