A Few Tyranid Monsters

[JNAProductions]

Termagant
Medium Aberration, Unaligned
Armor Class 14
Hit Points 22 (4d8+4)
Speed 35'


Strength
Dexterity
Constitution
Intelligence
Wisdom
Charisma


10 (+0)
18 (+4)
12 (+1)
2* (-4)
4* (-3)
6* (-2)


Skills Stealth +6
Senses Darkvision 120', Passive Perceptio 7*
Languages None
Challenge 1
Synapse Receiver
A Termagant is a Synapse Receiver. As part of this, it has advantage on saves against Charm and Frighten effects.

Actions
Fleshborer Ranged Weapon Attack:
+6 to-hit, range 60'/240', one target. Hit: 1d6+4 piercing plus 1d6 acid damage.
Hormagaunt
Medium Aberration, Unaligned
Armor Class 16 (Hardened Chitin)
Hit Points 30 (4d8+12)
Speed 45'


Strength
Dexterity
Constitution
Intelligence
Wisdom
Charisma


12 (+1)
18 (+4)
16 (+3)
2* (-4)
4* (-3)
6* (-2)


Skills Acrobatics +6, Stealth +6
Senses Darkvision 120', Passive Perception 7*
Languages None
Challenge 1
Synapse Receiver
A Hormagaunt is a Synapse Receiver. As part of this, it has advantage on saves against Charm and Frighten effects.

Leaps And Bounds
A Hormagaunt may leap up to 20' horizontally and up to 10' vertically, with or without a running start.

Actions
Scything Talon Melee Weapon Attack:
+6 to-hit, reach 5', one target. Hit: 2d6+4 slashing damage.
Tyranid Warrior
Large Aberration, Hungry Evil
Armor Class 18 (Hardened Chitin)
Hit Points 105 (10d10+50)
Speed 35'


Strength
Dexterity
Constitution
Intelligence
Wisdom
Charisma


18 (+4)
20 (+5)
14 (+2)
18 (+4)
16 (+3)
18 (+4)


Skills Athletics +7, Perception +6
Senses Darkvision 120', Passive Perception 16
Languages Understands many, but cannot speak
Challenge 5
Synapse
Any Synapse Receiver creatures within 120' of a Tyranid Warrior may use its Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores in place of their own for any purposes. Furthermore, all Synapse Receiver creatures and Synapse creatures can use one another's senses, meaning if one is aware of something, they all are. This ability is not blocked by any material, including lead, but may be blocked by areas of anti-magic, such as an Antimagic Field.

Actions
Bonesword Melee Weapon Attack:
+7 to-hit, reach 5', one target. HIt: 3d8+4 slashing damage.

Lashwhip Melee Weapon Attack:
+7 to-hit, reach 10', one target. Hit:3d6+4 slashing damage.

Deathspitter Ranged Weapon Attack:
+5 to-hit, range 100'/400', one target. Hit: 1d8+2 piercing damage and 2d8 acid damage.

Extra Attack
The Tyranid Warrior makes two attacks, in any combination of Bonesword, Lashwhip, Deathspitter, or other attack actions.

Bonus Actions
Empower Synapse Receiver
The Warrior selects one Synapse Receiver or Synapse creature within their Synapse range. That creature does not die until the beginning of the Warrior's turn unless an effect would reduce its body to be completely incapable of movement, such as with a Disintegrate spell. It may also ignore any levels of Exhaustion currently on it.

Reactions
Meat Shield
When an attack or effect targets the Warrior while a Synapse Receiver creature is between it and the source of the attack, the Warrior may use its reaction to replace itself as the target with the Synapse Receiver creature. Note that, if the Receiver is already being targeted, this would cause them to be targeted twice by the same ability, and suffer twice the damage or make two saves, as applicable.
Carnifex
Huge Aberration, Unaligned
Armor Class 19 (Hardened Chitin)
Hit Points 250 (20d12+120)
Speed 50'


Strength
Dexterity
Constitution
Intelligence
Wisdom
Charisma


24 (+7)
12 (+1)
22 (+6)
2* (-4)
4* (-3)
6* (-2)


Saving Throws Constitution +11
Skills Athletics +12
Senses Darkvision 120', Passive Perception 7
Languages None
Challenge 13
Synapse Receiver
A Carnifex is a Synapse Receiver. As part of this, it has advantage on saves against Charm and Frighten effects.

Siege Monster
A Carnifex does double damage to inanimate objects.

Actions
Monstrous Crushing Claws Melee Weapon Attack:
+12 to-hit, reach 10', one target. Hit: 3d12+7 bludgeoning damage.

Bone Mace Melee Weapon Attack:
+12 to-hit, reach 15', one target. Hit: 3d8+7 bludgeoning damage.

Overrun
While the Carnifex moves this turn, each time it moves adjacent to a specific creature for the first time this turn, it may make a single Monstrous Crushing Claw attack against that creature.

Multiattack
The Carnifex makes two Monstrous Crushing Claw attacks and one Bone Mace attack.

Spine Banks Ranged Weapon Attack:
+6 to-hit, range 20'/80', one target. Hit: 1d12+1 piercing damage.

Hail Of Spines
The Carnifex makes 3d3 Spine Bank attacks.

Bonus Actions
Charge
The Carnifex uses the Dash action, but cannot turn more than 90 degrees this turn. If the Carnifex also uses Overrun this turn, the first attack made by it deals an additional 2d12 points of damage.

[jjordan]

Tyranids are a cool creature set to port to D&D.

[sandmote]

The Tyranid Warrior's hit dice should be 14d10+28, I think. Haven't checked CRs and I'm not that familiar with 40k, but that was bugging me. "Hungry evil," is a nice touch.

Similarly, I'm not sure Overrun is formatted properly. I would assume it and charge should be written like this:

Charge. When the Carnifex takes the dash action, it cannot turn more than 90 degrees on its turn.

Overrun. When the Carnifex takes the dash action, it can make one attack using its Monstrous Crushing Claws as a bonus action. On a hit, the target takes an extra 13 (2d12) bludgeoning damage.
Currently Overrun is listed as using an action, so it would still deal more damage using Multiattack on that turn.

[JNAProductions]

The Tyranid Warrior's hit dice should be 14d10+28, I think. Haven't checked CRs and I'm not that familiar with 40k, but that was bugging me. "Hungry evil," is a nice touch.

Similarly, I'm not sure Overrun is formatted properly. I would assume it and charge should be written like this:

Charge. When the Carnifex takes the dash action, it cannot turn more than 90 degrees on its turn.

Overrun. When the Carnifex takes the dash action, it can make one attack using its Monstrous Crushing Claws as a bonus action. On a hit, the target takes an extra 13 (2d12) bludgeoning damage.
Currently Overrun is listed as using an action, so it would still deal more damage using Multiattack on that turn.

Charge is not a universal restriction on its movement-only when it goes all out (Dashing as a Bonus Action).

Overrun lets the Carnifex attack many creatures, though each creature can only be targeted once per turn. How should I clean up the text to make that clear?

[Catullus64]

These look pretty cool. The 'Nids aren't my favorite WH40K faction by a long shot, but these still look like pretty good representations. If you should happen to cook up statblocks and rules for Genestealers, I would love to see it.

If this sort of thing matters to you, I would say that the formatting of "Synapse Receiver" is a little clunky and out of line with how similar features in the MM and other such books are worded. Having special rules with no functionality other than interacting with other special rules is very Warhammer, but not D&D. I would recommend striking Synapse Receiver from the statblocks, and simply rewording the Warrior's feature to read "Any Termagant, Hormagaunt, or Carnifex." Either that, or make the Synapse Receiver actually do something on its own, like grant advantage on a type of saving throw.

[JNAProductions]

These look pretty cool. The 'Nids aren't my favorite WH40K faction by a long shot, but these still look like pretty good representations. If you should happen to cook up statblocks and rules for Genestealers, I would love to see it.

If this sort of thing matters to you, I would say that the formatting of "Synapse Receiver" is a little clunky and out of line with how similar features in the MM and other such books are worded. Having special rules with no functionality other than interacting with other special rules is very Warhammer, but not D&D. I would recommend striking Synapse Receiver from the statblocks, and simply rewording the Warrior's feature to read "Any Termagant, Hormagaunt, or Carnifex." Either that, or make the Synapse Receiver actually do something on its own, like grant advantage on a type of saving throw.

I think I'll do the latter-while obviously its key component is just being a Synapse Receiver, it makes sense that they'd be resistant to mental influence from outside the Hive Mind.

[sandmote]

Charge is not a universal restriction on its movement-only when it goes all out (Dashing as a Bonus Action). Is this meant to apply when it uses both its action and bonus action to dash? I'm not sure what you mean by "goes all out" otherwise. The problem then being that the Carnifex as written can't dash, use overrun, and use charge on the same turn.


Overrun lets the Carnifex attack many creatures, though each creature can only be targeted once per turn. How should I clean up the text to make that clear? Ah. That explains a lot. 5e not having move actions creates a problem though. Perhaps turn the whole thing into a single action?


Overrun Charge. The Carnifex gains the benefits of the dash action. The carnifex can make one attack with its Monstrous Crushing Claws against each creature the first time the target is within 5 feet.

When the carnifex uses its Overrun Charge, it can dash as a bonus action. If it does so the Carnifex cannot turn more than 90 degrees and deals an additional 13 (2d12) piercing damage the first time it attacks using its Monstrous Crushing Claws before the end of its turn.

The language can probably be cleaned up, but the concept should probably be correct before trying to do that.

[JNAProductions]

But I don’t want to triple its speed-only double it.

[Twelvetrees]

Perhaps a simpler way to word Overrun would be a variation on Multiattack. Something like "The Carnifex makes up to X Monstrous Crushing Claw attacks. Each attack must be against a different target."

Set X to a number that satisfies you.

[Edge]

Overrun lets the Carnifex attack many creatures, though each creature can only be targeted once per turn. How should I clean up the text to make that clear?

I'd amend it to the following, for clarity:

Overrun
While the Carnifex moves this turn, each time they move adjacent to a specific creature for the first time this turn, they may make a single Monstrous Crushing Claw attack against that creature.

You can keep Charge as it is. The Carnifex still has its base movement on the turn, of course, so letting it Action: Overrun, Bonus Action: Charge, Move is a perfectly fine set of actions it can take that achieves what you intended.

[JNAProductions]

I'd amend it to the following, for clarity:

Overrun
While the Carnifex moves this turn, each time they move adjacent to a specific creature for the first time this turn, they may make a single Monstrous Crushing Claw attack against that creature.

You can keep Charge as it is. The Carnifex still has its base movement on the turn, of course, so letting it Action: Overrun, Bonus Action: Charge, Move is a perfectly fine set of actions it can take that achieves what you intended.

I like that wording. Going with it.