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The Vorpal Tribble
2006-07-26, 05:44 PM
Head Thirster

Medium Vermin (psionic)
Hit Dice: 7d8+28 (59 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares), burrow 10 ft. (sand only)
Armor Class: 17 (+1 dex, +6 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 16
Base Attack/Grapple: +5/+11
Attack: Slam +7 melee (1d6+2)
Full Attack: Slam +7 melee (1d4+2) plus bite +2 melee (1d6+2)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Brain drain, psi-like abilities
Special Qualities: Symbiont traits, tremorsense 60 ft., vermin traits, water sense
Saves: Fort +9, Ref +3, Will +3
Abilities: Str 14, Dex 12, Con 19, Int -, Wis 12, Cha 10
Skills: *Hide +12
Feats: Endurance(B)
Environment: Warm Desert
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 7
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always Neutral
Advancement: 8-16 HD (Medium), 17-24 HD (Large)
Level Adjustment: -

A head thirster appears as a flattened lump of mishapen, irregulary shaped flesh covered in a rough hide of mottled browns and tans. Despite its drab camouflage bright blue cilia flex and twitch around its edge.

Head thirsters are parasites of the most desolate wastes, lying in wait for approaching creatures. They then attempt to attach to them to siphon fluids for as long as the creature survives. Though they prefer to attach to very large creatures, when in desperation are willing to feed upon much smaller hosts. While attached they keep their victim cool with the strange properties of their cilia. This allows them to keep their victim alive longer and of less need for their fluids.

Head thirsters are roughly four feet in length and weigh some 60 pounds which is added to their victim's encumberance while attached.

Combat
Head thirsters bury themselves just beneath the sand, feeling the vibrations of potential hosts. When within range they use their control body power to keep their victim still so that they may attach.

Brain Drain (Su): If a head thirster manages to get ahold of a living opponent of Medium size or larger that requires water it can attempt to drill a tiny hole in the opponent's skull by making a bite attack. It then immediately inserts a flexible proboscis into the brain cavity. It simultaneously secretes an enzyme that immediately heals the wound, fusing the proboscis to the skull itself. The head thirster may now begin to take control of the brain's biofeedback controls, causing it to produce excessive cranial fluids upon which to suck. It remains slowly draining the foe of this nutrious mind-charged fluid until it dies.
The victim sustains 1d6 non-lethal damage each day from deydration that cannot be healed naturally until the head thirster deattaches, and is continuously nauseated. Creatures and characters with the psionic subtype also are drained 1d4 power points each day. Once the victim succumbs to this damage the head thirster wil finally detach.
If the head thirster is killed or the proboscis removed from the body in some fashion it goes into spasms, causing the liquid to be produced in such quantites the head begins to expand from the pressure. The victim must succeed on a DC 15 fortitude save or die as his head explodes. Even if the save is made he still takes 7d6 points of damage from the pressure. The save DC is Strength-based.

Cool Touch (Su): When attached to its victim a head thirster grants it a +6 bonus on fortitude saves against heat.

Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, an head thirster must hit with its slam attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can use its Brain Drain ability the succeeding round. A head thirster gains a +4 racial bonus on grapple checks, which is already included in the statistics above.

Psi-like Abilities: Manifester level 12th. Save DC's are Charisma-based.
At will - Detect Hostile Intent, Detect Psionics; 3/day Control Body (DC 14), Empathic Feedback (DC 14).

Water Sense (Ex): A head thirster can detect the presence of water out to 120 feet, and 60 feet if blocked by sand or stone, even if located beneath ground.

Skills: *Head thirsters gain a +10 racial bonus on hide checks while in desert terrain.

Vaynor
2006-07-26, 05:46 PM
Your title's color tags are messed up.

AAAAGH! MY BRAIN! *runs away*

NullAshton
2006-07-26, 06:05 PM
What if someone has a ring of sustaining? It doesn't need water, so is it immune to this creature?

Lord Iames Osari
2006-07-26, 06:05 PM
I'm scared :o

The Vorpal Tribble
2006-07-26, 06:14 PM
What if someone has a ring of sustaining? It doesn't need water, so is it immune to this creature?
Well, the ring is sustaining the person magically, however, what the thirster is doing is also supernatural. So I'd say yes that they can be affected even with a ring of sustenance.

A creature can still sustain dessication damage while wearing the ring for instance, though all it is is taking moisture from the cells.

TheThan
2006-07-26, 06:18 PM
Reminds me of the creatures from Startrek: The Wrath of Kahn.

The Vorpal Tribble
2006-07-26, 06:22 PM
Except for them both being desert creatures, in what way are they alike?

NullAshton
2006-07-26, 06:24 PM
Well, if the person has a ring of sustaining, doesn't really make sense for them to start dehydrating.

Would be a horrible way to slowly die, though. Slowly dying of old age while having your brain juices sucked out...

chaiyo
2006-07-26, 06:35 PM
My first thought? Go get yourself a job doing stuff like this. Maybe you should write D&D horror stories.

My second thought is how best to get rid of this thing. A metagaming evil player would say:

"A Head Thirster got that guy with the dagger in the party! OK, OK, let me see my conveniently printed out paper here...OK, we just have to punch him with non-lethal damage until he passes out. Then we're free to fry the thing."

This brings me to an actual point: whilst scary to the highest degree, don't let any of the players see the stats. Also, may I offer that Cool Touch would make more sense and, in my opinion, mechanically function better, for it to grant simple fire resistance. Otherwise? Again, you seem to be trying to make a theme of horror in your writings.

TheThan
2006-07-26, 06:37 PM
The ones from startrek crawled into your ear and made you vulnerable to suggestion; apparently only suggestions given by Kahn (he’s that badass). Yours just leaches brain juice. So they’re not really alike but that's the first thing that popped into my head when I read the description. They're both creepy as hell though.

The Vorpal Tribble
2006-07-26, 08:21 PM
My second thought is how best to get rid of this thing. A metagaming evil player would say:

"A Head Thirster got that guy with the dagger in the party! OK, OK, let me see my conveniently printed out paper here...OK, we just have to punch him with non-lethal damage until he passes out. Then we're free to fry the thing."
The creature would still suck him dry... its only when one's host dies that it releases them.



Also, may I offer that Cool Touch would make more sense and, in my opinion, mechanically function better, for it to grant simple fire resistance.
Ummm, why? Fire resistance means he'd not even be hurt as bad by fireballs and the like. Don't see the creature doing that at all. Its just keeping the body at a cooler temperature.


The ones from startrek crawled into your ear and made you vulnerable to suggestion; apparently only suggestions given by Kahn (he’s that badass).
lol, yeah, as much as I love Trek, its so full of holes and contradictions it can make your head hurt to think about it.

Anyways, I'd actually say the Puppeteer from the XPH is much closer a comparison. This fellow is like a full-body parasite and doesn't do anything to the mind but suck at it.

Hoorex
2006-07-26, 08:32 PM
I don't know why...but it reminds me of those weird things from Half-life two...I think one of their names was "lamar"

The Glyphstone
2006-07-26, 08:35 PM
The Headcrabs. They were in Half-Life 1 too.

Lamar was a special headcrab, a pet of some scientist...had its front legs cut off, I think, so it couldn't eat people's brains...

Fireball.Man.Guy.
2006-07-26, 10:47 PM
Those thing that hang from the ceiling?

The Demented One
2006-07-26, 11:11 PM
Ouch. I could see Illithids keeping these things as pets, suck them till near death, them coax them out, and bam! Instant insert-tentacles-here hole.

DMgrinder
2006-07-26, 11:55 PM
The Headcrabs. They were in Half-Life 1 too.

Lamar was a special headcrab, a pet of some scientist...had its front legs cut off, I think, so it couldn't eat people's brains...

Ooooh! Head Kittens! Really, who calls them Head Crabs? They hop around, and purr at you before launching at your face. They are definatly head Kittens.

Oh and VT, chaiyo was right, you and Demented One could earn some serious money making beasties for the next shipment of monsters. Are you and he friends by any chance?

The Vorpal Tribble
2006-08-21, 10:18 AM
Oh and VT, chaiyo was right, you and Demented One could earn some serious money making beasties for the next shipment of monsters. Are you and he friends by any chance?
Maybe board friends but I don't personally know a soul on these forums ;)