Slivers for Genesys ver 0.2
Slivers have a long history in the Magic the Gathering multiverse. They have been the definition of tribal creatures. They have been feared because of their ability to buff other slivers near them. In the card game generally this buff applies to ALL other slivers, but in the lore there is generally a limited range they can effect. This second way , is what i have tried to replicate with the sliver to be used in this RPG. The idea is for them to be very easy to defeat one-on-one, depending on the difficultly of the creature, but more and more difficult with every sliver that gets close. Players will have to split them up in order to defeat them like the heroes of magic lore had to do.
History
In the history of Magic, Slivers appear on several planes and at several points in the timeline.
Rath
The first time the slivers are seen is on the Plane of Rath, right before the attempted overlay of Dominaria. It is not exactly sure where they came from originally. Volrath was said to have genetically engineered them. However, the only sliver he was known to create were artifical slivers, most likely similar to metallic sliver. They poor imitations added nothing to the hive but were able to gain the benefits from it.
The slivers of Rath were headed by the Sliver Queen and were used to attack the Weatherlight, and guard the legacy. They were defeated however and were convinced to give up the legacy. This showed some amount of intelligence in the Sliver Queen.
Dominaria
The sliver first showed up on Dominaria during the Rath overlay. However, they all were killed either when the materialized in a volcano or during the ensuing battle.
Riptide Project
100 years after the slivers died on Dominaria, a group of wizards found remains of the slivers and used the to resurrect the slivers to study them. While this did work they made one small error, they did not resurrect the sliver queen. This caused the slivers to go crazy looking for their queen, and overrun the island that the project was housed on.
At this same time the Mirari were causing havoc with magic. Confusing this for their lost Queen, the slivers invaded the mainland. This caused almost all the slivers to be present at the explosion that created Karona. A small group survived and were fused together to create the Sliver Overloard.
After the Apocalypse
After the explosion that created Karona the plane of Dominaria was dying, but the slivers that survived and a few "timeshifted" slivers thrived. They grew and mutated into a variety of species. They were also again a hivemind without a Queen. Some great mages were able to find way to control some of them for awhile, but eventually the hivemind grew sentient and self-aware, negating further need for a Queen. A artifact called the hivestone was found about this time. While it had originally been used to control the hive, it was now cursed to bend the will of the holder to the will or the hivemind.
Shandalar
On the plane of Shandalar there was a breed of slivers that evolved to be more human like in appearance. There are two main groups of slivers on this plane the "less brood" which were more sliver like with a tail and one claw and the "prime" which are bi-pedal and more humanoid looking. There is also the main leader of this hive the gigantic hivelord who is about 20 times the size of a human.
Slivers
Sliver Statblocks
Sliver can be broken down into 4 main groups; Basic, Uncommon, Rare, and Legendary. Most of the slivers will have one ability and then an aura the passes there ability to all other slivers in a certain range. This gives you the ability to have a large group of sliver be broken up into smaller groups to become beatable.
Basic Slivers
Basic sliver will all build off of one set of base stats and then may add an ability on top of that. These slivers should be used as minion groups, though you should still have each sliver add its effects from its aura.
Basic Sliver Archetype Statblock
Attack: Claws: Damage: 1, crit: 5, range: Engaged
Sliver Aura
short range aura that gives all other slivers X ability. (On the basic sliver there is no ability to pass via this aura)
Telepathic communication
Slivers can communicate with each other telepathically as long as they are path of the same hivemind and are on the same plane.
Abilities for Basic Slivers:
- Flight
- Action to resurrect another sliver
- +1 soak
- +1 wounds
- +1 melee or ranged defense
- +1 to a characteristic
- +1 to a skill
- +1 to attack damage
- -1 to crit
- +1 success on initiative
- accurate 1
- vicious 1
Uncommon Slivers
Uncommon sliver will all build off of one set of base stats and then may add an ability on top of that.
Uncommon Sliver Archetype Statblock
Attack: Claws: Damage: 2, crit: 4, range: Engaged
Sliver Aura
short range aura that gives all other slivers X ability.
Telepathic communication
Slivers can communicate with each other telepathically as long as they are path of the same hivemind and are on the same plane.
Abilities for Uncommon Slivers:
- +2 soak
- +2 wounds
- +2 melee or ranged defense
- +2 to a characteristic
- +2 to a skill
- +2 to attack damage
- -2 to crit
- +2 success on initiative
- accurate 2
- vicious 2
- Blast 1 on attack
- Increase aura range by 1 range band
- Resistance(take half damage) to one damage type
- Insiviblity
- Change damage to a different type
- Add range to attack
- Constant Counterspell ability
- Second attack per turn
- spells cost 1 stain less to cast
Slivers
Rare Slivers
Rare sliver will all build off of one set of base stats and then may add an ability on top of that.
Rare Sliver Archetype Statblock
Attack: Claws: Damage: 3, crit: 3, range: Engaged
Sliver Aura
short range aura that gives all other slivers X ability.
Telepathic communication
Slivers can communicate with each other telepathically as long as they are path of the same hivemind and are on the same plane.
Abilities for Rare Slivers:
- +3 soak
- +3 wounds
- +3 melee or ranged defense
- +3 to a characteristic
- +3 to a skill
- +3 to attack damage
- -3 to crit
- +3 success on initiative
- accurate 3
- vicious 3
- Damage Immunity
- Heal damage done
- Regeneration
- Summon one base sliver on damage done
- If a sliver takes damage and does not die it get +1 damage and +1 health
- Blast 2 on attack
- Adversary 1
Legendary Slivers
There are four main legendary slivers when it comes to slivers from the Magic the Gathering Multiverse. These are the ones i will be listing out here. The are Sliver Queen, Sliver Overlord, Sliver Legion, Sliver Hivelord.
Sliver Queen
Sliver Queen is the original Brood mother and leader of the hivemind of slivers. She should be used as a boss like monster and should be surrounded by slivers to defend her. If she gets attacked all slivers near by should immediately turn and defend her. Sliver Queen does not have an ability that she gives to all other slivers but she does gain the abilities that other slivers give.
Sliver Queen Statblock
Attack: Claws: Damage: 7, crit: 3, range: Engaged
Skills: melee - 2, Leadership - 2, Negotiation - 1, Perception - 2, Survival - 1, Vigilance - 1, Adversary 2
Telepathic communication
Slivers can communicate with each other telepathically as long as they are path of the same hivemind and are on the same plane.
Summon Basic Sliver
As a Maneuver or Action, Sliver Queen may spend 2 stain to summon a basic sliver with no abilities. (This counts as casting a spell, but there is no check for it.)
Legendary Action
Sliver Queen may spend a story point to use Summon Basic Sliver as an out of turn incidental.
Slivers
Sliver Overlord
Sliver Overlord is the result of many slivers being merged into one and becomes the new leader of the hive mind of slivers. It should be used as a boss like monster it summons slivers in order to defend and bolster itself, while also mind controlling other slivers in the area that are not a part of the hivemind. Sliver Overlord does not have an ability that it gives to all other slivers but it does gain the abilities that other slivers give.
Sliver Overlord Statblock
Attack: Claws: Damage: 7, crit: 3, range: Engaged
Skills: melee - 3, Leadership - 2, Perception - 1, Primal - 2, Survival - 2, Vigilance - 2, Adversary 2
Telepathic communication
Slivers can communicate with each other telepathically as long as they are path of the same hivemind and are on the same plane.
Summon Sliver
As an Action, Sliver Overlord may spend 3 stain to make a primal spell check to summon a sliver creature with one ability. Add 1 difficultly for each level above basic sliver.
Control Sliver
As an Action or Maneuver, Sliver Overlord may spend 3 stain to make a primal spell check to take control of a sliver creature.
Legendary Action
Sliver Overlord may spend a story point to use Summon Sliver or Control Sliver as an out of turn incidental.
Sliver Legion
Sliver Legion is the result of the hivemind itself becoming sentient. This basically means that it is a large group of slivers. It should be used as a boss like monster swarm that powers up slivers around it very greatly. this needs to be treat with great caution as it can get out of control very quickly.
Sliver Legion Statblock
Attack: Claws: Damage: 5, crit: 3, range: Engaged
Skills: melee - 2, Leadership - 1, Perception - 3, Survival - 3, Vigilance - 3, Adversary 1
Swarm Creature
Sliver Legion is a large swarm of creatures, this however it more of a flavor thing for how this creature works. Basically this idea is that the swarm has a number of sliver equal to the wound threshold minus the number of wounds. Whenever the creature takes damage that many slivers in the swarm die and whenever it is healed that many slivers rejoin the swarm.
Sliver Power Aura
short range aura that gives all slivers +X damage and +2X health, where X is equal to the number of slivers in the range of this aura. (Sliver Legion itself counts as only one sliver for this ability)
Telepathic communication
Slivers can communicate with each other telepathically as long as they are path of the same hivemind and are on the same plane.
Slivers
Sliver Hivelord
Sliver Hivelord is the bigest and greatest leader of the hivemind of slivers. He should be used as a boss like monster and should be surrounded by slivers to defend him. If he gets attacked all slivers near by should immediately turn and defend him.
Sliver Hivemind Statblock
Attack: Claws: Damage: 5, crit: 3, range: Engaged
Skills: melee - 2, Leadership - 1, Perception - 2, Resilience - 2, Survival - 3, Vigilance - 3, Adversary 1
Sliver Immunity Aura
short range aura that makes all other slivers immune to damage. (Sliver Hivelord itself does not gain this immunity)
Telepathic communication
Slivers can communicate with each other telepathically as long as they are path of the same hivemind and are on the same plane.
Magic Item
There are not many magic items in the lore of slivers. However, one that does play a big part is the Hivestone.
Hivestone
In the lore of slivers the Hivestone was used to control the slivers. After some time it was corrupted to allow the slivers to control those who used it. This item could be used one of those ways, but i think that it would be used more fun to use it the way it works in the card game allowing the person attuned to it to gain the abilities the slivers are giving off via there auras. It could then be used in conjunction with a summoner, summoning different types of slivers.
Ability
The hive stone allows the person attuned to it to be treated like a sliver for purposes of the slivers' aura abilities. This allows the person attuned to it to gain the abilities the slivers are giving off.
Slivers
Summoning Slivers
Slivers are creatures of a hivemind. If they do not a leader they will go crazy looking for there "Queen". Use the table below to add difficulty dice in order to summon different types of slivers. Summoning legendary slivers should probably not be allowed. However, there is no rule police so if you want to let your players do it, go for it, but it may take a Formidable(ddddd) check to summon and an Impossible check to summon them as a friendly creature.
| add difficulty | Examples |
|---|---|
| +d | summon sliver with one ability of your choice |
| +d | summon base uncommon sliver |
| +dd | summon base rare sliver |
Use the table below for ideas about using Advantages, Triumphs, Threats, and Despairs.
| Results | Examples |
|---|---|
| a | +1 Health |
| aa | +1 damage, +1 soak, or -1 crit |
| aaa or t | add another ability, or upgrade the sliver summoned to the next rank up |
| h | -1 health |
| hh | summoned sliver has a different randomly selected ability |
| hhh or d | summoned creature is hostile and tries to kill its summoner |
Slivers