In Dawn of the Overmind, the PCs travel from Earth to Penumbra in a spelljammer/spaceship. On the way, they have two set encounters – one in the phlogiston with some space ghosts and one with some alien-esque inspired xenomorphs – the voor.
I was actually going to skip this encounter but as the PCs entered the Penumbra system they realised they had no idea where they were actually going and asked Moya who replied “Penumbra, the capital and seat of power of the Illithid Star Empire”.
The PCs had an “oh shizer” moment.
They decided they better stop the ship and think about this for a while. They ended up splitting the party sending a “cloaked” shuttle (greater invisibility) to Penumbra which took the shuttle 3 days to get there and 3 days to get back.
I ended up deploying the voor but turned it into a skill challenge on the fly. I said Moya couldn’t detect them so they searched the ship. For each failure I had the voor get stronger but they were able to track them all down while still in their eggs or larval form and killed them easily.
But the PCs who knew the reference for very quick to point out to the other PCs that they should find these aliens as fast as possible.
The base creature was a kruthik.
THE VOOR
Encounter Note: The voor get stronger as time goes by. For each hour the voor is not killed it grows in CR eventually metamorphizing into a hivelord.
Voor larvae are 8-foot long skeletal insectoids whose “wings” are bare of any membrane but instead serve as forward-swept, razor-tipped claws. Their bodies are composed c organic elements, often mixed with metallic, crystal, glass, stone, or other unlikely substances. More than any other creature, voor hate illithids, and break off any other activity in order to destroy any illithids sensed.
Combat
In combat, voor larvae use their naked, forward- swept “wings.” Each is tipped with a terrible claw, which inflicts ld6 hit points of damage with a successful attack. Vool larvae are also able to deliver a bite attack in the same round. addition to the 2d6 hit points a successful bite attack delivers, voors also inject a poison that inflicts an additional 10 hp of damage to those that fail their saves.
Voor of all varieties are immune to direct mental attack by mind-affecting spells, items, or psionic abilities. This attribute makes them a particularly lethal foe against illithids. Unfortunately, voor larvae are too “programmed to distinguish humanoid foes from illithids; in the absence of mind flayers, voor larvae attack anything else that lives.
Once per turn voor larvae can rub their “wings” together s quickly as to produce an unnerving trill. When making a trill, the voor larvae can take no other actions. The hill is a grating, piercing buzz, and all that hear it must make a Con check at a -5 penalty or act with a -2 penalty to all actions while the trill continues. Usually, one voor larva produces a trill, while other larvae in a group press the attack. Note that voor larvae are immune to this effect.
Because of their strange metabolism (see Ecology), voor larvae regenerate 1hp per round, even if brought below 0 hp. A voor larva that is brought to 0 hp or below drops, but continu< to regenerate, only to spring back into action after regeneration at least 20 hp. If a voor larva is brought below -20 hp, it is permanently destroyed.
Habitat/Society
Voor larvae represent only one form of the creatures that were once collectively known as the voor by ancient illithids. In the present, that entire race is long ago annihilated, and only small voor larvae eggs float in lonely solitude between the stars, the last remnant of a murderous race.
Ecology
Great nebulas float in Truespace. Some of them are lightly seeded with the dust of the murdered voor race. If any object, living or inert, passes through these nebulas, there is a 10%chance that ldlO specks of voor dust adhere. The dust are like spores or seeds, and once contact is made with any medium, a particular speck sprouts tiny tendrils. These tendrils bore microscopic channels into the object to which it has adhered. Thus rooted, it begins to “grow,” utilizing the material of the object itself as building blocks towards development. In only l d 4 hours, a chrysalis forms (if the object possesses interior spaces, like a ship, the chrysalis forms in one of these hollows).
Chrysalises discovered before hatching are easy enough to destroy with physical weapons: a strong blow empties the
Chrysalis chamber of a sizable quantity of disgusting smelling liquid and a half-formed worm thing that dies the instant the chrysalis bursts. Chrysalises that remain unmolested eventually hatch in l d 6 hours after full chrysalis formation. That which emerges is a voor larva.
YOUNG VOOR
Small monstrosity, unaligned
Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
Hit Points 9 (2d6 + 2)
Speed 30 ft., burrow 10 ft., climb 30 ft.
STR
13 (+1)
DEX
16 (+3)
CON
13 (+1)
INT
4 (-3)
WIS
10 (+0)
CHA
6 (-2)
Skills Stealth +7
Damage Immunities psychic
Condition Immunities charmed,
Senses darkvision60 ft., tremorsense 60 ft., passive Perception 12
Languages Voor
Challenge 1/8 (25 XP)
Acid Blood. When the voor dies, it explodes, and each creature within 5 feet of it must make a DC 20 Dexterity saving throw, taking 17 (5d6) acid damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
Corrosive Form. A creature that touches the voor or hits it with a melee attack while within 5 feet of it takes 4 (1d8) acid damage. Any nonmagical weapon made of metal or wood that hits the voor corrodes. After dealing damage, the weapon takes a permanent and cumulative −1 penalty to damage rolls. If its penalty drops to −5, the weapon is destroyed. Nonmagical ammunition made of metal or wood that hits the voor is destroyed after dealing damage. The voor can eat through 2-inch-thick, nonmagical wood or metal in 1 round.
Deadzone. The voor gives off an aura out to five feet that acts as a deadzone when it comes to all psionic abilities making it and anything standing in the aura immune to psychic damage and all psionic effects.
Gnashing Horde. Any creature that ends its turn within 5 feet of a voor takes takes 2 damage.
Keen Smell. The voor has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell.
Pack Tactics. The voor has advantage on an attack roll against a creature if at least one of the voor’s allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn’t incapacitated.
Regeneration. The voor regains 1 hit points at the start of its turn. The voor dies only if it starts its turn with -20 hit points.
Tunneler. The voor can burrow through solid rock at half its burrowing speed and leaves a 2½-foot-diameter tunnel in its wake.
ACTIONS
Stab. Melee Weapon Attack:+5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Hit:5 (1d4 + 3) piercing damage.
Piercing Screech (1/Turn). The voor releases a wail. All non-voor within 30 feet of it that can hear it must make a DC 13 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, a creature takes -3 on all attack rolls for 1 minute.
ADULT VOOR
Medium monstrosity, unaligned
Armor Class18 (natural armor)
Hit Points39 (6d8 + 12)
Speed40 ft., burrow 20 ft., climb 40 ft.
STR
15 (+2)
DEX
16 (+3)
CON
15 (+2)
INT
7 (-2)
WIS
12 (+1)
CHA
8 (-1)
Skills Stealth +7
Damage Immunities psychic
Condition Immunities charmed,
Senses darkvision60 ft., tremorsense60 ft., passive Perception 12
Languages Voor
Challenge 2 (450 XP)
Acid Blood. When the voor dies, it explodes, and each creature within 15 feet of it must make a DC 20 Dexterity saving throw, taking 35 (10d6) acid damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
Corrosive Form. A creature that touches the voor or hits it with a melee attack while within 5 feet of it takes 4 (1d8) acid damage. Any nonmagical weapon made of metal or wood that hits the voor corrodes. After dealing damage, the weapon takes a permanent and cumulative −1 penalty to damage rolls. If its penalty drops to −5, the weapon is destroyed. Nonmagical ammunition made of metal or wood that hits the voor is destroyed after dealing damage. The voor can eat through 2-inch-thick, nonmagical wood or metal in 1 round.
Deadzone. The voor gives off an aura out to five feet that acts as a deadzone when it comes to all psionic abilities making it and anything standing in the aura immune to psychic damage and all psionic effects.
Gnashing Horde. Any creature that ends its turn within 5 feet of a voor takes takes 2 damage.
Keen Smell. The voor has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell.
Pack Tactics. The voor has advantage on an attack roll against a creature if at least one of the voor’s allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn’t incapacitated.
Regeneration. The voor regains 1 hit points at the start of its turn. The voor dies only if it starts its turn with -20 hit points.
Tunneler. The voor can burrow through solid rock at half its burrowing speed and leaves a 5-foot-diameter tunnel in its wake.
ACTIONS
Multiattack.The voor makes two stab attacks or two toxic spike attacks.
Stab. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) piercing damage.
Toxic Spike.Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, range 20/60 ft., one target.
Hit: 5 (1d4 + 3) piercing damage and 5 poison damage and gains the poison condition. While poisoned the target is slowed (DC 15 Con save ends both).
Piercing Screech (1/Turn). The voor releases a wail. All non-voor within 30 feet of it that can hear it must make a DC 13 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, a creature takes -3 on all attack rolls for 1 minute.
VOOR HIVELORD
Large monstrosity, neutral evil
Armor Class 20 (natural armor)
Hit Points 102 (12d10 + 36)
Speed 40 ft., burrow 20 ft., climb 40 ft.
STR
19 (+4)
DEX
16 (+3)
CON
17 (+3)
INT
7 (-2)
WIS
14 (+2)
CHA
10 (+0)
Skills Stealth +9
Damage Immunities acid, psychic
Condition Immunities charmed,
Senses darkvision60 ft., tremorsense 60 ft., passive Perception 12
Languages Voor
Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)
Acid Blood. When the voor dies, it explodes, and each creature within 30 feet of it must make a DC 20 Dexterity saving throw, taking 70 (20d6) acid damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
Corrosive Form. A creature that touches the voor or hits it with a melee attack while within 5 feet of it takes 4 (1d8) acid damage. Any nonmagical weapon made of metal or wood that hits the voor corrodes. After dealing damage, the weapon takes a permanent and cumulative −1 penalty to damage rolls. If its penalty drops to −5, the weapon is destroyed. Nonmagical ammunition made of metal or wood that hits the voor is destroyed after dealing damage. The voor can eat through 2-inch-thick, nonmagical wood or metal in 1 round.
Deadzone. The voor gives off an aura out to five feet that acts as a deadzone when it comes to all psionic abilities making it and anything standing in the aura immune to psychic damage and all psionic effects.
Gnashing Horde. Any creature that ends its turn within 5 feet of a voor takes takes 2 damage.
Hive Frenzy. Any voor ally within 10 feet of the hivelord deals double damage with its bite or spike attacks.
Keen Smell. The voor has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell.
Pack Tactics. The voor has advantage on an attack roll against a creature if at least one of the voor’s allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn’t incapacitated.
Regeneration. The voor regains 1 hit points at the start of its turn. The voor dies only if it starts its turn with -20 hit points.
Tunneler. The voor can burrow through solid rock at half its burrowing speed and leaves a 10-foot-diameter tunnel in its wake.
ACTIONS
Multiattack.The voor uses its piercing screech then makes two stab attacks or two toxic spike attacks. It may also use acid spray if available.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack:+7 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target.
Hit: 15 (2d10 + 4) piercing damage plus 7 (2d6) acid damage.
Razorwing. Melee Weapon Attack:+7 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target.
Hit: 9 (1d10 + 4) slashing damage. On a critical hit this attack does 22 (4d10 + 4) damage.
Toxic Spike. Ranged Weapon Attack:+6 to hit, range 30/120 ft., one target.
Hit: 7 (1d6 + 4) piercing damage and 5 poison damage and gains the poison condition. While poisoned the target is slowed (DC 14 Con save ends both).
Acid Spray (Recharge 5–6). The voor sprays acid in a 15-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw, taking 22 (4d10) acid damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
Piercing Screech (1/Turn). The voor releases a wail. All non-voor within 30 feet of it that can hear it must make a DC 13 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, a creature takes -3 on all attack rolls for 1 minute.
REACTIONS
Razorwing.When an enemy creature attacks the voor(makes an attack roll) as a reaction it may use its razorwing attack against an attacker within reach.