Myrmekes • Odyssey of the Dragonlords

Habitat: Any; Treasure: Any

The myrmekes are a tenacious insect-like race that resemble gigantic humanoid ants with shiny black carapaces and beautiful, multicolored wings. A single myrmekes is small and poses little threat. They are made dangerous by their vast numbers: adventurers are very unlikely to encounter just one or two myrmekes. As eusocial beings with a shared hive-mind intelligence, myrmekes maintain constant telepathic communication with all nearby fellows. This creates a network that can respond to distress calls across an expansive territory controlled by the myrmekes.

Although not inherently malevolent, myrmekes are a significant threat to all other forms of life in any ecosystem they enter. Their industrious nature, instinct for aggressive expansion, rapacious consumption of resources, and rapid breeding makes the myrmekes incompatible with other creatures. Consequently, the gods imprisoned the myrmekes on a remote island not long after their creation. In addition to the physical barriers surrounding them, the myrmekes are also bound by powerful magic to ensure their eternal isolation. However, if this enchantment was ever broken, these creatures could swarm over every continent, remaking the entire world as an insectoid empire.

Myrmekes Worker#

Most myrmekes belong to the worker caste. This subtype is unremarkable, but because of their shared hive mind, even the lowliest drone has a direct link to the queen and access to her unfathomable intelligence. This allows myrmekes to mimic the abilities and traits of other creatures after observing them just once. Additionally, though they lack creativity, this gives myrmekes workers a genius-level intelligence rivaling that of even the most gifted humans.

Myrmekes Legionnaires#

Myrmekes that come into contact with other intelligent civilizations assimilate the knowledge and that culture which the myrmekes hive mind deems valuable to its own continued survival. The result is the emergence of Myrmekes Legionnaires. These are an elite caste far more formidable than their worker kin.

Myrmekes Centurion#

These soldiers are the backbone of any myrmekes army. Each commands a decima, a unit of ten legionnaires, and acts as a relay point between the higher will of the queen and the immediate demands of the battlefield.

Myrmekes Tribune#

A tribune has focused on magical learning. They fill many roles, including the command of units of one hundred legionnaires and ten centurions.

Myrmekes Imperator#

An imperator is personally chosen by the myrmekes queen, and acts as her voice and will in all military matters, often commanding entire cohorts that consist of thousands. Unlike other castes, the imperator maintains a permanent telepathic link to the queen that cannot be severed except by death, allowing for strategic coordination over vast distances and across shifting warfronts.

The emergence of an imperator signals a shift from mere defense or expansion to total war. Entire ecosystems are converted into staging grounds, and the imperator’s arrival is often the last warning before the swarm overwhelms all resistance.

Myrmekes Queen#

The queen is the central hub of the swarm’s hive mind. She also serves as the mother to all myrmekes, laying countless eggs each day. Despite her larger size and superior intellect, the myrmekes queen is physically weak and extremely vulnerable to attack if caught alone. In fact, it is her great size that makes her too slow to effectively use mimicry, cast spells, or avoid incoming attacks. In the unlikely event that enemies breach her royal chamber, she relies on her subjects to defend her. However, because the myrmekes have never lost a queen to sudden death or assassination, it is uncertain how a violent end for the queen would affect myrmekes civilization. Her loss might disrupt the hive mind completely.

Myrmekes Legionnaire

Small Monstrosity, Lawful Neutral AC 18 Initiative HP 14 (4d6) Speed 30 ft., Fly 50 ft. MOD SAVE MOD Str 8 –1 –1 Dex 18 +4 Int 20 +5 +5 Wis 8 –1 Skills Arcana +9, History +9, Nature +9, Religion +9 Senses Darkvision 60 ft; Passive Perception 9 Languages Common, Myrmekes Challenge 1 (200 XP; PB +2) Traits Battle Tactics. The myrmekes has Advantage on an attack roll against a creature if at least one of the myrmekes’s allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally doesn’t have the Incapacitated condition.

Mimicry. +4 (14) The myrmekes can mimic any sounds it has heard, including voices. A creature that hears the sounds can tell they are imitations with a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Insight) check. SAVE MOD SAVE Telepathic Communication. The myrmekes is in constant tele+4 Con 10 +0 +0 pathic communication with all other myrmekes within 1 mile. –1 Cha 8 –1 –1 Actions Multiattack. The myrmekes makes two Hook Spear attacks. Hook Spear. Melee Attack Roll: +6, reach 5 ft. Hit: 7 (1d6 + 4) Piercing damage and if the target is Medium size or smaller, it gains the Prone condition. This attack deals an additional 7 (2d6) Piercing damage if the myrmekes is within 5 ft. of an ally that isn’t incapacitated. Arcane Burst. Melee or Ranged Attack Roll: +7, reach 5 ft. or range 120 ft. Hit: 10 (1d10 + 5) Force damage.

Myrmekes Tribune

Small Monstrosity, Lawful Neutral AC 15 (18 with Mage Armor ) HP 120 (16d6 + 64) Speed 30 ft., Fly 50 ft. MOD SAVE MOD Str 8 –1 –1 Dex 20 +5 Int 20 +5 +5 Wis 8 –1 Skills Arcana +13, History +13, Nature +13, Religion +13 Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 9 Languages Common, Myrmekes Challenge 9 (5,000 XP; PB +4) Traits Battle Tactics. The myrmekes has Advantage on an attack roll against a creature if at least one of the myrmekes’s allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally doesn’t have the Incapacitated condition. Mimicry. The myrmekes can mimic any sounds it has heard, including voices. A creature that hears the sounds can tell they are imitations with a successful DC 17 Wisdom (Insight) check. Telepathic Communication. The myrmekes is in constant telepathic communication with all other myrmekes within 1 mile.

Actions Initiative +5 (15) Multiattack. The myrmekes makes four Arcane Burst attacks. Arcane Burst. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +9, reach SAVE MOD SAVE 5 ft. or range 120 ft. Hit: 21 (3d10 + 5) Force damage. +5 Con 18 +4 +4 Spellcasting. The myrmekes casts one of the following –1 Cha 8 –1 –1 spells, using Intelligence as the spellcasting ability (spell save DC 17): At Will: Detect Magic, Light, Mage Armor (included in AC) , Mage Hand, Prestidigitation 3/Day Each: Lightning Bolt, Magic Missile (level 5 version) 1/Day Each: Chain Lightning, Greater Invisibility Bonus Actions Maneuvers. The myrmekes takes the Dash or Disengage action. Reactions Defensive Magic (4/Day). The myrmekes casts Counterspell or Shield in response to the spell’s trigger, using the same spellcasting ability as Spellcasting.

Myrmekes Centurion

Small Monstrosity, Lawful Neutral AC 18 Initiative HP 55 (10d6 + 20) Speed 30 ft., Fly 50 ft. MOD SAVE MOD Str 8 –1 –1 Dex 20 +5 Int 20 +5 +5 Wis 8 –1 Skills Arcana +11, History +11, Nature +11, Religion +11 Senses Darkvision 60 ft.; Passive Perception 9 Languages Common, Myrmekes Challenge 5 (1,800 XP; PB +3) Traits Battle Tactics. The myrmekes has Advantage on an attack roll against a creature if at least one of the myrmekes’s allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally doesn’t have the Incapacitated condition. Circle of Power. While in a 30-foot Emanation originating from the myrmekes, the myrmekes and its allies have Advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. When an affected creature makes a saving throw against a spell or magical effect that allows a save to take only half damage, it takes no damage if it succeeds on the save.

Mimicry. +5 (15) The myrmekes can mimic any sounds it has heard, including voices. A creature that hears the sounds can tell they are imitations with a successful DC 16 Wisdom (Insight) check. SAVE MOD SAVE Telepathic Communication. The myrmekes is in constant +5 Con 14 +2 +2 telepathic communication with all other myrmekes within –1 Cha 8 –1 –1 1 mile. Actions Multiattack. The myrmekes makes three attacks. Hook Spear. Melee Attack Roll: +8, reach 5 ft. Hit: 12 (2d6 + 5) Piercing damage and if the target is Medium size or smaller, it gains the Prone condition. This attack deals an additional 14 (4d6) Piercing damage if the myrmekes is within 5 ft. of an ally that isn’t incapacitated. Arcane Burst. Melee or Ranged Attack Roll: +8, reach 5 ft. or range 120 ft. Hit: 16 (2d10 + 5) Force damage. Bonus Actions Maneuvers. The myrmekes takes the Dash or Disengage action.

Myrmekes Imperator

Small Monstrosity, Lawful Neutral AC 16 HP 110 (20d6 + 40) Speed 30 ft., Fly 50 ft. MOD SAVE MOD Str 8 –1 –1 Dex 20 +5 Int 20 +5 +5 Wis 10 +0 Skills Arcana +15, History +15, Nature +15, Religion +15 Immunities Charmed, Frightened Senses Darkvision 120 ft., Truesight 100 ft.; Passive Perception 10 Languages Common, Myrmekes Challenge 13 (10,000 XP; PB +5) Traits Battle Tactics. The myrmekes has Advantage on an attack roll against a creature if at least one of the myrmekes’s allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally doesn’t have the Incapacitated condition. Mimicry. The myrmekes can mimic any sounds it has heard, including voices. A creature that hears the sounds can tell they are imitations with a successful DC 18 Wisdom (Insight) check. Shared Sight. All myrmekes allies of the myrmekes imperator within 100 feet have Truesight with a range of 50 feet.

Telepathic Nexus. Initiative +5 (15) The myrmekes imperator is in constant telepathic communication with all other myrmekes within 1 mile. These myrmekes have Immunity to the Charmed and Frightened conditions. SAVE MOD SAVE +5 Con 14 +2 +2 Actions +0 Cha 18 +4 +4 Multiattack. The myrmekes imperator makes four attacks. Hook Spear. Melee Attack Roll: +10, reach 5 ft. Hit: 12 (2d6 + 5) Piercing damage and if the target is Medium size or smaller, it gains the Prone condition. This attack deals an additional 21 (6d6) Piercing damage if the myrmekes imperator is within 5 ft. of an ally that isn’t incapacitated. Arcane Burst. Melee or Ranged Attack Roll: +10, reach 5 ft. or range 120 ft. Hit: 27 (4d10 + 5) Force damage. Bonus Actions Focus Fire. Each myrmekes ally within 100 feet of the myrmekes imperator, up to a maximum of ten, can take a Reaction to use Arcane Burst against one target creature. Reactions Focused Retaliate. Trigger: The myrmekes imperator is hit by an attack roll. Response: Each myrmekes ally within 100 feet of the myrmekes imperator, up to a maximum of ten, can take a Reaction to use Arcane Burst against the triggering creature.

Myrmekes Queen

Large Monstrosity, Lawful Neutral AC Initiative 8 HP 150 (20d10 + 40) Speed 10 ft. MOD SAVE MOD Str 18 +4 +4 Dex 6 –2 Int 30 +10 +10 Wis 10 +0 Skills Arcana +16, History +16, Nature +16, Religion +16 Immunities Charmed, Frightened Senses Darkvision 120 ft., Truesight 100 ft.; Passive Perception 10 Languages Common, Myrmekes Challenge 6 (2,300 XP; PB +3) Traits Mimicry. The myrmekes queen can mimic any sounds it has heard, including voices. A creature that hears the sounds can tell they are imitations with a successful DC 21 Wisdom (Insight) check.

Shared Sight. –2 (8) All myrmekes allies of the myrmekes queen within 100 feet have Truesight with a range of 50 feet. Telepathic Nexus. The myrmekes queen is in constant SAVE MOD SAVE telepathic communication with all other myrmekes within –2 Con 15 +2 +2 1 mile. These myrmekes have Immunity to the Charmed and +0 Cha 20 +5 +5 Frightened conditions. Actions Multiattack. The myrmekes queen makes two Psychic Blast attacks. Psychic Blast. Ranged Attack Roll: +13, range 120 ft. Hit: 32 (5d8 + 10) Psychic damage. Reactions Redirect Attack. Trigger: A creature the myrmekes queen can Response: see makes an attack roll against it. The myrmekes queen chooses a Small or Medium ally within 5 feet of itself. The myrmekes queen and that ally swap places, and the ally becomes the target of the attack instead.