Mindshredder

These aberrations, regardless of type, resemble fleshy, four-legged spiders.

Each of the three types of mindshredders have different tactics, but they all share this ability.

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Mindshredder: Larva • Warrior • Zenthal

Mindshredder larvae are the first life stage of a dangerous group of aberrations known for their ability to detect the thoughts of living creatures and sap targets of their mental energy. Larvae feel an insatiable hunger for the mental energy that they feed upon, making them aggressive and nearly impossible to reason with or train. Larvae are the least powerful form of mindshredders, and their presence typically indicates that a more powerful group of mindshredder warriors or zenthals have moved into an area.

A mindshredder larva’s legs radiate from high up on its body and are jointed like a spider’s, leading many to think the beasts look like fleshy four-legged spiders. Two rubbery tentacles protrude from the creature’s squat torso, and it uses these to bludgeon its foes and steal their mental energy.

The touch of a mindshredder larva’s tentacles deals Wisdom damage to living creatures. The larva feeds off this mental energy, and once it has accumulated a sufficient amount, it can build a chrysalis and transform into a larger, more powerful mindshredder warrior. Mindshredder larvae average 2 feet in length and weigh about 16 pounds.

Mindshredder larvae do not speak, but they understand Common and Undercommon.

A mindshredder larva rushes into combat quickly, battering the nearest foe with its tentacles. Although not smart enough to devise truly sophisticated tactics, a larva attempts to ambush foes when possible. A mindshredder larva is perceptive enough to ascertain when its tentacle attacks are not penetrating the armor of its foe; in such a case, it attempt touch attacks against that foe rather than regular melee attacks.

Wisdom Damage (Su): A mindshredder larva deals hit point damage as well as 1 point of Wisdom damage each time it hits a living creature with a tentacle attack. A mindshredder larva can also use a tentacle to make a touch attack. If successful, the touch attack deals no hit point damage but still deals 1 point of Wisdom damage.

If a mindshredder larva grapples an opponent, that opponent takes an extra 1 point of Wisdom damage at the beginning of each of the mindshredder larva’s turns.

For each point of Wisdom damage that a mind shredder larva deals, it heals 2 hit points of damage. If a mindshredder larva is already at its maximum hit point total, it gains 2 temporary hit points for each point of Wisdom damage it deals. These temporary hit points last for a maximum of 1 hour.

Transformation (Ex): Once a mindshredder larva has fed on enough mental energy, it can build a cocoon and transform into a mindshredder warrior. A mindshredder larva must deal 20 points of Wisdom damage before it can build its chrysalis. Building the chrysalis requires one week of work. Once the chrysalis is complete, a larva must remain in the chrysalis for one month. At the end of the month, it emerges from the chrysalis as a mindshredder warrior.

A mindshredder larva’s chrysalis has a hardness of 5 and 45 hit points (each chrysalis is 3 inches thick and has 15 hit points per inch of thickness). The hardened resin of a mindshredder larva’s chrysalis is pale rose in color. A larva inside a chrysalis is helpless and dies if the chrysalis is destroyed.

Mindshredder warriors are the second life stage of the strange species of aberrations called mindshredders. They have physically powerful, crablike bodies and powerful slashing claws made out of a chitinous resin that they secrete.

Mindshredder warriors share a basic body structure with mindshredder larvae (see above). They have four thick, powerful legs that branch from their squat torso like a spider’s. Each creature also has two thick claws that protrude from its torso just behind the neck.

The touch of a mindshredder warrior’s claws deals Wisdom damage to living creatures. The warrior feeds off this mental energy, and once it has accumulated a sufficient amount, it can build a chrysalis and transform into a smaller but magically skilled form called a zenthal (see below). Mindshredder warriors average 8 feet long and weigh 1,000 pounds.

Mindshredder warriors do not speak, but they understand Common and Undercommon.

Mindshredder warriors are direct physical opponents in combat. They usually just rush toward the nearest foe and start slashing with their claws.

Great Leap (Ex): As a move action, a mindshredder warrior can make a great leap. The creature can cover any distance up to the distance indicated by the result of its Jump check, even if that distance exceeds its base speed. When using this ability, a mindshredder warrior calculates distances for standing long and high jumps as if it were making a running long or high jump. (A typical mindshredder warrior covers an average distance of about 45 feet with this ability.)

Wisdom Damage (Su): A mindshredder warrior deals hit point damage as well as 1d2 points of Wisdom damage each time it hits a living creature with a claw attack. A mindshredder warrior can also use a claw to make a touch attack. If successful, the touch attack deals no hit point damage but still deals 1d2 points of Wisdom damage.

If a mindshredder warrior grapples an opponent, that opponent takes an extra 1d2 points of Wisdom damage at the beginning of each of the warrior’s turns.

For each point of Wisdom damage that a mindshredder warrior deals, it heals 2 hit points of damage. If a mindshredder warrior is already at its maximum hit point total, it gains 2 temporary hit points for each point of Wisdom damage it deals. These temporary hit points last for a maximum of 1 hour.

Transformation (Ex): Once a mindshredder warrior has fed on enough mental energy, it can build a cocoon and transform into a mindshredder zenthal. A mindshredder warrior must deal a total of 80 points of Wisdom damage before it can build its chrysalis. Building the chrysalis requires one week of work. Once the chrysalis is complete, the warrior must remain in the chrysalis for a month. At the end of the month, it emerges from the chrysalis as a mindshredder zenthal.

A mindshredder warrior’s chrysalis has a hardness of 5 and 90 hit points (the cocoon is 6 inches thick and has 15 hit points per inch of thickness). The hardened resin of a mindshredder warrior’s chrysalis is pale rose in color. A warrior inside a chrysalis is helpless and dies if the chrysalis is destroyed.

Skills: A mindshredder warrior has a +20 racial bonus on Jump checks.

The final and most powerful life stage of the strange creatures known as mindshredders, the mindshredder zenthal combines powerful spell-like abilities with the Wisdom-damaging attacks that all mindshredders share. Like other mindshredders, zenthals are cruel predators who feed on the mental energy of living creatures. Although a zenthal is intelligent enough to reason with other creatures, it does so only as a means of preserving its own life or securing intelligent creatures on whom it and its progeny can feed.

Mindshredder zenthals share a basic body structure that other mindshredders have, but where other mindshredders are squat and physically powerful, zenthals are thin and strikingly quick. They have four long legs that branch from their emaciated torso like a spider’s legs. They also have two thin, slime-coated tentacles that protrude from the torso just behind the neck. In their transformation from warriors, mindshredder zenthals shed their chitinous carapace and gain the ability to generate magical fields of energy that resemble the mage armor and shield spells. These magical protections are nearly invisible, but they give the skin of the zenthal a bluish glow.

The touch of a mindshredder zenthal’s tentacles deals Wisdom damage to living creatures. Unlike lesser forms of mindshredders who store this mental energy and use it to power their transformation into a higher life stage, zenthals use it to generate offspring. Once a zenthal has dealt 60 points of Wisdom damage, it secrets itself away for a week while it asexually produces 1d4 mindshredder larvae.

Although larvae and warriors instinctively move in packs for protection, the zenthals know that these packs draw attention. After giving birth to one or two packs of larvae, a zenthal usually moves to a new area, leaving the larvae behind to fend for themselves. Mindshredder zenthals average 4 feet in length and weigh about 60 pounds.

Mindshredder zenthals speak Common and Undercommon.

A mindshredder zenthal is a far more intelligent and sophisticated antagonist than its lesser mindshredder brethren. Where the larva and warrior incarnations of the mind shredder rush headlong into battle, a zenthal uses its spell-like abilities to distract and confuse its foes before entering melee. When possible, zenthals gather groups of warrior and larva mindshredders around them, directing the efforts of these simpler creatures and benefiting from the physical protection that they offer. Although zenthals are willing to sacrifice lesser mindshredders to save themselves, they are genuinely interested in preserving the species and do not throw away the lives of any mindshredder needlessly.

Shield of Force (Su): A magical shield of force protects a mindshredder zenthal at all times. This shield grants the zenthal a +4 shield bonus to AC (even against incorporeal touch attacks, since it is a force effect) and negates magic missile attacks directed at it (just as a shield spell does).

Spell-Like Abilities: 3/day⁠—​confusion (DC 20), hypnotic pattern (DC 18). Caster level 13th.

Wisdom Damage (Su): A mindshredder zenthal’s tentacles deal 1d4 points of Wisdom damage each time it hits a living creature with a melee touch attack.

If a mindshredder zenthal grapples an opponent, that opponent takes an extra 1d4 points of Wisdom damage at the beginning of each of the zenthal’s turns.

For each point of Wisdom damage that a mindshredder zenthal deals, it heals 2 hit points of damage. If a mindshredder zenthal is already at its maximum hit point total, it gains 2 temporary hit points for each point of Wisdom damage it deals. These temporary hit points last for a maximum of 1 hour.

A mindshredder zenthal is most effective when it can divide and distract the party with its spell-like abilities and then attack one creature at a time.

Prior to Combat: A mindshredder zenthal knows that it has little chance of hurting creatures immune to both mind-affecting abilities and ability score damage. When confronted by such creatures in the presence of minions or allies, it directs those minions and allies to concentrate on such foes first. If it encounters such creatures alone, a mindshredder zenthal does not hesitate to flee.

Round 1: Quickened hypnotic pattern, confusion on the largest concentration of creatures not affected by the hypnotic pattern.

Round 2: Quickened hypnotic pattern. If most creatures are affected by either confusion or one of the two hypnotic patterns, advance and attack the creature that is likely to have the lowest Wisdom.

Round 3: If more than one foe is unaffected by spell-like abilities, confusion. If (after the second confusion) facing only one creature not under the effect of confusion or hypnotic pattern, continue fighting; otherwise, retreat.

Although the aberrations are organized and efficient in their own way, mindshredder society more closely resembles a colony of vermin than the sophisticated cultures of the civilized races. Mindshredders are grouped by colony, led by a group of the eldest zenthals.

While most members of a minshredder colony have far less sophisticated mental capacity than the average human, the zenthal rulers are smarter on average than any of the common races. The warriors and larvae in the colony instinctively obey these leaders. These zenthals zealously protect the colony from discovery, using sophisticated and subtle techniques to hide the true location of the colony. Often, a small number of zenthals sets up a few satellite colonies some distance away from the main community and populates it with a variety of mindshredders. These stations serve as guard outposts and as a staging area for exploration or raids. Any major movement from the main colony, such as an assault on a surface community, is careful to travel through one of the satellites and return by the same route. If attacked, the mindshredders, even the zenthals, in the satellite colonies, loyally fight to the death, as if defending their home and young. These sacrifices, although painful to the mindshredders, serve the greater good of protecting the larger numbers of larvae and mindshredders caught in their chrysalis transformations in the main colony. Recognizing a satellite colony is no easy task, but a character who studies a mindshredder colony for at least a minute can attempt a DC 35 Knowledge (dungeoneering) check to determine the true nature of the colony.

The species prefers underground cavern complexes for their colony lairs. A new colony settles in natural tunnels and caves. They focus first on making the area safe and producing larvae. Both mindshredder warriors and mind shredder zenthals are capable of bearing young, and both produce the same brutish larvae when they reproduce. As the colony grows and more minshredders in the settlement go through the chrysalis process, the more alien-looking the caverns become. The mindshredders reshape their living area with strangely twisted pillars of the chrysalis material. They also line the natural tunnels with chrysalis material, making the passages more confining. The thickness of the materials coating the tunnels reveals the age of a settlement.

Mindshredder larvae, warriors, and zenthals prey on humanoid communities in the caverns of Khyber. If a mindshredder lair lies close enough to the surface, mindshredder warriors (accompanied by a zenthal) will occasionally venture above ground in search of prey, saving enough of what they find for the hungry mindshredder larvae left behind.