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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Iron Sheep" data-source="post: 1389242" data-attributes="member: 4965">BrainsuckersI thought about giving <a href="http://www.enworld.org/forums/showpost.php?p=1389005&postcount=6" target="_blank">Verkerak</a> the half-illithid template, but it seemed a little bit too much (poison, blood drain and it eats your brains!). The idea of little flying things which suck out brains had some appeal, however.  So we get the following:----Brainsucker, Half-Illithid StirgeTiny Aberration (augmented magical beast)Hit Dice: 1d8 (4 hp)Initiative: +4Speed: 10 ft., fly 40 ft. (average)AC: 17 (+2 size, +4 Dex, +1 natural), touch 16, flatfooted 13Base Attack/Grapple: +1/-11 (+1 when attached, +2 for each tentacle attached)Attack: touch +7 melee (attach)Full Attack: touch +7 melee (attach) and 4 tentacles +7 melee (1d2-4 and grapple)Space/Reach: 2-1/2 ft./0 ft.Special Attacks: Attach, extract, improved grab, mind blast, psionicsSpecial Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, spell resistance 11Saves: Fort +2, Ref +6, Will +3Abilities: Str 3, Dex 19, Con 10, Int 5, Wis 16, Cha 10.Skills: Hide +14, Listen +6, Spot +6Feats: Alertness, Weapon FinesseEnvironment: Any land and undergroundOrganization: Colony (2-4), flock (5-8), storm (9-10), or cult (6-10 plus 3-5 mind flayers)Challenge Rating: 3Alignment: Neutral EvilAt a distance, brainsuckers look much like regular stirges, however closer inspection reveals that in place of the normal proboscis are four tentacles, and the skin colour is a sickly grey-green.  Created as part of a warped breeding program by a cult of mind flayers, brainsuckers are individually weak, but a storm of them is a thing to be feared.Rather than draining blood, a brainsucker seeks to attach its tentacles and burrow into its victim's head, eventually extracting their brain.  The natural tenacity of a stirge can make it unexpectedly difficult to remove a brainsucker once it has attached.  Once a brainsucker has extracted a brain, it flies off to digest its prize.Brainsuckers are somewhat intelligent, and flocks of brainsuckers will work together to bring down as many foes as possible.CombatBrainsuckers prefer wait for prey, hiding in deep shadows while they probe for intelligent creatures with their detect thoughts ability.  Once they have selected a target, they will open with a mind blast and then seek to attach and extract the opponent's brain.  Groups of brainsuckers often work in concert, with only a few using their mind blast at a time, while the rest save theirs for any opponents who resist, or who shake off the effects.Attach (Ex): If a brainsucker hits with a touch attack, it uses its eight pincers to latch onto the opponent’s head. An attached brainsucker is effectively grappling its prey. The brainsucker loses its Dexterity bonus to AC and has an AC of 12, but holds on with great tenacity.  Brainsuckers have a +12 racial bonus on grapple checks (already figured into the Base Attack/Grapple entry above).An attached brainsucker can be struck with a weapon or grappled itself. To remove an attached brainsucker through grappling, the opponent must achieve a pin against the brainsucker.Extract (Ex): A brainsucker that begins its turn with all four tentacles attached and wins a grapple check automatically extracts the opponent's brain, instantly killing that creature.  Once it has extracted a brain it detatches and flies off to digest its meal.This power is useless agains constructs, elementals, oozes, plants and undead.  Extraction is not instantly fatal to foes with multiple heads, such as ettins and hydras.Improved Grab (Ex): If a brainsucker hits a Small, Medium, Large or Huge creature with a tentacle attack, it can start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity.  If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and attaches the tentacle to the opponent's head.If a brainsucker starts a round either attached with its pincers, or at least one tentacle, it can try to attach its remaining tentacles with a single grapple check.  The opponent can escape the tentacles with a single successful grapple or escape artist check, but the brainsucker gets a +2 circumstance bonus for each tentacle that was attached at the beginning of the opponent's turn.Mind Blast (Sp): Once per day, a brainsucker can produce a mind blast in a cone 40 ft. long.  Anyone caught in the area must succeed on a Will save (DC 13) or be stunned for 1d4 rounds.  This ability is the equivalent of a 4th level spell.Psionics (Sp): Detect thoughts 3/day.  Caster level 8th; save DC 15.Notes: CR 3 might be slightly high, since the Blood Drain ability has been taken away.</blockquote>

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