To be fair, Atom Ant was only an ant because he had a pair of antennae - he didn't even have four arms, and his face looked more like a monkey. I think I'd go for the arms, antennae, and a smooth exoskeleton, but keep her human size (or nearly so) and proportions, and just make her face more angular since it only flexes at hinge lines in the exoskeleton, without drastically changing the features. Ants are fuzzy little buggers when you look at them under a microscope, so she could even keep her hair. If not, well, there's always a wig, especially if she saves her real hair and gets it embedded in a skullcap.
She may also start wearing skirts exclusively, to avoid the "ants in pants" puns. Tops will be a bit tricky, though a sleeveless tee with extra slits in the sides could do for a start until there's time to get something more elaborate worked out. I doubt human body modesty would let her go around in just chitin, even if it's full-coverage as far as a visual inspection can tell. Along with the swarm control, I'd suggest some moderate super-strength and the ability to wall-climb (even when the surface should not logically support a human's body weight) since they're pretty iconic ant abilities. Wings, well, I suppose she is ant royalty after all, but they're not what I think of when I think of ants, and she is a Dungeon CRAWLer Protagonist, not a Dungeon Flier Protagonist.
What would a dungeon flier be, anyway? An advertisement to lure in some more of those yummy adventurers with the promise of treasures undreamed of? The basements of a cloud castle? Stirges? Maybe just the "Garn'teed acc'erate, guv'nor" maps the mumbling possibly-a-man with the peculiarly intense odor sells in the alley at the low end of the market square.
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"Anko, what you do in your free time is your own choice. Use it wisely. And if you do not use it wisely, make sure you thoroughly enjoy whatever unwise thing you are doing." - HymnOfRagnorok as Orochimaru at SpaceBattles
woot Med. Eng., verb, 1st & 3rd pers. prsnt. sg. know, knows
She may also start wearing skirts exclusively, to avoid the "ants in pants" puns. Tops will be a bit tricky, though a sleeveless tee with extra slits in the sides could do for a start until there's time to get something more elaborate worked out. I doubt human body modesty would let her go around in just chitin, even if it's full-coverage as far as a visual inspection can tell. Along with the swarm control, I'd suggest some moderate super-strength and the ability to wall-climb (even when the surface should not logically support a human's body weight) since they're pretty iconic ant abilities. Wings, well, I suppose she is ant royalty after all, but they're not what I think of when I think of ants, and she is a Dungeon CRAWLer Protagonist, not a Dungeon Flier Protagonist.
What would a dungeon flier be, anyway? An advertisement to lure in some more of those yummy adventurers with the promise of treasures undreamed of? The basements of a cloud castle? Stirges? Maybe just the "Garn'teed acc'erate, guv'nor" maps the mumbling possibly-a-man with the peculiarly intense odor sells in the alley at the low end of the market square.
--
"Anko, what you do in your free time is your own choice. Use it wisely. And if you do not use it wisely, make sure you thoroughly enjoy whatever unwise thing you are doing." - HymnOfRagnorok as Orochimaru at SpaceBattles
woot Med. Eng., verb, 1st & 3rd pers. prsnt. sg. know, knows