Monster Specification: Giant Wasps

Monster Specification

Giant Wasps

Typical Monster Level ("ML"): 1 to 8

Typical Number Encountered: solitary species: 1 / social species: d12

Usual Alignment(s): E/L

Description: man-sized wasps

Habitat: Wilderness and Sky, except in or over Icelands

Language: none

Chars: Co 3d8, Wp 3d8

Movement:

Crawl @ up to 10 ft/sec / 6.5 mph (but will usually Fly)

Fly at up to 15 ft/sec = 90 ft/MR = 10 mph

Fighter Abilities:

ML/3, FRU AMR D = 25 + (5ML) % RD = 5 + (5ML) % 5 + (5ML) HP

Attack Modes:

Mandibles: A = 8ML%, DAM = 2d4

Sting: A = 10ML%, DAM = d12 + if DAM >= 0 inflicted:

ML PLs, recharge @ 1ML/sec; or
if hit Chest or Abdomen fertilised females of solitary species (25% chance) will instead insert an egg into target (takes 1 sec), which will hatch into an ML1 Wasp Grub within 2d6 Cds if not removed. The Grub will then start eating its host at 1 DAM / MR starting with the HitLoc Area in which the egg was deposited. A fertilised female can lay up to ML eggs in different targets (they will not lay a second egg in the same target).

HitLoc Table:

HitLoc Area	Front	Side	Rear
Head	01 to 10	01 to 10	n/a
Wings (*2)	11 to 20	11 to 20	01 to 10
Front Legs (*2)	61 to 75	21 to 30	n/a
Mid Legs (*2)	n/a	31 to 40	n/a
Hind Legs (*2)	n/a	91 to 100	11 to 25
Mesosoma	21 to 60	41 to 65	n/a
Metasoma	n/a	66 to 90	26 to 75

ADS:

HitLoc Area	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0
Head	3	3	1	3	3	3	3	1	3	3
Wings	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Front Legs	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2
Mid Legs	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1
Hind Legs	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1
Mesosoma	3	3	3	2	2	2	3	3	3	3
Metasoma	3	3	2	1	1	1	1	2	3	3

Effects of Specific Damage:

Hit Loc Area	%age HP Damage taken	Effects
Head
Head	50%	Decapitation, Death
Wings (each)	30%	Co check vs Wing Crippled
	60%	Wing Crippled (spirals to ground), Co check vs Wing Severed
	90%	Wing Severed (plummets to ground)
Legs (each)	25%	Co check vs Leg Crippled
	50%	Leg Crippled, Co check vs Leg Severed
	75%	Leg Severed
Mesosoma	150%	Death
Metasoma	250%	Death

Giant Wasps do not have blood and do not bleed.

Thievish Abilities:

None

Other Abilities / Powers / Notes:

Giant Wasps are Insectoid Monsters, which come in a wide range of species like their Insect counterparts. Solitary species are usually parasitic and fertilised females will seek to lay their eggs in prey. (They are not fussy about host species, but larger targets are preferred as they will provide more food for the Grub.) Social species swarm and nest in large numbers, though a smaller swarm is likely to be encountered away from their nest.
Social Giant Wasps of the same nest are linked telepathically by a "hive mind" so that all are aware of what each sees. Communication with the hive mind works only within 50 miles or so of the nest, and can be blocked by certain magical means, e.g. Mindbar. While connected, groups of Giant Wasps can fight in an organized manner.
Adult Giant Wasps feed on nectar from giant plants, but as this can be hard to find (outside the Jungle) they often attack living Beings to feed on their blood. They are attracted to sweet and sticky food. They will try to incapacitate or kill prey in order to carry it off to feed to their Grubs. Some species specialise in preying on Giant Spiders.
Carnivorous Plants seek to attract and feed on Giant Wasps.
Some Dark Sindarin Elves (especially in the Lost Country) ride Giant Wasps that they have raised from Grubs (fed on and/or hatched from their defeated enemies). Tribal groups favour social species, whereas lone adventurers or outcasts may ride solitary species. Wasp Riders are usually armed with Lances and Bows and coat their Lance tips and arrow heads with Wasp Venom from their mount.

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