Hivebrood
by Jamie BatyFor detailed info on Hivebrood society, please look at the MMC- it is well worth looking at if you want to use these creatures.
Controller
DMR2 54, MMC 59
Medium Monstrous Humanoid
Hit Dice: 6d8+36 (63 hp)
Initiative: -2 (-2 Dex)
Speed: 15 ft. (3 squares)
Armour Class: 14 (-2 Dex, +6 natural), touch 8, flat-footed 14
Base Attack/Grapple: +6/+10
Attack: Claw +10 melee (1d4 +4)
Full Attack: Claw +10 melee (1d4 +4) and bite +5 melee (1d6 +2)
Space/Reach: 5 ft. /5 ft.
Special Attacks: Poison
Special Qualities: Controller hivemind powers, darkvision 60ft., immunity to blindness, vulnerability to fire
Saves: Fort +8, Ref +3, Will +6
Abilities: Str 18, Dex 6, Con 22, Int 16, Wis 12, Cha 16
Skills: Concentration +13, Gather Information +9, Listen +11, Sense Motive +9, Spot +11, Survival +9
Feats: Alertness, Die Hard, Endurance
Environment: Any underground
Organisation: Host (1 plus 60+ broodlings, 60+ soldiers, 1 lieutenant per 5 soldiers) or Colony (2-5 plus 60+ broodlings, 60+ soldiers, 1 lieutenant per 5 soldiers, and 1 mother)
Challenge Rating: 5
Treasure: Double Standard
Alignment: Always neutral evil
Advancement: 7-12 HD (Medium); 13-18 HD (Large)
Level Adjustment: -
Like the hivebrood mother, the controller is a sac-like creature as well- though somewhat more proficient in combat and much more intelligent.
While the mother may be the progenitor and spiritual leader of the hive, the controllers keep the hive running, expanding, and conquering. They determine which larva will be specially treated to create lieutenants, mothers and controllers rather than soldiers.
Also of great importance to the hive is the controller's decision on whether a captured victim will be turned into a broodling or will be devoured to absorb their abilities. Generally, low-level, non-spellcasting characters, commoners and others that are inferior to a typical hivebrood soldier will be infected with the hive larva. Higher level characters and creatures with powerful abilities are devoured alive by the controller to absorb their abilities.
The controllers' powers often cause the hive to reflect the cultures surrounding them. For instance, a hive located near a goblin-infested area will share may similarities with the goblins in terms of armament, amount and types of spellcasters, and even battlefield tactics. Hives near human settlements, or settlements of dangerous humanoids, can be very fearsome.
Combat
Although controllers can attack with a soldier's claws and paralytic bite, their main ability, called hivemind, remains much more fearsome. Their hivemind powers allow a controller to gain all the abilities of the creatures it eats, including any saving throws that improve on its own. It can pass on these abilities to any hivebrood member through airborne chemical emissions.
Controllers are excellent tacticians, and coordinate not only how those under them attack, but which scents are sent through out the hive at which time.
Poison (Ex): Any creature hit by a hivebrood controller's bite must make a Fortitude save vs DC 19 (Con based) or be paralysed for 2d8x10 rounds.
Controller Hivemind Powers (Ex): A Hivebrood controller gains the abilities and powers of any creature it devours (see above). These are stored as scents in the controller's memory. Typical abilities stored by the controller include spells, spell-like abilities, base attack bonuses, skill ranks, saving throws, feats, weapon proficiencies, and any special attacks and qualities not dependant on a specific physiology (such as poison). The controller may use or transmit these scents as desired. A controller may store the memory of an unlimited number of scents, but may only transmit or use one per round. The memory of these scents do not disappear until used or transmitted.
In addition to using scents to enhance itself, a hivebrood controller may also transmit a scent to all lieutenants, broodlings and soldiers within 180 ft. of it for their use. The scent travels 60ft per round, for three rounds before it disappears. This is a full round action, and the controller forgets any scent transmitted.
After a scent power has been used or transmitted, it disappears from the memory of the controller. The effect of a used scent is good for only one round. If the effect of a scent is a spell, the controller loses 1 hp only if it is used (and not transmitted).
Immunity to Blindness (Ex): A hivebrood controller does not suffer any ill-effects from being blinded. If the lieutenant is the target of a spell or ability that causes deafness while under a blindness effect, the controller suffers a -2 penalty to all attack rolls, damage rolls, and skill checks.
Vulnerability to Fire (Ex): Controllers take half again as much (+50%) damage as normal from fire, regardless of whether a saving throw is allowed, or if the save is a success or failure.