Howdy! Last week, I took some time to provide some minor updates for my existing Zerg statblocks from a while back. I’m going to do more of the same this week. I’ll be grabbing the SC1 units that received minor variants in the later games and providing you stats for those. Let’s have a go at it!
Before we get started, here’s the Zerg subtype, in case you need a reminder.
Zerg
Zerg are a collection of creatures integrated into one collected hive mind by a being known as the Overmind. They are capable of metamorphosis into a variety of creatures via a shared repository of genetic information.
Traits: Fast healing 2; Zerg with a fly speed do not suffer the normal environmental effects of being in a vacuum.
Ultralisk Strains
The ultralisk was already a pretty tough foe last time around. This time, its even tougher. The noxious strain is all about dealing additional damage to creatures in an area while the torrasque deals less damage, but is significantly hardier.
Noxious CR 8
XP 4,800
N Huge aberration (zerg)
Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +21
Aura frightful presence (60 ft., DC 16)
DEFENSE
HP 125
EAC 20; KAC 22
Fort +10, Ref +10, Will +9
Defensive Abilities fast healing 2, ferocity; DR 10/adamantine
OFFENSE
Speed 40 ft.
Melee blades +19 (2d4+10 slashing plus 1d6 acid)
Space 15 ft.; Reach 15 ft.
STATISTICS
Str +6, Dex +2, Con +4, Int –3, Wis –1, Cha –2
Skills Perception +21
Languages Zerg
Other Abilities kaiser blades
ECOLOGY
Environment any
Organization solitary, pair, or pack (3–6)
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Kaiser Blades (Ex) A noxious’s blades ignore up to 30 points of hardness and are treated as adamantine alloy and magic for the purposes of damage reduction.
Noxious Blades (Ex) A noxious deals 1d6 damage to all creatures adjacent to its target on a hit. This damage is doubled if the attack is a critical hit.
The noxious ultralisk is a variant of the standard ultralisk. The ultralisk bonded to a toxic compound, which alters the ultralisk at a genetic level. The genetic changes infuse the ultralisk with toxic glands that allow it to emit a dangerous, acidic cloud as part of its attacks. This ability makes the noxious ultralisk particularly dangerous as it can harm multiple creatures at once, even while focusing on a specific target.
Torrasque CR 8
XP 4,800
N Huge aberration (zerg)
Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +21
Aura frightful presence (60 ft., DC 16)
DEFENSE
HP 125
EAC 20; KAC 22
Fort +10, Ref +10, Will +9
Defensive Abilities fast healing 2, ferocity, reincarnation; DR 10/adamantine
OFFENSE
Speed 40 ft.
Melee blades +19 (2d4+10)
Space 15 ft.; Reach 15 ft.
STATISTICS
Str +6, Dex +2, Con +4, Int –3, Wis –1, Cha –2
Skills Perception +21
Languages Zerg
Other Abilities kaiser blades
ECOLOGY
Environment any
Organization solitary, pair, or pack (3–6)
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Kaiser Blades (Ex) An torrasque’s blades ignore up to 30 points of hardness and are treated as adamantine alloy and magic for the purposes of damage reduction.
Reincarnation (Ex) Upon death, the torrasque enters a regenerative cocoon. The cocoon has 200 Hit Points and DR 10/adamantine. The cocoon hatches in 2d4+2 rounds, after which, the torrasque emerges with full Hit Points. If the cocoon is destroyed, the torrasque is fully destroyed and will not regenerate.
The torrasque ultralisk is a hardier strain of the ultralisk that is especially difficult to kill. The torrasque has a special ability to revert into a regenerative state when brought to the brink of death. The regenerative state allows the torrasque to return to full fighting form when defeated in combat. Only those with the firepower and capacity to destroy the torrasque in this regenerative state will be able to fully destroy this terror.
Zerg Queen Strain
The queen is significantly different in its Starcraft 2 iteration compared to the original unit. As such, I chose to create a variant of the queen with the new abilities found in the new game. This variant is known as the swarm queen.
Swarm Queen CR 6
XP 2,400
N Large aberration (zerg)
Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +18
DEFENSE
HP 90
EAC 18; KAC 20
Fort +8, Ref +5, Will +8
Defensive Abilities fast healing 2, transfusion
OFFENSE
Speed 20 ft.
Ranged chitin missile +16 (2d6+6 piercing)
Offensive Abilities create creep tumor, creep stride
STATISTICS
Str –1, Dex +2, Con +5, Int +1, Wis +2, Cha +3
Skills Perception +18
Languages Zerg
ECOLOGY
Environment any
Organization solitary, pair, or cluster (3–12)
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Burrow (Ex) A swarm queen can burrow into the ground as a standard action. The queen cannot attack or move while burrowed and is treated as invisible. Any abilities or effects that can see invisible creatures or dispel invisibility reveal a burrowed swarm queen. While burrowed, the queen gains blindsight (vibration) 30 feet.
Chitin Missile (Ex) A swarm queen’s missiles have a range of 60 feet.
Create Creep Tumor (Ex) As a move action, a swarm queen fires a small tumor at a point within 60 feet. The tumor instantly creates an area of creep in a 10-foot radius. The creep’s area increases by 5 feet every round on the swarm queen’s initiative, up to a total of a 40-foot radius. The creep is difficult terrain for all non-Zerg creatures. The creep tumor has an EAC and KAC of 15, hardness 5, and 25 Hit Points. Destroying the tumor instantly destroys the creep. The swarm queen can produce a new creep tumor once every 1d6 rounds.
Creep Stride (Ex) A swarm queen is empowered by creep. While moving through creep, the swarm queen gains a +1 bonus to EAC and KAC, a +2 bonus to Reflex saves, and a +20-foot bonus to speed.
Transfusion (Ex) As a standard action, a swarm queen can fire regenerative micro-organisms at a living creature within 30 feet. The creature instantly recovers 20 Hit Points. A swarm queen can use this ability once ever 1d4 rounds.
Queens are the wardens of the various Zerg hives, watching over Zerg eggs and maturing Zerg as they grow into living nightmares. Queens use their abilities to expand the vital creep that Zerg hives rest on, allowing the Zerg to expand into further territories. In addition, queens have the ability to heal fellow Zerg to allow them to keep fighting, making them particularly useful when traveling with other Zerg troops They have since evolved the ability to attack their enemies, though they prefer to defend their hives and fellow troops first, over entering the fray on their own.
That’s it for this week! If you end up introducing these zerg into your game or you have any request for a future Monstrous Physique, please drop me a line at KnowDirection@hotmail.com.
