Novawurmson
2014-02-09, 03:40 PM
I'm currently running a 3.5+PF game set in an Eberron+Golarion crossover. I should probably preface everything by explaining that any time I see something in a book about "These creatures are heartless, evil monsters that eat anything they see," I immediately ignore it.
Through a series of improbably good skill checks, my players found themselves in a moderately friendly relationship with a pack of Kythons (originally found in the Book of Vile Darkness), and one of my players wants to turn them into her children - eventually a Zerg-like hivemind loyal only to her. Dream big, right?
Kythons are supposed to be an evolving race, with the potential for new species and kython weaponry always around the corner. I'm trying to figure out a few major questions, though.
First, I'm looking for suggestions on their life cycle. Lords of Madness gives us some interesting aberration material, such as Aboleths, who are self-fertilizing hermaphrodites, or Beholders reproducing by budding. Kythons do explicitly reproduce by laying eggs (as that's also the source of their weapons), but do all the adults lay eggs? Are they gendered? How quickly do they mature (it does specify that they reproduce rapidly)?
Similarly, I'm searching for suggestions on how quickly they can develop new forms of weaponry, as well as how quickly an individual can adapt to changes in its environment. The player has already taken a few of them out onto the surface, and I'm thinking eyes of some kind are going to be their first major evolution. How long would it be until it could lay an eye-stalk "weapon?" How long until their young start hatching with eyes? Can they simply molt to make minor changes (i.e. light-sensitive patches)?
Finally, I'm trying to give a straight answer on their ability to interbreed. Can different specializations of kythons interbreed? Can they breed with other aberrations? With non-aberrations?
Any ideas would be welcome!
Through a series of improbably good skill checks, my players found themselves in a moderately friendly relationship with a pack of Kythons (originally found in the Book of Vile Darkness), and one of my players wants to turn them into her children - eventually a Zerg-like hivemind loyal only to her. Dream big, right?
Kythons are supposed to be an evolving race, with the potential for new species and kython weaponry always around the corner. I'm trying to figure out a few major questions, though.
First, I'm looking for suggestions on their life cycle. Lords of Madness gives us some interesting aberration material, such as Aboleths, who are self-fertilizing hermaphrodites, or Beholders reproducing by budding. Kythons do explicitly reproduce by laying eggs (as that's also the source of their weapons), but do all the adults lay eggs? Are they gendered? How quickly do they mature (it does specify that they reproduce rapidly)?
Similarly, I'm searching for suggestions on how quickly they can develop new forms of weaponry, as well as how quickly an individual can adapt to changes in its environment. The player has already taken a few of them out onto the surface, and I'm thinking eyes of some kind are going to be their first major evolution. How long would it be until it could lay an eye-stalk "weapon?" How long until their young start hatching with eyes? Can they simply molt to make minor changes (i.e. light-sensitive patches)?
Finally, I'm trying to give a straight answer on their ability to interbreed. Can different specializations of kythons interbreed? Can they breed with other aberrations? With non-aberrations?
Any ideas would be welcome!