Myrmidon (3.5e Race)

Author: Eiji-kun (talk) Date Created: 2-10-15 Status: Complete Editing: Clarity edits only please

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Myrmidon

An alien insectoid race, the myrmidon are escaping their sordid technological past and embracing the organic. But their presence on a planet may spell doom for it, were their past to catch up to them...

Personality

The myrmidon are not known as a sociable race, though few would call them actively hostile. Impersonal and mellow, they seem content to live their lives in service to their Hive and their Hive Mother, the queen and often literal mother of their group. They live in cities dominated by half-organic skyscrapers, using machines which are alive and strange chemicals which alter the landscape and themselves. Their mindset is often alien, but sometimes encounters with this enigmatic race appear. Often they are wanderers, travelers, merchants seeking supplies they cannot easily create or find, or exiles. These socialized myrmidons are the "typical" face of the species and as such they come off as strangers trying to fit in but who ultimately have a great deal of culture shock to get over.

The only universal quirk among them seems to be their aversion to specific kinds of technology, namely the production of artificial life in the forms of golems and robots. They have little trust in these devices and will not engage in their creations by themselves. This is due to an ancient but devastating war known as the Age of Iron, a time where their kind was killed and enslaved by their very own mechanical creations. Rejecting this path of advancement, they instead turned to biological sciences, ultimately altering their own genetic path in search for scientific enlightenment through the process of life itself.

Physical Description

The myrmidon are an insectoid species from the stars, exoskeletal and mantis-like with large compound eyes and chittering voices. They come in various colors, but are typically various shades of brown, green, or gray. A myrmidon resembles the species known as the thri-kreen closest, though their mantid forms possess only two arms, with two mantis-like scythe blades above them. They traditionally lived upon the high trees and cliffs of their world, using the blades to aid in climbing and in defense. They also possess spinnerets within their mouth which they use to build hive foundation and cocoons. With keen minds, their society advanced greatly, and as they relied deeply on technology their bodies began to wither and become frail, exoskeletons becoming pale and sensitive to their own star, and needing to survive in their own atmosphere they had poisoned during their advancement.

After an event known as Age of Iron much of their species was killed or enslaved. Those that escaped reformed their civilization with a sobering look at their history, and decided to reject it. Using what technology they had, they turned to modifying their genes into effectively a new species of myrmidon. They replaced technology with biology and obtained peace through the effectiveness of the Hive. With the Hive, gone was the unfiltered and dangerous flood of un-vetted technologies and gone was the conflict between individuals which bred thoughts of war and thus arming their tools and machines to be used against their own kind. It was this kind of behavior which taught the machines of old to kill, and so it must not be repeated. Unity would be obtained through biology, through pheromone and genetic behaviors. Though some may call it self-enslavement to their Hive Mothers, the myrmidons today do not see it that such and find their current condition preferable to their previous lives.

Technically the myrmidons are split into four species, the most common default one (the one defined here) being the worker. There is also the warrior, the drone, and the queen (also known as the Hive Mother), each with distinct morphological differences. Worker myrmidons are the most humanoid of their kind, are always female, and are sterile as long as they are exposed to the Hive. Those few workers who go outside of the Hive may sometimes become fertile, and eventually evolve into queens of their own. Since many workers have no desire to transform physically like this, many keep a small sample of royal jelly on their person whose presence keeps their worker status retained. Myrmidon are born from eggs birthed by the queen, and they spend their youth as mindless cat-sized pillbug like larva, later cocooning themselves and transforming into an adult myrmidon.

Myrmidon are usually about 5 ft tall, and fairly light weighing only 100 lbs on average.

Relations

Most humanoid species find the insect appearance of the myrmidon very alien, and so do not willingly engage with them. However some more open societies, and thri-kreen, may find kinship. The problem is that the myrmidon are typically very self-interested in their own society and thus rarely bother to interact with others for good or ill. Most only seek to be left in peace. Conflict between societies can be dangerous, for the myrmidon's passiveness is matched only by their ruthless persistence when enraged.

Alignment

Most myrmidon are true neutral, and rarely they adopt other alignments. Usually neutral-anything.

Lands

The myrmidon prefer forested areas and places of extreme elevation changes, for these tall areas seem to bring comfort almost as if they were cats. Due to their culture's mastery of biology, they often terraform unfit lands into forests which are beautiful as they are alien and dangerous.

Religion

Myrmidon do not possess religion. There is the Hive Mother, and that is the only "higher power" they need. It is rare indeed for this belief to change, usually the result of exiles sent into the world or the stray drone who finds enlightenment.

Language

Myrmidons have picked up the Common language, but their main language is Myrmex, which is said to sound like "chattering teeth".

Names

Myrmidon names are spoken in Myrmex and often sound like nothing but noise to most, so they often adopt human nicknames to communicate with others.

Racial Traits

• +2 Intelligence, -2 Charisma: Intelligent due to their subtle psychic hivemind, they are often stunted when communicating with others not within their hive.
• Monstrous Humanoid (Xenoblooded): Myrmidon are more bug than man, sharing only their bipedal nature. 
• Medium: As a Medium creature, a myrmidon has no special bonuses or penalties due to its size.
• Myrmidon base land speed is 30 feet. climb 20 ft 
• Darkvision: A myrmidon can see in the dark up to 60 feet. Darkvision is black and white only, but it is otherwise like normal sight, and a myrmidon can function just fine with no light at all. 
• Alien Body (Ex): Myrmidons treat their bodies as being monstrous creatures for the purposes of armor costs. 
• Hive Memory (Su): Myrmidon are intelligent beings, and they are made slightly more intelligent due to their subtle psychic connection they have to each other. It's not enough to communicate, nor even enough for empathy, but it does help them recall information they may not have. They may use any trained skill untrained, and if they put ranks in any Knowledge skill they get an additional +1 circumstance bonus to Knowledge checks. 
• Natural Armor (Ex): Myrmidons gain a +2 bonus to natural armor due to their hard skin. 
• Natural Weapons (Ex): Myrmidons possess two scythe-claws as natural attacks which deal 1d6 piercing and slashing damage, and have a 19-20/x2 critical. They can even make these attacks with their hands full, though they take penalties as if two-weapon fighting if mixed with any attacks with manufactured weapons. 
• Racial Foe (Ex): Myrmidon gain a +2 attack bonus against Constructs. 
• Stringweave (Ex): Myrmidons can create a substance not unlike spider silk with their mouths, which can either be made into webbing or into solid structures. Creating objects takes 10 minutes, and effectively duplicate the effects of minor creation (solid objects only) 1/day. Web-formed objects have the hardness and properties of wood (even flexible objects), though it burns twice as long as wood at half the strength (1d3 fire damage a round). 
• Vermin Form (Ex): Myrmidon count as Vermin whenever not beneficial, such as being targeted by Favored Enemy (Vermin). 
• Worker Type: Myrmidons gain Endurance as a bonus feat.
• Automatic Languages: Common, Myrmex
• Bonus Languages: Any (except secret languages).
• Favored Class: Rogue
• Level Adjustment: +0
• Effective Character Level: 1

Vital Statistics

Table: Myrmidon Random Starting Ages

Adulthood	Simple	Moderate	Complex
8 years	+1d3	+1d4	+2d4

Table: Myrmidon Aging Effects

Middle Age1	Old2	Venerable3	Maximum Age
30 years	50 years	70 years	+1d20 years
At middle age, −1 to Str, Dex, and Con; +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha. At old age, −2 to Str, Dex, and Con; +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha. At venerable age, −3 to Str, Dex, and Con; +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha.

Table: Myrmidon Random Height and Weight

Sex	Base Height	Height Modifier	Base Weight	Weight Modifier
Female	4' 6"	+1d10	80 lb.	× (1d3) lb.

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