[D&D 3.5, PEACH] Three-bodied, cyclopean rat

[wuwuwu]

Hello Playgrounders! I'd like to present to you: the Santishu! A malevolent, body horror rat-ghost that uses telekinetic powers to destroy the living and has the ability to turn people into other santishus.

Please, feel free to judge, critique, comment, or ignore this creation (preferably the first 3!)
And if anybody could give me a CR estimate on this bad boy, that would be dandy! I was looking for something between 8 and 12, personally.
(Also, if there are any templates for posting homebrew creatures, that would be amazing if you could provide them!)

Without further ado...

"As you enter the room, you see 3 rats devouring a scavenged meal. When they turn around to face you, you see that they are actually connected at the neck, with one head and a giant unblinking eye. It releases a shrill shriek as it lifts into the air and begins to throw loose rubble from around the room at you."
Santishu (three body rat)
Small Undead (Incorporeal, Psionic)
HD: 8d12+4 (56 hp)
Initiative: +3
Speed: fly 30 ft. (perfect)
AC: 15(+1 size, +3 Dex, +1 deflection) 15T, 12FF
Base Attack/Grapple: +4/ -
Attack: Incorporeal touch +7 melee (1d8 Cha)
Full Attack: (same)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: charisma damage, create spawn, psi-like abilities
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60ft., incorporeal traits, +2 turn resistance, undead traits
Saves: Fort+2, Ref +5, Will +7
Abiltiies: Str -, Dex 17, Con -, Int 6, Wis 12, Cha 12
Skills: Concentration +13, Hide +16, Listen +14, Search +9, Spot +14
Feats: Alertness, Psionic Body, Combat Manifestation
Environment: Underground
Organization: Solitary
CR: ?
Treasure: Standard
Advancement: 9-12HD (Small)
LA: -

A santishu is the cursed spirit of a humanoid creature. With their powerful psychokinesis they seek to bring the curse upon others.

The first santishu is said to have been a rat-catcher so malevolently devoted to exterminating the pests that he attempted to burn the Rat Kings palace down. For his transgressions, the Rat King cursed his soul to endlessly wander the earth in the form he hated the most.

COMBAT:
Charisma Damage (Su)
The touch of a santishu deals 1d8 points of Charisma damage to a living foe. A creature reduced to Charisma 0 by a santishu dies. This is a negative energy effect.

Create Spawn(Su)
Any humanoid reduced to Charisma 0 by a santishu becomes a santishu under the control of its killer within 1d4 rounds. If a santishu created in this way is brought to 0 hit points within 24 hours, it reverts to its original form in the state it was in before it was turned into a santishu, but with -1 hp and the charisma damage is now charisma drain.

Psi-Like Abilities
At will - Control Object, Energy Stun (DC 17*, 3d6* electricity damage), Telekinetic Force (up to 300 lbs*), Telekinetic Thrust (up to 300 lbs*); 3/day - Control Body (DC 15), Vigor (40 temporary hit points*), Share Pain, Forced (DC 15 Fort)

Manifester level 8th. The save DCs are Charisma-based.

*Includes augmentation for the santishu's manifested level.

Skills
Santishus have a +8 racial bonus on Hide, Listen, Search, and Spot checks, and a +4 racial bonus on Concentration checks.

[Debihuman]

Hit Dice should be 8d12+4 (56 hp). [I almost missed that Psionic Body feat gave it +2 hit points for every psionic feat including itself].

I like the Charisma Damage, it's not something you see very often and for that reason alone it is a good feature. It's especially nasty since a reverted creature takes it as drain rather than just damage.

For an 8 HD creature, it can do a lot of damage and its extra temporary hit points at +40 make it a formidable foe. It also has a lot of psi-like abilities (5 are at will and 4 abilities are 3/day) which probably adds to CR. I don't usually play with psionics but I'd peg the CR at 8. It's a tough little bugger and quite nasty.

The biggest issue I have is that it looks like you are throwing the kitchen sink at these creatures. Incorporeal, Psionic and Undead is a lot to throw to a three-bodied rat. It just makes me wonder what these were like before they became Undead.

Debby

[wuwuwu]

Thanks for the feedback!


I like the Charisma Damage, it's not something you see very often and for that reason alone it is a good feature. It's especially nasty since a reverted creature takes it as drain rather than just damage.
Yea, I thought so too :smallbiggrin: I was a little worried that 1d8 might be too much, though (it has a chance of 1-shotting most wizards and fighters :smalltongue: ) but Greater Shadows do 1d8 Str (1-shotting most wizards) and they're still CR 8.



For an 8 HD creature, it can do a lot of damage and its extra temporary hit points at +40 make it a formidable foe. It also has a lot of psi-like abilities (5 are at will and 4 abilities are 3/day) which probably adds to CR. I don't usually play with psionics but I'd peg the CR at 8. It's a tough little bugger and quite nasty.
I could probably remove distract and far hand, since they don't offer much utility or flavor considering it's skills and telekinetic abilities. The large amount of powers and HP probably bump it up to CR 9 or 10, based on your estimation considering a Greater Shadow deals similar damage, but has less HP and versatility. (I should have looked that up before posting it, haha)



The biggest issue I have is that it looks like you are throwing the kitchen sink at these creatures. Incorporeal, Psionic and Undead is a lot to throw to a three-bodied rat. It just makes me wonder what these were like before they became Undead.

Debby
It's no worse than Caller-in-darkness. I agree that it is kind of a lot, but it needs all of 'em :smallfrown: I could make a variant that drops the psionic type and uses similar magic abilities (the Bigby's hand series works, I think).

And before they were undead, they were people :smalltongue:

Again, thanks for the feedback! I'll probably make some of those changes. Your assessment makes me think it would be great as a solo boss type monster for an ECL 8 party.