[Ghoulfodder]

New GM here. I'm planning on running a home game of Missions, but I want to run something else first, partly to check we're familiar with the rules, get the team together and partly because SRM02 isn't out yet so I want to delay a while and not end up with nothing to run when we've completed SRM01.

I've found an interesting idea for a run in Feral Cities, but it calls for insect spirits and there's obviously no stats for them in the core book. I've never encountered them before (I still so shiney and new I squeek when playing SR4) I was thinking of just using the normal spirit stats and flavouring them up. I don't have any SR4 insect details either to work off or convert.

Any suggestions or should I try something different?

[Michael Chandra]

Unfortunately I don't have the Bug stats in my head enough to give you advice on how they work. The only hotfix I can come up with is adding Force/2 to the attributes of the hosts and using F/2 as their Edge score.

As for Missions: Firing Line and Sprawl Wilds are legal Missions for season 5 players.

[Reaver]

Insect spirits....


the "big bad" of the magical world....


sure to give both players and characters nightmares for years!!! <muhahahhahahah!!!!!>

Street magic pg 149

Insect Spirits
Insect spirits are among the most alien entities the Sixth
World has yet encountered and the first of the metaplanar
threats to become known. Insect spirits—known as bugs by
society at large—are so called because of the unexplained resemblance
of their astral forms to Earth’s insect species. In
fact, different insect spirits appear to exist, sharing traits with
a variety of terrestrial insects. Insect spirits are hardy survivors,
resilient, adaptable, and driven by an overwhelming
compulsion to perpetuate their species. Pursuing an implacable
impulse to propagate, insect spirits have targeted Earth
and begun to infiltrate metahuman society.
Frightening as their insect nature is, bugs are all the more
terrifying in that they view all living beings as potential organic
vessels with which they can merge. Though other species
are apparently compatible and less resistant to incubation,
metahumans are the preferred hosts for insect progeny,
suggesting that the bugs’ strategy is to subvert and replace
the dominant species in an eco-system.
Cooperation between various insect species is uncommon
though obviously not impossible; most insect spirits
will actively avoid clashes with one another over anything
other than territory.

Street magic pg 152

Caretaker
Caretaker spirits are specialized in taking care of the
nest/hive and the spirits going through inhabitation (cocooned
and in the pupation). Less common in solitary insect
species, caretakers can sometimes be found among roaches
and beetles. Caretakers often create protective wards to defend
the hive’s spawn from enemies or predators.
B A R S C I L W EDG ESS M Init IP
F+2 F+1 F +1 F F F F F F F F (Fx2)+1 2
Astral INIT/IP: Fx2, 3
Movement: 10/45
Skills: Assensing, Astral Combat, Dodge, Leadership,
Perception, Unarmed Combat
Powers: Animal Control (Insect Type), Astral Form, Guard,
Hive Mind, Inhabitation (Living Vessels), Sapience
Optional Powers: Binding, Confusion, Enhanced Senses
(Smell, Thermographic Vision, or Ultrasound)
Weaknesses: Allergy (Insecticides, Severe), Evanescence
Nymph
Nymph spirits are juvenile queens or mothers. They resemble
weaker and underdeveloped versions of their insect counterparts.
Lacking the physical prowess and power they will possess
once metamorphosed into a queen or mother, nymphs still make
extensive use of all kinds of spell-like and pheromone-based abilities
to distract and endanger potential enemies. Insect shamans
invariably prefer female vessels for nymphs.
B A R S C I L W EDG ESS M Init IP
F–1 F F+3 F–1 F F F F F F F (Fx2)+3 2
Astral INIT/IP: Fx2, 3
Movement: 10/45
Skills: Assensing, Astral Combat, Dodge, Perception,
Spellcasting, Unarmed Combat
Powers: Animal Control (Insect Type), Astral Form, Enhanced
Senses (Smell, Thermographic Vision, or Ultrasound), Hive
Mind, Inhabitation (Living Vessels), Innate Spell (any one
Illusion Spell known to the summoner), Sapience
Optional Powers: Compulsion, Fear
Weaknesses: Allergy (Insecticides, Severe), Evanescence
Scout
Scout spirits often operate far afield from the nest/hive to
accomplish tasks such as information gathering and reconnaissance.
This type of spirit is sent on missions that do not require
the brute force approach of soldier spirits. As they are intended
to be deployed as infiltrators and observers, queens and mothers
will attempt to produce flesh forms for scouts (see p. 100).
B A R S C I L W EDG ESS M Init IP
F F+2 F+2 F F F F F F F F (Fx2)+2 2
Astral INIT/IP: Fx2, 3
Movement: 10/45
Skills: Assensing, Astral Combat, Dodge, Infiltration,
Perception, Shadowing, Unarmed Combat
Powers: Animal Control (Insect Type), Astral Form,
Concealment, Enhanced Senses (Smell, Thermographic Vision,
or Ultrasound), Hive Mind, Inhabitation (Living Vessels),
Movement, Sapience, Search
Optional Powers: Confusion, Guard, Natural Weapon (DV =
Force Physical damage, AP 0), Noxious Breath
Weaknesses: Allergy (Insecticides, Severe), Evanescence
Soldier
The primary task of soldier spirits is to guard and defend
the hive/nest. In solitary species, the soldier is a hunter and
predator. They exhibit natural weaponry appropriate to their
insect species (mandibles, stings), often have a chitinous exoskeleton,
and are more resistant to insecticides.
B A R S C I L W EDG ESS M Init IP
F+2 F F+1 F+3 F F F F F F F (Fx2)+1 2
Astral INIT/IP: Fx2, 3
Movement: 10/45
Skills: Assensing, Astral Combat, Counterspelling, Dodge,
Exotic Ranged Weapon, Perception, Unarmed Combat
Powers: Animal Control (Insect Type), Astral Form, Fear,
Hive Mind, Inhabitation (Living Vessels), Natural Weapon
(DV = (Force +2) Physical damage, AP –1), Sapience
Optional Powers: Concealment, Binding, Magical Guard,
Noxious Breath, Skill (a soldier spirit may be given an additional
Combat skill instead of an optional power), Venom
Weaknesses: Allergy (Insecticides, Light), Evanescence

Worker
Workers are the most common type of insect spirits.
Their function is to maintain and expand the physical hive
and acquire resources like food, heat, and new hosts.
B A R S C I L W EDG ESS M Init IP
F+3 F F+1 F+2 F F F F F F F (Fx2)+1 2
Astral INIT/IP: Fx2, 3
Movement: 10/45
Skills: Assensing, Astral Combat, Dodge, Perception,
Unarmed Combat
Powers: Animal Control (Insect Type), Astral Form,
Enhanced Senses (Smell, Thermographic Vision), Hive Mind,
Inhabitation (Living Vessels), Movement, Sapience, Search
Optional Powers: Concealment, Enhanced Senses
(Ultrasound), Venom, Skill (a worker spirit may be given additional
Technical or Physical skill instead of an optional power)
Weaknesses: Allergy (Insecticides, Severe), Evanescence

these are from SR4Ae... so you will have to modify them some to 5e (if that is the system you are using)

But, this is enough to give you an idea as to the terror and power of insect spirits..... the only thing I didn't like were the types... and there is a great many types... from wasps and roaches to ants and flies.... so many options to invade the nightmares of your players <Muhahhahahah!!!!!>

[Ghoulfodder]

 

Lovely stuff!

[Wilhelm R.]

Any pointers on what kind of changes to make in adapting to SR5?

Sending my runners in a "the Johnson wants you dead, here, go take out this hive", situation,  so if SHTF and they don't wise up and run away, there will be a lot of conflict with buggies.

[Dakka]

Change Dodge to Gymnastics and Infiltration to Sneaking.  Remove Shadowing from the scout and give it, I don't know, Running or something.  Change the soldier's natural weapon to DV Str+2 instead of Force +2.  Accuracy for natural weapons is = physical limit.  The soldiers of Force 3 or higher can take a combat skill, like Longarms, as an optional power.  Then you can use SR5 weapon stats.

For this encounter I'd start with 1-2 F6 scouts and a ton of F3 workers, like maybe however many runners you have x2.  Once they get through a few of those, have a soldier squad show up, maybe lead by a nymph with the Chaotic World spell.  Start having every dead soldier cause another to enter from somewhere and they will soon get the message the fight can't be won.

For my curiosity, what is Mr. Johnson's motivation for sending them here?  Why does he want them dead?  Is he connected to the hive, perhaps a high force Scout infiltrator or the Insect Mage responsible for the hive?  Are the runners just food for the hive or possible vessels?

[Wilhelm R.]

Long story with several twists and turns. 

Shortened up?  They are being used as suicide assets by a top Corporate R&D Head.  After using them a few times on normal runs, he NEEDS them dead for his own safety and interests, but also knows they are damned capable, since they downed his first attempt, a "Test" Fight (they didn't know the safety measures were.. off) against a new war drone/vehicle hybrid.   So now he's sending them in against this supposed hive,  hoping either what's down there offs them, so he won't have to risk his own men checking it out...  OR they somehow succeed, in which case, 'imagine that! Time to take credit!'.  He isn't exactly seeing too far in to the endgame that if they ARE this good, it can only end badly for him to be sending them off on these "rigged" runs.

He's kept them under his thumb so far, but he's making the mistake of not sending one of his own with them this time, giving them prime opportunity to escape his clutches, especially if they catch wind at the odds he's putting them against for trifle pay (the decker is close to figuring it out)

[Dakka]

Interesting plotline.  If I were on the team and found out Mr. J. sent us out to die, I might suggest he "accidentally" run into a few bug spirits of his own, conveniently stun battoned out and placed in his apartment or something.  Anyway, the stats above should work fine, any power not found in SR5 you should be able to modify (or not) from SR4a.

[Wilhelm R.]

Exactly.  They're already mildly irate at his strong-arming them to work for him, so once they find out it's all been attempted setups TOO,  the Troll and the Black Magic Mage will surely come up with something... interesting.

Thanks for your help!!!

[Longshot23]

Interesting. How did they get into this ongoing situation? And why is " a top Corporate R&D Head" acting as a Johnson? He/she shouldn't have the time for it.