The relentless defenders of the hive, bearing massive mandibles and a toxic stinger filled with acidic venom synthesized from the desert’s minerals.
- Armor Class: 16 [3]
- Hit Dice: 4* (18 hp)
- Attacks: 1 × Bite (2d6), 1 × Sting (1d4 + poison)
- THAC0: 16 [+3]
- Movement: 180’ (60’)
- Saving Throws: D12 W13 P14 B15 S16 (F2)
- Morale: 9 (12 in nest)
- Alignment: Neutral
- XP: 125
Special Abilities
- Sand-Scoured Chitin: The Warrior is immune to blinding and abrasive damage from sandstorms or wind-based effects. Within a sandstorm, their natural camouflage imposes a -2 penalty on opponents’ surprise rolls.
- Warrior Poison: A target struck by the Warrior’s sting must Save vs. Poison or suffer an additional 1d8 acid damage as the ant’s venom eats through armor and flesh.
Combat & Tactics
Warriors act as a relentless wall of chitin and acid. They fight with absolute, mechanical coordination, intentionally stepping into the path of attacks meant for the Queen or the Workers. They prioritize targets that deal area-of-effect damage or utilize high-impact magic, attempting to swarm, grapple, and sting them into submission quickly. They do not retreat unless commanded by the Queen’s pheromones to fall back and protect the Royal Vault.
Featured In: Issue #0 – The Hollow Tower
The swarming threats and ancient Anhurak architecture detailed here are perfect additions to any desert hex-crawl. If you want to drop your players into a fully realized, table-ready adventure featuring classic OSR threats, you can find the complete module available below.
