Hivespawn

''This insect-like creature resembles a vaguely-humanoid scorpion without a stinger. It has scythe-like blades instead of pincers and a row of spines along its back.''

Hivespawn N magical beast --- Environment temperate or warm hills Organization solitary, pair, nest (3–6), or hive (7–28 drones, 3–6 hulks, 1 queen) Treasure none --- Receptive (Ex) A hivespawn doesn't speak or understand any language, but creatures with telepathy can use that special quality to communicate with hivespawn as if they had a language. Scythe-Like Claws (Ex) A hivespawn's scythe-shaped claws deal base and critical damage as if they were scythes designed for a creature one size smaller than the hivespawn, including that weapon's x4 critical multiplier. Spines (Ex) A hivespawn can loose a number of dart-like spines indicated in its ranged attack from its body as a standard action with a toss of its head or a lash of its tail. Make an attack roll for each spine—all targets must be within 30 feet of each other. The spines have a range increment of 120 ft. The creature can launch only 24 spines in any 24-hour period.

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Hivespawn Hatchling (CR 1) XP 400 N Small magical beast Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, tremorsense 60 ft.; Perception +8 --- AC 18, touch 13, flat-footed 16 (+2 Dex, +5 natural, +1 size) hp 9 (1d10+4) Fort +5, Ref +4, Will +1 Immune acid, disease, poison --- Speed 30 ft., burrow 20 ft. Melee 2 claws +2 (1d6/x4) Ranged 2 spines +4 (1d3) Special Attacks scythe-like claws, spines --- Str 10, Dex 14, Con 17, Int 1, Wis 13, Cha 6 Base Atk +1; CMB +0; CMD 12 (20 vs. trip) Feats Skill Focus (Perception) Skills Perception +8 SQ receptive

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Hivespawn Drone (CR 3) XP 800 N Large magical beast Init +0; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, tremorsense 60 ft.; Perception +10 --- AC 16, touch 9, flat-footed 16 (+7 natural, –1 size) hp 28 (3d10+12) Fort +6, Ref +3, Will +2 Immune acid, disease, poison --- Speed 30 ft., burrow 20 ft. Melee 2 claws +6 (2d4+3/x4) Ranged 2 spines +2 (1d6+3) Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft. Special Attacks scythe-like claws, spines --- Str 16, Dex 10, Con 17, Int 3, Wis 13, Cha 6 Base Atk +3; CMB +7; CMD 17 (25 vs. trip) Feats Skill Focus (Perception), Weapon Focus (claw) Skills Perception +10 SQ receptive

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Hivespawn Hulk (CR 7) XP 3,200 N Huge magical beast Init +6; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, tremorsense 60 ft.; Perception +11 --- AC 22, touch 10, flat-footed 20 (+2 Dex, +12 natural, –2 size) hp 84 (8d10+40) Fort +11, Ref +8, Will +5 Immune acid, disease, poison --- Speed 40 ft., burrow 20 ft. Melee 2 claws +13 (2d6+6/x4) Ranged 4 spines +8 (1d8+6) Space 15 ft.; Reach 10 ft. Special Attacks scythe-like claws, spines --- Str 23, Dex 15, Con 20, Int 3, Wis 13, Cha 6 Base Atk +8; CMB +16; CMD 28 (36 vs. trip) Feats Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Skill Focus (Perception), Weapon Focus (claw) Skills Perception +11 SQ receptive

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Hivespawn Queen (CR 14) XP 38,400 N Huge magical beast Init +8; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, tremorsense 60 ft.; Perception +27 --- AC 24, touch 12, flat-footed 20 (+4 Dex, +12 natural, –2 size) hp 202 (15d10+120); fast healing 10 Fort +17, Ref +13, Will +10 Immune acid, disease, mind-affecting, poison; SR 25 --- Speed 40 ft., burrow 20 ft. Melee 2 claws +22 (2d6+8/x4) Ranged 6 spines +23 (1d8+8) Space 15 ft.; Reach 15 ft. Special Attacks scythe-like claws, spines, terrain manipulation Spell-Like Abilities (CL 15th; concentration +21) 3/day—black tentacles (4th), creeping doom (7th) --- Str 26, Dex 18, Con 26, Int 21, Wis 17, Cha 22 Base Atk +15; CMB +25; CMD 39 (47 vs. trip) Feats Combat Reflexes, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Point-Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Skill Focus (Perception), Vital Strike, Weapon Focus (claw) Skills Climb +34, Craft (traps) +20, Knowledge (arcana) +20, Knowledge (planes) +20, Perception +27, Spellcraft +20, Use Magic Device +21 Languages telepathy 1 mile SQ extradimensional womb, receptive --- Extradimensional Womb (Ex) The interior of a hivespawn queen's body is linked to an extradimensional space in which she stores eggs and recent hatchlings. Only hivespawn eggs and hivespawn hatchlings can enter this space, which can easily hold two dozen of each. Only one egg or hivespawn hatchling can enter or exit the space per round. Eggs and hatchlings stored in the space do not count against the queen's carrying capacity. Terrain Manipulation (Su) As a full-round action that doesn't provoke attacks of opportunity, a hivespawn queen can thrust her hands into the ground to superimpose the features of her extradimensional womb onto the world around her. For as long as the queen remains in her space, and for 1 minute thereafter, all terrain within 100 feet of her is coated in alien sludge. All surfaces within that area count as difficult terrain for creatures other than hivespawn, and all hivespawn within that area that don't already have fast healing gain fast healing 1.

The hivespawn are a race of aggressive, insect-like creatures with a tendency to devour all in their path. Hivespawn queens are intelligent beings with potent magical abilities, but other hivespawn are possessed of an intelligence little greater than that of an animal. As a result, hivespawn queens spend most of their time supervising the actions of their less intelligent kin, though a many queens harbor ambitions beyond the maintenance of their hives.

Towards these ends, some queens experiment with strange alchemical processes and magical rituals, intent on mutating their kindred into new and more powerful forms. These projects lend themselves well to hivespawn, whose body chemistry is unusually malleable, but a few hivespawn queens also conduct such experiments on creatures other than hivespawn, often captives captured for that express purpose.

Mutagenic Drone (CR 4) A mutagenic drone is a hivespawn drone with the hybrid template (see "Creating a Hybrid," below). The evolution points of a typical mutagenic drone are spent on the breath weapon (acid) evolution or the flight evolution (wings, 50 ft. speed). Other common evolutions include bite, climb, increased damage, increased natural armor, and energy attacks (acid).

Mutagenic Hulk (CR 8) A mutagenic hulk is a hivespawn hulk with the hybrid template (see "Creating a Hybrid," below). The evolution points of a typical mutagenic hulk are spent on the following evolutions: claws, increased damage (claws), limbs (arms), rend, and trample.

Mutagenic Queen (CR 15) A mutagenic queen is a hivespawn queen with the hybrid template (see "Creating a Hybrid," below). The evolution points of a typical mutagenic queen are spent on the following evolutions: breath weapon (acid, 3/day) and energy attacks (acid).

Overseer (CR 14) When a hivespawn queen lives beyond her reproductive years, hormonal changes transform her into a bloated, balloon-like creature known as an overseer. She loses all other speeds and gains a fly speed of 30 feet (perfect). Though she no longer lays eggs, she retains the extradimensional womb special quality. Her extradimensional womb can hold drones in addition to hatchlings. Each drone counts as eight hatchlings when determining how many creatures the womb can hold.

 Creating a Hybrid "Hybrid" is a template that can be added to any living, corporeal creature, hereafter referred to as the base creature.

<p style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 19px; margin-top: 0px; ">CR As base creature +1.

<p style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 19px; margin-top: 0px; ">Other Statistics The base creature gains a number of evolution points equal to its (newly modified) Challenge Rating, up to a maximum of 8 evolution points. These points are spent on evolutions, as if the base creature were the eidolon of a summoner with a level equal to the base creature's racial Hit Dice.