Hivemaster (3.5e Class)
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Hivemaster
The buzzing of swarms of insects follows a hivemaster wherever she goes. She allows herself to be the host to colonies of bugs, culminating in an insidious collective of ferocious creatures.
Making a Hivemaster
The strengths of giant vermin are those of the hivemaster. While she starts exclusively using the bugs at her command for offense, she eventually develops some insectoid traits of her own, becoming a heaviliy armed and armored monster.
Abilities: Strength and Constitution are the most important abilities for a hivemaster. Strength allows her to fight as she gains natural weapons. Aside from the obvious, Constitution affect the DC's of all her abilities, decreasing her foes' survivability as well as increasing her own.
Races: Drow make the most infamous hivemasters; with a culture already obsessed with spiders, many drow of either gender find the path of the hivemaster attractive. The calling of the hivemaster usually only appeals to the perverse members of most other races, but anything's possible.
Alignment: Any.
Starting Gold: 1d6×10 gp (25 gp).
Starting Age: Simple.
| Level | Base Attack Bonus |
Saving Throws | Special | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort | Ref | Will | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1st | +0 | +2 | +0 | +2 | Swarm, Vermin Companion, Verminfriend | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2nd | +1 | +3 | +1 | +3 | Exoskeleton | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3rd | +2 | +3 | +1 | +3 | Aspect of the Vermin | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4th | +3 | +4 | +1 | +4 | Plague | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5th | +3 | +4 | +2 | +4 | Multiattack | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 6th | +4 | +5 | +2 | +5 | Swarm Armor | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 7th | +5 | +5 | +2 | +5 | Aspect of the Vermin | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 8th | +6/+1 | +6 | +3 | +6 | Swollen Swarm | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 9th | +6/+1 | +6 | +3 | +6 | Improved Multiattack | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 10th | +7/+2 | +7 | +3 | +7 | Spew Vermin | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 11th | +8/+3 | +7 | +3 | +7 | Aspect of the Vermin | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 12th | +9/+4 | +8 | +4 | +8 | Hivemind | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 13th | +9/+4 | +8 | +4 | +8 | Appendage Control | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 14th | +10/+5 | +9 | +4 | +9 | Scourge | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 15th | +11/+6/+1 | +9 | +5 | +9 | Aspect of the Vermin | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 16th | +12/+7/+2 | +10 | +5 | +10 | Super Swarm | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 17th | +12/+7/+2 | +10 | +5 | +10 | Monstrosity | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 18th | +13/+8/+3 | +11 | +6 | +11 | Swarming Shield | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 19th | +14/+9/+4 | +11 | +6 | +11 | Aspect of the Vermin | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 20th | +15/+10/+5 | +12 | +6 | +12 | Lord of the Flies | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Class Skills (4 + Int modifier per level, ×4 at 1st level) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the hivemaster.
Weapon & Armor Proficiency: A hivemaster is proficient with all simple weapons and light armor, but will usually neglect both as she gains levels.
Swarm (Ex): The insect colonies growing on the hivemaster's body create millons of bugs, and the hivemaster can create a swarm from these little parasites. As a standard action, the hivemaster can unleash a cloud of vermin that deals 1d6 damage per level to anyone in a five-foot square that she designates. The swarm may move up to a distance of 30 feet + 5 feet per hivemaster level, and once they have attacked they disperse and come immediately back to the hivemaster. The swarm strikes as a magical weapon for the purposes of overcoming damage reduction and is invulnerable to attack. The hivemaster takes no damage or negative effects from being in her own swarm.
Verminfriend: A hivemaster gains Verminfriend as a bonus feat even if she does not meet the prerequisites.
Vermin Companion (Ex): A hivemaster gains a vermin companion at 1st level, either a monstrous centipede, spider, or scorpion. This companion follows similar rules to a druid's animal companion, except that the creature must be a vermin and they cannot share spells. Instead, the vermin companion gains size as it gains Hit Dice, advancing to the next level of monstrous vermin. For the purpose of convenience, the vermin companion can shrink to its initial Small size. Doing so (or shifting back to it's full size) is a free action.
Exoskeleton (Ex): Like most of the bugs that grow on and around her body, the hivemaster develops a layer of extraordinarily tough chitin. Starting at second level, she gains a natural armor bonus to AC equal to one half her class level (round down). This bonus stacks with any other source of natural armor.
Aspect of the Vermin (Ex): The hivemaster takes on traits of bugs by taking a Hivemaster feat, which grants him additional benefits according to her hivemaster level. She gains her first Hivemaster feat at third level and another one overy four levels thereafter.
Plague (Ex): The hivemaster's swarm now delivers a distraction effect at 4th level. Any living creature caught in the swarm must succeed at a Fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/2 hivemaster level + Constitution modifier) or be nauseated for 1 round.
Multiattack: As she gains an arsenal of natural weapons, the hivemaster improves her ability to use them in together. She gains Multiattack as a bonus feat at 5th level, and Improved Multiattack at 9th level.
Swarm Armor (Ex): The hivemaster is constantly covered by a swarm of creeping, crawling critters that shield her from harm. These bugs die off as they take hits, but are replenished daily by the colonies growing on the hivemaster's body. The hivemaster's swarm armor negates up to 10 points of damage from any source, but can only nullify a maximum amount of damage per day equal to five points per hivemaster level. Swarm armor in ineffective if the hivemaster is wearing armor.
Spew Vermin (Ex): The hivemaster can now release her swarm attack in a cone as she releases them from her mouth. The cone has a distance of 5 feet per two hivemaster levels.
Swollen Swarm (Ex): At 8th level, the hivemaster gains greater command over the swarm of vermin she controls. Her swarm attack now covers up to a 10-foot square and can be unleashed as a move-equivalent action instead of a standard action.
Hive Mind (Su): At 12th level, the hivemaster is able to create a hivemind. He may put his vermin companion and all other vermin around him into the hivemind and recieves all benefits and bonuses, but his Intelligence and Charisma scores are unaffected. For the purposes of this ability, all of the colonies of vermin inside and on the hivemaster are a single collective entity.
Appendage Control (Ex): At 13th level, the hivemaster is perfectly in synch with her vermin limbs. She gains an extra attack for each pair of natural weapons (claws or pincers) that she possesses.
Scourge (Ex): The hivemaster's swarm is now even harder to resist. A foe subject to the distraction effect of the swarm is now nauseated for 1d4+1 rounds on a failed save, and increase the save DC for the effect by +2.
Super Swarm (Ex): By 16th level, the hivemaster has attained complete control over the swarms of insects around her. Her swarm attack now covers up to a 20-foot square, and can be released as a swift action. If the hivemaster has already used her swift action for her current turn, the swarm may still be used as a move-equivalent action as before.
Monstrosity (Ex): At 17th level, the hivemaster's claws and jaws are all sharpened to a razor's edge. All of her natural attacks gained as a result of Hivemaster feats deal damage as if they were one size category larger than normal.
Swarming Shield (Ex): At 18th level, the hivemaster's swarm armor is dramatically strengthened. He can now block up to 20 points of damage from an individual attack, and an amount of damage per day equal to 10 points per hivemaster level. The constantly moving creatures also make it difficult to target her; there is a 50% chance that any ray fired at the hivemaster will be deflected.
Lord of the Flies (Ex): By level 20, the hivemaster is more vermin than anything else, and this has led to increased empathy and recognition from other vermin. It is now impossible for a vermin of any kind to attack the hivemaster; if directed to do so, it simply will not act. The hivemaster's swarm damage dice increases to d8's, and all insight bonuses offered by hive mind are increased by +4.
Epic Hivemaster
| Level | Special | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21st | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 22nd | Aspect of the Vermin | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 23rd | Bonus Feat | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 24th | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 25th | Aspect of the Vermin | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 26th | Bonus Feat | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 27th | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 28th | Aspect of the Vermin | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 29th | Bonus Feat | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 30th | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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4 + Int modifier skill points per level. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Swarm: The hivemaster's swarm attack damage continues to increase with every level.
Exoskeleton: The hivemaster's natural armor bonus continues to increase at every even-numbered level.
Aspect of the Vermin: The epic hivemaster continues to gain Hivemaster feats at 22nd, 25th and 28th level.
Bonus Feats: The epic hivemaster gains a bonus feat (selected from the list of epic hivemaster bonus feats) every three levels after 20th.
Epic Hivemaster Bonus Feat List: Armor Skin, Damage Reduction, Energy Resistance, Epic Endurance, Epic Prowess, Epic Toughness, Fast Healing, Great Constitution, Great Strength, Perfect Health, Superior Initiative.
Human Hivemaster Starting Package
Weapons: Quarterstaff.
Skill Selection: Pick a number of skills equal to 4 + Int modifier.
| Skill | Ranks | Ability | Armor Check Penalty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Climb | 4 | Str | -2 |
| Hide | 4 | Dex | -2 |
| Spellcraft | 2 | Int | — |
| Listen | 4 | Wis | — |
Feat: Improved Initiative.
Bonus Feats: Power Attack.
Gear: Studded leather armor, Mundane equipment.
Gold: 30 gp.
Campaign Information
Playing a Hivemaster
Religion: The few good-aligned hivemasters that exist usually revere gods of nature (the vermin have to come from somewhere). Most are not so pleasant, preferring to worship evil deities that use vermin as their symbols. Lolth is the most common of these, leading to the aforementioned large number of drow hivemasters.
Other Classes: Hivemasters associate well with other classes that revere vermin, but such a fanatical love for bugs is an acquired taste. As a result, the hivemaster is a peculiar and eccentric individual who keeps few friends.
Combat: The hivemaster begins as an intermediate support fighter who uses her swarm ability to devastate opponents at range. As she gains levels, she becomes a formidable foe in melee and at a distance as she acquires a plethora of natural weapons and attack options.
Advancement: Hivemasters that multiclass as spellcasters often take levels in vermin lord, maintaining the same theme while at the same time boosting the spellcasting abilities acquired as a result of the hivemind.
Hivemasters in the World
| “ | Sounds like...bugs. | ” |
Hivemasters frequent the dregs of most societies; it is rare to see someone with more insect than humanoid features get very far.
Daily Life: Vermin (and a love of such things) guide every aspect of a hivemaster's life. Her preferred surroundings very much resemble a colony of insects or similar creatures. In the company of her bugs, she often becomes a recluse unless part of a society that shares her values.
Notables: None.
Organizations: Hivemasters have no organization to call their own, but they have effectively assimilated into many others. The clergy of vermin deities are the types to most frequently welcome hivemasters into their ranks.
NPC Reactions: People react to hivemasters in much the same way as most people react to vermin: with disgust. Imagine a proboscis that wouldn't look out of place on a giant fly come out of a person's mouth. That's nasty.
Hivemaster Lore
Characters with ranks in <-the appropriate skills-> can research <-pluralized class name-> to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including information from lower DCs.
| DC | Result |
|---|---|
| 5 | <-common knowledge->. |
| 10 | <-not so common knowledge->. |
| 15 | <-rare information->. |
| 20 | <-very rare information->. |
Hivemasters in the Game
<-How characters of this class fit in the game (PC and NPC) and what roles they play.->
Adaptation: <-Possible variant conceptions of this class.->.
Sample Encounter: <-DM placement for NPCs of this class.->.
EL : <-Encounter scenario and character info on sample NPC including stat block. The CR of the NPC is typically the same as the EL for the encounter.->.
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