Family Crunch: Ants and Termites

[Alpharius]

We need to determine the basic statline, and then which species deserve further exploration. Suggestions so far include:

- Fire Ant
- Leafcutter Ant
- Jack Jumper Ant
- Termite
- Army Ant
- Siafu

[Naryzhud]

How are we going to deal with the species that rely more heavily on being a massed force? They could get bonuses for others nearby, but realistically, how many player parties would want to all play the same exact creature and how many would they need to make it worth it anyway? I mean some of these species operate in the millions...

Would there be some sort of penalty for social species being on their own?

[BrokenMuse]

Abstract the character as being a group or swarm rather than an individual. Social acts as a cap on attributes; the higher Social is, the stronger and more capable the swarm is.

[Grawflemaul]

I dunno. Ants and Termites might be more suited to npc-status than PCs. I mean, if you make their strength dependent on their Social stat, then they're just gonna focus on that. If you somehow make them equal to some of the other creatures, then you're going to have to do some serious bullshitting.

[Bees]

Ants and termites may be similar to D&D's warlords. Since they're naturally highly organized with emphasis on pheromone communication and have many guests in their nests, they may be able to make vastly different insects work as a group, as well as being good (if stubborn) diplomats.

Social-based skills that give bonuses to teammates sound like a good start for them, and that makes a bit more sense than warlords do - instead of shouting people back from death, a termite would merely be able to spot a weakness on the oppenent and send pheromone cues for say, your bombadier beetle to aim there, ensuring greater damage. Two heads are better than one, after all.

Moths, the other group with impressive pheromone-based abilities (namely antennae so sensitive that they can detect individual molecules), may be suited to long-range communication and detection instead of close-range support.

[Naryzhud]

i like bees's idea better than abstracting them... I'm not sure how much player identification you can have with a swarm of creatures as opposed to just the one.

[Quest Lord]

Have advantages given for having allies close by, which are bigger if they're the same order, and bigger again for the same species IMHO.

[Naryzhud]

that sounds pretty good to me, perhaps doubled normal bonuses for same order and doubled again for same species... exponential fun!

[Sasha]

I don't know how appropriate it is, but I think that we definitely need to include trapjaw ants. Those things are just crazy-awesome.

[Quest Lord]

I don't know how appropriate it is, but I think that we definitely need to include trapjaw ants. Those things are just crazy-awesome.

By the mighty can of RAID, yes. We need these.

[Naryzhud]

What about having some species have the ability Pheromone Spray - As a full round action can squirt pheromones that will attract D6+1 ants of the same species from the nearby area to help them and will stay until the end of the combat.

[Quest Lord]

What about having some species have the ability Pheromone Spray - As a full round action can squirt pheromones that will attract D6+1 ants of the same species from the nearby area to help them and will stay until the end of the combat.

Actually, that makes a lot of sense. Now to scrap what I had for ants (very little honestly) and go with that.

[Quest Lord]

Trapjaw Ants (Soldier)

Size: Small


Stat Mod Max Upgrade Cost
Fex 0 60 High
Str +10 70 Low
Vit +10 70 Low
Arm 0 60 Low
Ag 0 60 High
Soc +30 90 High
Int 0 60 Standard
Abilities:
Grapple (mandibles) (1)
Bite (1)
Trapjaw (mandibles) (1)

Traits:
Contact Pheromones (1)

Upgrades:

Upgrade Cost Requirement
Grapple Mandibles (2) 30 xp
Grapple Mandibles (3) 40 xp Grapple Mandibles (2)
Grapple Mandibles (4) 50 xp Grapple Mandibles (3)
Crush Mandibles (1) 20 xp
Crush Mandibles (2) 30 xp Crush Mandibles (1)
Crush Mandibles (3) 40 xp Crush Mandibles (2)
Trapjaw Mandibles (2) 50 xp Snap Mandibles (1)
Pheromone Spray (1) 75 xp
Pheremone Spray (2) 100 xp
Extra Pheremone Spray (1) 50xp Pheremone Spray 1
Jaw Catapult (1) 50xp Trapjaw Mandibles (1)
Jaw Catapult (2) 40xp Jaw Catapult (1)
Jaw Catapult (3) 30xp Jaw Catapult (2)

Trapjaw Mandibles: The first time per turn you hit with a mandibles attack, you may immediately make either a grapple mandibles or crush mandibles attack for free. This additional attack may only be at up to level (x).

Pheromone Spray: Once per day you may spray pheromones, attracting (x)d4 Trapjaw Ants to the battle. You must spray pheromones as a turn action, and they arrive at the beginning of your next turn from a random direction, roughly two turns move away (subject to GM). They use the starting profile, with no upgrades. They follow your lead until the battle is won (moving to protect you, attacking the same target you do, etc.) when they then take the bodies of the enemies back to their nest as payment.

Extra Pheromone Spray: You may Pheromone Spray an extra time per day for each rank. If you already have attracted ants to this battle, you attract one less ant for each ant you previously attracted - there's only so many ants around.

Jaw Catapult: You may use your free attack from Trapjaw Mandibles to instead throw you or your opponent (x)d6". Either way, no extra damage is taken. This may only be used on enemies you can grapple (mandibles). For each size category smaller, they are thrown an extra two inches. For each size category larger, they are thrown two less inches (to a minimum of zero).


What do people think? Jaw Catapult is something they actually do, although I can't find how far they throw themselves/others anywhere. I used Naryzhud's beetles as a basis for costs on stuff - these guys fill a similar niche, but they're smaller and they have the pheromone spray to bring some friends.

[Naryzhud]

I like it, Jaw catapult is hilarious, never knew they did that! Certainly looks playtestable.

[Quest Lord]

Next up: Jack Jumper ant. Expect high mobility and social powers with more pheromone spray.

[Naryzhud]

Quick thought on the jaw catapult thing, we've done sizes in metric so to keep things coherent perhaps make it (2x)d6 cm and an extra 4cm per size category difference.

[Quest Lord]

Quick thought on the jaw catapult thing, we've done sizes in metric so to keep things coherent perhaps make it (2x)d6 cm and an extra 4cm per size category difference.

Sounds legit. Maybe even 2d6 cm and an extra 4cm per size category difference or 2d6 cm and an extra d6cm per size category difference depending on how many dice we want people to be rolling.

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