Creating Insekts

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PRIMER: CREATING INSEKTS

We are jumping ahead to the Insekts these have not been covered as thoroughly as the other Domains. Both the Biests and the Insekts are often called the Wild Domains. Both have a wider set of Starting Characteristics and can create additional Monsters within their faction. 

WHERE THE INSEKTS EXCEL

Within the Insekts Domain the options become very diverse; from the rigid castes of their eusociality to their rapid evolution of natural weapons into more powerful “morphs”. Rapid Evolution is a key part of the Insekts, including giving them an evolutionary advantage to quickly alter forms and evolve their weapons and defenses in ways no other Domain can.

Insekts are broken into Insekt Classifications in a similar way the Biests have Biestial Kingdoms. They are similar in that each Classification has its own unique Starting Characteristics, but that is where the similarity ends.

Within each Insekt Classification are Orders, further defining your Classification.

Let’s take a look at Arachnea for example.

This Classification has a strong starting set of characteristics in Defense and Willpower. Arachnea, however, is one of the smaller Classifications, with only two orders - Arachnid and Scorpionoid - but within each order are sets of Lesser and Greater Traits allowing you to really customize them.

Other Classifications cover all of the “insect” types, including their fantasy equivalents, of Decapods, Ants, Bees, Mantis, Centipedes etc. each giving a full range of Traits and Abilities to create the creatures you want out of your Insekts. These Classifications can also be combined to form your own hybrids!

MORPHING NATURAL WEAPONS AND DEFENSES

Morphs are greater forms of natural weapons or defenses and if any Domain has an abundant supply of these it’s the Insekts. While each natural weapon type has different Morphs available to them, here are a few to get an idea. Each one is able to be evolved further or combined with others to create the nastiest of possibilities.

• Muscle - for additional strength
• Bone - for extra damage
• Crushing - Extra Strength (greatly increases strength but reduces speed)
• Gruesome - causes fear
• Hooks - reduces saves against hits
• Infectious - well, this has several possibilities but often results in reduced characteristics for the target model

You’re starting to get the idea of what Insekts could become, but here are a few more Morphs: Venomous, Parasitic, Razor, and Long. And then we have the Extremis Morphs like Corrosive, Bio-Fire, Bio- Cold, Bio- Electric, Explosive, and even Molten Plasma.

TRAITS AND ABILITIES

Beyond the Classifications and Orders of the Insekt you will find three sets of Traits that will look familiar. Genetic Mutation, Environmental Adaptations, and Knowledge and Awareness. It’s through these Traits you will create the rest of your faction. One very cool thing is that the “awareness” aspect of Knowledge and Awareness refers to Psychic Awareness.

CORDYCEPS, ARMILLARIA, AND FUNGAL HARVESTING

Different types of fungi have a strong presence within the Insekts. Whether its dominating them to an army of willing servants (The Armillaria), infecting them to create zombie like Insekts (The Cordyceps), or The Harvestors - where the Insekts harvest fungi (and sometimes other intelligent creatures) giving themselves a “higher intelligence”. The fungi are a source of psychic awareness for the insekts, granting them powers and processes not available to the others.

INSEKTS AND BEYOND

Insekts have great opportunities as well beyond the Classifications and different Fungi infestations, by mutating outward into the Reptilia Domain to create your most vile alien Insekt/Reptilia hybrids.

Next up: CREATING REPTILIA