The Basidirond

In my continue quest for more fungus I converted this old beast from the Monster Manual II. Converting this and looking at other conversions over time it was interesting how many conversions gave them arms to deal the primary attack, even arms with spore clouds around them. The original design indicated that it's the spores themselves that are the source of the damage, so I just made it corrosive (acid) in nature to give it a damage type. For the hallucinations I didn't want to make a new table so leveraged off the confusion spell.

These sit at the bottom end of the level 5 encounter table and have a moderate encounter size making them sit in a middle ground for difficulty.

Basidirond (medium sized plant)

% In Lair: Dungeon Enc: Wilderness Enc: Treasure Type / XP:	60% Copse (1d4) / Grove (2d4) Thicket (2d4) / Grove (2d6) M, K / 660
Hit Dice: Armor Class: Save: Special Def.:	5+3** 4 F3 Plant immunities (charm, sleep, hold, stunning, poison; not designed for plants)
Movement: Attacks: Morale: Special Off.:	90’ (30’) 1 Corrosive Spores (4+ / 2d4 acid damage + asphyxiate) +2 Hallucinatory spores (save vs. poison or confused)

Basidironds are mobile fungoid monsters of orange colour with multiple stems for legs and an upward sloping cone shaped cap full of sooty black spores. The cap contains corrosive spores which the basidirond ejects on its prey. A successful hit inflicts acid damage and requires the victim to save vs. poison or asphyxiate due to spores clogging its respiratory tract. While asphyxiating but still conscious a -2 penalty on all attack, saving, and proficiency throws is applied to the victim. The victim will be rendered unconscious due to asphyxiation in 1d4+1 rounds, and die within a turn unless a cure is applied through magical or other means (eg. cure disease spell, healing proficiency or panacea chemicals).

Basidirond can also eject hallucinatory spores once per turn. Hallucinatory spores are ejected silently and form an invisible cloud centered around it with a 30" radius, the cloud is stationary and does not follow the Basidirond. Creatures within the cloud must save vs. poison or suffer from hallucinations. While suffering from hallucination the player is confused as per the spell of the same name, if they wish they can describe the nature of the hallucination that matches the effect on the confusion table. As long as the player is within the cloud they must continue to save, on exiting the cloud the hallucinations end after 1d4+1 rounds. The cloud lasts for 12 rounds but may be dissipated earlier in strong winds. 

Objects such as breathers or other materials that protect from inhaling poisons render the victim immune to the asphyxiation effect of the corrosive spores and from the hallucinatory spores. Basidironds are immune to charm, sleep, and hold spells, to stunning, and to poisons not designed to work on fungi.

Notes

One special is from the plant quality. I was tempted to go higher hit dice but settled on a bigger bonus hp. The AC was set to the monster's hit dice and is one lower than the original. 

I tried to mimic the asphyxiate on choking with a more realistic death time rather than a simple save or die.

Damage is low, poison makes up for it and as such I didn’t give this a full special. Combined with the spores I grant the second special.

Battle Robots

With my random encounter tables I’m building for the world ship I need more bots! (As you may have guessed by now I like big bots and I can not lie) I need there to be a chance of a visitor wandering monster encounters at most levels. As such I made the following two to fill the gap in high tech robots on dungeons level 3 and 4. The rogues, while technological, represent less a visitor encounter and more an automaton (or undead) equivalent.

Battle Robots

The infamous visitor warbot is the most commonly known and feared combat robot, but many other designs are seen across the worldship. The security bot and battle drones remain in equally common use by the visitors but serve very different roles.

The security bot is a humanoid robot designed to be tall and imposing to the visitors, though somewhat short to humans it remains imposing due to the threat it poses with its inbuilt weapons. Disconnected from their control systems many of these bots patrol the ship to this day patrolling old ritualistic paths and attacking all who cross them.

Battle drones on the other hand are bulky medium sized floating drones, similar to scout drones, that were created for rapid response combat and urban military dominance. While as intelligent as other military robots deployed by the visitors they are known to be more on the side of trigger happy than not. Aside from a plasma launcher they also possess a tractor beam for detaining captives and allowing them to manipulate doors and obstacles in a crowded urban environment.

Battle robots (Medium Machines)

	Security Bot	Battle Drone
% In Lair: Dungeon Enc: Wilderness Enc: Treasure Type / XP:	None Unit (1d3) Assault Unit (1d6) Special / 135	None Unit (1d8) Assault Unit (2d6) Special / 190
Hit Dice: Armor Class: Save: Special Def.:	4* 6 F2 Immunities (machine), vulnerable (electric), Lightning Paralysis (Save +2)	4** 7 F2 Immunities (machine), vulnerable (electric), Lightning Paralysis (Save +2)
Movement: Attacks: Morale: Special Off.:	90’ (30’) Plasma launcher  (7+/ 2d6/ 210’ range) or  stun strike (7+/ 1d3 + paralysis) N/A Etheric communication (500’), detect invisible	180’ (60’) Plasma stub-cannon  (7+/ 2d8/ 150’ range) N/A Etheric communication (500’), detect invisible, tractor beam (60')

These visitor robots are made of the same materials and possess the same virtual intelligences as other robots, following all the standard robot rules presented on page 81 in Barbarian Conquerors of Kanahu. As military robots both have hardened electronics, similar to warbots, and enjoy a +2 bonus to this saving throw when resisting electrical paralysis.

Security bot: These 5' tall humanoid robots were originally designed to serve as light security or personal bodyguards and lack the massive armor and heavy combat weaponry found in the military warbot. In their right arm they possess an inbuilt plasma launcher that may fire to a range of 210'. They also possess a melee stun prod that retracts from a housing on their left forearm. The stun prod deals 1d3 electrical damage per hit; any living creature or robot hit must also make a successful saving throw vs. Paralysis or be paralyzed for 1d6 rounds. Security bots also possess fully functional hands and are programmed to use all modern and archaic weaponry, though they cannot use their inbuilt weapons when using handheld weapons.

Battle drone: These reinforced saucer-shaped hover drones are 3' across and 2' high. They possess an inbuilt plasma stub-cannon as their primary weapon that may fire out to 120'. Their secondary weapon consists of a tractor beam similar to those on the larger saucers commonly used by the visitors. The tractor beam is usable once per combat round in addition to its plasma stub-cannon against creatures within 60' that are of large size or smaller. A creature hit by the tractor beam must make a successful saving throw vs. Petrification or be captured by the beam rendering them grabbed. The beam does no damage to the creature but in subsequent rounds the drone may take an action in lieu of an attack to move the victim at a rate of 10’ per round in any direction, even into the air, so long as they stay within 60' of the drone. While holding a victim the drone may still move but must stay within 60' of the victim. On its subsequent initiatives, the tractor beam’s victim may attempt another save vs. Petrification to wrest itself free from the beam. If the save succeeds and the victim has been lifted into the air they escape the beam and fall to earth (incurring regular falling damage) if not able to fly. The drone can only hold one victim at a time with its tractor beam, but may drop the hold on its victim at any time if a more interesting target becomes available or it wishes to move.

New item: battle droids

When found shut down these robots can be reprogrammed to aid the players using the rules found on page 103 of Barbarian Conquerors of Kanahu.

Security bot: These multirole humanoid robots stand 5" tall, they are equipped for a wide range of combat duties but are most commonly used as on site security or bodyguards. Their combat statistics and inbuilt weaponry is detailed in their monster details above. The robot weighs 400lbs and is capable of reasonable walking speed. The security bot is of modest intelligence, being able to fight autonomously using simplistic tactics. A security bot requires 3 energy crystals per day of operation and has space for 15 total crystals.

Battle drone: these durable rapid response saucer-shaped hover drones are 3' across and 2' high, weighing around 400 lbs. Their combat statistics and inbuilt weaponry is detailed in their monster details above. Their hover function makes them the most maneuverable if the Visitor battle robots. The battle drone is of modest intelligence and has advanced reconnaissance capabilities hardcoded in making it excellent for patrol and monitoring duties. Similar to a scout drone they possess onboard holographic and audit storage systems allowing the drone’s operator to review its observations upon its return. A battle drone requires 4 energy crystals per day of operation and has space for 20 total crystals.

Notes

While the same hit dice these fall on separate random encounter table levels. As such the bot is at the upper end of its xp boundary so I gave it less numbers, which fits its function nicely. For the drone it has higher numbers, making it a deadly swarm at a higher level (those tractor beams!).

The built in weapons on the bot are separate attack modes so I didn’t add a special.

The tractor beam takes the abductor special and retools it to a smaller battleground. It’s an additional attack so very much a special.

The Players Starting Map

So far I have been exploring the world ship and populating the various regions. But that's not what my players see. At its heart this is supposed to be a bit of a hex crawl, inspired by the "Isle of Dread" and "Tomb of Annihilation" style of play, just with aliens in addition to the dinosaurs.

So as a quick post, here is my player side map (6 mile hex):

The map is centered around the Gaumont Empire, the starting area. Specifically it assumes the players start around Watchtower Avril, which I will detail over some coming posts. Basic details of the Terran Enclave are present, but if you recall my earlier post there are some missing elements here (state secrets).

I'm also thinking I need a better campaign title other than the world ship, but I'm not sure where to start, any tips? Or do you think its fine as is?

The Bugman Scavenger

I have always been curious about the bugman racial class in Barbarian Conquerors of Kanahu and the unused bugman 1. But what’s half way between a drone and a Queen? Well, research says it’s an ergatoid, sometimes more like a Queen but usually more like a Worker, sometimes radically different to either. So then I was reading about the Zhuzzh in TSAO: These Stars Are Ours! (who I see as related to bugmen) and found a section about their salvaged robots and alchemy. Which triggered me of course, a mechanist bugman! The bugman 1 racial class comes with the alchemy side given it can make potions, all I need to add is the automatons. Given I am seeing them as an ergatoid female I will retain the nest of the Ovate. This turned out a little like a thief/mechanist/bard, given the Ovate already is a bard by its title it makes the scavenger a really odd hybrid. Overall I'm really happy with how this odd fusion class worked out.

Bugman Scavenger

Prime Requisite: 
DEX and INT

Requirements:
DEX 9 and CON 9

Hit Dice: 1d4

Maximum Level: 12

Bugman scavengers are a rarity in bugman society. They are ergatoids, wingless queens, who appear to be male dredgers but develop into full queens as they mature. They are the same size, color and appearance as workers but have the personality and mindset of an ovate, though they focus this more towards automatons and alchemy. Being incapable of flight they tend to scavenge and forage along with other dredgers when immature and eventually turn their abilities towards constructing automatons made of scavenged materials and concocting alchemical mixtures to further their goals. Fully mature scavengers can found nests similar to ovates though they are often less elaborate as they continue to focus on their unique abilities and skills.

Bugman scavengers must learn to defend themselves as they forage for materials, but they do not develop advanced martial skills. At first level, bugman scavengers hit an unarmored foe (AC 0) with an attack throw of 10+. They advance in attack throws and saving throws by two points every four levels of experience (i.e. the same as thieves). Their short stature prevents them from using larger human weapons such as two-handed swords and longbows, they may use any one-handed melee weapon and all missile weapons except for longbows and arbalests. They are not trained to use shields but may fight two-handed (using one-handed melee weapons), or dual wield weapons. They may perform one cleave attack per two levels of experience. The race’s heavy chitinous carapace provides a +1 bonus to AC, but prevents them from wearing any significant armor heavier than Leather.

Like the cockroaches they resemble, bugmen are sturdy and are hard to kill. When they are required to consult the Mortal Wounds table the player may roll twice selecting the preferred result to apply, the character also subtracts their class level from the number of days of bed rest required to recover. They also possess the survivability of cockroaches, and thus are immune to all forms of disease, including magical diseases such as those caused by spells, mummies, or lycanthropes, as well as to all forms of poison, including magical poisons.

Bugmen are nocturnal creatures, able to sense minute movements of air with their long and extra-sensitive antennae, granting them blindsight to a range of 60’. This blindsight functions like infravision, except it is not affected by light sources, magical darkness, or other visual phenomena but rendered useless in high wind. These same antennae grant heightened insect senses providing a +1 bonus to avoid surprise and a +4 bonus on any proficiency throws to hear noises and detect secret doors. With a proficiency throw of 18+ they can notice secret doors with just casual inspection.

All bugmen begin play knowing their native language as well as the common tongue of the human society around them (plus any bonus languages provided by a high INT). They can speak human languages readily, though with a heavy accent. Humans find it difficult to speak the bugman language and suffer a -2 penalty to Reaction rolls with bugmen when trying to speak to them in their native language.

As they mature, bugman scavengers develop parapsychic abilities. The first ability to manifest is a kinship with arthropods and fungi. Scavengers can identify arthropods and fungi with a proficiency throw of 11+, and understand the subtle body language and moods of arthropods and fungal creatures (though they may not understand the character) automatically. This grants them a +2 to all reaction rolls when encountering normal and giant arthropods and fungal creatures, and allows them to take giant arthropods and fungal creatures as henchmen. They also can speak with arthropods at will (treat as the speak with animals spell but the power works with natural or giant arthropods instead of animals).

As consummate scavengers they are well known to other bugmen and human traders. Due to this mercantile network, bugmen who buy and sell equipment, hire retainers, and engage in mercantile ventures in a market they have previously visited, treat the market as if it were one market class larger than its actual size. (Class I markets remain Class I markets).

However, bugmen are alien beings and thus suffer a -2 penalty to the reactions, loyalty, and morale of humans and other humanoids. Conversely, they get a +2 bonus to the reactions, loyalty, and morale of their own kind. Though being similar to the more common dredgers they are less respected and not subject to the same reverence as ovates limiting them to possessing one less henchman than they would normally be allowed.

As ergatoids (meaning “like workers”) they have a lot in common with the common dredger and are opportunists in nature. They may move silently, climb walls, hide in shadows and backstab as a thief of their level.

The bugman scavenger is also a wingless queen, and as such they have the same longevity of lifespan as ovates with a lifespan three times longer than dredgers. Their physical robustness also grants them immunity to ghoul paralysis.

While not as developed in their parapsychic abilities as the Ovate, scavengers nonetheless dabble in the arcane. They may attempt to use wands, staffs, and other magic items only usable by mages. At 1st level, the character must make a proficiency throw of 18+ on 1d20 or the attempt backfires in some desultory way (Judge’s discretion). The proficiency throw required reduces by 2 per level, to a minimum of 3+.

Their arcane knowledge and keen senses grant them an antennae for potions. A scavenger may make a proficiency throw of 11+ to determine the magical properties of a potion or oil based on its scent and emanations.

Another of the scavenger's abilities derived from their heightened knowledge and bugman nature is their ability to design, build, and repair automatons. Automatons are machines similar to magical constructs, but using clockwork, steam engines, gears, and valves in place of dweomercraft. Rules relating to this ability are available in the machinery to the max Autarch Patreon article or in the Dwarven Mechanist in the Companion. As is their namesake they are always on the lookout for parts and materials in which to build their cobbled together devices and possess the scavenging proficiency. Finally their constant experimentation with automatons sees them tinkering and adding to a personal automaton throughout their careers that requires constant maintenance (as the personal automaton proficiency).

Upon attaining 4th level, a scavenger gains the ability to read languages (as a thief) with a proficiency throw of 5+ on 1d20. If the roll does not succeed, the scavenger may not try to read that particular piece of writing until they reach a higher level of experience.

Bugmen scavengers learn to use their senses and scavenging skills to concoct alchemical mixtures. Starting at 5th level (ergatoid imago) they can brew potions as mages of their class level.

When a scavenger reaches 9th level (Regess), they become fertile. If a scavenger establishes a nest, it will attract 2d6 bugman dredgers of 1st-3rd level who desire to breed. These bugmen will supervise the construction of an elaborate warren to contain their young. These nests follow all the rules found within the Bugman Ovate class on page 23 in Barbarian Conquerors of Kanahu. As they are less respected than winged queens their nests are smaller and less impressive causing them to suffer -1 to domain morale as a result.

At 10th level, a bugman scavenger can read and cast magic from arcane scrolls with a proficiency throw of 3+ on 1d20. However, a failed throw means the spell does not function as expected, and can create a horrible effect (Judge’s discretion).

Bugman Scavenger Proficiency List (30): Alien Lore, Bargaining, Bribery, Caving, Combat Reflexes, Combat Trickery (disarm, incapacitate), Command, Craft, Eavesdropping, Engineering, Fighting Style, Gambling, Inventing, Jury Rigging, Language, Leadership, Loremastery, Mechanical Engineering, Passing Without Trace, Precise Shooting, Running, Scavenging, Sensing Power, Skirmishing, Swashbuckling, Technological Dabbling, Tinkering, Trapping, Weapon Finesse.

Adventurous Nymph Template: This pre-generated template represents a young bugman scavenger who forages far and wide having learned to survive in a harsh world. The template is ready for adventure. However, if your scavenger’s INT is 13 or greater, you may pick one or more additional general proficiencies before play if you’d like (see Starting Proficiencies in Chapter 4 of ACKS).

Template: Adventurous Nymph
Proficiencies: Swashbuckling, Survival
Personal Automaton: A scavenged Praetor automaton with a massive visitor warbot claw made of hybrid parts (as combat wombat with -2 To Hit and +2 Damage (balanced out bonus and negative representing the massive unwieldy claw) and +30ft move from extra ## from scavenging proficiency reduction in cost).
Starting Equipment: Chitin backpack, brown leather armor, short sword fashioned from giant insect chitin, shortbow with 20 arrows in a quiver, blanket from fungal fibers, machinist’s tools, 1 week’s iron rations, waterskin, cheap jewelry worth 5gp, 50’ rope, grappling hook, 15gp in a small purse (4 2/6 st., Move 120’/40’).

Bugman Scavenger Level Progression

Exp.	Title	Lvl.	Hit Dice	Move Silently	Climb Walls	Hide In Shadows	Backstab	Arcane Dabbling	Design/ build/ repair automatons
0	Wingless Nymph	1	1d4	17+	6+	19+	x2	18+	17+
1,800	Bug Forager	2	2d4	16+	5+	18+	x2	16+	16+
3,600	Bug Shaper	3	3d4	15+	5+	17+	x2	14+	15+
7,200	One-Roach	4	4d4	14+	4+	16+	x2	12+	14+
14,400	Ergatoid Imago	5	5d4	13+	4+	15+	x3	10+	13+
28,800	Insect Fabricator	6	6d4	12+	4+	14+	x3	8+	12+
60,000	Insect Inventor	7	7d4	10+	3+	12+	x3	6+	11+
120,000	Heir Apparent	8	8d4	8+	3+	10+	x3	4+	10+
245,000	Regess	9	9d4	6+	3+	8+	x4	3+	9+
370,000	Regess, 10th level	10	9d4+2*	4+	3+	6+	x4	3+	8+
495,000	Regess, 11th level	11	9d4+4*	2+	2+	4+	x4	3+	7+
620,000	Regess, 12th level	12	9d4+6*	2+	2+	3+	x4	3+	6+

Bugman Scavenger (Thief) Attack and Saving Throws

Level	Petrifaction & Paralysis	Poison & Death	Blast & Breath	Staffs & Wands	Spells	Attack Throw
1-2	13+	13+	16+	14+	15+	10+
3-4	12+	12+	15+	13+	14+	9+
5-6	11+	11+	14+	12+	13+	8+
7-8	10+	10+	13+	11+	12+	7+
9-10	9+	9+	12+	10+	11+	6+
11-12	8+	8+	11+	9+	10+	5+

Bugman Scavenger build notes

Allocations: FTR 1b (thief), THF 3, BGM 1
Max level: 12
Weapons (broad): any one-handed or missile weapons.  Due to their short stature, bugmen can never use two handed swords or longbows, regardless of their Fighting Value.
Armor (narrow): Leather
Flaw: Reverse Leadership, granting a power.
Powers: 11 total, 10 from thief plus 1 from flaw
   Scavenger unique powers (5):
   Power (3): design build and repair automatons
   Power (1): Personal automaton
   Power (1): Scavenging
   Ovate related powers (2):
   Power (1): Arcane dabbling (ovate means bard)
   Tradeoff (1): for 4/10
      Power at 4: read languages
      Power at 10: read scroll
   Dredger related powers (4):
   Power (1): Move silently
   Power (1): Climb walls
   Power (1): Hide in shadows
   Power (1): Backstab
Save: Save as thief
Magic items: thief
Requirements and Prime requisites: While they technically only need DEX I added INT to make them similar to the Ovate and due to the heavy Automaton skills which I see as INT based.
Post 9 hp: as thief = 2 per level
XP: 500+750+550 = 1,800; round 7 up to 60,000; Post 8 = THF 100,000 per level plus Bugman 25,000
Proficiencies: Blended Ovate, Bugman and Human Mechanist. I don't use alien intuition (the double proficiency) in my games so have not added it to the proficiency list. Dredger probably shouldn't have ambushing and climbing either given it has the thief skills so I didn't add them here.
Notes:
This becomes a bit of a mechanist/bard hybrid. I deliberately aimed for level 11 max at the start to equal the Ovate. The flaw is a bit of an experiment, I wanted to borrow the Ovate domain but make it lesser, so I gave it an inverted Leadership proficiency. This has an effect out of the gate reducing henchmen numbers and can be made much worse if you have poor charisma. Leadership can be taken to counter it, but it just returns you to the baseline of other classes.
I house rule both the Ovate and Dredger to use the two-handed and duel wield styles using the text presented here. This is done as they have not received a tradeoff benefit for their lack in their build, also the ovate on page 21 has two daggers or swords which doesn’t help.

Edit after release

In my excitement to build this one I forgot how to count. I gave it HD1 and 5 core class values where it can only have 4. Of all the things to remove I couldn't touch the FTR 1 or the THF 3 as they are core flavor so HD took the hit. This adds a level and I dropped alertness from the proficiency list given its already a double up and eavesdropping is present.

This makes it different to the other bugmen classes having a 1d4 HD. I do wonder if a simple fix to restore it would be to house rule that bugman 1 gets “survivability” ie HD1, which would enforce this d6 hit dice for the bugman ranked classes. This would grant an extra level to the ovate which would be nice as it gives it access to caster level 9 and crafting items under the Axioms 7 “Alternate Progressions for the arcane values”. I am not sure about this right now as I think that flight was buried in Bugman 2 to limit its availability, but then hit dice is often not a preferred ability anyway as it doesn't grant class powers. If you did use this house rule this class would return to the xp track of 2,300/7 to 75,000/Post 8 125,000.

I have restored this class to the non-house rule version either way while I contemplate this house rule. Thematically this house rule could fits those above dredger being bigger, which insect sort of do for non-worker casts… But maybe it does make sense for this to have d4 hit dice as it doesn't live the rough and tumble life of a dredger and focuses on abilities like a thief or mage would… As it is you could build a bugman d4 hit dice class at bugman 0 and this house rule wound't stop that... Oh the turmoil, aren't house rules and setting thinking fun...