Small fiend, neutral evil
Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
Hit Points 13 (3d6 + 3)
Speed 60 ft., burrow 10 ft., climb 30 ft.
Proficiency Bonus +2
Proficiency Bonus +2 (5th Edition Advanced Mode)
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 (+2) | 11(+0) | 12 (+1) | 7 (-2) | 9 (-1) | 8 (-1) |
Senses blindsight 60 ft., darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 9
Languages telepathy 600 ft.
Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)
Collective Awareness. Thanks to their telepathy, the entire colony is alerted when any one of its members is attacked, and will rush to aid the beleaguered ant.
ACTIONS
- Multiattack. The abyss ant can make two attacks per round or use its acidic goo.
- Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: (1d6 + 2) piercing damage.
- Sting. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) piercing damage plus 2 (1d4) acid damage.
- Acidic Goo (Recharge 6). Ranged Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 20/40 ft., one creature. The target can make a DC 8 Dexterity saving throw to avoid taking 7 (2d6) acid damage.
5th Edition Advanced Mode
Limiting the power of a character and making the overall difficulty of the game harder, does not reduce the creativity, indeed it does quite the opposite.
The Game Master has the option to use any and all of the instances proposed in this guide, or just some of them according to their preference.
It is the lack of something that move and motivate characters, not the abundance of it
DESCRIPTION
The Abyss Ant is a monstrous insectoid creature native to the Infinite Layers of the Abyss, the chaotic evil plane of existence. Abyss Ants resemble giant ants, but with a few notable differences. Their bodies are covered in spiny chitin, their mandibles are serrated and dripping with venom, and their eyes glow with a malevolent red light. Abyss Ants come in various sizes and colors, depending on their role in the colony and the layer they inhabit. Some Abyss Ants are as small as a dog, while others are as large as a horse. Some are black, brown, or red, while others are purple, green, or blue. Abyss Ants are not natural creatures, but rather the result of demonic corruption and experimentation. They are infused with abyssal energy, which grants them some degree of intelligence and magical abilities. Abyss Ants are loyal to their queen, who is usually a powerful demon lord or a servant of one. Abyss Ants serve as scouts, soldiers, workers, and food for their masters.
This vicious form of vermin hails from the Abyss, on the Outer Planes. The ants also have the ability to organize reinforcements before initiating an attack. In actual melee, instead of attacking a group of adversaries as a whole, they direct their offense at a single target, allowing them to bring down even the largest of creatures – if an adventuring party encounters a nest of Abyss ants, they swarm a single, randomly chosen person until he or she is incapacitated or dead, then move on to the next. Abyss ants are found on many layers of the Abyss, but they appear on the Prime Material Plane when deliberately summoned by evil spellcasters. Tanar’ri occasionally rid themselves of a troublesome colony by gating it to the Prime Material.
COMBAT
Abyss Ants are fierce and relentless combatants, who attack anything that is not part of their colony or their master’s domain. They often swarm their enemies in large numbers, using their superior numbers and coordination to overwhelm them. Abyss Ants use their mandibles to bite and inject venom into their foes, causing intense pain and paralysis. Some Abyss Ants also have stingers on their abdomens, which they use to deliver more potent venom or acid. Abyss Ants can also use their antennae to communicate with each other and sense vibrations in the air and ground. Some Abyss Ants have developed additional abilities, such as flight, invisibility, telepathy, or spellcasting. These abilities vary depending on the layer they inhabit and the influence of their master.
HABITAT / SOCIETY
Abyss Ants live in vast underground colonies that span multiple layers of the Abyss. Each colony is ruled by a queen, who is either a demon lord or a powerful servant of one. The queen controls the colony through pheromones and telepathy, and lays thousands of eggs that hatch into new Abyss Ants. The queen also determines the role and appearance of each Abyss Ant, by altering their genetic makeup and exposing them to different environmental factors. The roles of Abyss Ants include workers, soldiers, scouts, breeders, and drones. Workers are responsible for digging tunnels, building structures, gathering resources, and feeding the colony. Soldiers are trained to fight and defend the colony from intruders and enemies. Scouts are sent to explore new areas and report back to the queen. Breeders are female Abyss Ants who mate with the drones and produce more eggs for the queen. Drones are male Abyss Ants who serve as mates for the breeders and the queen.
A colony appears much the same as a giant ant nest: The creatures lair underground, in a series of chambers and passages with mounds of dirt and pebbels marking the entrances. Abyss ants dig deep, wide nests as far as 50 feet below the surfare, and the entire nest may spread over an area exceeding thousands of square yards. A typical nest may contain as many as 300 worker/warriors and a single queen. She has no stinger, but is able to bite and spit acid. She is responsible only for deciding where to establish the nest, then laying eggs to perpetuate it. The worker/warriors defend the queen and colony, gther food, attend the eggs and larvae, and establish the ecosystem (see “Ecology”) around the nest. At any one time 60% of the colony is above ground, while 40% remains below. The queen always has an entourage of 2d10 guards and servants in her chamber.
Abyss Ant colonies are often allied with or enslaved by other demonic forces in the Abyss. Some demon lords use Abyss Ants as their personal army or servants, while others view them as pests or food. Abyss Ants are loyal to their master as long as they provide them with protection and resources. However, if their master is weak or absent, Abyss Ants may rebel or seek a new master.
Abyss Ants are ferociously territorial and actually establish their own ecosystem about the colony. Their diameter of the territory is usually 1,000 yards for every 50 ants in the nest; the size may vary according to local terrain and abundance of food supplies. The ants patrol the perimeter and allow nothing to live within their circle that does not serve their needs. Small groups of 1d6+4 ants often scout as far as 1d4+6 miles beyond the perimeter to maintain security.
ECOLOGY
Abyss Ants are omnivorous creatures that consume anything organic they can find. They prefer fresh meat over plants or fungi, and often hunt other creatures in the Abyss for food. They also scavenge corpses and carrion left by other predators or battles. Abyss Ants store excess food in special chambers in their colonies, where they preserve it with acid or venom.
The ants are of low Intelligence, but they understand the advantages of domesticating and maintaining a steady source of food. Hence, they establish and tend herds of cattle, deer, horses, humans, demihumans, humanoids, or whatever else is handy. All predators, wandering animals, insects, weeds, and even trees and bushes are carefully eradicated. Sentries watch the herd continuously. They kill and devour the herd as needed, dissolving the victims completely with their acidic goo. The resulting is shared by the entire colony; any character devoured by the ants is gone forever and can’t be reincarnated or resurrected.
The gooey acid produced by these creatures is a primary ingredient in universal solvent.
Abyss Ants have few natural predators in the Abyss, as most creatures avoid them or fear them. However, some creatures may prey on them if they are desperate or daring enough.