Defiler

(Version 1.00 - Last Modified: 07/12/2002)

History

The Defilers are rare creatures within the Zerg Swarm, although the exact reasons for this have always been unclear. It is known that these creatures specialize in producing and using bio-chemicals for various purposes. Similar to the Queens, these creatures are apparently support units that have little combat purpose when not used in conjunction with other Zerg strains. The Defilers are also the only Zerg strain that apparently practices cannibalism and will consume other Zerg creature, including other Defilers, to regain lost strength.

The Defilers are vaguely scorpion shaped, but it is not known what their original creature looked like or how and why it lived with so many toxins coursing through its system. It is assumed that the original creatures lived on a very harsh planet, where these toxins permeated the local atmosphere, where every creature would have had to adapt to the toxins or be killed by them.

Defilers will often sneak close to an enemy camp prior to combat and use some of its abilities against the enemies. Once the Defiler has used its toxins it will burrow itself underground and wait for the Zerg Swarm to overrun the enemy before revealing itself again. In case of a close battle or where the enemy is beating back the Zerg, the Defiler will rejoin the battle to use its toxins once again, before burrowing down to avoid its own destruction.

Racial Statistics

• Racial Type: Zerg, Supernatural Creature - Minor
• Alignment: None, considered to be an evil animal.
• Attributes:
  
  • I.Q.: High Animal Intelligence, considered an IQ of 7.
  • M.E.: 16 (14+1D4)
  • M.A.: 3 (1D6)
  • P.S.: 12 * (10+1D4)
  • P.P.: 12 (10+1D4)
  • P.E.: 14 * (12+1D4)
  • P.B.: 2 (1D4)
  • Spd: 10 (8+1D4)
  • * PS and PE are considered supernatural
• Size: 2' (0.6 m) high, 4' (1.2 m) wide, and 6' (1.8 m) in length.
• Weight: 280 lbs (127 kg)
• M.D.C.: 76 in magic rich areas (PE attribute x4 +1D4x10)
• M.D.C. Armor Rating: See ability number 3, Armor, under the Natural Abilities section.
• S.D.C.: 40 in non-magic rich areas (2D4x10)
• Hit Points: 58 in non-magic rich areas (PE attribute x2 +1D6x10)
• Armor Rating: See ability number 3, Armor, under the Natural Abilities section.
• Average Life Span: 160 years after transforming from a Larva.
• Horror Factor: 14
• P.P.E.: 270 (1D6x10+240)
• Magic Powers: None
• Natural Abilities:
  
  1. Dark Swarm:
     
     By releasing a great cloud of toxic cells into an area, the Defiler can make targeting anything within this cloud almost impossible, but shooting out of the cloud still remains easy. This cloud uses special cells that function in a similar manner as a one-way mirror. From one direction light is reflected, but from the other direction it is allowed to pass straight through. Creatures shooting into the Dark Swarm suffer a penalty of -10 to strike and all damage is reduced by 75%, shooting through the Dark Swarm at other targets within the swarm gives a penalty of only -5 to strike, but damage is still reduced by 50%. Physical attacks within the swarm suffer no penalties to strike or damage. Shooting from within the Dark Swarm at targets outside it generates no penalties to strike, but damage is reduced by 10%. The Dark Swarm covers an area with a radius of 40’ (12.2 m), and can be created up to 1000’ (305 m) away from the Defiler, and costs 100 PPE per use.
  2. Plague:
     
     The other useful ability of the Defiler is to fill an area with toxic cells that will eat through any material. These toxins will fill an area and then infect anything in that area. Once infected, targets are able to infect other targets for a short period of time through physical contact and the new targets will remain infected until the toxins decay naturally. Everything within the radius will become instantly infected and the toxins will last for 3D4 minutes after first being infected. While infected, all living creatures will lose 5% of their damage capacity every melee round, while inanimate targets will lose 2% of their damage capacity every melee round, rounding all fractions up. For example, a tank with 200 M.D.C. in its main body would lose 4 M.D.C. per melee, while a normal person with 30 S.D.C. and 15 Hit Points will take 3 points of damage per melee (30+15=45 * 5% = 2.25 = 3), first the damage will be removed from the S.D.C., but eventually the person will take hit point damage. The plague covers an area with a radius of 50' (15.2 m), can be created up to 500' (152.4 m) away from the Defiler, and costs 150 PPE per use.
  3. Consume:
     
     The Defiler has a special ability that has been designed by the Overmind so that the creature can continue to be useful during longer battles. Since its other abilities cost so much PPE, the Overmind needed a way to quickly recharge the creatures without forcing them to return to the Creep. The only available solution was using other Zerg creatures and sacrificing them. When a Defiler consumes another creature it gains back PPE equal to the creature's current M.D.C. value, in addition to the standard amount gained from sacrificing a creature, which is double its current PPE value.
  4. Burrow:
     
     Many land-based Zerg creatures have the ability to burrow underground. This provides the Zerg some measure of protection from attacks and allows them to ambush unsuspecting opponents. The Zerg creatures can burrow up to 100’ (30.5 m) in soil, sand, and similar material and only 10’ (3.1 m) in solid rock. Opponents have a penalty of -25% to their detect ambush skill when trying to find a burrowed Zergling.
  5. Armor:
     
     All Zerg creatures have incredibly tough exoskeletons that reduce the damage that they receive from any incoming attacks. Reduce all damage, either from normal or magical attacks, by 7 points. For example, if a volley of mini-missiles inflicted 66 points of damage, it would be reduced to 59 points of damage. Damage cannot be reduced below zero. The creature has an M.D.C. Armor Rating of 6 in magic-rich environments.
  6. Regeneration:
     
     A feature from the original Zerg creature, the Defiler can regenerate at an amazing rate, and can regenerate whole limbs and body parts. The creature regenerates at a rate of 5 M.D.C. per melee. It will take two minutes to regenerate a leg, ten minutes to regenerate an eye, ten minutes to regenerate its jaw, and five minutes to regenerate a claw arm.
  7. Hive Mind Immunities:
     
     From the fact that at a basic level all Zerg share the same mind as the Overmind, individual Zerg creatures are very resilient to mental attacks. Any mind altering or mind affecting spells or psionic powers such as sleep, possession, or hypnotic suggestion will not work on a Zerg creature. This also functions as a permanent Mind Block on all Zerg creatures.
  8. Survival Instincts and Immunities:
     
     From the ingrained survival instincts that were developed by evolution and the Xel’Naga, and incorporated by the Overmind, all Zerg creatures are immune to diseases, toxins, poisons, and gases, both normal and supernatural. The Zerg are also unaffected by Horror Factor and Awe Factor and any attempts to intimidate them. With the assimilation of several space borne creatures, all Zerg can function completely normally in space, in an atmosphere, or underwater, with no maximum depth, with no penalties. Zerg creatures can survive temperatures between -200 to 500 degrees Celsius. Land based Zerg creatures have no way of propelling themselves in space besides pushing off from solid structures.


• Combat Skills: 3 attacks per melee, +1 to strike, +2 to parry, and +1 to dodge.
• Damage: A Claw Crush inflicts 3D4 M.D. with a W.R. (Weapon Rating) of 6, a Bite inflicts 1D6 M.D. with a W.R. of 6, and a Ram Attack inflicts 1D4 M.D. with a W.R. of 6. Increase W.R. of all attacks by +1 for every four points of supernatural PS above 10 (at values 14, 18, 22, etc.). In non magic-rich environments, attacks inflict S.D.C. damage, but normal PS damage bonuses apply.
• Bonuses: +5 to save vs. all types of magic and +5 to save vs. psionics (counts as a non-psychic).
• Penalties: Defilers can be considered cowardly and will often attempt to run away from a battle unless directly controlled by an Overlord, a Cerebrate, or the Overmind.
• Natural Skills:
  
  • Land Navigation (60%)
  • Prowl (85%)
• Allies: The Zerg have no real allies, but since the death of the Overmind, several independent Cerebrates have banded together and given each other aid.
• Enemies: The Zerg have made many enemies over the millennia that they have been traveling throughout the galaxy.