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How might a setting of just bug-people work?

>Spider sailors clamber up silk-web rigging with ease and tend to custom spun nets
>Huge scarab beetle mercenaries guarding vast snail caravans laden with supplies
>Leech doctors plying their expert medical trade to those that need it
>Cricket bards singing bawdy songs
>Mantis courtiers and assassins
>Bloodfrenzied Mosquito berserkers
>Two competing schools of magic mastered by Moths and Butterflies
>Ant labourers tending to fungi farms
>Cockroach bandits raiding precious sugar caches
>>
>>45812664
>termite nest cities, guarded by termites but inhabited by all kinds of bugs
>bee hive factories producing a constant supply of food for the cities
>ant farms with fungi and aphid milk
>giant leeches as sea monsters
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>>45812705
>>45812664
>Elephant-level intelligence Weta bug mounts
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>>45812705
>Master artisan hornet paper makers
>Bombardier beetle alchemists
>Bee florists
>Stick insect rangers blending into their environments
>Moth mages with mite familiars
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>>45812968
>Dung Beetle Farmers
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>>45812982
So so far we have Aphid and Weta bugs as domesticated stocks. What other insects could be used?

Giant, immature grubs as meat?
>>
I want hornets to be an extremely easily irritable terrorist group.
Because FUCK hornets.
>>
>Just bug-people
Where's the love for 'birds as the setting's dragons'?
>>
>>45813096
>Not just using dragons
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>>45813096
Potentially but maybe reigned in to just garden variety of species in design.

>Monstrous shrikes impaling bugpeople
>Terrifying sparrows carrying off grub-cattle
>Magpies attacking prized jewelry wagons for shiny-shinies
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>>45813037
It's weird, because we're kind of creating a segregated community based on race/species/caste/ whatever the fuck we want to call it.

Maybe they're all acceptably cannibals, so long as the bugdude in question died of old age or something.
>>
>>45813144
Well I guess species specific jobs isn't really thing but some species would be naturally better at some over others. There wouldnt' be anything stopping a musically inclined butterfly from being a bard or a stag beetle eschewing weapons and armour in favour of the political battlefield of bugcourt.

I suppose a level of sentience would have to be established between what they eat an what they don't. (A bit like the difference between chimps and humans I guess)

That or cannibalism is just seen as a cheap recycling method (but maybe looked at as a poor-mans food)
>>
>>45813144
Ritually eating the dead to gain their experience points?
>>
>Roaming clans of bed bug bandits running around stabbing people with their dicks
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>>45813218
>snails protest for this behaviour as "a natural and beautiful part of life"

typical snails
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>>45812664
Go full weird. Don't just make them funny-colored humans with multiple limbs and mandibles. Keep in mind the natures of various bugs -- the number of species (particularly spiders) in which the females (either always or just if hungry/upset) literally kill and eat the males after mating and the males have no problem with this and, in fact, in some species, offer themselves without a thought. Or the number of species that do traumatic insemination (basically a form of mating in which a male stabs its penis into a female's abdomen to directly inject sperm into the female's hemocoel). Horrific, nightmarish parasites. Things that sting you, paralyze you and lay eggs in your body, for you to be eaten alive by their larvae. Things that infect your brain, driving you to suicidal behavior, or that just turn you into a half-living zombie, devouring you from within and then bursting out of your skull.

Spiders live in large, communal web-complexes with communal egg chambers. Their females are noticeably larger than their males, and cannibalism is looked on not only as inevitable, but culturally expected.

Antls live in rigidly caste-based (castes being distinguished by bizarre mutations) underground tunnel-complexes, comprising millions of siblings organized around unnaturally long-lived queen-mothers; powerless figureheads, but also the only ants capable of breeding, save a single male ant born out of the same rare egg-clutches that produce queen ants, who dies a gruesome death either while or after mating with the single fertile queen among his thousands of sisters.

Bees live in elaborate hive-complexes built of hardened bodily secretions, packed with eggs and stored food that is essentially vomit. Like ants, their communities are also composed entirely of siblings living under a single queen-mother; but the bee queen actually does have some power, rather than simply acting as a living reproductive organ. Their caste-mutations are caused by honey.
>>
>>45813366
Cannibalism is a common custom among many of the races, and raids and battles are routinely followed by mass cannibalism. Trophallaxis (transferring food or fluid via the mouth or the anus) is also a common custom among many races -- ants, bees, and wasps, particularly -- and is something of a bonding activity. Most communities are not open, sprawling towns, but elaborate communal complexes. Egg chambers are a near-universal feature.

Ants are defined by the bizarre caste-mutations. They act with near-mindless determination toward some given instinctive goal, and show little regard for their own safety. There are truly wicked, unspeakable ways to die, and they aren't uncommon.

Enemies of note can be massive, solitary spiders, and also birds.

Also, thought should be put in to their cultures, religions, and worldviews. How would these things -- the spiders, the ants, the bees, the wasps, the bedbugs, the ticks -- view the world What are their religious concepts? What are the bases(?) of their values and morality systems? Really try to get in the heads of these sapient bug-races. Weird, crazy shit will naturally result.
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>>45813366
Ants or general swarm insects would probably be !not-Maoists given their single minded determination and borderline worship of a figurehead. Maybe even considering their queens as gods-on-earth or at least a physical manifestation of them.

Spiders, despite forming collective societies might still have a constant 'solitary predator' behaviour and treat customs involving guests and the homestead incredibly seriously with violations being met with violence. (I guess a bit like traditional vampires offering guests a night of hospitality)

I guess morals would be wildly skewed towards survival of the fittest or at least preached religious doctrine might suggest self preservation being the core tennant.
>>
>>45813538
Yeah, that sounds about right.

Though I'd see the religions and morals of swarm insects tending very strongly toward preservation of, and service to, the group at the expense of the individual. Survival of the group would be the highest priority, and willingness to lay down one's life for the colony would be expected and requred. Selfishness, or self-interest, would be seen as an unforgivable trait. All have a place, a role to play; one that they were born into. I could see concepts sort of analogous to Vedic dharma, karma, and rta featuring very strongly in their belief systems. Everyone has their role, their place in society, and trying to fight the natural order or change one's prescribed fate is at best pointless and at worst destructive.

Spiders, however, would be more pragmatic in their outlook, and very much believe in survival of the fittest. Self-preservation would be one of the core tenants, and there would also be rigid, ritualized, exaggerated honor customs largely geared toward limiting violence within the colony -- which would still be fairly common. Among spiders, there'd be no castes or inherent leaders. Larger spiders would tend to dominate smaller ones, and likewise females would be dominant over males, but all spiders of a specific sex would at least theoretically be equal; further, there would be strong, rigid customs of hospitality as you mentioned, and, unlike ant and bee communities which would essentially function as giant, closed-off, often rather xenophobic family units, it would be both possible and fairly easy to join a spider colony, so long as you act the part, carefully follow the rigid, ritualized prescriptions of honor, and don't act or look like prey.
>>
Bumpu~

So civilizations and buildings -

Would this bug world divide itself into small societies or have common amalgamated societies of mixed species working together?

What level of technology might bugworld function at? Early iron-age or later, biotech only?
What different species would work together?
Houses and structures of chewed woodpulp or more conventional building materials?
>>
>>45814080
>Would this bug world divide itself into small societies or have common amalgamated societies of mixed species working together?

I personally am having a really hard time picturing amalgamated societies, except maybe some spider colonies, so I guess IMO I'd lean more toward the former.

>What level of technology might bugworld function at? Early iron-age or later, biotech only?

I'd say biotech. If not biotech, then honestly I'd say iron age would be too late; I'd say neolithic to bronze age at the very latest. Metalworking could be known, but still relatively new. There should be plenty of societies that rely on stone, wood, or just biotech.

>What different species would work together?

I guess I could see ants and butterflies (or rather, a certain type of butterfly at least). The butterflies excrete a sort of sweet-tasting honeydew that ants crave above all else, and they trade this to ant colonies in exchange for aid and protection.

>Houses and structures of chewed woodpulp or more conventional building materials?

The former IMO. Actually, I would personally avoid "houses" per se. Make most "towns" basically large, contiguous structures made out of, for instance, mud and clay for ants, wax for bees, and silk webbing for spiders.
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>>45812664
Hornet Warriors who dislike the Bee Fire Mages...and vice-versa.

>>45813075
Hornets aren't this aggressive. Most of the time they are simply chilling in their hive and go wreck shit when it is required...or if just piss them off.

>>45813096
Not using giant fire-breathing Dragon Flies.
>>
Guess its slow...

>Bugs rebelling against their nature to perform roles their caste is not supposed to delve into. Dancing spider courtiers and antlion lancers

>Dedicated bird-hunting spider leagues?

>Ants prone to uncontrollable mob-violence when in groups larger than 5 in a small space

>Mole cricket mining organisations employing dog-intelligence termite to excavate

>>45815395
Dragon Flies and super short lived bugs might serve well as mounts and transportation

I guess I was thinking a lighter toned bugworld rather than grim cannibal dirt scraping...
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>>45815479
Then have them have bombardier bugs as mounts.

Transportation and portable chemical artillery in one.
>>
So what kind of places would act as neutral grounds? Where can I go to team up my Beetle Fighter and Moth Mage?
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>>45815606
Some place that would be fit as a holy place for the arthropod folk.

Like a place where the arthropod god of ancient times spawned the insect, arachnid, crustacean and centipede folks and scattered them around the world.
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>>45812664
I once co-wrote a poem like this, where a spider (the Marquis) turned a cockroach into a cyborg to (ostensibly) fight against the invading ant menace.

He used the robo-roach to take over the rest of the insect kingdom, of course.
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>>45815658
So would that be every other dead log?

>Algoa Friendswood
That's actually a good name for it, thanks Captcha!

>>45815676
Need more details.
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>>45815760
More like a giant crater where the Arthropodic God threw the clutch of eggs from which they spawned and then picked them up and threw them around the world. In that crater, a giant temple city was build by all four groups all together.

This place is seen as important to them from a religious P.O.V.

And there are also those strange, pink-skinned mammals that come out of inter-dimensional portals and try to conquer the place.

Some of them even have pointy ears and go around with rounded eared creatures (that are in majority) that look rougher than they are. Not to mention the shorter mammals who sport some impressive facial hair or creatures that are even more...bizarre.

Needless to say, the scarab and crab priests are furious about it.
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>>45815760
There's not much else to say. The ants were destroying everything in their path, and the Marquis found a cockroach with a little more fire than the rest, so he turned it into a cyborg.

We alternated stanzas, which is why the writing style changes a little. I did the first and third ones. in this section.

I don't usually write poetry, but we saw a video and we got inspired. It was this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Rp4V3Sj5jE
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>>45815606
Adventuring into the mouldering ruins of long past hives to recover the precious amberfruits?
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>>45815840
>Humans, Dwarves, Elves and other traditional fantasy races are now in the monster manual

That would be fun considering that what this thread is doing is a Arthropod-centered world.
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>>45816142
Humans
>Annoying to catch but delicious meat

Dwarves
>Tough meat only good for soup and thickening broths

Elves
>Wiry,stringy and hard to catch
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>>45816391
I'd see the stock fantasy races as invaders that are harassing the arthros for mysterious reasons.
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>>45816485
waste not wantnot
>>
I swear that thus thread happened just a few months ago
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>>45816565
But seriously, if the arthropods are sentient, and hence civil and having civilizations of their own, then wouldn't part of them be against eating other sentient creatures?

I cannot imagine a Moth Cleric doing this.
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>>45816737
yeah they'd probably just leave them to whatever scavaging bugs are around.

They'd certainly view them as completely weird given the bones-on-the-inside thing
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>>45816818
Yeah.

And being so squishy for some reason.

As in you punch them and they are all saying it hurt a lot.

Though I'd bet they'd somehow talk them out sometimes and it wouldn't end in a fight.
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>>45816882
and lacking antenna sensors commonplace to civilized society
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>>45817012
Yeah, or useful pincers, mandibles that can be used as tools or wings that would make you have it easier getting to certain places.
>>
>hercules/rhino beetle mercenaries
>massive, powerful, their horns and antlers are as much a weapon as the swords they carry
>when two meet they often single each other out on the field and start wrestling, until one is immobilized on his back, and the victorious beetle shunts his blade into his counterpart's underbelly.
>>
>>45815840
Maybe that's the main antagonist force that will rely on an alliance of species to remove this credible threat.

The scarab-seers saw it years in advance but who even believes those guys. Playing with their food too much I think
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>the arthroparty is trying to find the lair of a dragonfly that has been terrorizing a nearby village
>they discover he is living in an ancient termite mound build into the roots of a tree
>ancient Amber crystals deep in the lower crevices of the dungeon
>dragonfly attacks once they find the throne room, in the depths of the mound
>giant hoard, filled with carved Amber artifacts, gold, build into the queen's ancient carapace
>afterwards killing the dragonfly, the party celebrates by heading to the local tavern, and drinking honey, with the bee barkeep constantly afraid of the arthroparty's hornet their

Why does this sound so comfy?
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>>45817249
>hornet partymember just wants to talk to her about papercrafts

;_;
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>crabs are the settings ogres/trolls
>japanese spider crabs guard the depths
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>>45817211
I always thought about a Paladin Rhino Beetle and Barbarian Stag Beetle that are vitriolic towards each other.

The Goliath Beetle Warrior makes them stop fighting and always takes them for some alcoholic juice.

>>45817249
>>45817433
Hornet Warriors are surprisingly good with woodwork as they are while fighting.

They however get a lot of bad reputation due to certain hives being enormous bastards that raid the bees.

The Bees of The East in return set fire to the hornets, lashing out on the bastard ones, but also catching those in the flames that aren't hostile.

Needless to say, the non-hostile ones do hate the Bees of The East and their Fire Mages.

>>45817779
The crab folk would be, like spiders, loners, yet their powerful pincers and titanic physical strength would make them powerful warriors, deep sea engineers and one-crab workhorses.
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>>45817779
>locusts are the settings orcs
>crickets and grasshoppers get pissed off when they get mistaken for their brutish cousins, which is often
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>>45817240
Maybe make it so that the stock fantasy races came to know the existence of the arthropod dimension and sees the guys there as a potential, powerful enemy due to some horribly convoluted and ambiguous prophecy about a swarm of insects, arachnids and other creepy-crawlies appearing out of nowhere and nomming them up. Hence why they come from portals to attack the arthros and even starting to colonize their world.

The latter on the other hand were not aware at all of the first group and sees them as aggressors that need to be pulverized. However the satellite hives and colonies that are close to the invaders villages and towns on the other hand try to exercise real politik on them...which ends in varied ways. Sometimes they come to an agreement, sometimes it backfires. Also depends on the races.
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>>45817919
>secretly Goliath beetle is just jealous he doesn't have the majestic horns of his brethren, instead being absolutely fucktasticly big
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>>45817919
Rogue Hornet/East Bee race war now
>>45817779
I like it!

Smaller more sociable crab species could be more civilized and have small, innsmouth-like sea villages near the coast with one established rock fortress far out in the ocean. They hate their barbaric and monstrously large evolutionary cousins, the spider crabs that sluggishly, but relentlessly besiege and raid

>>45817919
Goliath Beetles and Hercules Beetles trying to cool the natural aggression between the rhino and stag species
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>>45818146
"We told you before, We don't have an eating problem!" - Locust barbarian gourmand after cleaning out an entire sugar pantry
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>>45818159

Shoving in stock fantasy races is fucking boring.

Just make it like Mouse Guard where there are only insects and the animals around them.

You don't need shitty Tolkien-esque derivatives to make it compelling.
>>
>you are a young worker ant
>instead of spending your whole life living and working for the hive, your decide to set worth
>after a few days travel, you arrive at a small town
>large variety of bugs from around the world
>you enter the tavern, where a portly bee-barkeep nods to you as you sit down
>you look around the bar as you sip on your honey beer
>a scarab, rhino beetle, and a hornet are laughing together, raising their mugs to who-knows-what
>female mantis and wolf spider are hitting on a very terrified male moth priest and butterfly sorcerer
>band comprised of a cricket, cicada and s grasshopper are playing some vibrant music, with a insects watching on
>a cockroach and fly are busy trying to pickpocket an overweight hornet, who is failing horribly on trying to pick up a female bee barmaid
>suddenly, a very drunk termite crashes into you
>what looked like a very large bottle of alchohol flies out of his arms, smashing into the ground
>despite the fact that he can't see you, you realize how fucked you are
>a little worker ant like you, who just completely pissed off what is now an incredibly angry soldier termite
>he looks like he could spit acid at you (which he can, and could)
>wat do?
>>
>>45818146
>>45818314
Nah, they'd be the Jekylls and Hydes of the setting.

They go full Hyde/Orc when there is too much of them in one place or when some fool tries to put them in crowded places. This causes them to become aggressive and extremely voracious.

This is sadly not intentional, but it can be quite damaging for everyone, including the locusts. That's why they avoid large hives and colonies.

>>45818176
Who needs horns when you are large enough to dwarf over both your stag and rhino bros?

>>45818179
Despite the tension between the two, the hornets and the bees sometimes do come to an agreement...and rarely there are those who could even form some kind of friendship when they come past the whole misunderstanding.

About the crabs...despite that the bigger ones are brutish and barbaric, not all of them are like that. Some of these titans are welcomed among them. The large ones get some company and can help with building new structures, while the small ones have a powerful warrior on their side that would take on even the most dreaded sea beasts with one swing of his pincer alone.

>>45818418
Or they could be completely alien to them, an unknown force on which they have little information on.

The magic, the techniques, their behavior...all this would attract the arthros yet also make them fear the unpredictable sentient mammals/lizards/birds that come from the portals and who set fire to their hives and kill their larva and eggs.

Seriously, a human would be like Cthulhu for them.
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>>45818558
Offer to buy him a new bottle of alcoholic juice.

If it were a normal Termite, then it wouldn't be any problem. But a Termite Soldier that has a built-in murder cannon is a whole different level.
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>>45813136
don't forget garter snakes, anon.
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>>45818604
>>a human would be like Cthulhu for them
>an ancient evil sleeps inside a rectangular obelisk
>every time it awakens it decimates the surrounding population
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>>45818604
That seems like a pretty cool idea. Running two campaign simultaneously, one of genetic fantasy races transported to this alien world, trying to survive, and one of the bug-men trying to kill these monsters set upon their world, almost hellbent on destroying it
>give them light Orc baby dilemmas, getting worse and worse, only slightly though, until their outright slaughtering nurseries of larva
>eventually get the two parties to meet, the "human" party realizing what they've done, and the bugs realizing they are just regular people, scared in a world with no way home, no lives and no one to talk to but their own
>>
>>45818828

Quite possibly the shittiest idea you can possibly do, as it erodes the trust between player and GM, makes the story not set on a specific group of players, and will cause one team to lose, wasting their time. Just write a novel if you want something deep like that.
>>
>>45818418
>Shoving in stock fantasy races is fucking boring.

But it's the only way I'll get my players to even consider the setting.
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>>45818558
Tell him the Goliath beetle sitting next to me did it and the watch the termite get his thorax kicked in by the Goliath beetle
>"Didn't want to die today I'll guess?"
"Y-yeah, thanks miss"
>"No problem little buddy. I'm surprised you could talk that termite into doing such a thing. Usually they won't listen to anybody short of a queen. Our party has actually been looking for a bug who can talk us into some extra cash. You in?"
"What else am I going to do?"
>"Great!"
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>>45818895

Get better players.

It's not like they aren't ten a penny.
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>>45818732
Yep.

But seriously, this thread did make me go confused.

Are talking about the arthropods if they were their regular size like in real life, or be humanoid and big enough to match the humans or dwarf over them.

Depending on the situation, humans would simply terminate them due to stuff like pest control (if the first), or try terminate them out of fear (if the latter).

>Be bee worker
>Spend time to build in the name of the Queen
>In light of your achievements and dedication, the Queen gives you reproductive rights
>You get your own minihive with your mate and a couple of eggs
>What could go wrong?
>Portal opens and armor-clad and robed mammals start coming out and kill your fellow hive workers and set them on fire
>You try to help evacuate the eggs and larvae, but you get knocked out
>You wake up and all you see is a hellish landscape
>Your hive is dead with you as the sole survivor, but the mammals disappeared
>The Bee Avenger is thus born

>>45818828
That would be an idea for a novel, but I see it as one for the arthros. Of course it would depend on what or how much and what kind of damage the generic fantasy adventurers did.

I'd say the spider huntress would want to inject copious amounts of venom into them for killing larvae, while the beetle paladin wants to apprehend them and simply make them work out their crimes or at least make sure that they chill out and ask them who the hell are they.

>>45818895
The generic fantasy races would be the NPC ones in the monster manual. The PCs would be the arthros.
>>
The real question, /tg/, is what would you roll?

I'd totally go with a Hercules Beetle fighter or barbarian.
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>>45819254
Either dual-wielding Hornet Warrior or Moth Cleric.
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>>45819254
rogue net-casting spider
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>>45819254
Rhinoceros Beetle Paladin, or a Hornet Fighter

Maybe a moth priest or something
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>>45819254
Dumb as rocks crab ogre or a centipede holding a sword in every one of his hands. EVERY. ONE
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>>45812664
>Flies as numerous underclass/discount Skaven
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>>45819622
Would make for great meatshield mercenaries/scavengers. They'd be like some sort of irritating raiders.

The Horse Flies however would be a completely different pair of boots...

Also have an ant warrior.
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>>45819677
>Horse Flies

Scary, big, bloodthirsty and cruel creatures they are.

Even the other arthropods dislike them for their feeding mannerism.

While the mosquitoes inject into the various animals they suck some blood from their saliva that has powerful painkillers, the horse flies simply bite into their prey while it screams in agonizing pain, often killing them on the spot.

Even the sentient mammals that are appearing through the portals don't deserve such a cruel fate.
>>
Ok so lets try and get this all together

>Core playable species
>non-sentient species and other creatures
>Classes
>Groups
>Locations
>>
>>45819993
>core playable races
Going by the OP/most of the thread: spiders, beetles, butterflies/moths, crickets, hornets/bees, mantises, and cockroaches seem to be the main PC races. There's definitely room for more though.

>non-sentient species and others
From what I've seen of the thread so far, ants seem to fill the worker NPC niche, while snails are caravan pack animals, aphids seem to be the cattle analogue, termites could be used as builders or something.

>classes
Due to biology it seems like it's going to be less of a hard class system - your choice of insect specie will most likely dictate what you're going to do as a class. A gigantic Hercules Beetle would never cut it as a rogue, for example. Magic-users seem to be tied into butterflies and moths going by the agreed-upon canon so far, and that sounds pretty good to me. I imagine different religions would also develop amongst the butterflies/moths, maybe a dualist kind of theology between them based on the sun and moon? Butterflies and moths are diurnal/nocturnal respectively so there's good ground for religious storytelling there.

cont
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>>45819993
>Core playable species (for now)
For Insects: Hornets, Bees, Moths, Butterflies, Ants, Termites, Grasshoppers, Beetles and Flies

For Arachnids: Scorpions and Spiders

For Crustacean: Crabs and Mantis Shrimps

For Centipedes: Red-legged Centipede and Medittearean Centipede

>Classes
Warrior, Mage, Rogue, Berserker, Shaman, Assassin, Hunter, Priest (a more offensive cleric), Cleric, Sorcerer, Necromancer, Paladin, Druid, Dread-Bug (like a Dread Knight), Thief, Bard, Death-Bug (as in Death Knight), Strider (melee oriented ninja-like hunter), Legionnaire (tankier warrior), Sharpshooter (sniper version of the hunter), Elementalist, Monk (not that kind of monk and more knowledgeable Cleric), Martial Artist (a reason to take Mantis Shrimp)

>Groups
Dunno, didn't thought about it.

>Locations
>Jungles, deserts, rocky places, steppes and seasides (or even underwater environments). Snowy places would be also there, but they'd be hard to be in (you've seen a arthropod in winter? that's suicide for them).
>>
>>45819993

Cont from >>45820347 - skipping groups because I'm not qualified to write anything on how these different species would interact with each other.

>locations
Now this is the fun part of the whole thing. A giant, hollowed-out log that functions as a beetle city seems like a great idea for a capital, maybe in the middle of a huge forest or jungle as their nation?

The desert is obviously another must, with probably an absolutely massive termite mound as a capital city somewhere, and maybe a neighboring beetle city ran by religious scarabs in a totally-not-Egypt-I-promise kinda thing.

Pretty much everywhere but the tundra and ice will work. Bugs just can't survive in those conditions.
>>
Also, idea:

Cicadas could be a decent ancient evil kind of enemy/threat, since they go underground and hibernate for years before resurfacing. They would make a great enemy in that regard - insect folklore and legends could talk about an ancient army of flying demons who rise from the ground and shriek so loud as to drown out all other noise, and whose swarms blot out the sun. Haven't really thought of WHY cicadas would be the bad guys, but it could work.
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>>45820924
The whole sound they do...

It's more than enough to make even the most strong-willed individual to go mad from it.
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>>45821200
Right? It's fucking earsplitting even for humans. I can't imagine how other bugs cope with that shit.
>>
>>45820924
They're necromancers, obviously, reanimating shed skins to do their bidding.
As well, cicadas are LARGE on top of being noisy, and goddamn are they numerous.
Honestly they fit perfectly as this kind of thing - when they're immature they're fairly harmless but remain hidden, the kind of thing that's good for a party to find evidence of, then When The Stars Align bam you've got a giant swarm of insanity-causing necromancer beatsticks - something for them to stop at all costs.
>>
>>45821244
A single one is a walking migraine generator.

A Legion will cause you to explode in a gory way.

>>45821253
I thought the Scarabs could do it.
>>
>>45821253
>hordes of re-animated shed skins, marching towards the cities of the bugs at the front of their shrieking necromatic masters
>beetles, butterflies, moths, and everyone else put aside their differences and stand as one to stem the tide of the dead
>even the great ant queens all convene for the first time in centuries

God, it's perfect.
>>
>>45821253
When the stars align they'll sing a song that ends the world
>>
>>45820367
>Winter
Cold areas could be inhabited by yeti crabs. Since most people are too dumb to know what they are or the fact that they live near underwater heat vents they could fill in the place of a cold dwelling creature. We also don't have any fluff on centipedes. What do they do? What class would they be good at? How does their society function?
>>
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>>45821353
That's fucking metal.
>>
>>45821353
Or blow your head off.

>>45821381
>Yeti Crabs
Heh. Look more like hairy crayfish without a tail, but OK. Also smart about the whole heat vents thing.

The Centipedes on the other hand are considered as loners and globetrotters. They sometimes live in nomadic groups, but most of them tend to live alone from each other for some odd reason. Some are more pacifistic, but will fight if pressed enough, while others have a predatory beast inside them that causes them to brutally kill any unfortunate being.

Mostly they tend to be either druids or hunters that live on the steppes, the Mediterranean islands or in the lush jungles, but sometimes they go to different places in order to broaden their knowledge of the world.

Centipedes are fast and well armored, yet aren't made for offense (with the exception of the Mediterranean and Jungle Centipedes and their powerful and venomous bites), hence why they rely on speed and precision strikes to quickly kill off an adversary. The ones from the steppes do not even have venomous mandibles and rely on their armor and organs that secrete venomous substances that can prove fatal at worst for anyone who will touch them.
>>
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>>45820347
>>45820367
>>45820701
>>45821253
This is all gold

but where might this all be recorded e.g googledoc or something?
>>
>>45821724
We could save it on thisisnotatrueending.

It can be even saved when it gets archived on foolz.
>>
>>45821724
A googledoc would be a good idea since they're easy to share and add to. Someone should do it quick.
>>
>>45812664
Butterflies and Moths should certainly be Arcane and Divine casting respectively. I like the idea of Moths worshipping the night, or dust. Butterflies use magic that depends on their coloring.
>>
>>45821994
I'm also for Moths being moon worshippers.

Butterflies would be about the sun.

Both would be powerful, but their powers would depend on the situation they are in.

Moths would still cast spells in daylight, but their powers grow at night and depending on the moon-phase. If it's full-moon and midnight, then they are at the peak of their power.

This is the same case with Butterflies. They can still cast spells in night, but their powers grow when it's daylight and depending on the position of the sun. If it's noon and the sun is at its highest, then their spells are even more powerful. This is even more visible in summer.
>>
>>45821994
Moths will definitely worship the moon or the night in some fashion. Maybe they have a form of divination by way of looking at the alignment of the stars?

Also, another idea:
>moths who advance in age become senile and obsessed with lights
>one night they might just fly off and never return, eternally chasing after the moon or whatever other bright light catches their eye
>the younger moths view this as a spiritual experience and something of great importance, as it marks the end of their lives and the journey into the great beyond
>>
>>45815479
well there's dumb, awful shit in real life too. best settings range wildly from light tone to dark
>>
>Wasps are like the BBEG nation/species, fueled by hatred for the "degenerate" species, believing themselves to be the superior master race. They are known for terrorizing peaceful bee hives and performing mass genocides on bee's specifically.

Anyone else want Wasp Hitler?
>>
>>45813120
>Not just using dragons
of the size of a common lizard
>>
>>45822265
I liked the cicadas idea better, but wasps might be doable as the villains until they awaken.
>>
>>45812664
the Spellsinger book series has a pretty good take on insects. Spiders are their own separate colony called 'The Weavers'. The insects, however, are a strong, autonomous society hellbent on destroying everything because of their leader.
>>
>large enemy faction is a hivemind horde of fungus-controlled zombie-bugs of every race.
>>
>>45822398

>the wasps are desperate for power, they turn to ancient cicada awakening rituals seeking to control them.

>the cicadas awaken and quickly wipe them out. insert indiana jones scene where wasps faces melt off. cicadas take over as the antagonists
>>
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>>45819972
>>45819677
>>45819622
Robber Fly roaming murderers or the wyverns of the world?

http://bogleech.com/robbers.html
>>
>>45821287
>>45821200
>>45820924
I have been literally working on a bug centric world for a book I'm writing and Cicadas emerging every few generations to cause wide-spread madness through the world is a big plot-hook
>>
>>45822156
>Hornet Warrior: So where's your old mistress?
>Cute Moth Cleric: She's gone.
>HW: Wait, what? What do you mean gone?
>CMC: She flew away. Searching.
>HW: Whe...oh, I heard about that part of your kin. She flew out to look for something in the dark.
>CMC: To be precise, she flew out on a journey for spiritual enlightenment. Something one will find in the great beyond.
>HW: Darn. Heard barely anyone return from this.
>CMC: I too, one day, will embark on such journey when I grow old enough.
>HW: ...
>CMC: What is it on your mind?
>HW: Huh? N...nothing. Just be well prepared alright. Those illuminating glow-worm bastards tend to bait everyone only to tear them apart and eat them.
>CMC: You already worried about me?
>HW: I AM NOT!
>CMC: Liar.
>HW: J-just worry about it when you get old. Now you are too young for it.
>CMC: You are really nice for someone so gruffy looking.
>HW: Whatever...

>>45822265
Most of the hornets would clearly see them as loonies that need to chill out.

>>45822489
Actually it would depend on insect. Ants do differ from termites and bees even though they are hive bugs.

>>45822726
Psychotic murderers that mutated from drinking volatile substances I'd say.

>>45822772
Nice. We'd use your help then.
>>
>>45821253
>>45821344
can't help but picture them using various types of Cordyceps as the medium through which their necromancy works

also on the whole what to use for livestock, I'm thinking that while the player races have varying degrees of Anthropomorphization to them, for animals just use oversized versions of regular non-anthro invertebrates, so a common form of livestock might be giant mealworms for example

as for Vertebrate life, I'd say they'd be mostly nonexistent, except as rare and horrifying monsters(like a chameleon the size of a bus or a sparrow the size of an F-16)

>>45822726
if we go with there being both anthro and non-anthro bugs then we could easily do both
>>
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>>45822265
Not really. I've got too much affection for Wasps for them to be too evil.

I have an idea for a species of parasitoid Wasps, probably Tarantula Hawk inspired, having a societal renaissance where they come to understand how fucked up their reproduction is and have vowed never to parasitize another sentient race.

They start working together to farm-raise non-sentient livestock, eventually forming their own civilization of misunderstood people even as their unenlightened cousins continue to raid and kidnap for their broods. Maybe they begin working to better their image, Wasp mercenary bands selling their services or militias willingly patrolling areas with friendly peaceful villages.
>>
>>45822528
W̼̩̟͉͝e̢̻̻ ̛͖̦̝a̛̭̝͔͚r̝̮e Ṱ̸̤̠̳h͝e̠̗̼͍ ̭̥̭F̢u͖̞͍̞̗͍͡ͅng̴͚͚̣i͏͍.͎͙̪̲͚̤̜ ̗̗̩
̵̠̞̪͙͙ͅ
̩̫̮̕W̧̳̯̰̯͚͚e̙ ̦̙̼̖̠é̱͓̻̲x̶̞̙ͅì̝̪̻ş̝͉͔̠͓̝̮t̶͙̹̤̤̮̼ ̪͚̳ͅt͉̘̺͚o̱͈͙͎͍ ͜e̩̝x̲͇̫̮̪̦p͈͚̻á͖̹̺͕͕n̞̮̥̠̤̪ḍ̤͇͇̝.̪ ̵̠
̼̥̰
̩̫͙W͜e̬̞̹̬̗ ̥͇̣̰̯̞̜do̼̯̰̟͙̗̲ ̘n̻̲̹̱̥̘͟o̸ṱ̣ ̲̀f̝͚̖͟ͅe̜̥̝̙̤a̕r̀,̶̦̯̮͚ ̜̦̤͢ͅw̴͍̹̙͈̼e ̜͞ḓ͎̬̯̮͉̳o͏ ̵̥͖̝̟̘̝ͅn̢̜͔̬o͈̗̪̜̜̯͚t̢ ̭̣̰̥͔͘r̩̗̕e͙͚̠͖s̴͓̯͕̦̗̝͔t̢̬̝̻̻̤̭̗.̳͙͞
͚͍̬̯ͅ
̖͖̻͡E̺̙͖̠̙̮v̘͈́e̘͕̣̬͎̮r̳̯̫y͙̹̞̰t̫̫̙̹͓h҉i̥͖͢ņ͕̗g͏̝̗ ̡̠̭̪̰̬w͕̭̩̙į̺̝̘̖̻̰̣l̘͓ͅl̖̖̫̠͕ ̭͍͡j͏̮̬̫̦̰̻̭ọ̸͔̙͓̙i̱ṉ̮̣̫̩̰͞ ̱̼̬̳͓̠̥ụ̰̭̩̯̭͝s͕͈̜̭͢ͅ.̻̠̰͘ͅ ̰͖̭̞̖̟̰͜
͏̼͚
͖͓̼͓̲͇͎I̝̲t͉̘͝ ͜i͡s̸͔̜̲̦ a̘̼̞̗ ̤̰̩̝̻̘m҉͉̮̝a̸̹͚̙̯t͚̺͘t͉͈͉̩̳̹e̗̱̩̰̱r̛͈̮̞ ͍͈͇̜͈̞͍o̮͍͙̬̗̕f̼̳̣̝̲̹͡ ̬̙t̥̞̪́i̱̗̲̜͓m҉̙̭̤̟̞͎̼e̝̲̩̬̠ͅ.̡̻̗̲ ͉͉͝

͏͖̻̬̲͎R̬̩̦e̛͔s̙ị͜s̩͚̥̗̝̫͇͝t̶̺̬a̮n͏̳̫̹̩c̸̮̦e͉̜ ̢̲̺͙̜̲̗i͓̲̥̘̟ͅs̞͎ ̙̼̠͓̼f̶̗̦̺̥͓̯u͏̫̱̯̟̻͇̩t̷̠̯͔͎i̝̦le̥.̧ ̲͎͇͓̳
҉̪ͅ
̗Y̵o͇͙͚̰̰̣̤͡u͝ ̱͎͈͔̗c̩͉̞a̼͙̙̣͜n̻̯̣͓̮̮̳no̼̬̫̬̜t͏ ̷̘̭̩̯͉̞e̜̪̫̜̥̝s̞̙̰͝p̶̩͍a̠͇̻̠̗̠͞c̹e̸̯̼̙.̦̰̠͡ ҉͎̯̼

̲͉̱̭̗̲ͅG͝i̝̤̫͜v͇̤̝̗͇͟e̖͖̟̳ ͎u̘̘̣͠s͙͞ ̷̟̭̩̝̖͔y̶͚̹͍o̩̣̬uͅr̗̺͚͇̜̦̣͡ ̳͇̜̘͇̬͇́m̪̻͇i҉͔̳ṋ͇̹̫͚̦́ḓ̱̹͟.̕.̛̳.͕
>>
>>45822890
>a chameleon the size of a bus
Imagine a giant, invisible monster that stalks you from the treetops and can whisk you away silently with its projectile tongue before the rest of the group can even react. A beast with eyes that can see in every direction and can change its color so you can't see it coming.

That's what living as an insect is like.
>>
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>>45822899
I'd say, it would depend on the wasp species.

The most powerful ones are the Garudas. Named after the originator of their brood that slew a thousand of the weird bird creatures that came from one of the portals in ancient times.
>>
>>45812664
the Shadows of the Apt series is a good read if you want a good story about bug folk.
>>
>>45822772

>be a rough ant soldier
>formerly commander, but lost the rank after being found to be working for the Hornets
>for years I've tried to warn the council and my nest about the cicada threat, but they wont listen
>the Hornets listened, and they helped me, but i knew it was for their own gain
>its been years since my last encounter with them
>that is, until one day
>young ant soldier walks into my room
>"Command--...sir. The nest defense council wants to see you."
>"About what?"
>"I don't know. We..spotted something in the ground."
>by the queen..
>rush out of room after him, the nest is on high alert. ants are running around like crazy, trying to find out what the hell is going on
>the defense council is already in session
>"What in name of the queen is going on?" I ask
>"We were hoping...you could tell us."
>one of the hive-mind translators speaks up
>"we have a transmission from the northern nests. We've lost contact with the tree base"
>"The tree? How could they get so close?"
>enough of this shit
>"You all know what this is"
>every ant in the room looks fearfully at me
>"The Cicadas are here."
>dead silence
>"..How do we stop them?"
>"Stop them? We can't stop them, not alone. This isn't about winning another war, this is about survival."
>the defense council look between each other
>"Get the queen on the line. Organize our defen--"
>everything slows down, time itself seems to stop as I stare ahead
>I hear a song. Yes, a song. It's almost beautiful.
>But that was when I knew the truth wasn't as beautiful

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHoubZNXeVI
>>
>>45822980
Maaan, thos Warrior Wasps are the best. There's a video somewhere of someone approaching a hive in a tree and you can see the soldiers on the tree. THey start buzzing their wings in unison so it literally sounds like marching steps right before they launch and kill the camera guy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_K7Tp97PsE
>>
>>45822265
I'd say he's a tarantula hawk. Trying to unite all nomadic wasps such as tarantula hawks and mud daubers, with hive forming ones. They are slavers, and often cannibals, and are known to often eat the bodies of enemies killed on the battlefield.

I'd also say that insects, hornets, bees, and termites all generally live in hives. Unlike their real world counterparts, breeding isn't exclusive to the queen, as the queen also has to act as the monarch of the hive. There isn't so much a hive mind either, but there is a strong sense of 'patriotism' towards supporting your own hive. The castes are also much more differentiated, and the average ant or bee is fertile. Although in the early state of a hive, and queen will give birth to most of the hive, as it progresses, to keep hive populations up, and so that the proper development of sentient insects is possible, plus longer gestation period to accomidate this, breeding isn't exclusive to the queen.
>>
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>>45822962
yeah I'm picturing most of these vertebrate monsters to not be natural at all, but more ancient sorcerous leavings from the long dead Trilobite and Ammnonite civilizations that once ruled the world, the last desparate weapons they summoned in the final war that destroyed them

pic related for the ancient colossal(like it's a mile tall at least) superweapon dug up by the BBEG towards the end of the campaign and unleashed upon the world raining death upon all in it's path
>>
>>45823121
>I'd say he's a tarantula hawk. Trying to unite all nomadic wasps such as tarantula hawks and mud daubers, with hive forming ones. They are slavers, and often cannibals, and are known to often eat the bodies of enemies killed on the battlefield.
So less Wasp Hitler and more Wasp Genghis Khan?
I can get behind that for sure. Maybe they were a rebel against >>45822899 these Tarantula Hawks way of thinking about becoming a pseudo-hive species?
>>
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>The colossi coconut crab
>An creature so large that even dragons cannot attack them alone
>They wander across the crablands occasionally eating a fuzzy Boulder here or there
>Some of the most powerful hives have adopted these as war beasts, usually only used in seiges
>A couple hundred ant archers can fit atop the CCC's back
>This combined with the CCC's sheer size, tough as stone armor, and ability to climb even the tallest of termite mounds
>>
>>45813366

What this guy said. Insects get strange, vicious, and outright horrifying. A setting with them, just based off their real world counterparts, would probably be a hundred times more frightening than what humans do.
>>
>>45823067
Doom approaches.

>>45823106
Darn, they really are like soldiers marching.
>>
>>45822921

Cordyceps as the setting's huge and terrible big bads is horrifying.
>>
>>45823214

This ain't D&D with insect people instead of humans, it's a nightmare world where death comes in a thousand new colorful flavors almost casually.
>>
>>45823403
funnily enough, I also had a cordyceps type fungus mind-controlling insect races as a BBEG
Turns out the fungal species just recently evolved its ability to control other races and is suddenly able to feel sensations that the living do. This drives the still primitive minds to absorb more and more hosts to expand their ability to EXPERIENCE LIFE! Eventually they come to realize they're destroying entire civilizations as their minds develop to greater sentience
In the sci-fi future of the world centuries ahead of the books setting they now live on the moon metabolizing cosmic radiation and serving as a place for all dying and elderly insects to go and become One with the Many in eternal life retirement
>>
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>>45823403
>Cordyceps
>horrifying

A cosmic understatement.

>>45823476
I say it would depend on the species and sub-species.

I mean a Moth won't suddenly kill and eat you.
>>
So, what would be the stereotyped "thief" species that would get side-glares whenever they walk into stores and are usually the target for racism?
>>
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>>45822962
>>45822890
You know, a very large chameleon is an interesting thing to fight...
>>
>>45823530
I'd rather go with it being some kind of sentient cosmic horror that makes Shub-Niggurath look like a nice guy when it comes to assimilation.

>>45823588
Roaches or certain Spider sub-species.

May very well be Flies.

>>45823601
>A Dragon Chameleon

The Rhino Beetle Paladin will have a whole day busy with this guy.
>>
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Giant Isopods

These fuckers. Literally terrifying, foot-long wood-lice-like-things from the bottom of the ocean.

I can imagine these being Kaiju to Bug World, bringing death to those unfortunate enough to be on its warpath. Plus, it can be followed around by adorable cutebold-tier wood lice
>>
>>45823780
woodlice worshipping it as the manifestation of their god

I like it!
>>
>>45823780
How about giant centipedes as another type of Kaiju?

The japanese used centipedes as their "dragons" in that they were giant personifications of vileness and pestilence
>>
>>45823647

"fucking fliggers"

I like it.
>>
>>45823647
>>45823403
>>45823530
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsQHWj2RfXg
>>
>>45823780
Wild, unpredictable, the very personification of a natural cataclysm.

Nice.

>>45823840
Why not make them playable, but the giant ones are mutants that came into being by some arcane radiation?

>>45823875
Horse Flies would instead steal your life by sucking your fluids.

Robber Flies would be empowered mass murderers.

>>45823925
Scary as fuck if you apply to it to still living organisms.
>>
>>45822156
I love this.
>>
So lets talk stats;
SIZE: Is the general size of your bug. It effects your health points and melee damage
COLORING: Is the pattern and colors on your bug. Its like the Charisma of bugs.
SPEED: Is your bugs ability to be mobile. Good for escaping and evading predators.

So for example, if you want to play a brightly coloured tarantula, you would have a high SIZE and COLOUR but a low SPEED.
>>
>>45815606
Maybe a bunch of neutral, multi-species settlements in no bug's land, wich basically are ancient ruins of bombed and maybe even nuked human cities, wich would be impossibly huge for the bugs. Maybe most "urban" bugs' settlements (cockroaches, flies and the such) are in smaller abandoned human settlements. A cockroach settlement that is able to encompass a small, abandoned village would be like a huge metropolis for them.
>>
>>45823067
>be a Hercules beetle mercenary
>guarding an ant caravan slug with a host of the royal guard
>crossing the steppes to deliver a queen egg and royal jelly to a colony in great need
>then, we hear it
>the droning
>it's so powerful as to shake the earth, to outright kill a few of the royal guard
>the noise is maddening
>and then we see them
>hundreds, maybe even thousands of shed husks, shambling forward, the light in their dead eyes shining in the now-darkened sky
>"By the great horn..."
>shout and motion to the caravan, pray to the Log and the Horn that they can understand me
>"RUN! GET TO THE COLONY! I'LL HOLD THEM OFF! GO!"
>thank the log, they listened
>unsheathe my greatsword, facing the horde
>I'm still bigger than five of them standing on each other and five of them wide, I can hold them off
>wait for the wave of husks to crash into me before swinging
>they go flying with each strike, I roar above the droning as I send each of these monsters back to hell
>I'm killing whole scores of them with each swing, but still more come
>I'm starting to tire
>I turn to look behind me - the caravan's far off in the distance, thank the Horn
>the horde descends upon me as my legs give out
>as I fall beneath the tide of husks and their droning masters, I pray that the caravan reaches the hill before they do
>>
mfw bug-bards

>Through the silken strands of every web she >weaved
>Theres a fly inside not sucken dry, left there >for reprieve
>He had his eyes on her thighs
>but his conscious said nows not the time
>They battled long and hard said things harsh >and vile
>They shattered every misconception of >profane and divine
>They're enemies and lovers in both body and >in mind
>Now he's the main course of this spiders >meal, and its almost dinner time
>It was an honest ending when the venom >took its toll
>But Scorpions and spiders have no time for >vitriol

>But wait whats this he's still alive, staring at >the spiders eyes
>Claws bound shut with sticky thread, >impossible, he should be dead
>With his tail raised high to end her life, he >pierced her once, he pierced her twice
>She begged and pleaded to be spared, and >this is what the spider said
>I'm sorry for this mess ive made
>The blood and guts of gnats and husks no >longer keep me sane
>But the nerve of you, you ran me through, I >made this lattice home for you
>Do you think that I can still be saved?
>It was a beautiful beginning, when the venom >took its toll
>Because scorpions and spiders, have no time >for vitriol

I wrote this a long time ago just as a random poem, I figured it was appropriate for this thread.
>>
Ok so...

>An insidious cicada death cult that wish to bring about the end of the world via social manipulation and mind-breaking songs that might be working in cahoots with...
>The woodlice apocalypse followers who wish to bring back a long thought dead Giant Isopod
>Instances of cordyceps infected zombie-like bugs which may or may not be something the cicada cult spread on purpose
>>
>>45824367

Ugh. I apologize for the formatting.
>>
>>45824408
Pretty much. Don't forget the giant monster lizards and birds that can obliterate someone before they can even see them.
>>
>>45824408
Any support for giant mutated Centiped Wyrms that ravage the country-side spewing disease and pestilence?
Flies, carrion beetles, smaller centipedes, all worship them even if the great wyrms devour them at a whim

By the way, is this a world with human-sized intelligent bugs or intelligent bugs in a previously human inhabited world?
>>
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>>45823840
Good idea.
Coconut Crabs (pic related) work, as well as American Lobsters.

Lobsters and Isopods are from the ocean, while Giant Centipedes and Coconut Crabs are landborne. Either way, all are terrifying
>>
>>45824408
>>45824497

Don't forget the genocidal Wasp armies, and roving gangs of violent horse flies and beetles

Jesus, Bughammer Fantasy Battle
>>
>>45824629
#NotAllWasps

Wasp Genghis Khan has my vote
>>
>>45824336
I think basing around a system, especially a homebrew one, is a bad idea. Leave the system open ended, and if anything, just stat races.
>>
>>45824748
I agree. Mechanics should be left sparse so GMs can just plug the setting into whatever system they wanna use it for. Putting a homebrew's stats and rules to it will just alienate people.
>>
>>45819254
Cockroach druid.
>>
>>45824408
I'd say the Cicadas would be not only a cult but also a corrupt species controlled by someone or something that also bosses around the cordyceps.

Seriously the arthros in this setting will have one hell of a scary enemy.

And the irritant part would be the stock-fantasy races that come through the portals and raid the poor sods and ignite them for unknown reason or some nebulous one.

>>45824497
I really dig the native monsters they'd have to fight in their own world.

While in classic fantasy settings there would be dragons, here we have dragon-like chameleons.
>>
>>45824888
My bugger

Cockroach druids all the way. There are a vast amount of roach species living in the wilderness that die almost immediately if they get loose in human habitats.

I actually used them this way before
>>
>>45824972

*fligger
>>
>>45825060
bugger*

No reason to be racist my friend
>>
>>45825110

>implying flies are a race
>implying they deserve respect

I bet you think their abdomens are hot, cuck.
>>
>>45825274
REMOVE FLY remove fly
you are worst bug. you are the bug idiot you are the bug smell. return to swamp. to our swamp cousins you may come our contry. you may live in viewing cage….ahahahaha ,swampdwellers we will never forgeve you. cetnik rascal FUck but fuck asshole fly stink swamp sqhipere shqipare..fly genocide best day of my life. take a bath of dead fly..ahahahahahSWAMPDWELLERS WE WILL GET YOU!! do not forget bugwar2

hahahahaha idiot fly and swampdweller smell so bad..wow i can smell it. REMOVE FLY FROM THE PREMISES

flies are bullied all day ;_;
>>
>>45824615
See >>45823210
>>
Ya know, we haven't really talked too much about the spiders in this setting. Personally I doubt they'd have anything resembling a true society the other bugs have - most spiders are loners, after all. They might integrate into other bugs' societies, but they themselves would probably not make their own cities, or if they did it'd be one kind of social spider hive, deep underground.

Also, how would the other bug people interact with them? Spiders ARE predators to most insects.
>>
>>45825736
Read the first part of the thread
>>
>>45825736
Jumping Spiders and some of the real-world communal spiders are some of the only ones to form communities while most are roaming predators or loners like the fantasy troll or ogre.
>>
>>45822840
>Tsundere hornets
Now that's something.
>>
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>"You have quite the bounty upon your head queen"
>>
>>45825456
>>>/mosquitopol/
>>
>>45825060
>>45825110
>>45825274
>>45825456
>yfw flies are the Gypsies of this world
>>
Anyone else find it pretty fascinating that Termites are closer related to Cockroaches than Ants, Wasps or bees?

Termites are basically a highly successful eusocial cockroach in an example of convergent evolution with hymenoptera
>>
Anyone wanna get a map going of this setting? Also, are we doing human-sized insect-men or just bug-sized bug-men in a world meant for bigger creatures?
>>
>>45827035
I'd prefer
>human-sized insect-men
>>
Man, all this great stuff and I'm unable to properly organise everything into a document

>>45826700
>mayflies and mosquitos desperately try not to be associated with them
>make things worse for themselves by constantly talking about how much better they are compared.
>>
>>45827035
>>45827094
Since other races rarely show up I'd say we're human-sized and everything is just blown up
>>
>>45812664
Bug Civ quest when?
>>
>>45827358
I once tried to run a Wasp Civ quest based off those from my book but didn't take off beyond the first thread. Oh well
>>
>>45827358
Some of these bugs wouldn't exactly make good civs. How the hell would a mantis or cicada civ work?
>>
>>45827035
I'm thinking close to but not quite human sized(so for example your average Ant would be around 2½ feet tall, while a particularly huge Beetle might tower at 5 feet)
>>
>>45827601
Obviously we will pick a bug that suits a civ quest, something like bees ants or hornets or something similar. Bugs that dont form communities can be like diaspora bandits that thrive off other civs
>>
>>45828056
>We will pick the boring races
Kill me
>>
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>>45828286
>xenophobic militaristic caste-based collectivists living under an unnaturally long-lived god-queen
>boring
>>
>>45827035
>>45827094
I think that it would be nice to have the bug-men to be bug-sized, living in a world where humans have gone extinct for some reason. First, that would help explain why the bugs use snails and slugs as caravan animals instead of regular oxen, while also having entire cities within, say a redwood tree or a ruined human city (maybe several settlements within one ruined human town, considering their size). That would also explain why the bigger threats to our little bug-men apart from themselves and those God-damned Cicadas are canaries, pigeons and lizards.
Hell, a frog and a big-ish crab would be sea-monsters for them, and hairy mammals and some kinds of birds would work as walking cities for the fleas and lices.
>>
As long as you avoid the predictable "hivemind" trope when making your bugpeople, you're pretty good.
>>
>>45828577
I agree. It makes the setting a lot more interesting and allows for normally mundane things to become extraordinary, like a massive beetle city formed inside a hollowed-out log that fell over or small lizards for humans being regarded as gigantic, epic monsters to them.
>>
>>45828716
>A bear
Oh god. That would be a fucking Titan-sized dragon for us. That would be a living mountain
>>
>>45828796

Mouse Guard makes a point of mentioning that moose are as unto walking gods.
>>
>>45828796
>the great titan that destroys entire bee hives
>an entire legion of drones has no effect on the walking mountain as it eats your entire city like a snack
>>
>>45828901
Mouse or Human, they basically are.
>>
>>45828716
>have a bug-version of Knowhere, which is basically a giant mercenary/criminal hub inside of a hollowed-out human skull.

Yeah, bug-sized bug people is way cooler. A way cooler version of A Bugs Life.
>>
>>45829448
It would have to be a giant themepark skull for it to reflect the size of Knowhere, which I fully support
>>
>>45814080
>Would this bug world divide itself into small societies or have common amalgamated societies of mixed species working together?
Most likely former, with exceptions such as bees and ants, as most arthropods are solitary.

>What level of technology might bugworld function at? Early iron-age or later, biotech only?
Iron Age sounds interesting.

>What different species would work together?
Scorpions and Moths are a potential scenario due to Scorpions glowing under UV lights.
>Houses and structures of chewed woodpulp or more conventional building materials?
Most likely large structure meant to host several of them, and the materials depend on the species.
>>
>>45828716
>A cockroach metropolis inside a trash can
>A fly slum composed of plataforms hanging in the side of an abandoned house
>A whole abandoned office building serving as the home and battle ground for many ant, roach and other bug kingdoms and nations
>>
>>45813096
More like Giant Centipedes desu.
>>
>>45819254
Scorpion Paladin.
>>
Crabs
-Live primarily in coastal areas

Scorpions
-Live in a variety of locations but typically are found in deserts
-Have a rivalry with Tarantulafolk

Spiders
-Live in a variety of locations
-Humans have a fear of them and typically slay them when seen

Lobsters
-Live in the sea
-Considered Scorpion Mermaids
>>
>>45829920
>Humans
Why, though?
>>
>>45830209
Well it depends if they exist or not.
>>
>>45830252
I'd prefer that humans just don't exist at all-- and if they do exist for whatever reason, they are so fucking complex and huge that they are unnoticeable and incomprehensible by bugs.

Not even gods, just bigger than the bug universe in its entirety.
>>
>>45830309
>>45830252
>>45830209
>>45829920
No humans. They're all dead or gone. The meek will inherit the Earth
>>
Man, I'm glad this world picked up.

Technology wise I'm leaning towards Iron-Age since that can be as basic as Pictish dirt farmers to Roman and Greek levels of organised civilization.

Unfortunately its late here so i'll have to call it a night. Keep up the ideas and see if it can get archived and continue the good work!
>>
>>45830309
>>45830354
there's a reason I suggested earlier that Vertebrates should be near nonexistent and the few that do are magically created abominations, makes things easier to justify as it'd clearly be a completely different world from Earth
>>
>>45830458
Would the world have about human-sized arthropods and such?
>>
>>45830458
That's what I wanted but everyone keeps going "ITS EARTH ITS EARTH HUMAN CITIES EVERYWHERE"

I wanted a unique world or many an alternate evolutionary earth where arthropods rose to dominance instead
>>
>>45830209
ATTACK ON HUMAN I'm guessing
>>
>>45830536
as I suggested >>45827821 they'd be in a similar scale but on average are smaller than humans

>>45830553
yeah it's kinda annoying(plus having it not be Earth at all means less mucking around with the laws of physics to make this work)

>>45830610
well I kinda suggested something similar in >>45823174 but really it's less an actual human and more a vaguely human shaped Eldritch Abomination in the vein of an Angel, God Warrior, or even a Celestial summoned into this dimension as a desperate last ditch doomsday weapon by a long extinct race
>>
>>45830829
The only reason arthropods aren't as gigantic are due to their way of breathing and air in the atmosphere, add more air in the atmosphere or change how they breathe and bam, giant insects.
>>
bump
>>
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>>45832457
Have a Mangrove Tree Crab. During high tide, they ascend tree trunks, often to relatively high levels.
>>
>>45832534
Are they anything like a Kenyan mangrove crab?
>>
>>45832652
Probably close relatives. The one I posted is from Florida I think
>>
>>45832715
does it break knives?
>>
So this is a setting that takes place in a post-apocalyptic Japan / East Asia.

What I want to know is what types of jobs wouldunite so many different species.
>>
>>45834902
>takes place in a post-apocalyptic Japan / East Asia
well not really(simpler to have it be it's own world, and a lot of the invertebrates we've been talking about are from outside Asia), except for the post-apocalyptic part that is(except instead of the pre-cataclysm race being Humans, it's various extinct species like Trilobites and Ammonites), someone mentioned earlier that the the tech level should be generally late Iron Age, and generally I agree, although I'm also imagining there's a couple areas that are slightly ahead of the curve(thinking for example that Gunpowder weaponry exists, since quite a few creatures would require something more powerful to penetrate their shells than arrows, bolts, or spears can easily do, not to mention various undead or sorcerous monsters that need to be burned to be completely destroyed, it'd mostly be primitive Handgonnes, Fire Lances, and Rockets/Rocket Arrows, although anything pre Flintlock would probably be fine)

also as for what unifies the races, well I imagine commerce alone is probably a good unifier, not to mention possibly some religious common ground(like say there was a Jesus or Buddha analogue, and he had disciples from most of the sapient races, and he preached quite hard about everyone working together), and lastly the various monsters, as well as foreign threats(the Cicada Necromancers, Locust Hordes, and Hornet Warlords all being notable ones) also unifying them together
>>
>>45835652
Bombadier Beetle Blacksmiths having competitions with Mole Cricket monk-smiths over the quality of their iron and bronze, a fierce rivalry with many kingdoms competing for their respective services.

Bombadier beetles using potent chemicals for mining and smelting their metals. Mole Crickets using subterranean blast forges to forge their special Cricket-Bronze, one of the most valued resources.
>>
>>45825854
Implying you wouldn't want one on the team.

>>45826373
Assassin Bug!

Fear his piercing pipe!

>>45829850
>TASTE STINGER OF JUSTICE FIENDISH SCUM!
<STABS A MOTHERFUCKER>

>>45830829
I'm actually for that, like mentioned on the thread, that the arthropods are as big or even bigger than humans or any stock fantasy race, but said stock fantasy races do not exist in their world.

Instead the humans (and other stock-fantasy races) come through portals and for some unknown or nebulous reason they are all attacking the arthros.

I'd go with them having some powerful magitek because it would be actually hard for a dwarf with a portable cannon to wound a giant 5 meters tall crab warrior with thick and dense calcified armor.

They'd all be like scary aliens to the arthros.
>>
>>45835994
That gels realllly well with my own idea of cockroaches summoned from another dimension and warped by an anti-undead Druid sect into undead consuming swarm of bug mutants
>>
>>45836063
But the roaches are in the world as thieves and scavengers.

Though on the other hand, we'd need someone that would fight against the ever-assimilating cordyceps and its undead, fungal controlled zombie bugs.
>>
>>45836101
>>45836063
No I mean, in my own setting the giant swarm of necrophagous mutant cockroaches created to combat the empires of a lich and vampire alliance may possibly have their origins in this Bugworld. Doesn't have to be canon with this
>>
>>45836153
Hmmmmm.

That's now better.
>>
>>45836101
>>45836153
Necrophagous Thieves and Scavengers?
>>
>>45836216
maybe the anti Cordyceps bugs could be swarms of mutated Carrion Beetles, little more than mindless eaters of the dead. Maybe fungus eating weevil hounds
>>
>>45836216
And they have a lot of diseases.

And they stink.

And will still fight even after being decapitated (auxiliary brain).

>>45836227
>Carrion Beetles
That's even better.

Though in case of the fungi, I'd go with ants that have druids and priests that know how to fight this scary shit.
>>
>>45836258
hate to be That Guy but roaches are actually total neat freaks and resistant to disease. If a human touches them and being the oily beasts we are, they will scurry off and hide to obsessively clean themselves for several hours. Bacteria actually has a hard time clinging to their exoskeleton and its being researched for antibacterial surfaces. I'd think Roaches would actually be ecofriendly druids
>>
>>45836290
Seriously?

Didn't know about that.

Well then flies would take the niche of disease spreading jerks.
>>
>>45836314
and mosquitos. Mosquito transferred diseases and parasites have caused more human deaths than any other animal combined besides humans themselves. Only we are better at killing ourselves than the humble buzzing mosquito. It kinda sucks they're such a vital cornerstone species. If they went extinct sooooo many other species would as well and suffer greatly
>>
>>45836349
>Mosquitos
>Walking parasite and disease sacks

I'd say, they could be quite disliked. Especially for the parasite part.
>>
>>45836349
>>45836432
Also if we are on Mosquitos, then I'd also add that even despite the whole thing, they'd be more tolerated than the Horse Flies.
>>
>>45812664
Like this:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2048202604/creepy-castle
>>
>>45836791
Tolerated for their medical abilities and general laid back attitude but prone to becoming blooddrunk and dangerous after a meal.
>>
>>45836832
That actually looks nice.

>>45836884
At least the mosquitos secrete a powerful painkiller in their saliva when they are bloodsucking.

Horse Flies bite in causing horrid pain, often killing the unfortunate dude they grabbed.
>>
>>45836920
>>45836884
I still like the idea of Mosquitos and Healer Leeches being partners. Like those giant mansion hospitals where races from all over to get their special treatments to diseases they can't get anywhere else.

I'm seeing Horse Flies like trolls. Hulking monsters that capture the unwary for a quick meal
>>
I'm thinking mosquitoes are pretty close to a "monster race"

Anything that has to suck blood to live would be pretty reviled.
>>
What about worms ?
And really small reptiles ?
>>
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If we're going to have gunpowder in this setting:
>>
Ok, I'm trying to coalesce this setting into a Google Docs file but i'm having to fiddle with security settings so that people can view and add little notes.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pAduIU7TDaKHvvaUfzRbgYj44TX_hApLeNeVu2d5bbM/edit?usp=sharing

Apologies for tardiness but >timezones
>>
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I love how we've come to see Beetles as bros and defenders of justice

The reason the bug type in pokemon is strong against psychic and dark (and, in the first generation, poison) is because, thanks to Kamen rider, its many imitators, and the hobby of beetle wrestling, Japan closely associates insects with the forces of justice, order and heroism. Beetles especially are often characterized as honorable warriors.

The moves Signal Beam, Silver Wind and X-scissor all intentionally invoke tokusatsu-like superhero moves.

We need Kamen rider Beetles and other insects that feel the pull of justice and righteousness. Not complete rip-offs but maybe an order of nomadic paladin warrior-monks who travel the land dispensing justice throughout the land and fighting injustices where they encounter them.

Beetles, mantids, ants, some roaches and even spiders have all felt the call and serve to their greatest abilities.
>>
Are we going to make this like old school D&D where certain races can only pick certain classes? Or will this be something where the race you pick is also a class, with specialization available?
>>
>>45837437
I think it would be better to allow any race to pick whatever class they like but with obvious racial benefits and drawbacks. A beetle can be a great thief but will probably have a hard time going unnoticed due to their size without a lot of preparation and experience.
>>
>>45812705
>termite nest cities, guarded by termites but inhabited by all kinds of bugs
Well, great. Now I'm imagining Termite /pol/ complaining about how all these cultural myrmidontists are ruining pure Isopteran culture and saying that the wasps are behind everything.
>>
>>45837458
I actually think the termites wouldn't really mind as long as those they invite in and protect are willing to live by their rules and respect their homes. Those that do disrespect their gracious hosts are swiftly punished with banishment or imprisonment tending to the hive cities subterranean and very humid fungus farms
>>
I took a look at the document, and I feel like a lot of the classes could be folded into each other. It could be a class tree kind of thing, with the broad class, such as Warrior, having offshoots like Legionnaire, Martial Artist, etc
>>
>>45836957
But aren't leeches worms?

Worms aren't bugs.

>>45837072
I could actually see them as wild animals that eat the arthros (and are in return hunted/breeded as lifestock by them) or as giant monsters (Dune-tier sandworms and draconic chameleons).

I'd say that the world where the arthros would live in is like the backyard garden made magnified. The bugs and other arthros are turned to human sized tier (or bigger, depending on the species), but with trees as big as mountains, the actual mountains being even bigger, grass being the local bamboo (with the bamboo being some form of towers the arthros climb or fly to).

Hell. The fact that there are giant snails/slugs that can be used as caravans is an awesome idea.

>>45837139
Yep. For when you really need to breach that crab armor.

>>45837417
Kamen Rider is awesome. The Showa era ones catch this perfectly.

I'd also go with certain other Insects and Arachnids, but with certain ones, these would need some justification.

>>45837437
I'd go with the first. I hardly can see a Goliath Beetle or Goliath Spider be Rouges, Thieves or Assassins.

And don't get me started with Crabs (especially the Emperor Crab that is really bulky and large).

>>45837634
A sound idea. The latter would be perfectly fitting as prestige classes.
>>
So I looked at the docs, and there seems to be a lack with some races, so I'll try and help here.

The scorpions are a hardy, warlike folk that live in the desert lands. Most of them live to hunt and to fight the most dangerous beings one can find. Some however manage to get into larger societies where they act as mercenaries, as warriors or fighting for some ideal of theirs.

Scorpions tend to have a rivalry with certain arthropods, yet they see it as a way to improve their combat capabilities by making their rivals into a form of measurement on how much they need to surpass them.

In the military, scorpions make for powerful leaders and champions, yet due to their personal pride, they do not use their venomous stingers unless it is a duel to the death against another scorpion. Indeed, for whenever a scorpion would enter military service, then said scorpion would be the one who achieve a high position in the military hierarchy due to his no-nonsense attitude (scorpions take fighting very seriously).

Surprisingly, the scorpion folk tend to be as protective of younger beings the same manner as Spiders are, and react really violently when the one they are protecting gets endangered.
>>
The various groups/types/species of Termites could live like the ancient greeks. A bunch of city-states with some similarities of thought process and architecture, but vastly different social customs and laws.
Hell I feel like city-states would probably be the most common form of civilisation. There would be some great nations that control huge areas of land, but the overwhelming majority by population would be single or allied city-states. Think Forgotten Realms. Lusken, Ten Towns, Quay and so on.

Thoughts for a places:
> Arricidae, The City of One Million Webs
Built in the hollow center of a colossal World Tree, Arricidae is the single greatest city ever created by spiders.
Made of hundreds of layers of webbing that span the vast space inside the World Tree this vertically sprawling metropolis bustles day and night. For within the Tree there is almost no sunlight. Instead the city is kept lit be countless magilanterns that hang from buildings and structural webs.
Within the uncounted alleyways and markets almost anything can be bought or sold, if you're brave enough to go looking.
Collectively Spiders are the most numerous group within the city and punishment details of delinquent and criminal spiders can often be seen undertaking the exhausting task of reinforcing the webs that form the foundations of the city.
Arricidae is ruled by a Council of Lords, an assortment of the Great and Good (read: Rich and Powerful) who theoretically set policy for the city, but mostly just argue and try to score points off each other.

Sidenote - As I was writing this I glanced to the side and there was a slowly moving woodroach on the desk to my left. Gave me a small heart attack in this darkness. The roach was collected and returned to my lizards enclosure then promptly eaten.
>>
Centipede horse/tigers?
>>
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>>45838118
Siberian Tigerpedes?
>>
>>45837944
Lots of scorpions live in temperate places like forests. Don't by stereotyping now. ;p

>>45838018
Places cont:
> The Sundered Metropolis of Cri'xx
Once a shining beacon of civilisation, all that remains now is a crumbling ruin that spans the horizon.
This former Trilobite city sits on an enclosed bay, it's uncountable districts wrapping along the peninsulas surrounding bay that would have made forced entry by sea nearly impossible.
Cri'xx is the first location to come to the minds of many then Trilobites are brought up in discussion, being by far the best known and most explored of Trilobite cities and the most common source of Trilobite artifacts.
Despite this perhaps a tenth has been explored and even less mapped, mostly the exterior districts. This is attributed to superstition, the decaying nature of the city and the unpredictable lethality of ancient defence systems and swarms of experimentation stock descendants. More than a few would be looters and explorers have been pursued by the mutant horrors that would suddenly break off, unwilling to follow further. Amongst the veterans this strikes far greater fear than the proto-tribes ever could, because it means the have crossed into the zone of a truly functional defence system.

>>45838118
Nah, centipedes be the equivalent of centaurs. Large body type that doesn't function well in most bug constructions, capable travellers, typically not something Joe Chump wants to irritate...
>>
>>45838219
Yeah it came to me when I was out with my dog that there are a lot of scorpions that live in tropical places. Needs some alteration then.

Also in case of Centipedes...

I'd say they'd be like what they are how you perceive them combined with >>45821705

But, as mentioned too, there would be Centipedes mutated by arcane magic and turned Kaiju sized.
>>
>>45838363
Exactly that.

Potential Antagonists/Story Hooks

> Mosquito Plague
Somewhere between vampires, zombies and rabies that once ravaged the land. A disease spread through infected blood and tissue that can survive for decades outside a host resulting in small resurgences. In most the disease results in mindless blood-hunger. In mosquitos it induces powerful mutations and doesn't totally remove higher thought processes, leaving some planning and threat assessment intact. Very Left 4 Dead.

> Trilobite Lich
What has been awoken? This ancient monster wield terrifying magics and bizarre artifacts.

> Woodlouse Map Prophet
Amongst the scrappy a raving prophet has come forth, ranting about the end times and the coming of an Avatar of their god. He has lead a hoard of his kind out from their deep forest homes, heading for the coast and raiding any settlement in their way. Is the prophecy real or just delusion? Do the woodlice have a real objective or is it just opportunism? Is the prophet just an unstable louse or something more dangerous? Who knows? Not the PCs that's for sure!

> The Lone Dragon
Several days ago a Dragonfly warrior wandered into town. Terrified of the menacing giant of a bug the townsfolk fled indoors. But no horrors came about. Instead the Dragonfly simple made his way to the centre of town and sat atop the ton bell tower, where he has remained unmoving ever since. The townsfolk are too terrified to approach, much less question the warrior. What is his purpose and why is he waiting here?

> Devil of the Sands
Rumors spread of a giant monster stalking the deserts. A dragon made of huge spikes that swallows bugs whole, mercilessly devouring whole caravans, leaving only scattered crates and packs to be swallowed by the sands. Caravans have been going missing? Could there be some truth to these rumors? Or are they just a smokescreen for something more mundane?
> http://media.danoah.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/05032943/Thorny-Dragon-Devil.jpg
>>
>>45813195
Thermodynamics says no, eating corpses that feed from the same food pool as you do doesn't work. The experience points is fine, but it won't be a valid method of subsistence.
>>
>>45838549
>Thorny Dragon

Man I love those.
>>
>>45838018
>>45838219
>>45838549

So I'm this guy. Having looked that the doc I'm really not enthused by some of the writing there. A lot of the wording implies nations being commonplace and that species/groupings are lumped together as if united.

And that really doesn't mesh with the D&D-like setting we seem to be crafting.
To use D&D as an example; despite the magic, it's basically Iron Age in terms of societal function. Many, many, many disparate groups all over, all doing their own thing. Most civilisation takes the form of city-states that are rarely connected to another. The nationstates that do exist are almost exclusively small kingdoms. There is little sharing of ideas or progress and when a master in a field dies huge amounts of knowledge is typically lost.
This makes for a bit of a crapsack world from the overview, but it's great for adventures.

The writing in the doc implies a setting of far less scope than this. Like saying what's shown in the Lord of the Rings Movies is all there is to see in the Tolkien-verse. Or that the Dark Knight is all there is to Batman.
It's too definitive and too narrow in scope. Think bigger! Think broader! There should be many, varied groups within each category of invertebrate.

Anyway I'm off to bed, have fun and keep thinking up good ideas. Don't forget to archive the thread and start up a new one when the autosage hits!
>>
>>45813366
>Horrific, nightmarish parasites. Things that sting you, paralyze you and lay eggs in your body, for you to be eaten alive by their larvae. Things that infect your brain, driving you to suicidal behavior, or that just turn you into a half-living zombie, devouring you from within and then bursting out of your skull.

Stop fucking reminding me of the fucking Mind Worms from fucking SMAC!
>>
>>45813431
>Enemies of note can be massive, solitary spiders, and also birds.

Certain species of bats hunt and devour spiders.
>>
>>45838852
Sorry to hear you're not particularly enthused but I wrote it purposefully to abridge races relevant for play rather than hazy lore issues that no one is exactly agreed upon.

Yes, there will be varied groups within each race that don't all get along but again, this is an abridge summary for the purpose of clarity based on the content created in the thread. I'm trying to avoid being bogged down in ephemeral information so as to of generalize and simplify things.

Don't fear though, city-state factionalism and internal species debate are an inevitability
>>
>>45838852
Agreed here, but it would be logical with certain species being more present in certain places (like crab and shrimp folk living near the sea).

But then again, they'd require the services of certain species. Hell, every specie would require the services of each other if they want to do stuff.

>>45838916
WHF's Terrogheist, but alive and extra fleshy.
>>
>>45837769
No race as class? This seems like it has an even stronger argument for that idea.
>>
>>45839999
Yep.

On one hand I can see, for example, hornets preferring being warriors, but on the other hand it doesn't mean they don't have priests, hunters or even their own mages.

The same we'd say about beetles. A rhino beetle would prefer being a paladin and smite evil with his horn, but it doesn't mean they cannot become clerics and use horn of healing and horn of turning dead bugs.
>>
>mosquitoes as a vampiric race

>hive races have telepathic links to their queens
>nature of the link varies depending on nation/race/individual from occasional vague dreams to a constant presence and loving relationship
>queens wield immense divine magic
>devoted clerics and paladins channel their queen's power
>when an individual is banished, their antennaes are ripped out, cutting off the link
>>
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What about driver ants?
>>
>>45823403
There's a thread in /mlp/ that had their changelings, bug horses basically, get infected with this shit. It was very well done, had the Cordyceps speaking to the infected like the freaking gravemind. So believe me when I tell you that this would work very well in this kind of setting.
>>
>>45840701
The Paladin part is something I like, but how would work that with non-hive species?

I'd add worship of ancestors and spirits, but also something of god-progenitor that is a combination of insect, arachnid, crustacean and centipede or something that spawned from him.

>>45840778
A uncommon mutation found in the ants that produces bigger, stronger, and angrier soldier bugs.

Other warrior-centric arthros are impressed with their battle-lust and eagerness to fight, though sometimes they need to chain them because they tend to try charge enemies larger than themselves.

Have a very strong sense of honor and duty, which makes them perfect warriors.

>>45840802
J̰͚̼͕͙̈o̮̥͙̩͊ͩͥ̄͟i͓͙͖̖̐̇̅̚n̞̹̭ͣͭ͐ ̖̗̩̫̲̻ͬ̀͂ͥ͗͗͜u͚̐͛̈ͣͧͮ̓s̬̝͎̺̻͉̾͊͠.͔̝͉̘͖̼̣̅͌̇ ̿̏ͩ
̸̗̤͉͇̈́ͬ̌
̶̋ͪ̓̂Ŗ̺̝̦̮ͣe̮̘̻̞̭̜͒͛̊ͧͩ͝s̙͈̗̠͔̖̱̍̾ͫ̔̍͂̚ỉ͔͂ͫ͛ͪ̃̀͞s̄̇͛̿̎ͩ͊t̝̰̆ͭ̆̆͑a̧͍̗̻̪̱n̰͇̉̅̅ͫͬ́c̢̤̙̰̘̰͓̼͋̅̎̓̃ē̝͖̬͙̲ͬͦ͗̓͜ͅ ͮ̈͘i̵̟̖̺͔͌ͅs͙̻̣̲̠̓ͭ ̴͉̳͈̖̻͎̘͌̄ͥf̱͉̫͖̓̆͜ű̘̲͉̙̤̱͞t̜̹͓̟̝̼ͣ̈̑̊͞ḭ̙͓̟̥̙̹ͬ̌̉̏l͋́̆ͮ͆҉̫͙̺e͓͍̝̹.̪̰̲̺͚̈́͒ͧͫ
>>
>>45840920
of course there's other divine figures to draw power from. i imagine moths would use a moon goddess. even banished hive races can find other deities to worship, perhaps that could even be why some of them are banished in the first place

The Mold consumes. We know only growth.
>>
Eh I could make art, not good art, but someone could get idea's out of me.
>>
>>45840981

Ÿ̜̭͙͇͎̲ͦ̈́̉̿͐̅o̲̰̺̠uͣͩ̑ͣ͂̎͊r̙̟̺ͩ̈ͩ́ ͓ͨ͠m̥̙̾̅̑͐i̟̼͎̺̗̥̐n͙̪͇ͣ̎̓̃̋̓̌d̸̤̫̰̖̬̲́̑̅̋.͉̱͍ͭ́ ͍̘̮͖̹̲̱̑̐͗͌̓̌ͤ͞
̩̙ͮ͑ͬ
̘̃͂̔̀̀̚W̘͎̤̔̇̋ͯ̂͞e̤̥̖̜ͫ̓̌̄ͥ ̨̤̳̠̣̼̾̅̐w̳͚̜̤͆̇a̷̦ͫn̲̯͉̰̩̞̅̂̕t̼͖̲͎͚͚͈ͨͪ̀ ͍͙̰̠̍͌ͭͥ̂ͬ̍͡i̜̥̰̞͓͙͌̐̌͒̒ͭ͢ẗ̜͈̫̜́̌́͊ͨ.̺̺̕


http://www.eeemo.net/

Yeah, that's a good idea you have with the whole divinity powers.

>>45840993
Do a badass hornet warrior and a cute, feminine moth cleric (just don't add breast).

Make them humanoid-like.
>>
>>45841103
Any specific kind of Moth?

There is only ONE choice when it comes to Hornets.
>>
>>45841103
Ț̘͜h̫͓̙͚a̡̫̝̠̣̖n̦̣̟ks̬͓̞ͅ ̮̥͔̞͚f̗o̫͎͕͍̹̪̫r̡͔͇̗͍̬̬ ̠̻̤̞͉̻ṯ̻h̠͖͓̻e̝̗͙ ̜͈͔ḷ̢̗̭̘̖i̫̝̙̭n҉͙͚̠̮͚k͈̮̺͔͖͍ͅ.̡͙̹̲
>>
>>45841149
As in this puffy.
>>45841169
Ņ̴̪̫̭̲̯͉̜̼̮̙͎̳̆ͫͭͭͥͧ͑ͯͣ͗͘o̟̩̺̘̯͈̠̬ͬͥ́̒́̌́ͣ̔ͪ̓͘͜ṭ̵̦̤͓̫̟̼̙̩̂̅̀̎͛͂͐̓̇ͧ͘͝ ̴̶̠̺̟̩̮͇̖͓̑̑̅͆̄̽̀͒ͯ̎ͮ͒ͧͭ̋̍̈ͣ͟ͅa͊ͥ́̿̿́́͘͠͏͓̹̮̬̩̫̞̮̼̻̠̱̘͇ ̶̢̛͎̲̰̝̬̻̲͚͎̞̊̑́͂ͪ́̕͟p̨̪̺̳̯̗̞͍͈̝̲͍̙͓̠̒̈́̌̇͒́ͮ̚r̸͍̝̘̠ͮ̋̋̿͌͊ͧ̎̕͟͝o̷͙̬͈̺̱̭͖͓̘̞͆ͯ̿ͥͦ̅̈̓̀͘͟b̷̸͓͚̝̮̤̞̆̀̑̓͡l̶̠̗̰̻̝͈̪͕̽ͪ͋̎̏̀̈̆ͬͨ̃̕͞͡ͅe͙̯̪̤͈͍̹̱̣̳͗ͫͭͮ͘̕͟m̵̢̢̞̤̱̱̙̤͉̯̪͕̾͒͌̎ͦͣ̇͊ͩ͗̂́́.̢͕̞̜̖̞̲̥͖̪͍͙̙̩̦͎͋͋̊̍͐̇͋̇ͯ̓̈ͮͨ̍̆̌̂̓ͬ̀͠͞ͅ
>>
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>>45840993
>>45841103
>>45841149
Maybe have the moths look something like this?
>>
>>45841264
Thought more like this, but less curved.
>>
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>>45841264
Semi related bee picture
>>
>>45841264
>>45841323
And with six limbs and not four.
>>
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>>45841264
Hornet
>>
>>45841224
This thing is fucking adorable.
>>45841264
This is good reference mats,
>>45841323
So less sexuality, got it.
>>
>>45841264
Moths must look like that, not exceptions

I remember some /co/ thread about buggirls, at one point some drawfag posted a picture of certain buggirls. If someone knows what I'm talking about, might be a good starting point for the visual aspect of the Bug People

Also, is it Earth with bug-sized-bug-people, or fantasy world with people-sized-bug-people? We could do both, but I say the latter is better, and a more interesting.
>>
>>45841348
They look more like bumblebees.
>>
>>45841435
I'd go for fantasy world with people-sized-bug-people, and with very non-standard takes on certain elements (DRACONIC CHAMELEONS AND GIANT THORNY DRAGONS!)
>>
>>45841466
How about short, hobbit/dwarf sized bug people? I doubt the oxygen content is still high enough to allow that kind of growth after all the time it took for these bugs to become sapient and sentient.
>>
>>45841435
i vote people-sized bug-people.

i'm imagining a farmer ant with a mammal collection. dozens of squishy rodents. everyone thinks it's really fucking weird, but her queen finds it rather endearing, and encourages her to learn as much as she can. when she was young she visited the hive palace and showed the queen her biggest rat. proudest fucking day of her life.
>>
>>45841352
four arms, and two legs equal six limbs mate.
>>
>>45841560
issues like oxygen content are irrelevant given magic is an actual thing
>>
>>45841582
Thats cute, I imagine the ants of these worlds are like a smarter version of the brown minions from the overlord series.

I can imagine her running up to her Queen and being like, "F-for you!"
>>
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>>45841264
>>
>>45841560
If it's fantasy, then we can simply hand-wave it that the Supreme Arthropodic God simply spawned them like they are.

Fantasy settings sometimes ignore certain elements for convenience's sake.

>>45841582
Ya know? Actually mammals as wild animals, domestic animals and livestock should be present here.

>>45841586
Yeah, but >>45841323 has four limbs.

Just wanted to make sure it won't go unrealistic and shit.
>>
>>45841593
Not really, but ok sure, lets ignore some actual science here to use the tried and true magic Deus Ex Machina. It's your world I'm just throwing out suggestions.
>>
>>45841655
Ah sorry I see what you were talking about, I was gonna do the six limbs anyway, so it kind of threw me off when you said that. For a moment there I thought you wanted me to add 2 more arms.

Welp here we go, time to noodle and doodle
>>
>>45841659
>Arcane Oxygen that the Arthropodic God produced so that his spawns would grow strong.

>>45841713
Well that's not a problem.

Also gonna wait for yer doodles.
>>
Uh one last thing regarding the bugs, I'm gonna do the moth first just to let ya know, but what kind of equipment are we working with here?

Am I gonna have near lewd bugs with just accessories and weapons or am I putting them in some form of clothing.
>>
>>45841820
Wow, I meant to type nude and lewd came out instead. That's funny, yet slightly concerning for me.
>>
>>45841820
>>45841866
Give her what you'd give a cleric (leather armor made out of a large mammal but sleeveless, a shield, a mace/staff thingy and a tiara with a holy gem in it).
>>
>>45841901
Go for moon related icons and stuff
>>
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>>45841264
>>
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>>45841264
These moths kinda look like they are part fungus, so maybe these are Moths that are a part of a Mold Cult?
>>
>>45841990
I want to fuck that comet moth...we probably shouldn't base the moths off of that picture
>>
>>45841965
Hey hey hey, I'm not doing some amazingly detailed and stellar art that takes days here. I'm doing simple concept sketches man. Keep your icons and motiefs and fetishes for later.
>>
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>humans are the bug-people's equivalent of eldritch abominations, their motivations and actions totally beyond the understanding of the bug people. Their machinations and plans have a habit of both helping and hindering insects of all stripes, some of the more daring opting to dwell within their alien, but unnaturally orderly and masterfully-crafted, dwellings and structures. Humancraft creates whole new worlds, whole new opportunities, but whole new dangers as well.
>>
>>45841264
>>45841323
Preliminary sketching has provided the information that combining the two is beyond my skills. I can do one or the other, but mashing them together in an acceptable form would take hours of experimentation on my part.

If you had to pic one for now which one would you pic?
>>
>>45842406
Option A looks better in my onion familia
>>
>>45842523
This.
>>
>>45842523
>>45842537
Very well, floofy it is.
>>
http://strawpoll.me/7012663

Since there's a discrepancy in the thread as to the relative sizes.
>>
>>45841582

>rural farmer ant's village is decimated by The Mold
>Her older sister, consumed by the mold and covered in fungal growths corners her in the farm house.
>"Queen, save me!" she cries telepathically.

>You҉͖͍̣͖͎r҉̖̻̣̺͓̭̫ ̦̺q̺̺̣̤̀u̼̱̖̞e̮̦̟͍̝͞e̟̘͍ͅn̻̲̼͇ ̘̱͍͉̖̺c͈͖a̵͓͙͈n̡̝'̱̥̳̭t͏̘̤͈ s̪̼̣͕͎̀a̡͈̬̫͚v͈̘͉̥̺e̢̖ ̴͙̯̞̰ạ̠̫͔̲̦̰͜n̞̣̜̤͎y҉͇͍̫o̼̣̝n̝̣̱͍͖̪̟e̷͔͚̜ͅ ̷͓̣͉̮̩̪n͍o̯w̯͔̬̤͢.͈̗

>Rips her antennae from her head. Her connection to her beloved queen is silenced.
>Wakes up days later. Shortly after falling unconscious, the bee fire mages -with whom her ant kingdom has an alliance of convenience - purged the village and rescued her.
>She continues calling out to the queen, but there is never an answer. She is devastated.
>She is brought before the queen. The meeting is bittersweet.
>"I apologize, my lady, my rodents must have been consumed by the fires. I'm afraid they've all been lost."
>>
>>45842639

>cont'd
>"Not all of them, my dear. I had one of my soldiers pick up this friendly little creature."
>A guard comes forward, and hands the ant a mouse, the smallest in her collection. She holds it close to her, the only small comfort she's obtained in the last few weeks.
>"What am I to do now, my lady? Will I live in the slums with the rest of the broken?"
>"I do not wish for such a life for you child...no..I believe you should leave this kingdom, for far away."
>"I'm to be banished??"
>"No, no. You should travel. See new places. You have been crippled by fate, but you can find yourself again in the wider world."
>"I couldn't my lady. I'm too afraid, now" she says, gently petting her mouse's ears.
>"You're stronger than you know my child. And smarter than most of those around you. You've survived losing your village, losing me, and you can survive the world. I could hardly bear to see you wasting away at my palace steps."

and there's an adventure hook

First time writefagging, be gentle
>>
>>45841224
That's literally a felt toy
>>
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Well, its nothing amazing, but here you go.
>>
>>45843087
perfect!
>>
>>45843087
it's pretty good given the timeframe drawfriend
>>
>>45843176
>>45843183
Thanks, It probably would have looked better if I wasn't so damn tired, I've been awake since 8pm last night and well, its only 6 more hours till 8 again.
>>
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About biology, I'd see hornets with forearms that have retractable stingers. Think the bio-mechanism of Tarkatans from Mortal Kombat with their bony blades on that retract from their forearms. Yet only the upper pair has them, leaving the lower pair to wield other weapons and tools. Bees and Wasps would also have this, but hornets would be very proficient at using them.

>>45842143
Not only humans.

Through strange portals do they appear, and with them dwarves, elves, and other bizarre creatures that had various degrees of civility.

They come and raid hives and smaller colonies. Nobody knows why or for what purpose they do so, though the scarab seers may see this as something of a bad omen along with the daemonic cicadas and the fungal abomination that is the sentient cordyceps.

>>45842639
>>45842661
Not bad. Quite nice I say.

>>45842837
So fluffy it was realistic.

>>45843087
You achieved Adorable Age.
>>
Whatever system for combat and arms people come up with is going to have to keep in mind the number of limbs. Most of these bug-people will be dual wielders' almost as a minimum. Your standard D&D dual wielder might have four weapons.
>>
>>45843327
Stingers on their forearms doesn't make sense but it just makes me think of Beedrill now
>>
>>45843380
Yes. At the same time tho most races have some sort of natural body armor so it'll take more hits to kill anything anyways
>>
>>45843416
Well how would they sting?

I mean, if they are kinda humanoid, and even have humanoid postures, then make them use their biological capabilities to the fullest.

I mean, even Terraformars and Kamen Rider Kabuto did this with the Hornet Guy and The Bee (even though he's a wasp).

Seriously. Wrist-mounted stingers for full-frontal stinger pile-drivers. Useless against heavily armored enemies, but lethal to anything not wearing armor.

RIDER STING

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRv5GsNwnCE
>>
>>45843430
Well I think you'd have to use weapons designed for killing certain races. Fleshy targets would be open to killing with the general arms, but I'd expect to see beetle on beetle combat using lots of warhammers, maces, warpicks, and the like. Maybe see some of those arrowheads designed to slide into a joint, chisel tip?

If you want a rouge assassin type I would make my players describe in detail where they stab on the target as I do when they go for a sneak attack on a full plate target.
>>
How are we gonna anthropomorphise spiders? Maybe just leave then as is, but the their mandibles are better at manipulating things?
>>
>>45843572
If there is one thing Blizzard did well with WarCraft and WoW...then it is Nerubians.
>>
>>45843572
Turn their front two set of legs into arms. Leaving two sets of legs to walk with. Same arms as insects, but their mobility is much greater, at the sacrifice of not having wings.
I imagine a lot of spiders following a ranger life/fighting style
>>
>>45843572
>>45843594
Can't find them now but there was one artist on tumblr that made a series of intelligent spiders that had developed fingers on their pedipalps
>>
>>45843696
I am terrified and intrigued
>>
>>45843087
This floof is adorable
>>
You're not gonna be able to for one very good reason and if you use your magic/god spawned that way excuse that would just be lame on your parts.

Spiders and arachnids period have two segmented bodies while most everything else has three. If you compared this to a human they are basically just lower body and upper body. The third part is the head and neck area. No swiveling head and neck on a spider. If you plan to use them you have to figure out how to do it as well as figure out leg placement... or cheat.

You're move guys, man up or puss out.
>>
>>45844067
I'm not move, I'm anon
>>
Ok results of the strawpoll are in: Majority vote for

"Insect-sized bugs with humans as unfathomable god creatures"

Bump limit reached, next thread going up soon and keep up the great work!
>>
>>45844460
FUCK that's so goddamn lame, damn bot voters

There goes most of the fucking worldbuilding
>>
>>45844556
Alright alright. Since I was dumb and had it near the end of the thread i'll post a new straw poll at the start of the second.
>>
>>45844460
I'm not satisfied with this.

I'd rather launch a human into the air as a Paladin Rhino Beetle, sting them as a Hornet Warrior, or light'em up as a Bee Fire Mage.

This poll should be ignored and make the humans into inter-dimensional invaders along with other stock fantasy races.

Then again it maybe is my kind of fault for suggesting humans being like Cthulhu to the arthropods. Didn't mean literal Cthulhu, but mentally.
>>
I don't think the humans should exist as all, and since size is relative, it wouldn't matter, but I think the equivalent of bug sized on a giant planet.
>>
New thread is up



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