Brood Lord

Written below is a D&D 3.5 draft of Starcraft's brood lord and broodling.
Similar drafts of other units can be found here: Starcraft d20

A spellcaster with the Scion of the Swarm feat, can summon “brood lords” using a summon monster VIII spell.

BROOD LORD CR 12
Usually N Huge Aberration (augmented Animal, Zerg)
Init +5 (+5 Dex); Senses Darkvision 2 miles, Blindsight 60 ft., Superior Low-Light Vision, Farsight; Listen +19, Spot +19

AC 23, touch 13, flat-footed 18 (-2 Size, +5 Dex, +10 natural)
hp 162 (12d8+96+12); Fast Healing 1; DR 2/-
Immune altitude fatigue, altitude sickness, disease, intelligence damage, intelligence drain, nausea, paralysis, poison, sleep effects, damage caused by high pressure or a lack thereof
Resist acid 10, cold 15, desiccation 15, electricity 10, fire 5
Fort +16, Ref +13, Will +12

Speed 10 ft., swim 20 ft., fly 30 ft. (perfect); Run, Flyby Attack (MM 303)
Melee gore +12 (2d6+5) and bite +12 (2d6+5 plus 1d4 acid)
Ranged seed launcher +13 (2d8+10 plus hatch broodling)
Space 15 ft.; Reach 10 ft. (Long)
Base Atk +9; Grp +27
Atk Options drop shot, Rapid Shot, reaving strikes

Abilities Str 30, Dex 20, Con 26, Int 3, Wis 15, Cha 11
SA corrosive saliva, drop shot, hatch broodling, reaving strikes, swarm seeds
SQ amphibious, farsight, gas bladders, hold breath, wakefulness, zerg aptitude, zerg biology, zerg breeding, zerg metabolism, zerg talent
Feats Brood Lord Evolution, Flyby Attack (MM 303), Improved Flight (CW 151), Improved Toughness (CW 205), Weapon Focus [Seed Launcher]
Racial Feats Aquatic Shot (Sto 90), Blind-Fight, Combat Reflexes, Coordinated Shot (HB 96), Diehard, Endurance, Far Shot, Mind Over Body (XPH 48), Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Rapid Metabolism (XPH 50), Rapid Shot, Run, Sharp-Shooting (CW 105), Steadfast Determination (PH2 83), Swarm’s Embrace (Sh 158), Tireless (PGtF 46)
Skills Escape Artist +9, Hide +5, Listen +19, Move Silently +9, Spot +19, Swim +18, Tumble +6

Seed Launcher (Ex) Broodlings are symbiotic organisms live and spawn inside a brood lord, where they remain part of the brood lord itself. A brood lord can forcefully expel broodling swarm seeds from the ventral and dorsal sides of its manta-like body, without provoking attacks of opportunity. Its seed launcher attack is considered a primary natural weapon and not a manufactured weapon, despite having a projectile weapon’s unmodified range increment of 250 feet. A seed launcher attack made underwater has an unmodified range increment of 50 feet with no additional penalties for range. A seed launcher attack that hits a target with a normal ranged attack roll, deals bludgeoning damage. A brood lord applies its strength modifier to this damage as if using a sling.
Swarm Seeds (Ex) When expelled, swarm seeds are considered ammunition for the purpose of durability, and as bullets when wind speeds and water currents become a factor. Spells and abilities that affect a seed launcher attack, affect the swarm seeds it shoots accordingly.
Drop Shot (Ex) When making a seed launcher attack against a target located in any space "lower" than its own space, a brood lord gains a +4 circumstance bonus on the attack roll. This bonus does not apply in zero gravity environments.
Hatch Broodling (Ex) An expelled swarm seed hatches when destroyed, from which a broodling emerges unharmed in the seed's current square. If that square is occupied, the broodling then emerges in the nearest randomly determined unoccupied square. A broodling may always act directly after the turn during which it hatched. A swarm seed that hits its target with a normal attack roll is always destroyed. Each time a swarm seed ricochets off a creature, object or surface, it has a 50% chance of doing the same thing. Swarm seeds that survive their expulsion for 1 round, decay into sludge without incident.
Reaving Strikes (Ex) The natural weapons of zerg overcome all forms of damage reduction based on a metallic material. When attacking an object or structure with a natural weapon, zerg may apply a -5 penalty to the attack roll before it is made. If the attack succeeds, the damage dealt to the target ignores its hardness.
Corrosive Saliva (Ex) Brood lords deal 1d4 additional points of acid damage when making a successful bite attack.
Amphibious (Ex) Zerg breathe both air and water equally well.
Farsight (Ex) A brood lord suffers only half the normal penalty on Spot checks because of distance (-1 per 20 feet of distance, rather than -1 per 10 feet).
Gas Bladders (Ex) Brood lords possess the reach and carrying capacity of a quadruped, and can maintain their atmospheric and aquatic buoyancy with internal gas bladders, improving their flight maneuverability to good. In the vacuum of space, a brood lord may expel small jets of gas to move at its listed fly speed with perfect maneuverability.
Hold Breath (Ex) A zerg can usually hold its breath for a number of hours equal to four times its Constitution score, after which it must make a Constitution check each hour (DC 10 + 1 per previous success) to avoid suffocation.
Wakefulness (Ex) Zerg do not sleep.
Zerg Aptitude (Ex) One of a zerg’s physical ability scores increases by 2.
Zerg Biology (Ex) All zerg gain Blind-Fight, Diehard, Endurance, Mind Over Body (XPH 48), Rapid Metabolism (XPH 50), Run, Steadfast Determination (PH2 83), Swarm’s Embrace (Sh 158) and Tireless (PGtF 46) as racial bonus feats.
Zerg Breeding (Ex) Each zerg gains one of the following additional special qualities:
Swift Breed: One of the creature’s modes of movement increases its speed by 10 feet.
Thick-Skinned Breed: The creature’s natural armor bonus to AC improves by an additional 2.
Tracking Breed: The creature gains a +4 bonus on Survival checks made to follow tracks.
Zerg Metabolism (Ex) A zerg can usually go without food for a number of days equal to its Constitution score + 3, after which it must make Constitution checks as normal to avoid starvation. A zerg can usually go without water for 2 days plus a number of hours equal to eight times its constitution score, after which it must make Constitution checks as normal to avoid dehydration.
Zerg Talent (Ex) Each zerg gains one of the following feats as a racial bonus feat: Alertness, Athletic, Improved Natural Attack (MM 304) or Multiattack.
Skills Brood lords gain a +4 racial bonus to Escape Artist, Hide and Move Silently checks, a +12 racial bonus to Listen and Spot checks and a +8 racial bonus to Swim checks. A brood lord can take a 10 on any Swim check, even when distracted or threatened. It may use the run action when flying or swimming, provided it does so in a straight line.


BROODLING CR 2
Usually N Small Aberration (augmented Animal, Zerg)
Init +3 (+3 Dex); Senses Darkvision 300 ft., Tremorsense 20 ft., Superior Low-Light Vision, Scent; Listen +9, Spot +9

AC 16, touch 14, flat-footed 13 (+1 Size, +3 Dex, +2 natural)
hp 13 (2d8+4); Fast Healing 1; DR 1/-
Immune altitude fatigue, altitude sickness, disease, intelligence damage, intelligence drain, nausea, paralysis, poison, sleep effects, damage caused by high pressure or a lack thereof
Resist acid 10, cold 15, desiccation 15, electricity 10, fire 5
Fort +4, Ref +6, Will +1

Speed 30 ft., swim 20 ft., burrow 10 ft.; Run
Melee 2 claws +5 (1d4+1) and bite +0 (1d4 plus 1 acid)
Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft. (Long)
Base Atk +1; Grp -2
Atk Options pounce, Power Attack, reaving strikes, Weapon Finesse

Abilities Str 12, Dex 17, Con 13, Int 3, Wis 12, Cha 7
SA corrosive saliva, pounce, reaving strikes
SQ amphibious, hold breath, limited life span, pack attack, wakefulness, zerg aptitude, zerg biology, zerg breeding, zerg metabolism, zerg talent
Feats Weapon Finesse
Racial Feats Blind-Fight, Clever Wrestling (Sto 92), Diehard, Endurance, Close-Quarters Fighting (CW 97), Combat Reflexes, Mind Over Body (XPH 48), Mobility, Power Attack, Rapid Metabolism (XPH 50), Run, Steadfast Determination (PH2 83), Swarm’s Embrace (Sh 158), Tireless (PGtF 46), Tunnel Fighting (RS 145), Tunnelrunner (Und 27)
Skills Balance +12*, Climb +5, Escape Artist +7, Hide +11, Listen +9, Move Silently +7, Spot +9, Swim +9

Pounce (Ex) If a broodling charges a foe, it can make a full attack.
Reaving Strikes (Ex) The natural weapons of zerg overcome all forms of damage reduction based on a metallic material. When attacking an object or structure with a natural weapon, zerg may apply a -5 penalty to the attack roll before it is made. If the attack succeeds, the damage dealt to the target ignores its hardness.
Corrosive Saliva (Ex) Broodlings deal 1 additional point of acid damage when making a successful bite attack.
Amphibious (Ex) Zerg breathe both air and water equally well.
Hold Breath (Ex) A zerg can usually hold its breath for a number of hours equal to four times its Constitution score, after which it must make a Constitution check each hour (DC 10 + 1 per previous success) to avoid suffocation.
Limited Life Span (Ex): A broodling hatched from a swarm seed must make a Constitution check each round at the end of its turn (DC 5 + 1 per previous success) or die instantly.
Pack Attack (Ex) Two allied zerg of Small size with this ability, can occupy the same 5-foot square at no penalty, even during combat.
Wakefulness (Ex) Zerg do not sleep.
Zerg Aptitude (Ex) One of a zerg’s physical ability scores increases by 2.
Zerg Biology (Ex) All zerg gain Blind-Fight, Diehard, Endurance, Mind Over Body (XPH 48), Rapid Metabolism (XPH 50), Run, Steadfast Determination (PH2 83), Swarm’s Embrace (Sh 158) and Tireless (PGtF 46) as racial bonus feats.
Zerg Breeding (Ex) Each zerg gains one of the following additional special qualities:
Swift Breed: One of the creature’s modes of movement increases its speed by 10 feet.
Thick-Skinned Breed: The creature’s natural armor bonus to AC improves by an additional 2.
Tracking Breed: The creature gains a +4 bonus on Survival checks made to follow tracks.
Zerg Metabolism (Ex) A zerg can usually go without food for a number of days equal to its Constitution score + 3, after which it must make Constitution checks as normal to avoid starvation. A zerg can usually go without water for 2 days plus a number of hours equal to eight times its constitution score, after which it must make Constitution checks as normal to avoid dehydration.
Zerg Talent (Ex) Each zerg gains one of the following feats as a racial bonus feat: Alertness, Athletic, Improved Natural Attack (MM 304) or Multiattack.
Skills Broodlings have a +4 racial bonus on Balance, Climb, Escape Artist, Hide and Move Silently checks and a +8 racial bonus on Listen, Spot and Swim checks. *A broodling with 5 ranks in Balance does not lose its Dex bonus (if any) to AC while balancing. A broodling can take a 10 on any Swim check, even when distracted or threatened. It may use the run action when swimming, provided it swims in a straight line.


The following feat reflects the process required to produce a brood lord from a mutalisk.

Brood Lord Evolution [Racial]
You have undergone the transformation necessary to become a brood lord.
Prerequsites: mutalisk, 12+ racial Hit Dice
Benefit: Your size advances by one step as you acquire the following traits and abilities.
  • The range of your Darkvision increases to 2 miles.
  • Your racial bonus to Listen and Spot checks increases by 4.
  • Your extraordinary Damage Reduction increases by 1.
  • Your fly speed is reduced by 50 feet.
  • Your primary wurm launcher attack is replaced with a primary seed launcher attack dealing 2d8 unmodified base damage at Huge size.
  • You lose your glaive wurms and wurm blast special attacks.
  • You gain a +4 racial bonus to Move Silently checks.
  • The die of acid damage dealt by your corrosive saliva special attack increases by 1 step.
  • Seed Launcher (Ex): Broodlings are symbiotic organisms live and spawn inside a brood lord, where they remain part of the brood lord itself. A brood lord can forcefully expel broodling swarm seeds from the ventral and dorsal sides of its manta-like body, without provoking attacks of opportunity. Its seed launcher attack is considered a primary natural weapon and not a manufactured weapon, despite having a projectile weapon’s unmodified range increment of 250 feet. A seed launcher attack made underwater has an unmodified range increment of 50 feet with no additional penalties for range. A seed launcher attack that hits a target with a normal ranged attack roll, deals bludgeoning damage. A brood lord applies its strength modifier to this damage as if using a sling.
  • Swarm Seeds (Ex): When expelled, swarm seeds are considered ammunition for the purpose of durability, and as bullets when wind speeds and water currents become a factor. Spells and abilities that affect a seed launcher attack, affect the swarm seeds it shoots accordingly.
  • Drop Shot (Ex): When making a seed launcher attack against a target located in any space "lower" than its own space, a brood lord gains a +4 circumstance bonus on the attack roll. This bonus does not apply in zero gravity environments.
  • Hatch Broodling (Ex): An expelled swarm seed hatches when destroyed, causing a broodling to emerge unharmed in the seed's current square. If that square is occupied, the broodling then emerges in the nearest randomly determined unoccupied square. A broodling may always act directly after the turn during which it hatched. A swarm seed that hits its target with a normal attack roll is always destroyed. Each time a swarm seed ricochets off a creature, object or surface, it has a 50% chance of doing the same thing. Swarm seeds that survive their expulsion for 1 round, decay into sludge without incident.
  • Farsight (Ex): A brood lord suffers only half the normal penalty on Spot checks because of distance (-1 per 20 feet of distance, rather than -1 per 10 feet)

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