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View Full Version : 3rd Ed Country-wide hivemind control.



Defiantnight
2015-01-01, 01:20 PM
So I was taking a look at a Zerg/Tyranid-esque swarm class, and thought "It would be kind of cool to have a BBEG like this." Then I got to imagining said BBEG assimilating the countryside.

One train of thought later and my co-DM (we switch running campaigns in his world - a bastardized hybrid of homebrew and FR lore which we mostly make up as we go - back and forth) has given me the green light for this idea:

There's a very roughly 400 mile by 400 mile odd-shaped island country in the southwest called Velira, the party is currently thousands of miles north and could possibly never visit, but on the chance they end up here, it's my sandbox for the idea. One person (possibly more, but one guy who started or rules it all can be more theatrical) controls a country via hivemind.

I think it would be interesting as heck. The citizens could all keep their individual personalities or the hivemind could have an individual personality of its own. Or everyone could be mindless drones, but that seems less interesting. It could be that instead of everyone always connected, there's 'churches' with hivemind relays to create a similar experience to the Bladerunner empathy box with Mercer and all them, without the being stoned part.

I'm sort of drawing a blank on specifics, but that's why I've come here, the Playground seems like a helpful place :D

What do you guys think? Any ideas?

Important notes: The 'hive lord' can only control 4HD worth of people, but this includes other hive lords, and he or she is probably around level 20.
The class is based off Kerrigan from Starcraft and has minor psionic capabilities.
They have minor evolutionary capabilities, and the ability to have companion-like creatures that scale with level and can have more evolutionary changes.
The main lord can choose whether those taken into the 'swarm' keep their memories and identity. I'd like if this was the case, whether individually or because of a shared consciousness, I'd prefer them not a mindless force to take over everything.
Religious implications possible, preferably integration not forced.
Each member has to have been personally integrated by a lord.

If you need more details be sure to ask, I want to see what you guys think and speculate. I'll be resting my arm for a bit before I paste any details (forgot to bookmark, need to google) or thoughts of my own; new year's party ruined my keyboard, clicking all this out with an on-screen keyboard...

RolkFlameraven
2015-01-01, 01:39 PM
I would think that the Zurg idea would be close to using the Thrallherd (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/prestigeClasses/thrallherd.htm) PRC as a base.

Sarah would be the main (or the Overmind if you wanted to go that way) and the 'Cerebrates' or 'Queens' would be thralls, or even Thralls of Thralls.

It would give her Psionic powers as well as the 'hive mind' idea it would just need some new fluffing but seems like a sound starting point.

Defiantnight
2015-01-01, 01:59 PM
Ah, cool, but my google-fu helped me remember it was Lix Lorn's Swarmlord (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?253053-The-Swarm-Arrives-3-5-Base-Class-Zerg-Tyranids) class ^.^

Baroknik
2015-01-01, 02:54 PM
I'd think you could expand the powers a bit more by gaining the cyst line of spells via a STP Psychic Chigurery trick. They'd seem flavorful for Zerg to me -- a bunch of internal infectious powers.

Defiantnight
2015-01-01, 07:45 PM
Okay, perhaps I should clarify. I already have the means to do it, I'm asking for ideas on the country itself once it's infected, not how to infect them ^^

Blackhawk748
2015-01-01, 08:10 PM
I recommend getting some Kythons, then you can have some actual Zerg with your country full of disposable minions loyal followers.

As for religious ideas id look to Warhammer 40k, as they have one of the most brainwashy religions ive ever seen in fiction. Or you could just flagrantly steal from your favorite Dystopia.

atemu1234
2015-01-01, 09:27 PM
Use them to build a highly-efficient business. Become a world power.