Difference between revisions of "Carpenter Ant (giant)"

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| name = Ant (giant carpenter)
 
| name = Ant (giant carpenter)
 
| species = insect (camponotini gargantua)
 
| species = insect (camponotini gargantua)
| noapp = 7-16 & queen
+
| noapp = 7-28 & queen
 
| behaviour = nest
 
| behaviour = nest
 
| range = taiga
 
| range = taiga
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| special = none
 
| special = none
 
}}
 
}}
All initial encounters with giant carpenter ants will be with one individual that is foraging, found within 500 yards of the creature's nest. If it is approached within four hexes, the ant will attack, clicking as it does. This will be a signal for others of its kind to hear (the sound will be picked up over a distance of 150 yards).
+
Encounters with giant carpenter ants are likely to start by encountering a forager.  This individual will be located from 100 to 600 yards from the nest. Upon contact, the ant will attack, clicking and releasing a pheromone that will quickly spread outwards.  This will bring 1-2 additional workers within 2-8 rounds. Following this first encounter, another like it will occur again, if the party presses towards the nest, with +1 additional worker appearing. Thereafter, all the remaining workers will be on high alert, remaining within 50 yards of the nest, for a period of 1 to 4 hours — at which time they will begin to forage again.
  
Soon the party will hear clicking coming from multiple directions. After the first round of combat, an additional carpenter ant will appear every d4+1 rounds until all but four ants are engaged in the fight. The last four ants will remain in the nest to protect the queen.
+
The queen will fight aggressively in her lair, after spending one [[Combat Round|round]] removing herself from her egg sack. All carpenter ants will fight to the death. Which each as large as a lion (and the queen bigger still), they will aggressively overbear opponents, pushing them from [[Combat Hex|hex]] to hex.
 
 
Because of their lack of [[Intelligence (ability stat)|intelligence]], carpenter ants will fight to the death. With each as large as a lion, they can aggressively overbear opponents very easily and will often attack using this method.
 
 
 
If the lair is entered, those guards will be encountered and an active queen. She cannot move quickly, but she will attack anyone within reach, to the death.
 
  
 
{{Bestiarychart
 
{{Bestiarychart
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}}
 
}}
  
There is a fair chance of finding treasure in a carpenter ant nest. Instead of carving up their victims before returning to their next, carpenter ants will pick up whole bodies of humanoids. The carcasses, once destroyed, will leave behind metal goods such as armor, weapons and coin — though soft goods such as clothes, leather and wood will be destroyed by enzymes or the damp.
+
There is a fair chance of finding treasure in a carpenter ant nest. Instead of carving up their victims before returning to their nest, carpenter ants will collect the whole body of humanoids they find. These carcasses, once destroyed, will leave behind metal goods such as armor, weapons and coin — though soft goods such as clothes, leather and wood will be destroyed by enzymes or the damp.
 
 
In northern climates, giant carpenter ants will be active only between the months of April and late September; the queens swarm in early September and for weeks the workers will cease to swarm but will attack as individuals.
 
  
 +
In northern climates, giant carpenter ants will be active only between the months of April and early October.  The queen will live for up to ten seasons; but she will birth 2-3 queens and 5-8 male drones (who are harmless).  These will emerge in the third week of September, mating in the air hundreds of feet above the next.  The males will die and the queens will start new nests within one to two miles of their origin.<br>
 +
<br>
 
See [[Bestiary|Bestiary]].
 
See [[Bestiary|Bestiary]].
  
 
[[Category:Bestiary]]
 
[[Category:Bestiary]]

Revision as of 19:09, 14 February 2020

Ant (giant carpenter)
Ant (giant carpenter)
Species insect (camponotini gargantua)
No. Appearing 7-28 & queen
Behaviour nest
Range taiga
Size 6 ft. long
Weight 480 lbs.
Intelligence 0
Armour Class 3
Hit Dice 6
Action Points 5
Max. Stride {{{stride}}}
THAC0 15
Hp/Die 2d4
Attack Forms pincers
Damage 2-12
Special Attacks none

Encounters with giant carpenter ants are likely to start by encountering a forager. This individual will be located from 100 to 600 yards from the nest. Upon contact, the ant will attack, clicking and releasing a pheromone that will quickly spread outwards. This will bring 1-2 additional workers within 2-8 rounds. Following this first encounter, another like it will occur again, if the party presses towards the nest, with +1 additional worker appearing. Thereafter, all the remaining workers will be on high alert, remaining within 50 yards of the nest, for a period of 1 to 4 hours — at which time they will begin to forage again.

The queen will fight aggressively in her lair, after spending one round removing herself from her egg sack. All carpenter ants will fight to the death. Which each as large as a lion (and the queen bigger still), they will aggressively overbear opponents, pushing them from hex to hex.

Ant Queen (giant carpenter)
Species insect (camponotini gargantua)
No. Appearing 1
Behaviour nest
Range taiga
Size 8 ft. 6 in. long
Weight 1,300 lbs.
Intelligence 0
Armour Class 4
Hit Dice 12
Action Points 2
Max. Stride {{{stride}}}
THAC0 12
Hp/Die d12
Attack Forms pincers
Damage 3-18
Special Attacks none

There is a fair chance of finding treasure in a carpenter ant nest. Instead of carving up their victims before returning to their nest, carpenter ants will collect the whole body of humanoids they find. These carcasses, once destroyed, will leave behind metal goods such as armor, weapons and coin — though soft goods such as clothes, leather and wood will be destroyed by enzymes or the damp.

In northern climates, giant carpenter ants will be active only between the months of April and early October. The queen will live for up to ten seasons; but she will birth 2-3 queens and 5-8 male drones (who are harmless). These will emerge in the third week of September, mating in the air hundreds of feet above the next. The males will die and the queens will start new nests within one to two miles of their origin.

See Bestiary.