I just got back into gaming as my NPCs...err...children have grown old enough to play. I study termites for a living and decided we needed a solid, playable, insect race.
Here is the result: http://community.wizards.com/content/blog/4231381
I have attempted to blend the real biology of these insects with fantasy elements. So far I just provide an overview as introduction. I will be posting more complete descriptions of each terman specific class and other bits of information to provide flavor.
I post this here for two reasons. First to share this race and see if there is any interest in my posting more information, and second to get feedback and learn how others will work them into campaigns.
Hi. firstly thankyou so much for making this race it's very flavourful and interesting and i'll be using it alot in my upcoming campaigns.
There are a couple of issues i found in the write up that i think can be easily resolved by changing the wording i'll list them here.
1. the chitin ability states that base armour class is 11.what exactlydoes this mean? armour class base is not a term in this edition AC is calculated by one of the AC formulas available to the character. does this give them the formula AC=11? or AC=11+DEX? how does this apply to armour? would a termen in full plate have AC 19 or 18 as normal for a creature in plate? in order to resolve this the ability should read something like this " a termen's armour class is equal to 11 + their dexterity bonus when not wearing armour" if you wanted it to be a formula, (i would word it to be more similar to the monk or barbarian's unarmoured defense ability but i don't have my book in front of me.) or if you wanted the AC bonus to stack with armour and other AC formulas it could be written like so " A termen gains a +1 bonus to their armour class to represent their armoured chitin."
2. how many limbs are needed to hold a shield? this may be important because it would determine whether or not termen could use a shield with a two handed weapon (three hands on a greatsword and one on a shield.) or not.
3. the digestive juices ability calls for a ranged touch attack which does not exist in this edition. all atacks target full AC so touch attacks are meaningless and does not give the reader any idea of what stat to use or whether or not to add their proficiency bonus. my suggestion is to change it to something like this " 1/short rest you may spit a small glob of digestive juices. Make a ranged attack roll against a target within 15ft and if you hit you deal 1D4 points of acid damage."
4. there is no such thing as a favoured class in 5th edition.
5. the Tocsins gain a +1 to int which makes some sense but i personally think a race with such a strong connection to sound should make very good bards and so i would suggest +1 cha (making the total bonus +2) thats just a suggestion though that's fine the way it is.
6. it may be worth it to clarify in the Size part of the race write up that only the workers are small size otherwise it may be interpreted that you can choose either small or medium for any caste. also being small is technically a downside because it gives no mechanical advantages and restricts weapon choice, although they do get the small benefit of being able to fit into small spaces and workers have class freedom that the other castes do not so that may be ok. i would suggest giving the workers a small ability to compensate, something flavourful related to building perhaps? or along the lines of the dwarf stonecunning ability. it may be entirely intentional that the workers are weaker though and if that is the case then i entirely understand.
in terms of race specific classes i would advise not restricting any class to one specific race unless it's something that another race is physically incapable of. there needs to be a really good reason why a human for example could not learn those same skills. an example of a race specific class that could work would be a class where the main focus is to better utilise additional arms, that kind of class would only be applicable to termen, thri-kreen and other multi armed creatures for obvious reasons. another thing to be careful of is that new classes do not step on the toes of existing classes. an example of a pointless class would be the knight which never needed to be a class in any edition because a knight could be made easily by using the fighter or paladin class.
other than all of that i'm very exited to start implementing this race into my games, they remind me of when i was a kid and i had hundreds of books on insects detailing their social structures and biology. although i couldn't possibly comment on how close the biology of the termen is to real termites (i'm a chemist not a biologist) i trust your expertise on the matter as that is you job after all 
and the caste system you used for the termen and the very focused types of termen that emerge because of it really highlights the structured roles of those insects, i think thats awesome! an exellent example of mechanics reinforcing flavour.
Anyway i absolutely love the race! its full of interesting ideas i love the lore written about them in the write up and they have a very interesting persona as a race. I would really like to hear more about them.
~~Hey, thanks! I am so glad to hear you like them- and glad to be chatting with someone other than my two tweens about them. I know far more about termites than game mechanics, so thanks for your input.
AdrastusDarke wrote:
I think the workers could make excellent rogues with some tweaking, it makes sense too they could take expertise in skills relating to their role. I could imagine a worker with expertise in athletics to carry heavy building materials for example. Workers are also used in defence so rogue levels could simulate that they do not have the martial prowess of defenders but can dart in and lend a hand with a sneak attack when the invaders are occupied with the larger defenders. Maybe they could get +1 dex to make them more suited to that role? Or stick to current stats and give them something like a enhanced tremor sense ability it could go something like this "to aid in their building and maintenance termen workers have an incredible ability to sense flaws in structures and find hidden pockets using their tremor sense. By spending one round examining an object or structure with their hands and antennae a termen worker can determine the following.
. If there are any faults in the object.
.if the object is hollowed out.
.if anything is contained in a hollow opening.
.if the object is trapped."
That ability would help the workers maintain and build in the colony but is also very useful to a rogue in an adventuring party.
The chitin we need to be a little bit careful with. Adding both con and dex or cha +dex would give the termen a natural armour class equal to the barbarian and monk classes so their overall AC from their chitin should not be as high as that in my opinion. We could try 11+dex ,11+con, 10+dex +half con (rounded down). Maximum armour classes for these in order would be 16,16,17 assuming no shield or magic items whereas a barbarian or monk would have a maximum AC of 20 before shields magic items and the barbarians level 20 ability. I'll try all of these (and probably also try +1 AC) and get some feedback from my group to determine a balanced formula that makes sense. I'll try and think of a justification for cha also but that seems like a difficult thing to justify .
There are all sorts of reasons for a termen to adventure perhaps they got separated from their colony during an attack or some other event. Or they were chosen to leave to deal with some kind of threat. Or maybe that termen is just crazy either way they make great adventurers.
+2 cha for the tocsins should be perfectly balanced. The tiefling and half elf races already get +2 cha and other stat boosts, the termen loose the second stat boost but gain other powerful racial abilities like the AC boost to compensate. It also just fits very well with them which is the most important thing.
Anyway i should get back to work now but it's been a pleasure . I'll keep an eye on this thread so I can help out when possible and I'll also make sure to post how the testing is going. Thankyou again for working so hard on this race it's exactly what I've been looking for in a race for a long time.
Edit: fixed a million spelling mistakes auto-correct hates me .
They would make amazing NPCs. A society of well trained and advanced people who do not really want to leave and interact with other races might be more likely to hire an adventuring party to deal with a problem, rather than dealing with it themselves. Visually different, unique abilities, and something DIFFERENT from the normal races. I like them!
Interesting story. It's always good to utilising real life knowledge for games!
I'm bothered by the pictures – they don't look enough like termites to me; they look like some weird Thri-kreen/Dromite hybrid.
Favoured Class is also something not done anymore. It was silly and restrictive.
Formatting is also a little weird. Furthermore, I might suggest splitting them into two races – small and large Termen, and slightly altering the balance. It's REALLY REALLY hard to balance a small race when there's an option of going medium as well. Nobody plays Small if they can help it – i.e., if the medium version gets all the features, just is larger, even if there's an ability score difference, it's just not attractive to choose the small version. Also, I really don't think anyone will stick to your caste-class requirements for the various ability score bonuses. During the 5e playtest, WotC considered giving an ability bonus for taking a class, rather than it just coming from your race. That's what this feels like to me – you're giving only a +1 ability to the race, and then if the player plays certain classes, giving them an additional +1. That's not really fair, is it? Either the players will just take the caste that fits the bonuses they want and ignore your class restrictions, or they'll be forced into a class restriction they may or may not want.
Also, the one small subrace, the Workers, don't seem to have any benefits to offset being small, not even an ability score bonus like the others? Why would ANYONE play Workers?
Marandahir wrote:
DizzyWood wrote:
AdrastusDarke wrote:
Dmaestro wrote:
So you just watched Ant Man and are thinking, "how could I play a character with such cool bug skills?"
Think Terman Druid...The Swarm Lord
No wolves, eagles, and bears for you. Insect Plagues and Giant Insects!
Shapeshifting into a wide variety of giant arthropods- something for every occaison!
Or become the deadly swarm itself...
Dmaestro wrote:
Dmaestro wrote:
Great minds think alike
Here is a clash which is all too common in Terman societies- Formian invasion.
Note the comparison between a 4 armed and 4 legged humanoid. I think a biped has more appeal. If you are old enough to have played a Vrusk, you will know there are limitations to being essentially a centaur.
Formian: ~~©2011-2015 TechnologicIce
Although I must admit the formian design there nicely solves the centaur spine problem.
rampant wrote:
The Swarm Lord can be built fairly easily from druid of the circle of the moon with the following changes:
Circle of the Swarm
As Circle of the Moon, with the following changes:
All shapes you take must be invertebrates (Ex. Ants, wasps, crabs, centipedes, worms, etc.).
In place of Elemental Wild Shape-
Swarm: At 10th level you can expend two uses of Wild Shape to take on the form of an Insect Swarm.
In place of Thousand Forms-
Swarm Lord: At 14th level you gain Insect Plague as always prepared and it does not count against the number of prepared spells for the day. When in Swarm form, you may take control of the Insect Plague, add its damage to your own form and eliminate the concentration requirement.
The one class which is not easily adapted by tweeking another class is the Termen Defender. This is a build off of the Eldritch knight.
Termen Defenders
Termen Defenders combine the martial mastery of fighters with an alchemical ability to alter their own bodies to produce spell-like effects. This limits their spell choice to those that focus on acid, poison, or alterations of their internal chemistry.
Spellcasting:
When you reach 3rd level, you gain the ability to cast spells.
Cantrips. You learn two cantrips from the eldritch knight spell list. You learn additional Terman Defender cantrip at 9th level, and a fourth at 15th level.
Spell Slots. The Terman Defender Spellcasting table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a slot of the spell’s level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest. For example, if you know the 1st-level spell chromatic orb (acid or poison) and have a 1st-level and a 2nd-level spell slot available, you can cast chromatic orb using either slot.
Spells Known of 1st-Level and Higher. You know two 1st-level spells of your choice from the Terman Defender spell list. The Spells Known column of the Terman Defender Spellcasting table shows when you learn more Terman Defender spells of your choice. Each of these spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For instance, when you reach 6th level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level.
.. Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the Terman Defender spells you know and replace it with another spell from the Terman Defender spell list, which also must be of a level for which you have spell slots.
Spellcasting Ability. Constitution is your spellcasting ability for your eldritch knight spells, since you learn your spells through study and memorization. You use your Constitution whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Constitution modifier when setting the saving throw DC for an Terman Defender spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.
Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier
Spell attack modifier = 10 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier
Frontal Gland. At 3rd level, you develop a glandular pore in your forehead. This will be the focus of the alchemical alterations of your body to produce spell effects. Your spells do not require components and may be cast as long as this structure is undamaged.
Weapon Handling. At 5th level, you gain the ability to hold versatile weapons in two hands instead of three.
War Alchemy. At 7th level, when you use your action to cast a cantrip, you may make one weapon attack as a bonus action.
Vulnerable Strike. At 10th level, your strike damages a creature in a way that makes it vulnerable to acid or poison. When you hit a creature, that creature has disadvantage on the next saving throw it makes against a spell you cast that causes acid or poison damage before the end of your next turn.
Advanced Weapon Handling. At 15th level, you gain the ability to hold Two-handed weapons in two hands instead of three and may hold one-handed weapons in a single hand even if they are not in the light category.
Improved War Alchemy. At 18th level, when you use your action to cast a spell, you may make one weapon attack as a bonus action.
Termen Defender Spellcasting
Fighter Cantrips Spells —Spell Slots per Spell Level—
Level Known Known 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th
3rd 2 3 2 — — — —
4th 2 4 3 — — — —
5th 2 4 3 — — — —
6th 2 4 3 — — — —
7th 2 5 4 2 — — —
8th 2 6 4 2 1 — —
9th 2 6 4 2 2 — —
10th 3 7 4 3 3 — —
11th 3 8 4 3 3 — —
12th 3 8 4 3 3 — —
13th 3 9 4 3 3 2 —
14th 3 10 4 3 3 2 —
15th 3 10 4 3 3 2 —
16th 3 11 4 3 3 3 —
17th 3 11 4 3 3 3 —
18th 3 11 4 3 3 3 —
19th 3 12 4 3 3 3 1
20th 3 13 4 3 3 3 1
Termen Defender Spell list
Some spells are limited to Acid or Poison damage. Some spells require a shift to Acid damage from another type to reflect a different mode of action. For example as switch toacid damage turns Aganazzar's Scorcher into a stream of acid like Black Dragon breath. Many spells can only be cast upon your self to reflect the ability to use alchemy to heal or resist damage.
Cantrips
Acid Splash
Poison Spray
Level 1
Chromatic Orb (Acid or Poison)
Cure Wounds (self)
Ensnaring Strike (Acid not piercing damage)
False Life
Fog Cloud
Goodberry
Grease
Hellish Rebuke (Range touch, acid damage)
Heroism (self)
Absorb Elements (Acid or Poison)
Level 2
Anagazzar’s Scorcher (Acid not fire damage)
Alter Self
Barkskin (Chitin)
Blindness
Darkvision (self)
Enhance Ability (self)
Enlarge/Reduce (self)
Lesser restoration (self)
Protection from Poison (self)
Web
Level 3
Elemental Weapon (Acid)
Feign Death
Haste
Protection from Energy (Acid or Poison)
Level 4
Vitriolic Sphere
Death Ward
Elemental bane (acid)
Freedom of movement
Level 5
Contagion
Greater Restoration
Cloudkill
Regenerate
This is looking cooler and cooler the more you post!
DizzyWood wrote:
How has the play testing been going? Don't be shy about telling me negative things as well as any positive.
Dmaestro wrote:
I made a major addition to the info on Termen. There is enough there now to play all of the castes: http://community.wizards.com/content/blog/4231381
I have made some modifications to make them more balanced and add flavor. I have removed the acid spittle ability, it was underpowered compared to the acid breath of a black dragonborn and cut into the speciality of the class of fighter that relies on the use of acid sprays and poisons: the Termidon. In its place I gave the race the ability to cast the goodberry spell 1/day. This may seem odd, but termites share food and gut microbes all the time, thus goodberry represents a parcel of healing gut microbes couched up and either reconsumed to speard to where needed, or shared with others.
I gave them an additional handicap in that they cannot own wooden items (they don't fight witht heir food!)
I also clarified the whole 4 arm thing to eliminate the problem of multiple attacks. Now they must use two hands for light and normal weapons and shields, and four for what are normally two-handed and heavy weapons. The one weapon advantage they gain is the abilty to derive the "two-handed" benefit from versatile weapons.