Horde

A horde is a single mind living in hundreds of insect-like bodies. All bodies of one horde share a design, but hordes differ: one might be made of giant golden mantises, another of little black beetles whose red antennae glow. Each body is about a foot long per Hit Die, and the statistics describe one body.

Hordes attack whenever it suits them, since they consider no other creature truly intelligent. Border patrols of 2d4 bodies, usually all of equal Hit Dice, guard their territory. In battle the bodies bite and swarm, and the horde spends them freely; they automatically fail all saving throws. If over 10% of its bodies die in one undertaking, such as a single fight, it negotiates, flees, or summons another horde.

Once per round the mind can use ESP or telekinesis (200 lbs. maximum) without disrupting its bodies. They communicate telepathically, and the horde juggles dozens of separate conversations easily. Mental attacks such as charm, sleep and hold do nothing, but physical damage works normally.

The horde dies only when every body is destroyed. Any survivor lets it rebuild, forming a new body or enlarging an inactive one at 1 Hit Die per turn, during which it can't use its ESP or telekinesis.

Sages guess one mind could steer bodies totaling 10,000 Hit Dice. The largest body ever seen had 21 Hit Dice, though bigger ones may exist on the home plane. There is no queen; the mind fills every body equally, but only inside a zone 100 miles wide. A body taken beyond it goes mindless and perishes within 1d10 days.

Every horde carries a name that all its bodies answer to, which confuses outsiders. Extremely lawful, a horde will sacrifice any number of bodies for a goal and respects no other life, not even other hordes. It takes the room it wants, so most call hordes evil, and they often fight each other for space.

All other intelligent beings fear and hate them, telling of lands stripped bare by one horde, left with only a few humanoid herds raised as food. Krysts, erdeens and undines are notable enemies, and the krysts and erdeens, fellow natives of that plane, resent how much of it hordes have taken.