Sunday 17 April 2011

They call him Swarm Breaker

So we now have snakes, beetles, spiders, ants, gigapedes and worms, both large and small, and some of these not even fully in our reality.

Humanspace really isn't looking like a space for humans who are squeamish.

Unless, born of a stray NetherWerks comment at the home blog ix, you find the man they call...


Suwár 'Debugger' Tar, 'Swarm Breaker'

An arachno-mutant turned from the hive, now a renowned underworld hire.

Born on the post-apocalyptic world of Hogintu, Suwár was adopted young by nekrobra smugglers when he showed an exceptional talent for charming. He was attacked on a run by space spiders and partially transformed, serving his arachnoid masters loyally before a dimensional distortion brought about by an unrecorded weapons test severed the connection. Discovered by a super-scientific explorer team, he was interned in a research establishment, before escaping into the underworld with other test subjects.

Suffering with an appearance deemed hideous by his fellow humans, Suwár is tolerated where known only on reputation. He lives for the thrill of partial re-infestation, infection, craving connection to hives and colonies and access to nests, wandering known space as the trails lead him. He desires order in the Kingdom, equilibrium among the stars, and is fervent in pursuit of a secret destiny, the climb to Over-Monarchy of all networks, achieved by force and intrigue. He has fought space bugs on a dozen planets and throughout the void, learning their behaviours and growing resistant to their attacks.

Suwár has swarming organisms on the back foot, or rather the back tarsal pad.


Name:          Suwár 'Debugger' Tar, 'Swarm Hunter'
Class + Level: Adventurer 4
Race + Sex:    Human male
Age:           23
Homeworld:     Hogintu

STR: 11
DEX: 13 (-1 AC / +1 ATT / +1 Save vs. Energy)
CON: 15 (+1 HP / +1 Save vs. Poison & Disease)
INT: 17 
PSY: 11
CHA:  7 (+1 Reaction Adj. / 3 Ret. / Ret. Morale 6)

HP: 19

AC + Armour: 6, still suit (AC 7)
Weapons: spinneret (tangle gun, 2 shot/meal, max. 6 stored, 1D6 initial; 1 shot = 50' rope), needle gun (1D3+3 clips), dagger, 1D6 smoke grenades, 1D3 stun grenades

Background skills: brawler, hunter +3, scavenger +1, survivalist +2, swimmer-diver
Class skills: primitive weapon (dagger), projectile pistol, projectile rifle
Powers: empathy (2/day), PSY luck (1/day)

Languages: Sunuz, communion with space spider, communion with swarm

CR + Gear: CR 2D6x10, preternatural senses (scan scope), regeneration (skin spray 1 dose/day), backpack, utility belt, canteen, climbing gear, med-kit, water skin, 1D3 survival rations

Notes: immune to space spider venom; re-rolls all Saves vs. Poison, as well as force tests against skrabs; may be accompanied by 1D3 suitable monsters, party to his schemes and under partial dominion


Design notes:

This is all based on the Humanspace Empires Playtest Draft of course, and heavily guided by the sample character up at ix, here, and the blog in general.

Given this guy will be at most an NPC, I bent the rules plenty. The first set of attribute rolls were unsuitable for the backstory so I rolled again and reordered the numbers. Given the homeworld's post-apocalyptic state, I used the skill equivalence in reverse to get only basic skills. Two of the languages are concocted 'communions'.

The partial transformation is assumed to have left a spinneret, preternatural senses and an ability to regenerate over time, represented by existing gear with tweaks. He has limited items and random amounts as the Playtest Draft doesn't yet cover everything.

I went to town on the notes too, but getting up close to all the bugs we've created is why he's here, and having a handful scuttling or slithering along with the group could be fun...
_

2 comments:

Needles said...

Awesome but I've also added Zombies as well! ;)
This is an NPC full of win! Very cool! I wonder if he'll survive the hornets though?

Porky said...

Thanks, but you're a step ahead of us at the moment! That's a great take on the zombie idea. Is there no limit to what those little guys can do?

Hornets..?