INFESTED
The original small, worm-like creatures known as Zerg were genetically
maniuplated by the Xel'Naga, and developed the ability to burrow into
the flesh of other, more powerful species that dwelt upon their home
planet of Zerus. Feeding off spinal fluids, the Zerg learned to
parasitically merge with their hosts, becoming capable of controlling
their bodies and manipulating their surroundings. The Zerg incorporated
more and more host creatures into their fold, and began to assimiliate
their genetic strains and processes. All Zerg genetics began to adapt
to the new material being processed, though the Zerg sought out only
the most evolutionarily advanced species to assimiliate.
All races assimiliated by the Zerg mutate, gaining carapaces, armor
piercing spines, and razor-sharp limbs. No matter what the creature
originally looked like, it is always easily identified as being part of
the Zerg race now.
Infested creatures speak any languages they knew before becoming
infested.
CREATING AN INFESTED CREATURE
“Infested” is an acquired template that can be added to any
non-undead, non-outsider creature (referred to hereafter as the
base creature).
An infested creature uses all the base creature’s statistics and
special abilities
except as noted here.
Size and Type: The creature’s
type changes to abberation (Zerg). Do not
recalculate base attack bonus,
saves, or skill points. Size is unchanged.
Speed: Same as the base
creature. If the base creature is land-based,
the infested creature also gains a 10 ft. burrow speed.
Armor Class: The base
creature’s natural armor bonus improves by +2.
Attack: An infested creature
retains all the attacks of the base
creature. A creature with
natural weapons retains those natural weapons. An infested creature
armed with a weapon uses its natural weapons or
a weapon, as it desires. Some creatures may gain additional natural
attacks, depending on their form (DM's discretion).
Full Attack: An infested
creature fighting without weapons uses its
natural weapons (if it has any). If armed
with a weapon, it usually uses the weapon as its primary attack along
with a natural weapon as a natural secondary attack.
Damage: If the base creature
had natural weapons, they are now
considered adamantine (in addition to any other properties they may
have had) for the purposes of overcoming damage reduction.
Special Attacks: An infested
creature retains all the special attacks of the base creature. It may
gain additional special attacks, at the DM's discretion. Save DC's are
10 + 1/2 the infested creature's HD + the infested creature's
Constitution modifier.
Special Qualities: An infested
creature retains all the special
qualities of the
base creature and gains those described below.
Adaption (Ex): An infested
creature no longer needs to sleep or
breathe, and may exist in space with no ill effects.
Fast Healing (Ex): An
infested creature gains fast healing equal to its
Constitution modifer.
Hive Mind (Ex): An infested
creature is always aware of what all other
Zerg within 50 ft. of it are doing.
Immunites (Ex): An infested
creature is immune to poison and cold.
Resistances (Ex): An infested
creature has resistance to acid 15 and
electricity 15.
Abilities: Increase from the
base creature as follows: Str +4, Dex +2,
Con +4, Wis +2, Cha -4. The creature's intelligence drops to 1; it is
now almost mindless, blindly obeying all commands from its Cerebrate.
Skills: Infested creatures
recieve a +4 racial bonus on Listen and Hide
checks while underground. Otherwise same as the
base creature.
Feats: Same as base creature.
Environment: Any, usually same
as base creature.
Organization: Same as the base
creature.
Challenge Rating: Same as the
base creature +2.
Treasure: Same as the base
creature
Alignment: Always lawful evil
Advancement: By character
class.
Level Adjustment: Same as the
base creature +4.