Black Ant (giant)

Type	Giant Black Ant	Warrior
Species	insect (lasius niger gargantua)
No. Appearing	10-100	4-16
Behaviour	nest
Range	jungle, rainforest, savanna, taiga, woodland
Size	2 ft. long	3 ft. 6 in. long
Weight	17 lbs.	60 lbs.
Intelligence	0	0
Armour Class	4
Hit Dice	2	3
Action Points	5	6
Max. Stride	7
THAC0	20	19
Hp/Die	d2	d4
Attack Form	1: pincers
Damage	pincers (1-4)	(2-8)
Special Attack	swarm

Giant black ants are oversized, aggressive versions of their mundane counterparts, exhibiting the same social and territorial behaviours as smaller ants, operating in colonies that function with near-military precision. Each colony is centered around a nest, typically an underground structure with extensive tunnels and chambers. The nest is heavily guarded and serves as the central hub for the ants' foraging and defensive activities.

They are relentless foragers and defenders of their territory, driven by instinct and an advanced pheromone-based communication system. They rely on teamwork to overwhelm threats and protect their nest, coordinating in swarms to take down larger creatures or adventurers who disturb them. These ants are most commonly encountered as solitary foragers searching for food or resources to bring back to the colony. However, an encounter with one ant can quickly escalate into a battle with a large swarm if the colony is alerted.

Physically, giant black ants are formidable opponents. Their hard exoskeletons provide them with natural armour, while their strong mandibles are capable of delivering a meaningful damage given their multitude. Giant black ants are not poisonous.

Encounters

Encounters typically begin with the discovery of a solitary forager. This individual can be found anywhere from 75 yards to a quarter mile from its nest. Upon detecting a threat or disturbance, the ant will immediately release a pheromone that disperses rapidly, carried even by the slightest breeze. Within 2 to 5 rounds, the pheromone will be detected by other ants in the vicinity, each of whom will amplify the signal by releasing their own pheromone. This chain reaction ensures that a swarm of ants will converge on the original location.

The time it takes for the swarm to arrive depends on their distance from the nest. Calculate this by allowing one round per 25 yards between the nest and the location of the initial contact. If the nest's location is not already known, determine the distance by rolling 3d6 to generate a result of 3 to 18, multiplied by 25 yards, to establish how far away the nest is from the encounter. This mechanic ensures both unpredictability and an escalating sense of urgency during the encounter, as the longer the initial forager is active, the more time nearby ants have to respond.

Soon after the initial encounter, the party will hear the sound of giant black ants rustling through the undergrowth, approaching from multiple directions. The swarm gathers quickly, with 1–4 giant worker ants arriving per round for the first three rounds. After this initial wave, the arrival rate increases as the full colony is mobilized. Each subsequent round will see 1–2 warrior ants and 2–8 additional workers joining the fray, continuing until the intruders are either killed or driven at least 450 yards away from the nest. The swarming nature of the ants allows for two ants to occupy and attack from the same combat hex, making them particularly dangerous in close quarters.

The Nest

Finding the nest and its queen often requires a skilled tracker to follow the ants' movements back to their colony. In temperate climates, giant black ant nests are active only from early April to mid-September, with colony activity peaking in the late summer months. The number of workers present increases significantly as the season progresses, with an additional 10 workers in July, 20 in August, and 30 in September. These seasonal variations make late-summer encounters with the colony particularly hazardous.

Within the nest, three warriors always remain to protect the queen, ensuring that the heart of the colony is never undefended. However, during the early months of activity, in April and early May, the queen will lack attendants, making her somewhat more vulnerable. These dynamics add layers of strategy and risk for adventurers attempting to locate and neutralize the nest, forcing them to balance timing, tracking skills, and combat readiness against the relentless coordination of the colony.

Once the queen is located within the heart of the nest, she will be found bloated with eggs, making her incapable of fighting or fleeing. Her immobility does not diminish her importance, as she is the central figure of the colony, responsible for its reproduction and expansion. An adjoining chamber will typically contain 4–40 eggs at the time the nest is searched, representing the next generation of the colony. These eggs are carefully protected and may be surrounded by defensive workers or warriors, depending on the season and the activity level of the nest.

The queen’s immobility makes her a clear target for adventurers aiming to destroy the nest, but the process of reaching her requires overcoming waves of relentless ants and navigating the labyrinthine nest structure. The presence of eggs further complicates the situation, as failing to destroy every last one might neglect a queen egg, which would allow the lair to recover the following season.

Mating

On a warm day in middle to late September, nests in temperate climates will be full of activity as 3-30 young queens and drones, birthed in late August, will emerge from the nest and mate, flying above the nest. These queens will fight like warriors if met (6 hit dice each, 1d8 per die). The male drones, able to fight as warriors, will drop to the ground and die within a day or two. The young queens will bury themselves in random locations up to 3 miles distant, to wait dormant through the winter season before building a new nest in March-April.

In tropical and subtropical climates, black ant colonies will continue the year around. Double the number of ants present; mating will occur at the end of the wet season. Some colonies may be as large as ten times in size, with up to a thousand ants.

See Bestiary