Overlord

(Version 1.01 - Last Modified: 12/02/2005)

History

The Overlords were originally integrated into the Zerg Swarm to enable the Overmind to travel beyond its home planet, but as time passed the Overmind discovered unique features in the Overlords that could be easily manipulated. The Overmind discovered that the creatures were highly intelligent and were capable of perceiving advanced tactics and rudimentary strategies. When combined with Khaydarin Crystals for long-range communication and for magical abilities, the Overlords became the local commanders for the Zerg Swarm and the Cerebrates remained its generals.

A single Overlord is capable of commanding a large number of Zerg creatures simultaneously, by giving them simple commands and then moving on to another creature and checking back with the first creature to ensure that it was following with its instructions. The Overlord also has the unique ability, at least among the common Zerg strains, to cast magical spells and it can even cast the spells through other Zerg creatures. This ability, and its position above a battlefield, usually means that an Overlord will accompany a group of Zerg creatures towards an enemy in order to provide support.

Racial Statistics

• Alignment: None, considered to be an evil animal.
• Attributes:
  
  • I.Q.: High Animal Intelligence, considered an IQ of 14.
  • M.E.: 23 (20+1D6)
  • M.A.: 3 (1D6)
  • P.S.: 17 * (15+1D4)
  • P.P.: 14 (10+1D6)
  • P.E.: 18 * (15+1D6)
  • P.B.: 3 (1D6)
  • Spd: 150 mph (241.4 km/h)
  • * PS and PE are considered supernatural
• Size: 15’ (4.6 m) high, 20’ (6.1 m) wide, and 20’ (6.1 m) long
• Weight: 2 tons (1.8 metric tons)
• M.D.C.: 390 in magic rich areas (PE attribute x20 +1D6x10), each of its two tentacles has 10% of the M.D.C. of the main body.
• M.D.C. Armor Rating: See ability number 3, Armor, under the Natural Abilities section.
• S.D.C.: 250 in non-magic rich areas (6D6x10+40), each of its two tentacles has 10% of the S.D.C. of the main body.
• Hit Points: 200 in non-magic rich areas (PE attribute x10 +1D4x10)
• Armor Rating: See ability number 3, Armor, under the Natural Abilities section.
• Average Life Span: 300 years after transforming from a Larva.
• Horror Factor: 10
• P.P.E.: 300 (4D6x10+160)
• Magic Powers:
  
  1. Special Magical Abilities:
     
     The creature has magical abilities that have been built into its genetic code by the Overmind. For an initial cost of 5 PPE and 1 PPE for every ten minutes thereafter, the creature can magically fly in space, and for an initial cost of 7 PPE and 2 PPE for every ten minutes thereafter, the creature can fly at ten times its original speed.
  2. Spell Casting Abilities:
     
     The Overlord knows the following spells: Blinding Flash, Globe of Daylight, Armor of Ithan, Energy Bolt, Paralysis: Lesser, Carpet of Adhesion, Electric Arc, Fire Bolt, Mental Blast, Superhuman Speed, Call Lightning, Fire Ball, Dispel Magic Barriers, Sub-Particle Acceleration, Negate Magic, and Speed of the Snail.


• Natural Abilities:
  
  1. Ventral Transportation Sacs:
     
     The Overlord was originally brought into the Zerg Swarm as the primary means of transportation both on a planet and between the stars, but since then, Overlords have also been adapted to control other Zerg creatures; their transportation abilities have ceased being their primary purpose. By expending 150 PPE, an Overlord will increase its size and mass by ten times and becomes capable of carrying 1000 tons (907.2 metric tons) of cargo or Zerg creatures. This means that an Overlord can carry 5715 Hydralisks at a single time. The Overlord can stay in its transportation form indefinitely and can unload 100 tons (90.7 metric tons) every melee.
  2. Command Antennae:
     
     The Overlord is equipped with powerful antennae allows it to See the Invisible, See Aura, Sense Magic, Presence Sense, and Sense Dimensional Anomalies with a range of 100 miles (160 km). Everything the Overlord sees and senses can be instantly passed on to any Zerg creatures within 1000 miles (1600 km) of the Overlord. The Overlord is also capable of giving directions to up to 15,000 Zerg creatures of any type, although it can only completely control 400 creatures simultaneously. The Overlord can give directions to Zerg up to 10,000 miles (16,000 km) away, but it must be within 10 miles (16 km) for it to completely control a Zerg creature.
  3. Zerg Spell Casting:
     
     By using the Khaydarin Crystals that lace its body and the bodies of the other Zerg strains, the Overlord is able to cast spells through Zerg creatures within 1000 miles (1600 km) of it. The Overlord can cast up to four spells per melee in this manner, but no more than one spell can be cast through a single creature per melee and both the Overlord and the other Zerg creature must expend PPE to cast it. For example, if the Overlord wishes to cast a spell that costs 10 PPE, both itself and the Zerg creature it wishes to cast the spell through must expend the 10 PPE to cast it.
  4. 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 5 points. For example, if a volley of mini-missiles inflicted 66 points of damage, it would be reduced to 61 points of damage. Damage cannot be reduced below zero. The creature has an M.D.C. Armor Rating of 7 in magic-rich environments.
  5. Regeneration:
     
     A feature from the original Zerg creature, the Scourge 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 five minutes to regenerate a tentacle and ten minutes to regenerate an eye.
  6. 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.
  7. 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: 4 attacks per melee or 2 by magic, +3 to strike, +1 to parry, and +1 to dodge.
• Damage: A Tentacle Strike inflicts 3D6 M.D. with a W.R. of 7 and a Ram Attack inflicts 2D6 M.D. with a W.R. of 7. Increase W.R. of all attacks by +1 for every four points of supernatural PS above 14 (at values 18, 22, 26, etc.). In non magic-rich environments, attacks inflict S.D.C. damage, but normal PS damage bonuses apply.
• Combat Skills: +5 to save vs. all types of magic and +6 to save vs. psionics (counts as a non-psychic).
• Penalties: Overlords do not enjoy combat very much and tend to hang back during fights and never become involved unless attacked or absolutely necessary.
• Natural Skills:
  
  • Prowl (80%)
• 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.