Have A Picnic With These Ants

Description

Giant Alcohol Ants are very similar to other types of giant ants (MC2) with some different and unique feature. In red ant colonies, the \ood storage ants produce alcohol from the food (grains or fruits) it is fed. The red ants constantly feed from these storage ants and do not save it for when other types of food are scares. The black giant ant actually builds small cisterns for holding fermented plant matter, this is how they grow their food. They live on special algae and lichens that only grow when exposed to alcohol.

Combat

Is mostly the same as for normal giant ants. But the sting of an alcohol ant injects alcohol into its victim. To see where the alcohol comes from see below. But after the second bite any character or monster must save vs. poison or become intoxicated. If a character fails a save then all other failed saves have a cumulative effect on the character. So on the first failed save a creature or character becomes slightly intoxicated, on the second failed save they become mildly intoxicated, after the third failed save the person becomes greatly intoxicated. Finally if a forth save is failed an alcoholic coma is induced. The warriors are able to ingest the alcohol from the feeding ants or from the storage cisterns and use it in their stingers.

Habitat/Society

Mostly the same as for Giant ants. Except that alcohol ants prefer to nest in areas where there is easy access to fermentable materials (grains or fruits). A GM will have to determine what kind of alcohol is produced, by what is available to the ants. Also, red ants will feed from the storage ants on a regular basis and not just when there is a shortage of food. Hence the alcoholic nature of a warriors sting. It is believed by some that the red alcohol ant is slightly smarter than the black. Because of the way the red ant builds special rooms to ferment alcohol. The alcohol is then moved to another room where it is used to grow the ants crops of molds, fungi and algae. The appearance of intelligence comes from the selective way the red ants gathers fruits and grains. They are very selective, almost attempting to keep from mixing what makes different types of alcohol. Both types of ants could be a problem to some farmers but others have been able to put this small intrusion to good use by harvesting some of the wine from the ants.

Ecology

Same as for giant ants. Except the meat of these ants (both red and black) is more prized as a delicacy since the meat of the giant alcohol ant can be intoxicating. The meat of three ants has the same alcohol content as one drink. The capture of a live red storage ant would be very valuable if a way was found to keep it alive and producing alcohol. It is possible that some of these ants might have been domesticated for their alcohol producing abilities. Especially for the red ant, since a person could tap the wine cistern without disturbing the ants and use or sell the alcohol. If domesticated in some fashion, it would be possible to control to some degree the type of alcohol produced by providing the food and or forage that the ants require. There is a greater chance of there being several giant ant lions in the vicinity, since they prize the unique taste of the alcohol ant.

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