Queen

(Version 1.00 - Last Modified: 07/15/2002)

History

The Zerg Queen commands a versatile force of parasites, bio-toxins, and smaller creatures. During the years of travel, the Overmind discovered many things that it found useful, but had little way to incorporate them into the swarm. This changed when the Overmind discovered a large creature on a remote planet. The creatures had a complex brain and coordinated large numbers of much smaller creatures in a vast hive structure, enabling all the different species to live peacefully. How such a strange pattern developed was irrelevant to the Overmind, all it cared about was that it had found a creature that had a brain complex enough to coordinate large numbers of small creatures.

The Queen’s body is covered and filled with several creatures and substances that have been specially designed by the Overmind. When needed, the Queen will imbue these creatures with magical energy, both to increase their effectiveness and their range, and then it will begin to replenish its supply of creatures before it is ready to perform another action.

Racial Statistics

• Alignment: None, considered to be an evil animal.
• Attributes:
  
  • I.Q.: High Animal Intelligence, considered an IQ of 6.
  • M.E.: 22 (20+1D4)
  • M.A.: 4 (1D6)
  • P.S.: 14 * (12+1D4)
  • P.P.: 18 (15+1D6)
  • P.E.: 14 * (12+1D4)
  • P.B.: 3 (1D6)
  • Spd: 200 mph (321.9 km/h)
  • * PS and PE are considered supernatural
• Size: 4’ (1.2 m) high, 4’ (1.2 m) wide, and 10’ (3.1 m) long
• Weight: 450 lbs (204.1 kg)
• M.D.C.: 142 in magic rich areas (PE attribute x8 +1D6x10)
• M.D.C. Armor Rating: See ability number 3, Armor, under the Natural Abilities section.
• S.D.C.: 80 in non-magic rich areas (4D4x10)
• Hit Points: 76 in non-magic rich areas (PE attribute x4 +1D4x10)
• Armor Rating: See ability number 3, Armor, under the Natural Abilities section.
• Average Life Span: 200 years after transforming from a Larva.
• Horror Factor: 13
• P.P.E.: 180 (1D6x10+140)
• Magic Powers: The creature has magical abilities that have been built into its genetic code by the Overmind. For an initial cost of 10 PPE and 1 PPE for every ten minutes thereafter, the creature can magically fly in space, and for an initial cost of 15 PPE and 2 PPE for every ten minutes thereafter, the creature can fly at ten times its original speed.
• Natural Abilities:
  
  1. Parasite:
     
     One of the creatures in the Queen has a special connection to the Zerg Swarm. Once it attaches itself, it will relay information instantly back to its Queen and then to the nearest Overlord. If the Queen is killed, there is a 50% chance it will not send information back to an Overlord until another Queen comes with 1 mile (1.6 km) of it. If the parasite attaches itself to a living organism it will quickly burrow into the creature, releasing a wide variety of painkillers so the host does not know what is happening. Once inside, the parasite will connect itself to the brain of its host and gain access to everything the host sees and hears. If the parasite attaches itself to an inanimate object, such as armor or a vehicle, it will only be able to send its location back to the Queen, similar to a tracking beacon. The parasite is able to burrow through any SDC material that is less than 5” (12.7 cm) thick, and any MDC material that has less than 1000 M.D.C. and is less than 3” (7.6 cm) thick. The parasite in a living host will live indefinitely, while one attached to an inanimate object will live for only five days, but a Queen can instantly and harmlessly kill one at any time. The Queen can fire a parasite at a range of 4000’ (1220 m) and has a bonus of +3 to strike. Firing each parasite costs the Queen 15 PPE and it can only create one parasite every minute. The Queen can have as many as four parasites ready at a time.
  2. Ensnaring Toxin:
     
     The Queen can fire a thick toxin-like substance that will cover a target and prevent its movement. This substance is similar to the acid spores built into the Devourers, but it does not contain any acid and slows the target even more. The toxin will affect everything within a 100’ (30.5 m) radius of where it hits. If the toxin affected a weapon mounted in a mobile turret, then the turret will lose 80% of its maneuverability, 50% of its total damage, and has a penalty of -6 to strike. If the toxin affects a fixed weapon mount then the weapon will lose 50% of its total damage and has a penalty of -5 to strike for each spore that hits that weapon. If the toxin affects a missile launcher, then there is a 20% chance that each missile fired from the launcher will explode as soon as it launches, if the missiles have a delayed arming then they will become stuck and no further missiles can be fired from that section of the launcher. The toxin will last for five minutes before decaying naturally. The Queen can fire the toxin at a range of 2 miles (3.2 km) and has a bonus of +3 to strike a specific target. It costs the Queen 10 PPE to use the toxin and it can be used no more than once per minute.
  3. Spawn Broodling:
     
     One of the most dangerous aspects of the Queen is its ability to create a Broodling. Each Broodling begins its life as a small egg cluster deep inside the Queen’s body and is fired from Queen at another living creature. With its limited ability to burrow into another creature, the Broodling will enter a foreign body and quickly develop by rapidly eating the host. After one melee of being hit by an egg cluster, the host will be eaten alive and a Broodling will arise. Similar to the parasite described above, the egg cluster is able to burrow through any SDC material that is less than 12” (30.5 cm) thick, and any MDC material that has less than 100 M.D.C. and is less than 6” (15.2 cm) thick. The Queen can fire an egg cluster at a range of 1000’ (305 m) and it costs 50 PPE to spawn a Broodling and it can only be used once every five minutes. The Queen can only have one Broodling egg cluster ready at any given time.
  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 6 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 8 M.D.C. per melee. It will take 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, +2 to strike, +2 to parry, and +5 to dodge.
• Damage: A Ram Attack inflicts 3D4 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.
• Bonuses: +3 to save vs. all types of magic, and +3 to save vs. psionics (counts as a non-psychic).
• Penalties: Queens do not enjoy fighting and when attacked they will often run away unless directed to stay by an Overlord, a Cerebrate, or the Overmind.
• Natural Skills:
  
  • Prowl (70%)
• 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.