Natural Arthropod (3.5e Template)

Natural Arthropod
Summary::Creatures with the Natural Arthropod template are actual insects, arachnids, and so on, rather than biological constructs created by extradimensional horrors in the before times.

In the base rules, Vermin are not at all like what real-world insects are like, and are in fact autonomous killing machines in a very real and literal sense. This template effectively acts as a quick fix to the Vermin provided in various monster books so that they may be used as actual giant bugs when using the interpretations found in the Book of Gears.

Creating an Natural Arthropod
Natural Arthropod is an inherited template that may be applied to any Vermin.

A Natural Arthropod uses all the base creature's statistics and special abilities except as noted here.

Size and Type
Type becomes either an Animal or a Magical Beast. It may only become an Animal if it doesn't already have an Intelligence score and doesn't have any spell-like or supernatural abilities. The creature gains the Bug subtype. It does not gain the Augmented Vermin subtype.

Hit Dice
The creature's racial hit dice are changed to those of its new type, including any changes to hit points that result.

Special Qualities
The creature loses all Vermin traits (including darkvision and the immunity to mind-affecting effects from its race). If it previously had the immunity to mind-affecting effects due to its Vermin type, it gains immunity to morale and fear effects, similar to Dark Minded creatures. It gains the traits of its new type.

Abilities
If the base creature lacks an Intelligence score, it gains an Intelligence score of 1.

Skills and Feats
The creature gains skills and feats as normal for its new type and Intelligence score.

Alignment
If previously mindless, Usually Neutral. Otherwise, as base creature.

Bug Subtype
Creatures with the Bug subtype are insects, arachnids, crustaceans, or other arthropods which are essentially the same as similar creatures of our world. Possibly very very large versions of such creatures. Bug-subtype creatures are affected by repel vermin as though they were Vermin (this does not in any way apply to effects not based on repel vermin). Bugs are usually Animals or Magical Beasts, but will sometimes be other types of creatures.