PEACH Request: Yeerks (From Animorphs)

[Leliel]

Despite the large number of Animorphs-related homebrew, I have never seen so much as a single Yeerk. Naturally, I now wish to have a game where the Yeerks are main antagonists, as well as a possible player race (after the PCs make contact with the Peace Faction). Of course, I am terrible at homebrewing, so I ask you, the board, to do it for me. There are no rules, I'll take the statblock that everyone likes. Few suggestions:

1) I would cast their alignment as Always Lawful (They're ultra-regimented), and Often Evil (Most of the "army Yeerks" a player will encounter are probably bound for Archeron).

2) In their natural form, I would cast them as Tiny aberration with a high swim speed and Int. Lower every physical stat to the point where one could easily win a battle with a Yeerk by stepping on him.

3) For Controllers, I would get a template where the Yeerk's mental stats are substituted for the host's, and use both the host's and the Yeerk's Knowledge checks, with the host being occasionally allowed to make Will saves to "leave a clue", so to speak. For Collaborators (willing Controllers), the same, sans host's Will saves, and with both the Yeerk and the host making will saves against psionic and enchantment effects.

"Please help me, I don't want to lose to him again..."

Er, Please Post, and disregard that last statement. Free cake to anyone who does.

[Psionic Dog]

Well... option #1 is to draft the Puppeteer (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/monsters/puppeteer.htm) in for the job...

Now for a custom monster first, the yerk would have to be a fine or diminutive creature ('Fat slugs' ≠ Fat house cat)

So... how about...

Yeerk
Size/Type: Fine Aberration
Hit Dice 1/2 1d8 - 2(1 hp)
Initiative
Speed: 5 ft, 20 ft swim, 5ft climb
Armor Class: 15(+8 size -3 Dex)
Attack: None
Special Attack: Infest
Special Qualities: Blind Sense 20ft
Saves: Fort +0, Ref -3, Will +3
Abulities: Str 1, Dex 5, Con 6, Int 13, Wis 12, Cha 15
Skills:
Feats: Deceitful
Environment: As Host
Organization: Any
Challenge Rating: 1/4 or as host
Alignment: Usually Lawful Evil
Advancement: By NPC class level

Special Attacks:
Infest:
As a full round action a yerk may enter any corporal creature except an aberration, outsider, elemental or undead. This dazes the victim for 1d4 rounds, at the end of which time the victim becomes a controller.

Controllers:
Controllers have the HP, mental abilities, special qualities/attacks, skill ranks, feats, saves etc of either the host or the yerk, whichever is higher.
The physical abilities, special movements, and extraordinary attacks come from the host only.

A DC 25 sense motive check notes that the controller appears to be charmed if the host is willing, or a DC 15 check shows that the host appears to be dominated if the host is actively resisting.

Resisting the host:
A DC 10 + yeerks level + yeerks Cha by the host can daze the controller preventing a particular action. If the host beats this by 5 or more, they may act is if uncontrolled for 1 round/5 points their save succeeded. A host may make 1 such save per day, plus an additional save any other time the yeerk compels the controller entity to perform any action that the host strongly objects to.

Sleep And Rest:
The host requires sleep and nourishment, but the yeerk does not. As a result, controllers and yerks receive a +4 bonus on saves to resist sleep effects.

While a yeerk does not need to sleep, they must still bath in a yeerk pool or 'starve' After spending 3 days outside of a yeerk pool, a yeerk (not the controller) must make a DC 10 will save + 2 for each previous save every hour or take 2 points of int, wis, and cha damage (again the yeerk, not the host). If two or more of these scores drop to 3 or below the yeerk is immediately ejected and dies within 2d6 rounds latter if it is still outside of a yeerk pool.

If a controller eats another live yeerk, this time limit may be set back by up to two days.

Version Changes:

1.1 (Current) Dex and Con scores reduced from 7 and 10, spelling fixed.




I hope one of these suggestions helps someone.

[Draco18s]

Been a long time since I read those books....a long time indeed (I believe the series has doubled since I last bought one).

Your suggestions looks good.

And it only just occured to me how similar yeerks and goa'uld are.

[Fiery Diamond]

Yeerks actually would be diminutive. They're supposed to be frickin' HUGE slugs. As in, if I recall, a foot long and thick, they just squish themselves to get in. They should also have higher int scores.

-Fiery Diamond

[Maldraugedhen]

That actually might be a bit high for their Int, and here's why:
If I recall correctly, the reason the Yeerks were planning humanity's downfall was because they were afraid of how quickly we were progressing compared to them. If there's a mental stat that would accelerate the progression of technology, then that stat would be Int. You might even want to give them a maximum Int, although I think that would be the first time a race had been given one.

[Da Beast]

That actually might be a bit high for their Int, and here's why:
If I recall correctly, the reason the Yeerks were planning humanity's downfall was because they were afraid of how quickly we were progressing compared to them. If there's a mental stat that would accelerate the progression of technology, then that stat would be Int. You might even want to give them a maximum Int, although I think that would be the first time a race had been given one.

I'm pretty sure that it was the andalite (Ax?) who was impressed by the speed with which humans were advancing. I think Visor 3 said that they wanted humans because there are so many of us that with humans under their control the yerks could easily wipe out all opposition through numbers alone.

[Xyk]

Wow, I haven't read animorphs since I was like 8, and I don't think there was this peace faction thing then. I think the one that was up will do just fine, but yes, with a lower int.

P.S. Aberration, not Abirition

[Draco18s]

Wow, I haven't read animorphs since I was like 8, and I don't think there was this peace faction thing then.

I don't remember it either, and that was up through....#42?

[Bogardan_Mage]

The peace faction was in the later books. That was around the point where the series was really trying to push the "no moral absolutes" thing, and they needed sympathetic yeerks who weren't Visser One.

About the speed of technology, yeah, it was Ax that brought it up but he did think the yeerks were afraid of humans. Visser One certainly had a healthy respect (if not strictly fear) of humans, but I don't think one way or the other this translates into a lower level of intelligence. D&D already portrays humans as a technologically proficient race without giving them individual ability modifiers. And besides, the yeerks themselves have been shown to develop technology with great ease when the opportunity presents itself. The trouble was, having only Gedds as hosts, the opportunity never presented itself.

[Andraste]

Infestation: Yeerks are able to, by crawling through the ear, completely control a person's body. The yeerk secretes a chemical into the ear canal that lets it go through without causing harm to the host. One round after the yeerk goes into the ear canal, the host must make a DC 25 + the yeerk's Wis modifier will save to try to resist the yeerk controlling it. If the host succeeds the save, it maintains control of its body. The host most make another save every minute as long as the yeerk remains inside their head. If they fail any of the saves, the yeerk gains complete control of the host's body and access to all of its memories. Every hour that the host is conscious, it can make a DC 30 + the yeerk's Wis modifier will save to try to regain control of its body. If it succeeds, it regains control for one round + the amount that it beat the save DC. When controlling the host, the yeerk may choose to use either its own mental stats (Int, Wis, Cha), will save, and skills that use mental stats, or those of the host (Usually whichever is higher). yeerks infesting a host who is able to morph fuse with the host when they morph. If this was not so, the host would be killed if it morphed into anything smaller than the yeerk. Yeerks and their hosts can communicate mentally, and if they choose, the yeerk can allow the host control over their body until the yeerk chooses otherwise, though this is rare.


Don't know how well I did the numbers and times, but I think I got the rest pretty well.

[Collin152]

I'd say yeerks racially have higher charisma than intelligence, and a constitution of about... 2? 3? Strength of 1 or none, dex of no more than... well, 5, maybe, and that's generous.

[Clamps]

The peace faction was in the later books. That was around the point where the series was really trying to push the "no moral absolutes" thing, and they needed sympathetic yeerks who weren't Visser One.

About the speed of technology, yeah, it was Ax that brought it up but he did think the yeerks were afraid of humans. Visser One certainly had a healthy respect (if not strictly fear) of humans, but I don't think one way or the other this translates into a lower level of intelligence. D&D already portrays humans as a technologically proficient race without giving them individual ability modifiers. And besides, the yeerks themselves have been shown to develop technology with great ease when the opportunity presents itself. The trouble was, having only Gedds as hosts, the opportunity never presented itself.

The Yeerks invaded Earth because all the other races they infected kind of sucked (except the Hork-Bajir, but they weren't very many of them). They did so secretly because Visser 1 figured we'd kill ourselves rather than submit.

Man, nostalgia.

Outside of hosts, Yeeriks suck. They should have 3s for Strength and Con

[Superglucose]

Drop the INT to 10. They're no smarter than humans or Andalites. Where they really shine is charisma.

[Psionic Dog]

It's been a few years since I last opened a book too. :smallsmile:

Anyway, Dex and Cons scores have been reduced to reflect popular demand.

I'm leaving the Int at 12 for now, I got the impression the average slug is slightly smarter than the average human.

Balford's Infest rules are comprehensive even if the numbers look a bit high. If everyone else likes it I'll modify my version to resemble his.

I'll try to update the cover version I posted to reflect the latest debate arguments as I have time.