What's a 15th level Githyanki to do...?

[Arkhandus]

For those who don't know, most Githyanki sources mention that once a member of the race reaches 16th level, they are taken by their "benevolent" Lich-Queen and destroyed - their essence goes to fuel her unlife/magic power/battery... whatever.

Because the Lich-Queen Vlaakith does not want any Githyanki to grow strong enough to potentially overthrow her...... Though there are probably a large number of Githyanki that are mid- to high-level (like 11th-15th level) spread out among the various Githyanki cities and astral carracks.

Numbers: I can send more than a few Githyanki enemies at once. However, it eventually becomes impractical to throw battalion after battalion at the PCs.
Dragons: The race does have a special "deal" with red dragons so warriors on dragon mounts, and even older/stronger dragons can come into play. However, this kind of cheapens dragons as an enemy (I think anyway, there are other opinions on how "special" dragon fights should be).
Gear: I can give various Githyanki way more treasure than their level would normally call for in order to help pump them up. The problem here is that it gives the party way more treasure than normal and throws the wealth per level thing off. I could also use things like grafts/symbiotes and other such "non-equipment" but.. what kinds are there?
Templates: A good one to be sure, but what would acceptable ones be? Also, I don't really want to make feral pseudo half-fiend/dragon/elemental githyanki of legend vampires just to push their CR count up.

1) The PCs can certainly face a squad of a dozen or so 12th-level Githyanki Fighters, Wizards (Warlocks in their own terms, IIRC), or Fighter-Wizard-Eldritch Knights (Gish!) lead by a 15th-level commander.

If you own the Book of Nine Swords, it would be neat for the PCs to face some Githyanki Warblades, Warblade/Wizard/Eldritch Knights, Swordsages, or Crusaders, and some of the Githyanki Warblades may be multiclassed as Bloodstorm Blades (a Bo9S PrC that is described as originating among Githyanki swordsmen). A 15th-level Warblade can use Lightning Throw which is kinda neat, and some who use Rabid Bear Strike or Colossus Strike could be dangerous. Crusaders can be awefully difficult to take down, so a small squad of 10th-level Githyanki crusaders lead by a 12th or 15th level one could be challenging, even though they might miss frequently if the PCs have high AC.

Likewise any Githyanki martial adepts could be dangerous/difficult for the party if using Bonesplitting Strike, Bloodletting Strike, Enervating Shadow Strike, Diamond Nightmare Blade, Greater Divine Surge, Hamstring Attack, White Raven Hammer, Swarming Assault, Hydra Slaying Strike, Ghost Blade, Emerald Razor, Death From Above, Greater Insightful Strike, Doom Charge, White Raven Strike, Strength Draining Strike, Ballista Throw, Adamantine Bones, Iron Bones, Finishing Move, or various other White Raven maneuvers and stances.

2) Certainly only a small number of Githyanki will have red dragon mounts, and they probably only serve temporarily. They may quit the field once seriously injured (they may be able to Dimension Door or Teleport away) and might leave their Githyanki rider behind.

3) Remember that magic items can be created to only work for a certain race! So the githyanki may be equipped largely with magic items that were crafted by their own people's spellcasters for exclusive use by the Githyanki military. And of course those items would be useless to the PCs themselves. While some items will be plunder from worlds and such that the Githyanki have raided, many could be Githyanki-exclusive.

These would not sell for much (if anything!) unless the PCs took them to a Githyanki city and, well.......it might be problematic trying to explain how they came upon a bunch of Githyanki weapons and armors that they want to sell..... Even if they managed to sell them, they would be worth less (and any Githyanki willing to buy them would force the party to accept a poor deal since they couldn't sell the stuff anywhere else).

4) Half-red-dragon Githyanki could be feasible (I think there were even some in the Incursion material from Dragon and Dungeon Magazines). Githyanki with the Swordwraith or Half-Fiend templates might be possible (Swordwraith is from Fiend Folio).

 

[demiurge1138]

According to a recent Dragon magazine, the first devourers were created from the remains of githyanki who had their souls drained.

Devourers with lots of class levels and access to githyanki equipment would be damn scary...

Demiurge out.

 

[SteelDraco]

Undead githyanki are called Tl'a'ikith. The word means "sword spirits". They are invisible spirits animating the sword they held in life. They guard treasure vaults, dragon egg chambers, and other important locations. They don't, however, communicate with other githyanki in any fashion. They have the full abilities they had in life, but are now invisible spirit-creatures.

SteelDraco may wonder why I happen to know this off-hand.

That... that ain't cool. That ain't cool at all.