[3.X] Can someone explain Kythons

[Thurbane]

Can someone please help me understand the popularity of Kythons as monsters? People seem to go gaga over them as great monster encounters, but I'm just not seeing it myself. What is it that makes them popular?

Is it the resemblance to the Xenomorphs from Alien(s) or the Tyranids from W40K?

[OverdrivePrime]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who doesn't 'get' them. They seem kind of cartoony and out of place.

[Big Fau]

The Tyranids/Xenomorph semblance is partially responsible. Then there's the utter havoc they can wreak upon a party (those things seriously need a CR Update).

[Qwertystop]

Those are the things that make weapons out of themselves and have a CON poison, right? Or something like that?

Someone told me about a time they played as that, as a race, with no LA and only 1 Hit Die. Everything that scaled on hit dice went down, but the rest stayed the same.

He poisoned a turkey dinner and knocked over a lantern, then "saved" the dying 6-year-old and stopped the village from burning down. At first level.

He later went on to barter with gods or something, I'm not really clear on the later bits.

[awa]

they are the monster that deal con damage and they do have organic weapons
1 thing they have going for them is their are kythons from cr 1 to cr 10+ so you can fill a dungeon with nothing but kythons very easily. But i haven't seen all that many threads recently about them keeping in mind that 2 of the recent threads were by the same person about the same game.
On the other hand i'm in two games myself and the recent encounter in both games have been about kythons so maybe its something in the water.

edit although i honestly don't see how they are cartoney they certainly may be out of place for some games but not others.

[arguskos]

edit although i honestly don't see how they are cartoney they certainly may be out of place for some games but not others.
The art in the book could be viewed in a cartoonish light, though I don't think they really are.

Kythons are adaptable, powerful, alien, and speak to that primal part of our minds that goes "OHGODWHATTHEHELLISTHATTHING??! :smalleek:". That's why folks enjoy them. Personally, I've never been a big fan.

[Thurbane]

It probably doesn't help that, in my mind, I used to keep mixing them up with Kruthiks.

http://potinhodexp.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/kruthik.jpg?w=300&h=260

[McSmack]

I love them. One of my favorite dungeons was populated by kythons.

It was a Cyran research facility that had been working on taming them to use as shock troopers during the Last War.

When the Mourning came the village surrounding the compound was covered in molten glass. The researchers managed to put up a resilient sphere to keep the molten glass from covering the town, but unfortunately their spell did nothing to stop the heat transfer. The heat caused the towns ground water supply to vaporize and shoot up through the wells as steam, scalding all the inhabitants and quickly killing them.

The kythons, with their elemental resistance, were fine. Although they were trapped inside a bubble in the center of the Glass Plateau.

So the PC's are sent to said facility on a rescue mission. Their patron had already sent one adventuring group in there and they didn't return.

So the PC's arrive to find a tunnel bored into the side of the Plateau. Following it the arrive in the ruins of the town. All the water in the air leaves the entire town covered in a perpetual fog. Since the air has no where to go, it can't be removed with effects like Gust of Wind.

The PC's can hear a strange chirping growl in the distance (I had a recording of the whistle the spitters made in Jurassic Park, and played that as the walked through the town.) They can't see very well because of the fog. The Kythons don't care, they've got blindsight 60'.

The PC's enter into the first level of the lab and see a broodling rummaging through some refuse. The little bastard bites the ranger, who'd been trying to study it, then ran through some double doors. The PC's follow, the barbarian leading the way. Fog fills the room up to waist level. He dives after the varmint and grapples it easily, holding it above his head. It's then that he hears the chorus of angry chirps. He sees the fog swirl around him as the creatures surround him.

A dozen of the critters jump on him, dragging him to the ground.
Earlier he'd been buffed with Protection from Energy, but was unaware that he only had about a half a dozen points of fire resistance left. The cocky barbarian calls on the rest of the party to nuke his location.

So, thinking he was mostly immune, the warmage lets off a fireball, the rogue uses her necklace of fireballs, and the artificer uses his wand of fireballs.

The barbarian turns into a very large piece of charcoal, and the kythons (with their fire resistance 20) just looked at the rest of the party and chirped.

Then the adult kythons, who'd been sleeping in a nest above the door jumped down and flanked the rest of the party.

Never in all my years of GM'ing have I seen a party go from cocky to scared sh*tless in such a short time.

Kythons were great because they are strange, bloodthirsty aliens, often unexpected and not often used by most DM's.

Nothing is more frightening than the unknown, especially when the unknown just shrugged off your fireball. :belkar:

[Amnestic]

It probably doesn't help that, in my mind, I used to keep mixing them up with Kruthiks.

http://potinhodexp.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/kruthik.jpg?w=300&h=260

Wow. Now *that* looks like a Tyranid.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4nzgPbHlNo4/TMenrkvAVDI/AAAAAAAAJV4/D5QaxcGPn9Q/s1600/hormagaunt.jpg

[Dusk Eclipse]

McSmack.... Genius... pure genius. I might have to steal that idea for when I finish running RHoD

[Cerlis]

thanks, i spent an hour reading the wiki on Xenomorphs and its all your fault.

[Zaq]

Just speculating here, but maybe the fact that they've got a relatively wide range of CRs across the lower end of the spectrum (so you can plop them in pretty much anywhere in the 1-10 range, give or take a bit for under-CRness) has something to do with it? Just a guess. I've only ever seen one used (a Slaughterking, I believe), and we kind of completely crippled it before it could do anything. Which is what happens when you send a single monster against a party with two BfC/debuff-loving characters in it, but I digress.

[Dralnu]

McSmack, that's simply amazing. Bravo!

[Divide by Zero]

thanks, i spent an hour reading the wiki on Xenomorphs and its all your fault.

Only an hour? You got lucky.

[Cerlis]

Only an hour? You got lucky.

well it was a wiki page, not a trope page....soo.... :smalltongue:

[big teej]

I just really like them.

they're alien, they are exotic, they are virtually unknown in any capacity for my average player.

and I just really like them.

I could make a huge list of why, but it does just boil down to some unidentifiable appeal that they have to my character.

[Cerlis]

is there a Kython (brood?) template (there seems to be a template for everything these days).

I was also wondering if the ability to create spawn increases CR at all. I wouldnt think so since thats usually only done after you die,and so its onyl a matter of killing you in a way that makes it hard to resurrect you.

Bascially something like vampire spawn.

I like the idea of Predators being replaced by a group of PSionics (psionics not being prevelant in the game, but using the Magic and Psionics are the Same rule) who are hunting these things down. they get assimlated by a new evolution of the Kython and the party who was all like (yay we got some cool help to help us dealwith these psychos) now have to use what they remember of their former allies abilities to destroy them.

[awa]

im pretty sure kython don't actually lay eggs in people or transform them in any way spawn or otherwise.

[Cerlis]

the idea is to make it where they do. Or rather a subspecies that does. Supposidly these things are Demons/devils so their existance is magical in nature. I assume it would make sense for there to be some sort of template that represents a person turning halfway into one ( Kiiiiinda like slaads i guess. DOnt they put seeds in people that turn them into one?)

I guess i could just use half fiend and alter any special abilities and Immunities to be more in line with the Kython's abilities.

[Hida Reju]

It probably doesn't help that, in my mind, I used to keep mixing them up with Kruthiks.

http://potinhodexp.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/kruthik.jpg?w=300&h=260

Kruthiks are flat out my favorite monster for low - mid lvl threats. Very dangerous in small groups and their speed combined with stealth makes them clawed death on anyone not ready for it.

[Kane0]

Kythons are adaptable and very versatile.

They range from low to high-mid level CR.
They range from dumb to very intelligent.
They are simple to run as monsters, but you can add complexity easily.
They are obviously not human and not good, so no moral dilemma killing them.
They look and act like they need to die
They can be main antagonists or lackeys
They can be found almost anywhere

So for a DM they tick the Boxes that most goblinoids, aberrations and outsiders can all in one bundle.

Plus their loot is unique and fun too!

[andromax]

Kythons are adaptable and very versatile.

They range from low to high-mid level CR.
They range from dumb to very intelligent.
They are simple to run as monsters, but you can add complexity easily.
They are obviously not human and not good, so no moral dilemma killing them.
They look and act like they need to die
They can be main antagonists or lackeys
They can be found almost anywhere

So for a DM they tick the Boxes that most goblinoids, aberrations and outsiders can all in one bundle.

Plus their loot is unique and fun too!

Totally!

You get tons of options as a DM.. they're fun to use against the PCs because they're smart and have plenty of tools at their disposal and you can use them from CR1-CR20.

[Tvtyrant]

I think Kythons, like Xenomorphs, fill the ever emptying niche of creatures that have not been reformed. Orcs and Vampires, for instance, have been the subject of much cultural reformation. This makes butchering them on sight or making them thoughtless killing machines unpopular, while the Xenomorph type is designed to be thought of and act like wild animals while still being "intelligent."

[TuggyNE]

Part of it might just be due to SilverClawShift's amazing adventures involving those critters. :smallwink:

[Kane0]

Part of it might just be due to SilverClawShift's amazing adventures involving those critters. :smallwink:

Yep. He is the only reason I looked at Binders a second time too. :smallbiggrin:

[Zubrowka74]

Aren't these fiends ? The so-called chain devils ? Or di PF changed all this ?

[Deophaun]

Aren't these fiends ? The so-called chain devils ? Or di PF changed all this ?
That would be a Kyton. Not a Kython.

Yes, the person who names things should be beaten.

[SaintRidley]

So what book are Kythons in, because I don't think I've ever heard of them.

[Deophaun]

Book of Vile Darkness

[thethird]

I like to use both Kythons and Kruthiks, they make fine alien enemies.

Kythons can work as alien monsters, they also are intelligent and have a humanoid form. The Kruthiks work as mounts, hounds, or pack beasts for the Kythons really well.

Their fluff is also quite close, both are a mixture of reptile, insect and fiendish influence.

Personally I only adjust them slightly on appearance so they resemble each other more.

[Phelix-Mu]

They have very easily repurposed fluff. And they fit in well with the tenor of BoVD. Personally, I would have them be somehow tied into some bizarre monster cult or somesuch, obsessed humanoids that speak in hushed tones about the monsters that live in the caves up in the hills. The town is unnaturally quiet, no joy, and during the night the cultists kidnap people for sacrifice to the kythons (who are frankly confused by the behavior of the humanoids, but hey, free food).

They can definitely be used to ratchet up the horror quotient of your game if you use them along with the kind of atmospherics and optional rules available in BoVD and Heroes of Horror. I also like making them new to a setting, and so very mysterious, undocumented, a subject begging for wizardly research (easy plot entry to Fleshwarper, hehe).

[Twilightwyrm]

They're one letter away from Kytons? (Not the most interesting Devils, but more interesting as an encounter than Kythons)

[Roland St. Jude]

Kythons are adaptable and very versatile.

They range from low to high-mid level CR.
They range from dumb to very intelligent.
They are simple to run as monsters, but you can add complexity easily.
They are obviously not human and not good, so no moral dilemma killing them.
They look and act like they need to die
They can be main antagonists or lackeys
They can be found almost anywhere

So for a DM they tick the Boxes that most goblinoids, aberrations and outsiders can all in one bundle.

Plus their loot is unique and fun too!

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