The Bog'ans and a new spell

Right now my focus is on creating encounter tables and setting appropriate monster lists. Each monster I create here seeks to explain the setting through its presence. The normal humanoid enemies seem a bit out of place in the world ship, I needed something alien to replace them.


So I read up on the Reticulans in These Stars Are Ours! as it’s a bit of a near neighbour for this setting and a great take on the 'visitors', maybe the world ship is in another dimension in its future. The Bog'ans evolved from the thought bubble - what would happen to the lesser classes of visitors if they were cut off from their energy, tools and technology?

Bog'ans

A Bog'an and its Thief Bird proxy

When the world ship crashed upon the surface of the planet it suffered critical damage to its systems and structure. While remaining roughly intact the damage sheared off its engines and devastated many of its control systems. Most of the interior transport shuttles and systems ceased operation due to lack of power or broken motive systems. In many areas massive bulkheads sealed off whole sections of the vessel to preserve structural integrity. Many of the vessels lower deck crew
were cut off from the forward command sections of the vessel. Being in the main lesser class proles there was no urgency among the elite to rescue them. The elite also had their own problems given they too were struggling to maintain the core systems in the face of the damage and human aggression.

The proles had to take care of themselves. Without power to sustain their robotic proxies they turned their mental powers to control the various beasts released from Vivariums in the catastrophe. From this mental bond they themselves became less refined in thought and more opportunistic and feral in deed. For tools they turned to metal, wood and fibre. It was difficult at first, many died as they are not a people built for confrontation, but they adapted and evolved (the elites would say they devolved). They turned their backs on the elite who had failed to assist them, to the point that they see themselves as a people liberated from the controlling influence of the old ways. To this day they still plot and war against the humans and elites who would halt their expansion.

Bog’an (small humanoid)

% In Lair: Dungeon Enc: Wilderness Enc: Treasure Type / XP:	40% Mob (1d8) / Gang (1d6 mobs) Gang (1d6 mobs) / Clan (1d10 gangs) E (per gang) / 6
Hit Dice: Armor Class: Save: Special Def.:	1d6* 2 (+2 leather) F0 None
Movement: Attacks: Morale: Special Off.:	90’ (30’) Crossbow (11+/1d6) or Dagger (11+/1d4) -1 Telepathic communication, ESP, Dominate lesser beings

Unlike their more advanced ancestors they lack the energy and tools required for advanced technology and have degenerated to their scavenger nature. They have directed their mental powers to dominate lesser life forms such as animals and dinosaurs. These controlled beasts act as labourers and proxies in the Bog’ans battles. Each visitor can dominate an animal with a hit dice equal to or less than their own. Additionally a mob of Bog’ans (up to 8) can pool this psychic power to dominate animals up to the combined group hit dice. Such animals are charmed and will follow any mental command from their masters.

Bog'ans typically dress in leather armor made from reptilian hide and wield ranged weapons such as crossbows made of woods and metals salvage from the environment. Their anaemic combat abilities render them weaker than other monsters in combat and they use the fighter 0 progression for attack and saving throws (the leaders below use normal monster hit dice progression for attack throws).

A Bog’an mob is led by a champion with full 6 hp (normal monster attack and saving throws) and equipped with a masterwork scale mail made of dinosaur scale (AC 4). The most common proxy animals used by mobs and champions are velociraptors, known colloquially as "Thief Birds". A Bog’an gang always has a sub-chieftain with AC 4, 2+1 HD with 15 hp, dealing an extra +1 damage on all damage rolls. Sub-chieftains often use deinonychus, or "Claw Birds", as their proxy beasts. A Bog’an clan will be led by a chieftain of HD 5 wearing masterwork splint armor made of dinosaur hide reinforced with metal strips (AC 6), dealing +2 damage to all attacks and wielding an ancestral plasma rifle (2d6+2 damage, 360' range, 30 shots, rapid fire). As the mightiest warriors of their clan they dominate a Timurlengia, called "Grin Lizards" due to their large mouth full of teeth that is often the last thing their victims see. As long as the chieftain is alive, the bog'an's will gain a +2 to morale rolls. As bog'ans are all female and breed through parthenogenesis there is no gender separation and all adults contribute to the defence of the clan. Any clan will have young equal to 25% of the number of adults, they will not fight and have only 1 hp.

Design notes

First I needed to replace mind meld, the signature power of visitors. I thought long and hard about an alternative, but in the end visitors need proxies, they are not inherently good in combat as reflected in the level zero attack throw. Using animals, which are easier to influence, seemed a natural thing. But I mentally extend this bond to their own nature bring a slightly regressed species.

Telepathic link comes in as a level 1 spell (see the new spell below) with ESP being level two giving them a base #### ##. This gives me room for up to another six before I give them two specials. I didn’t build the animal control, but it’s limited nature places it at around a level 2-3 spell. Given the proxies come with their own xp I didn’t add another special, technically I could take points off for the level 0 human attack and save so just left it at 1d6*.

New spell: Telepathic Link

Arcane 1
Range: 120’
Duration: 2 turns
This spell allows the caster to communicate telepathically, and silently, to anyone within range. This communication link goes both ways allowing the target to communicate back. Unlike full telepathy neither party may read the surface thoughts of the other, as such communication requires the participants to actively send a message and the communicators must share a common language. The caster can also setup a shared network of minds talking telepathically together, though all communication in such a group is shared unfiltered by the caster.

Notes: telepathy seems to be priced at 20 spell points as built. Given surface read is more valuable than communication I split it 5/15.

Telepathic link: Detection, mental communication (5), range 120’ (x1.5), duration of 2 turns (x1), all creatures in range (x1), no save x1, arcane x1, total cost 8 (level 1).