Kaulvrex Drone

Medium monstrosity, neutral

Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
Hit Points 71 (11d8+22)
Speed 40 ft., burrow 20 ft., swim 20 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
13 (+1) 15 (+2) 15 (+2) 8 (-1) 12 (+1) 14 (+2)

Saving Throws Int +1, Wis +3
Skills Acrobatics +4, Athletics +3, Intimidation +4, Perception +3, Stealth +4
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 13
Languages chemical communication
Challenge 4 (1,100 XP)

SPECIAL TRAITS

  • Chemical Communication. Kaulvrexes can communicate with other kaulvrexes within 60 feet via pheromone transmission. In a kaulvrex hive, this range extends to cover the entire hive. This is a silent and instantaneous mode of communication only kaulvrexes can understand.
  • Third Arm. A kaulvrex has an extra arm that does not give it any extra attacks or actions per round. However, it can manipulate or hold items as a normal arm does.

ACTIONS

  • Multiattack. The kaulvrex makes three attacks: one with its bite, one with its claws, and one with its tail slap.
  • Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) bludgeoning damage, plus 3 (1d6) acid damage.
  • Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (2d4 + 2) slashing damage.
  • Tail Slap. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) bludgeoning damage, plus 5 (1d10) fire damage, and the target is chemically marked. A kaulvrex has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks against a marked target and has blindsight with a radius of 30 feet with respect to it, using its sense of smell. A kaulvrex has advantage on attack rolls against a target that was chemically marked before the beginning of its turn. The marked creature must spend an hour scrubbing off the chemical brand to render the mark undetectable to kaulvrexes.
  • Acid Spit. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, range 10/30 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (2d6 + 2) acid damage.

ABOUT

Ancient insectile beings engineered kaulvrexes as a servitor species with proficiency in combat. They are highly adaptive creatures and can live and thrive in all but the most hostile environments, a feature that allowed them to serve as their creators’ proxies in wars (sometimes between the creators) on a variety of planets. Kaulvrexes emancipated themselves from their makers helped in part by a devastating disease that wiped out most of the creators while leaving kaulvrexes untouched. They retained their warlike instincts but generally refuse to fight one another en masse, preferring champions to settle disputes between hives. They also retreated to more inhospitable locations on the worlds where they were stranded and maintain a distance from other habitations. They have relatively short lifespans, appropriate to their engineered nature, with the longest-lived specimens reaching the age of 50.

Hive Leaders. Kaulvrexes gather in hives led by a kaulvrex who becomes agendered when it assumes leadership. Sages who study kaulvrexes do not know whether this transformation was “programmed” in by their creators to prevent romantic distractions during battle or the kaulvrexes developed this after they won their freedom. Roles. Kaulvrexes of both genders serve equally as soldiers and workers. Their bodies adapt to the role they currently carry out. Soldiers’ carapaces harden, and their musculature increases, while workers are weaker, but their third arms are defter. An individual kaulvrex usually remains in a specific role for its entire life but switching between roles is not uncommon. The most commonly encountered kaulvrexes are soldiers, who protect the hive or hire themselves out as mercenaries. Second Language. Kaulvrexes who work outside a hive develop strong bonds with their partners and allies and adapt their communication to the languages spoken by other species. Among other species, they often develop odd phrases meaningful to their shared experiences and use these to replicate the chemical communication they otherwise share with other kaulvrexes. Non-kaulvrexes view this as a propensity on the kaulvrexes’ part for developing “inside jokes,” and react with a level of amusement.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Legendary Planet Adventure Path (5E) © 2020, Legendary Games; Authors: Matt Goodall, Jim Groves, Steven T. Helt, Tim Hitchcock, Jason Nelson, Richard Pett, Tom Phillips, Mike Shel, Neil Spicer, Mike D. Welham

This is not the complete license attribution - see the full license for this page