Description
Somehow you become directly connected to an intelligence that is so far beyond what you can understand. It feeds you information, feelings, and it is changing you: making you… stranger.
You probably wear lots of layers in an attempt to hide the change that is overtaking you. Blacks and purples are your colors of choice.
Glaives are most suited to the advantages afforded to members of The Hive, though Jacks have been known to enjoy those same powers.
Details
GM Intrusion: People are weary to trust monstrous looking people. If its revealed what you are, people could become violent.
- Connection:
Pick one other PC. This character has seen soldiers of The Hive before, and as such knows what you’re turning into. It is up to the player of that character to decide whether she fears, respects, or pities you.
- Additional Equipment:
You start with a disguise kit to help hide what you are becoming.
- Minor Effect Suggestions:
- Your appearance is revealed to the enemy, terrifying them and increasing the difficulty of all actions by 1 step for the next round.
- Major Effect Suggestions:
- Your appearance and viciousness is so terrifying that the enemy is stunned for the next turn.
- Tier 1:
Whispers from The Hive: You are connected to The Hive through means you don’t understand. Occasionally you will receive missions or thoughts that aren’t your own. Enabler.
Something Strange is Happening: Your body is slowly changing. You gain +3 Might Pool and +3 Speed Pool. Enabler.
- Tier 2:
Member of The Hive: You gain one of the following mutations: . Enabler.
Speak with The Hive (2 Intellect points): You ask The Hive a question. Limit of 3 questions a day. GM Discretion as to what information The Hive has. Enabler.
- Tier 3:
Warrior of The Hive: You gain +1 to your Might Edge, +1 to your Speed Edge, and +1 Armor. You can no longer travel in public without using a disguise kit to hide what you have become. Enabler.
Protected by The Hive: Your mind is now so integrated with The Hive you are protected by it. Whenever a creature establishes contact with the character’s mind (Mental attack, telepathic communication, mind control, etc.) the creature is attacked mentally. It is stunned for one round (losing its action) and takes 3 Intellect damage. This does not prevent the mental contact. Enabler.
- Tier 4:
Poisonous: Once every 12 hours you create 1 dose worth of Level 4 poison, the type of your choice. You can choose to store this poison inside your body (maximum 4 doses within your body at any time), or inside a vial (poison is only effective for 2 days outside of your body). Enabler.
- Tier 5:
Mental Parasite (6+ Strength points): You can now create eggs that contain mind control parasites. You can now use one of these parasites to control the actions of another creature you touch with them. This effect lasts for ten minutes. The target must be level 2 or lower. Once you have established control, you maintain mental contact with the target and sense what it senses. You can allow it to act freely or override its control on a case-by-case basis. Instead of applying Effort to decrease the difficulty, you can apply Effort to increase the maximum level of the target. Thus, to control the mind of a level 5 target (three levels above the normal limit), you must apply three levels of Effort. If you also have the Mind Control esotery, the normal level limit is 3 rather than 2. When the effect ends, the creature doesn’t remember being controlled or anything it did while under your command. Action to initiate.
- Tier 6:
Agent of The Hive (7 Strength points): You have advanced to the point that your master has given you the ability to add new members to your hive. Every 2 weeks you can infect a level 3 NPC to make them part of The Hive, up to three followers max. The change is initiated by touch and takes 1d6 hours. Each follower gains one of the following mutations: Carapace, Extra joint in arms, extra joint in legs, spider legs from torso, extra arms, extra legs, spider legs, or stinging tendril. These followers are completely under your mental control (you control them as if they were all under the effect of permanent Mental Parasites) Action to initiate.
I feel like this focus is a prime target for also having some sort of hook/connection to the datasphere. Like, it might be interesting if The Hive actually no longer exists, but is more like a ghost in the machine, an echo of a previous intelligence. As a character tiers up, their drive to find The Hive could also increase, but they’re never able to locate it.
Awesome idea for the Hive!
This feels a little overpowered for my tastes – anything that increases edge needs to be balanced very carefully. Also, free, auto-hit counter attacks on any mental attack seems a little overpowered (though if it happens on any mental connection, including friendly ones, that’s less of an issue, though clarifying this effect – for example the interaction with mentally activated cyphers/artifacts/etc would be good).
I like the concept, it feels like an interesting cross between fuses flesh and steel and controls beasts, with a focus on mutation for flavour. How this interacts with the mutant descriptor would be an interesting thought experiment.
Some more information about the Hive would be good. Michael’s idea is quite interesting, though you could build on a few ideas and plonk some candidates in the NPC section of the site.
I agree about the edge, it’s too much power.
For those interested: I’m working on some more Hive related stuff. I’ll be tuning up this focus as well as releasing information on new encounters, locations, and even an adventure! I’ll post the appropriate links as I release stuff.
I’ll be waiting.=)
Check back in the morning…
I loved the idea too, but i also found it to overpowered. It also remembers my favourite SWTOR character; Vector.
I prefer sugestion for the Hive them actual information – like crazy overconnected machine, trancendental mind that achieved ilumination some worlds before, a visitant insectoid queen looking for a place to make the colony prosper.
I’ll think about some sugestions to make it less overpowered.
Great work!
I have suggestion: The Hive may overcome your control to your own body. Much like in the way you parasite others, you wake up hours later without any memory of what you have done while you slipped away.
As the Hive is always keeping tab of your actions, this might be at the moment you are about to take hold of something you want and the Hive wants to prevent you from getting it. Or the Hive might use you to kill someone you hold dear, as this person might still trust you enough to let its guard down around you.
So it took me a couple months to get back to this because I was working on other Hive stuff, had some health issues, etc. But I’ve got a revised version of this that I’m putting up soon that addresses your concerns about its overpowered nature.