Hivesworn Combat.
In Hivesworn you will come across large enemies call Predators. Predators do not act like other bugs you encounter as enemies but instead react to player’s choices.
Predators react to players differently when they first spot the players. All enemy’s roll a D6 and have different reactions.
Example:
• 1-2: Does nothing, it’s already full
• 3-4: Screeches or yells to alert others
• 5-6: Immediately reacts; roll on the failure table for this enemy
Each time a player attempts to attack, move, or otherwise interact with a threatening animal, they roll a D6 plus another D6 for each mutation that might help the situation, and take the best result. Each time you act, the Predator rolls on his reaction table.
• 6 counts as two successes
• 5 counts as one success
• 4-3 are neutral but can be “pushed” for 1 or 2 stamina respectively if a mutation allows it
• 2-1 is a failure
Successes count against the Predator’s Difficulty counter. Each success fills in a difficulty and corresponds to the Rage threshold that triggers after so many successes from the players. Example:
• 3 Successes: free roll on the consequences chart
• 5 successes: flees and tries to rest
• 10 successes: Enraged and begins rolling 2x consequences per fail. Gets one free roll now.
Enemies die or flee permanently after a number of successes against them equal to their difficulty. For example, a garden snake might require 5 successes. Thus, killing enemies is not the goal but just one possible solution.
Bestiary
Rat
Usually content to feast off the refuse of a forgotten society, Rats find bugs a tasty treat.
Difficulty: [ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]
Reaction table:
1-2: Whips its tail, adjacent bugs lose their next action.
3-4: Loudly hisses, disorienting all bugs. -1 die to their next roll.
5-6: Rat is curious and only observes.
Retaliation table:
1. Rat turns and kicks attacking bug, sending them out of adjacent range
2. Bites attacking bug. Lose one Body.
3. Whips its tail, adjacent bugs lose their next action.
4. Loudly hisses, disorienting all bugs. -1 die to their next roll.
5. Bites attacking bug. Lose one Body part.
6. Hip checks all adjacent bugs, sending them out of adjacent range.
7. Bites attacking bug. Lose one Body.
8. Kicks dirt and dust at adjacent bugs, disorienting them. -1 die to their next roll.
9. Loudly hisses, disorienting all bugs. -1 die to their next roll.
10. Rat rolls over, crushing adjacent bugs. They each lose a body part of their choice.
11. Swipes a claw at attacking bug. Lose one Body.
12. Rat pins down attacking bug. Roll 1d6. On a success the bug is freed. Otherwise lose a body part.
Rage threshold:
2: Whips its tail, adjacent bugs lose their next action.
4: Lashes out, roll twice on the Retaliation table.
5. The Rat gets more aggressive. Switch to 2d6 for retaliation tables.
7. Rat snaps at a random adjacent bug, it loses a body part.
10. The Rat is defeated or flees.