Grognard's Grimoire: Rashthul

Rashthul (Hive Walker)

A deadly pest of the deserts of sha-Arthan is the rashjalum, a flying, carnivorous insect that dwells in enormous hives. Each hive has a complex society under a single "high queen," protected by several dozen "war queens" that command swarms of insects that search for threats and food. A war queen typically parasitizes a desert-dwelling animal, such as the barkoa land-crab, hijacking its nervous system and mutating its body to serve as a mobile sub-hive from which to attack foes and defend her high queen.

When a war queen parasitizes a Man, the result is a rashthul. Its bones unpredictably mutated into a chitinous exoskeleton and its brain consumed, a rashthul has no will of its own. It exists only as a vehicle for these terrible insects, roaming the deserts of the True World with no purpose other than to destroy whatever its controlling war queen commands.

AC 4 [14], HD 4+1** (19hp), Att 2, 3, or 4 × weapon (1d6 or by weapon), THAC0 15 [+4], MV 90’ (30’), SV D10 V11 P12 B13 S14 (4), ML 10, XP 275, NA 1d6 (2d6), TT Nectar

Immunities: Immune to effects that affect living creatures (e.g. poison). Immune to mind-affecting or mind-reading spells. Half-damage: Suffer only half-damage from sharp and/or edged weapons. Weapons: 4×1-handed, 2×1-handed and 1×2-handed, or 2×2-handed.Attack multiple opponents: Up to 3 per round.Rashjalum swarm: Automatically damages opponents within a 10' × 10' area surrounding the rashthul: 2hp per round if wearing armor, 4hp without.Warding off: A brandished torch or other source of flame and/or smoke causes the swarm to retreat into the body of the rashthul. Nectar: 1d4 tamu of medicinal nectar may be found within each rashthul's body. Properly remedied, each tamu heals 1d6 hit points if consumed in its entirety. The presence of this nectar gives the rashthul an oddly sweet smell, detectable within 60'. A rashthul by Zhu Bajie