SE, ask and you shall recieve
Ethergaunt
Travelers to the Ethereal Plane report vast fields of nothingness, roiling fog cloaking a barren landscape. Sometimes, however, they come upon fantastic stone pyramids or cyclopean menhirs topped with flashing magical flames, relics of an ancient race. Knowledgeable scholars refer to the fearsome creators of these structures as ethergaunts, after their emaciated, delicate frames. An advanced culture that abandoned the Material Plane more then 10,000 years ago, the ethergaunts are finally comming back, with a vengeance.
Adult ethergaunts stand 8 feet tall and resemble extraordinarily thin humanoids. An ethergaunt’s long, thin arms reach to mid-calf; each hand has three agile fingers and a thumb. An inhuman face caps a short neck that protrudes from the center of the creature’s chest, giving the thergaunt a somewhat stooped appearance. Because few creatures gaze upon an ethergaunt’s face without taking severe damage to their psyches, the creatures have develloped bisected masks and exosceletons that serve to give them a somewhat humanlike appearance. Dozens of colorful, prehensile tendrils emerge from behind the mask like a mane of thick, fleshy hair. The faceplate resembles a featureless porcelain visage, and the mask’s color reveals the ethergaunt’s role in the creatures’ pragmatic society. Red ethergaunts serve the race as scientists and explorers. White ethergaunts manage the reds’ affairs and form the primairy government of the race. The dreaded black ethergaunts control the entire society of ethergaunts; fewer then one hundred blacks are thought to exists. Other colors and roles may exist.
Ethergaunts have a great disdain for the creatures that have inhabited “their world” since their ancient departure. They have progressed technologically and philisophically to a point where they consider most inhabitants of the Material Plane no more relevant then insects. While they see themselves as beyond good and evil in the classic sense, they are not pleased at the current infestation of their old home, and have set upon the most devastating extermination in history.
Ethergaunts communicate with each other by wriggling their head tendrils, which transmits a psychic “soundprint” identifiable as language to other ethergaunts within normal hearing range. They occasionally communicate with members of Material Plane races by revealing their true faces to one of the creature’s cohorts and using that dominated ally as a psychic puppet-envoy. In such communications, the ethergaunts refer to themselves as the Khen-zai. Ethergaunts communicate with each other using their own language, Khen-zai, which cannot be learned by those who lack their unique anatomy. Most know a smattering of other languages---usually tongues plucked from the minds of enslaved envoys. Comman additional languages include Common, Draconic, Dwarven, and Elven.
Combat
Though members of each ethergaunt caste have unique individual spells and abilities, the race as a while shares a number of characteristics.
Enslave (Su): Three times per day, an ethergaunt can attempt to enslave any one living creature within 30 feet. This ability functions similarly to a dominate monster spell (caster level 16th; Will save DC 13 for red, DC 16 for white and DC 20 for Black Ethergaunts). An enslaved creature obeys the ethergaunt’s telepathic commands to the letter. The subject can attempt a new Will save every day to break free. Otherwise, the ethergaunt’s control is broken only by the death of either the ethergaunt or the enslaved creature, or by a remove curse or dispel magic effect, or if the ethergaunt travels more then 1 mile from the enslaved creature or travels to a different plane from the one its thrall is on.
At any given time, an ethergaunt may have one slave per point of Charisma bonus (normally one slave for a red or white ethergaunt or two for a black, although exceptional individuals may be able to command more slaves).
Stupefying Gaze (Su): An ethergaunt can open and close its vertically bisected mask as a free action, revealing a horrifically alien morass of facial organs and orifices. On its turn, the creature decides if it wants its mask open or closed. Anyone within 30 feet of an ethergaunt with an open mask who meets the creatures gaze must succeed on a Will saving throw (DC 13 for red, DC 16 for white, and DC 20 for black ethergaunts) or immediately take 1d4 points of Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma damage. A creature that successfully saves against this effect cannot be affected by the same ethergaunt’s stupefying gaze for one day.
Ethergaunts are immune to their own gaze attacks and to those of others of their kind.
Immunity to Spells (Su): Ethergaunts may choose to ignore the effects of arcane spells, just as if the spellcaster had failed to overcome spell resistance. They have no power over divine spells, having long ago rationalized divinity out of their racial philosophy. Though powerfull, this ability is somewhat limited. It applies only to arcane spells of 2nd level or lower for red ethergaunts, 4th level or lower for white ethergaunts, and 6th level or lower for black ethergaunts.
Material Jaunt (Su): Ethergaunts dwell on the Ethereal Plane. While in their natural state of etherealness, they can percieve but not affect creatures and objects on the Material Plane. However, an ethergaunt can transport itself from the Ethereal Plane to the Material Plane as a standard action. It can remain on the Material Plane for up to 1 round per Hit Die it possesses. At the end of this time, or when the ethergaunt chooses, it becomes ethereal again. An ethergaunt must remain on the Ethereal plane for at least an hour after a material jaunt before it can use this ability again.
Ethergaunts who wish to remain on the Material Plane for a longer time must use plane shift or similar magic. Most white and black ethergaunts know the plane shift spell and use it for this purpose.
Total Vision (Ex): An ethergaunt’s superdeveloped brain and countless facial sensory organs allow it to discern all objects within 40 feet, even through the mask that hides its face. An ethergaunt usually does not need to make spot or listen checks to notice creatures within range of its total vision. A silence spell has no bearing upon an ethergaunt’s total vision.
Ethergaunt society
Ethergaunt society serves the dual goals of philisophical progress and self-preservation. The Khen-zai define progress as the culling of emotion in order to approach perfect rationality. They define self-reservation as the removal of any threat to their carefully developed objective philosophy. The inhabitants of the Material Plane threaten both philosophy and preservation, and hence must be destroyed.
Rigidly stratified through an immutable caste system, an ethergaunt’s role in society is largely defined by the actions (or lack thereof) of its predecessors. The Khen-zai long ago eliminated irrational ambition by ensuring that no ethergaunt can ever achieve a greater status. Once during its lifetime, however, an ethergaunt can produce a young Khen-zai through asexual reproduction. The child’s caste, hence the color it will bear upon its faceplate for its entire life, is decided before it is born by a cadre of black ethergaunts who weigh the achievements of the child’s ancestors before assigning the child’s caste.
Ethergaunts gather in small communities known as enclaves, usually situated around a large central pyramid that serves as a center of learning for the entire comminity. The largest such settlements boast as many as ten black ethergaunts, fifty white ethergaunts and as many as five hundred reds.
Ethergaunt items
Ethergaunts have developed a number of technological marvels. Because the race shuns art or pleasure, most such devices facilitate one of two activities: genocide or the eradication of religious devotion. Though the features of these objects resemble those of magic items, the objects are in fact technological and are not affected by spells such as antimagic field. Only ethergaunts have the knowledge and skill to build or maintain these devices.
Example weapons:
Etherblade: Resembling a short glaive topped with a hollow barrel, this favored weapon of the ethergaunts can fire a ray of force as a ranged touch attack for 1d6 points of damage. The etherblade ray has an increment of 40 feet. The weapon can fire 50 times before it is exhausted. It cannot be recharged.
An etherblade can be used as a two-handed weapon in melee combat to deal 1d10 points of slashing damage. A fully charges etherblade has a marker price of 800 gp.
Doubt Bomb: This ceramic sphere contains a chemical mixture intented to overstimulate the “doubt centers” in the brain. The bomb can be thrown as a grenadelike weapon. A thrown bomb shatters on impact, creating a cloud of poisonous gas in a 10-foot spread (initial and secondairy damage 1d6 Wisdom, Fort DC 15 negates). Ethergaunts are immune to the effects of doubt bombs.
A doubt bomb has a market price of 500 gp.
BLACK ETHERGAUNT
Medium-Size Aberration (Extraplanar)
Hit Dice: 16d8+32(104hp)
Initiative: +8
Speed: 30 ft.
AC: 29 (+4 Dex, +15 natural), touch 14, flat-footed 25
Base Attack/Grapple: +12/+13
Attack: Etherblade +13 melee, or etherblade +16 ranged touch
Damage: Etherblade 1d10+1, or etherblade 1d6
Face/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Enslave, spells, stupefying gaze
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., material jaunt, immunity to spells, total vision
Saves: Fort +7, Ref +9, Will +12
Abilities: Str 12, Dex 18, Con 14, Int 31, Wis 15, Cha 15
Skills: Concentration +21, Diplomacy +23, Heal +21, Knowledge (arcana) +29, Knowledge (any three) +29, Listen +21, Move Silently +23, Sense Motive +21, Spellcraft +31, Spot +21
Feats: Combat Casting (B), Empower Spell, Exotic Weapon Profeciency (etherblade) (B), Extend Spell, Heighten Spell, Quicken Spell, Spell Penetration, Transdimensional Spell
Climate/Terrain: Any land and underground (Ethereal Plane)
Organisation: Solitary or council (1black, 5 whites, and 12 reds)
Challenge Rating: 17
Treasure: Double standard
Alignment: Usually neutral evil
Advancement: By character class
Black ethergaunts stand at the pinnacle of khen-zai society. Honored as near-divine philosopher-scientists, the black caste is credited with advancing ethergaunt society to its present state of perfection. No lesser khen-zai question the will of a black ethergaunt, for to do so is to question the progress of the entire race.
By far the thinnest and most emaciated of the ethergaunts, blacks lack the physical power of their underlings---a deficiency balanced by a brain that allows them to outthink even the most intelligent opponent. Their black faceplates represent a complete void of emotion---the khen-zai believe that the blacks have rid themselves of all emotion, thus allowing them to command the race without being clouded by weaknesses such as regret, compassion, and mercy. Despite pretensions to the contrary, however, most black ethergaunts possess an abundance of selfish emotions such as greed, ambition, and hubriss.
Combat
Black ethergaunts are rarely found without a handful of powerful slaves that serve as bodybuards. If necessary, they sacrifise their thralls to protect themselves. Though they are able to use etherblades, black ethergaunts consider engaging in physical combat to be a sign of failure, preferring to rely on spells or technological items such as doubt bombs. They particularly hate clerics, viewing divine spellcasters as a threat to the khen-zai’s atheist philosophy. Rather than change that philosophy, the black ethergaunts have decided to simply eliminate the divine spellcasters.
Spells: A black ethergaunt can cast arcane spells as a 17th-level wizard (4/7/7/6/6/6/6/3/3/2; save DC 20 + spell level).
RED ETHERGAUNT
Medium-Size Aberration (Extraplanar)
Hit Dice: 5d8+5(27hp)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 30 ft.
AC: 16 (+2 Dex, +4 natural), touch 12, flat-footed 14
Base Attack/Grapple: +3/+5
Attack: Etherblade +6 melee, or etherblade +6 ranged touch
Damage: Etherblade 1d10+3, or etherblade 1d6
Face/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Enslave, spells, stupefying gaze
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., material jaunt, immunity to spells, total vision
Saves: Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +6
Abilities: Str 14, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 23, Wis 15, Cha 13
Skills: Concentration +9, Heal +10, Knowledge (arcana) +14, Listen +10, Move Silently +10, Spellcraft +16, Spot +10, Survival +10
Feats: Combat Casting (B), Exotic Weapon Profeciency (etherblade) (B), Track, Weapon Focus (etherblade)
Climate/Terrain: Any land and underground (Ethereal Plane)
Organisation: Solitary or team (1--6)
Challenge Rating: 9
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Usually neutral evil
Advancement: By character class
By far the most frequently encountered caste of ethergaunts, reds serve the race as scouts, trackers, and low level diplomats (particularly when diplomacy in fact means exterminating natives to send a political message). Though they hold an arrogant opinion of their own importance in relation to the current residents of the Material Plane, reds fully understand their role as the rank-and-file of the ether legions. The fact that ethergaunt grunts are generally more brilliant than the brightest human mages reveals much regarding khen-zai perspective.
Slightly shorter and bulkier than their superiors, red ethergaunts sport a crimson faceplate that marks them as creatures who have yet to purge the fires of passion from their rational minds. Accordingly, many of the more powerful reds view the struggle against the Material Plane races as a battle of the cultured against ravenous barbarians.
Combat
Red ethergaunts are adept at the use of the etherblade, a scientific weapon invented by the khen-zai during their sojourn to far planes. Most ethergaunts prefer to take potshots with the weapon from a distance instead of engaging in melee.
Spells: A red ethergaunt can cast arcane spells as a 9th-level wizard (4/6/6/4/3/2; save DC 16 + spell level).
WHITE ETHERGAUNT
Medium-Size Aberration (Extraplanar)
Hit Dice: 11d8+22(71hp)
Initiative: +3
Speed: 30 ft.
AC: 23 (+3 Dex, +10 natural), touch 13, flat-footed 20
Base Attack/Grapple: +8/+9
Attack: Etherblade +9 melee, or etherblade +11 ranged touch
Damage: Etherblade 1d10+1, or etherblade 1d6
Face/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Enslave, spells, stupefying gaze
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., material jaunt, immunity to spells, total vision
Saves: Fort +5, Ref +6, Will +9
Abilities: Str 12, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 27, Wis 15, Cha 13
Skills: Concentration +16, Diplomacy +17, Heal +16, Knowledge (arcana) +22, Knowledge (the planes) +22, Listen +16, Move Silently +17, Sense Motive +16, Spellcraft +24, Spot +16, Survival +2 (+4 on other planes)
Feats: Combat Casting (B), Empower Spell, Exotic Weapon Profeciency (etherblade) (B), Extend Spell, Spell Penetration, Transdimensional Spell
Climate/Terrain: Any land and underground (Ethereal Plane)
Organisation: Solitary, pair, or cadre (3--8)
Challenge Rating: 13
Treasure: Double standard
Alignment: Usually neutral evil
Advancement: By character class
White ethergaunts, who serve the rae as scholars, philosophers, diplomats, and bureacrats, occasionally parley with the Material Plane races in order to serve the greater goal of planar domination. Cunning schemers, whites attempt to purge all emotion from their dealing, instead dedicating themselves to an objective (in their view) pragmatism. Whites seldom give an inch, and their “negotiations” generally boil down to suggestions that fighting off inevitable genocide will only result in unnecessary struggle and needless destruction of material resources.
White ethergaunts are the tallest of their race. They often clothe themselves in robes and skirts of an organic material resembling rubber. They care nothing for red ethergaunts, viewing them as worthless pawns (but still a thousand times more valuable than a hundred Material Plane creatures’ lives). Most white ethergaunts respect their black overlords, but a few of the most ambitious secretly plan to usurp their autority and take over ethergaunt society. Such irrationality, when discovered by the highest cast, is eradicated immediately.
Combat
Though skilled at the use of the etherblade, most white ethergaunts avoid melee, preferring to rely upon spells or the fantastic technological weapons develloped by the black ethergaunt cast.
Spells: A white ethergaunt can cast arcane spells as a 13th-level wizard (4/6/6/6/6/4/3/2; save DC 18 + spell level).
Ethergaunt Characters
Ethergaunts sometimes become rogues or fighters, but their favored class is wizard. Ethergaunts who add levels of wizard add their natural spellcasting ability (9th level, 13th level, or 17th level) to their class levels in wizard and determine their spellcasting ability accordingly. For example, a 3rd-level red ethergaunt wizard has the spellcasting ability of a 12th-level wizard.
Clerics, druids, paladins, and members of any other class or prestige class that involves channeling devotional energy or divine magic are not only unknown among ethergaunt society, but are severely persecuted as contrary to the khen-zai way of life.
Such characters would be considered traitors to their race, especially if they associated with Material Plane creatures.
![:]](http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/devious.png "Devious :]")
