Styger

Stygers are a race of constructs, they were made by magical means. Long ago a powerful race of magic using creatures called the Mendelinkorians created the Stygers to be their warriors. After countless generations of bondage and great cataclysm shook the land and the Stygers used the chaos as an opportunity to strike. Massive rebellions took place at all of the Mendelinkorian’s city states. The Stygers killed all that were not smart enough to run. Even to this day after several thousand years, the Stygers will attack the Mendelinkorians on sight.

Stygers are natural warriors, they have natural armor and weapons and are fearless in combat. Stygers possess great strength and endurance, Stygers can fight for twice as long as other races before becoming tired. Stygers resemble large humanoid insects , they have a hardened armor carapace that protects as well as a suit of brigantine. Stygers also have sharp claws upon their hands that are equivalent to daggers in the method of damage they inflict. Stygers will usually use some type of weapon and only use their claws as a last resort. Stygers work very well with others of their kind, they receive increased chances to hit depending on how many of them there are. Stygers are made to fight and they do it well.

After the great rebellion as they call it most of the Stygers were killed in the rebellion. Their numbers are small compared to the thousands that used to walk the battlements of the Mendelinkorian’s walled city-states. Stygers are found in small bands of 10-100 they are warriors but not overly aggressive. Stygers have been seen serving various lords and causes as mercenaries. Their breeding makes them fiercely loyal to a lord that treats them fair. Those that do not treat a group of Stygers well will find a rebellion on their hands. Stygers have little concept of culture or tradition, they are fighters and not much more. The Mendelinkorians made them to be focused warriors and have no other interests, thus making them easier to control. Many a crafty lord have taken advantage of the Stygers great focus. An individual Styger is the same as a group and would be a trusted companion to any group of adventures. The drawback of all this focus is most Stygers cannot think outside the realms of combat and are no too intelligent in other matters.

Battle Tactics:

Stygers are born and bred for combat, it is all they know. Stygers have excellent tactical sense, they will always use the best method of attack and defense in any given combat situation. They do not waver in combat but will make a tactical withdraw if victory is not obtainable. Stygers can and will employ any sort of weapon or siege weapon made available to them. They are brave and will do daring things to win a fight. Stygers gain great skill as their numbers increase. For every five Stygers in combat, they will all receive a bonus to hit, up to five such increases. These are in addition to any bonuses they may receive for multiple opponents. Stygers will usually gang up on one opponent do defeat them quickly and then move on to the next. They have found this tactic to work well in small group encounters. I mass battles, they will form a wedge and try to break a hole in the enemy line, heading for the generals outpost. Killing the enemy general is always a good way to win a battle.

Habitat:

Stygers are insect in their origins and will usually be encountered in areas that would allow insect life to live, thus areas of extreme heat or cold would not be places you would normally encounter a group of Stygers. If they are under the leadership of someone, then you may see them in the desert or snow. Stygers have no skills for building and cannot construct homes. Most usually wander about ,sleeping where they stop for the night. Stygers can eat most anything, tree bark, insects, most plants, so they don’t have to work too hard to find food. Stygers find glue to be very tasty, and will eat furniture and other objects if assembled with glue. This habit can be a source of trouble. Stygers are most at home in a barracks and will often seek employ in the military to gain such lodging, just make sure their beds are made with nails!

Ecology:

Stygers are not long lived, most die of old age by 30. The Mendelinkorians gave them short life spans to keep them under control. Due to this fact, old Styger are revered by their comrades. The oldest Styger in a given group is the leader-no questions asked. If one group joins up with another group of Stygers, then the oldest amongst them becomes the leader. Stygers do not have political motivations and will not usurp this chain of command. All important tasks are relegated by age. Stygers reproduce a-sexually just like their creators. Stygers will lay a small clutch of 1-10 eggs every year, the survival rate is about 20%. The young mature to adulthood in a months time. After a year of being a full adult, the Styger will lay eggs as well. The eggs are buried and left behind. This is why small groups of Stygers are encountered, they are the survivors from clutches of eggs left by another group. Stygers have no need for parenting or guidance, they have all the information they need for survival programmed into them. If Stygers are kept in the same local for several years then their numbers can swell to massive amounts, with their prolific reproduction they can overrun a place in a few years.

Description:

Stygers are tall insect like humanoids. They stand 6-7 feet tall and have powerful builds. The boy of a Styger is covered in a armored carapace. The carapace is a light green in color with shades of brown and tan at the joints. As a Styger ages, they gain dark brown spots around their shoulders. Very old Stygers will have their shoulders covered in such spots. Stygers have triangle-shaped heads with large eyed and small mandibles on either side of their mouth. They have spikey protrusions coming from their elbows and knees. Unlike their insect cousins, Stygers only possess one set of arms and one set of legs. They are not true insects, but magical constructs patterned after them.

Natural AC 4

2 claw attacks for 1-3 and a bite for 1-2

Classes Available: Fighter

Stats:

STR: 16-18/00 (15 + 1d4, 7 & 8 being 18)

INT: 2-12 (2 d6)
WIS: 2-12 (2 d6)
DEX: 3-18
CON: 13-18 (12 + 1d6)
CHR: 3-18
CMS: 3-18