Author Topic: Tsochar (Psionic)  (Read 2237 times)

Offline Nifft

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Tsochar (Psionic)
« on: October 18, 2016, 09:04:35 PM »
Tsochar, Psionic

Small Aberration (Psionic, Shapechanger)
Hit Dice:4d8+12 (30 hp)
Initiative:+4
Speed:20 ft. (4 squares), climb 20 ft. (4 squares)
Armor Class:19 (+4 natural, +4 Dex, +1 size), touch 15, flat-footed 15
Base Attack/Grapple:3/4
Attack:Tentacle +8 melee (1d4+1)
Full Attack:4x Tentacle +8/+8/+8/+8 melee (1d4+1)
Space/Reach:5 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks:Constrict, improved grab, poison, take spells, wear flesh
Special Qualities:Damage reduction 5/adamantine, darkvision 60 ft., psionics, resistance to cold 5, telepathy 100 ft.
Saves:Fort +4, Ref +5, Will +6
Abilities:Str 13, Dex 18, Con 16, Int 15, Wis 14, Cha 13
Skills:Bluff +5, Climb +12, Hide +12, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +6, Move Silently +8, Sense Motive +6, Spot +6, Use Psionic Device +9
Feats:Weapon FinesseB, Combat Reflexes, Inquisitor (XPH)
Environment:Cold forests
Organization:Solitary, expedition (3–8), or foothold (10–20)
Challenge Rating:5
Treasure:Standard
Alignment:Usually chaotic evil
Advancement:By character class (see below)
Level Adjustment:+2

Psionics: A tsochar manifests as a Psion or Psychic Warrior with a manifester level equal to half its hit dice.

The basic 4-HD tsochar presented here favors Psion, and would therefore have the manifesting ability of a 2nd level Psion (5 1st-level powers known, 8 power points (6 base, +2 for high Intelligence)). Most tsochar who advance as characters choose to master the discipline of Psychometabolism or Psychoportation. Tsochar without class levels can't choose Discipline powers.

Typical powers known: deceleration, demoralize, entangling ectoplasm, sense link, and vigor.

Body Feeder: While wearing the flesh of a host creature, the tsochar can choose to inflict 2 points of ability burn damage to each of the host creature's physical ability scores. In exchange, the tsochar heals up to 10 hit points of damage and recovers up to 5 power points.

Constrict (Ex): A tsochar deals 2d4+2 points of damage with a successful grapple check. When a tsochar deals damage by means of its constrict attack, it injects its victim with poison.

Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a tsochar must hit with two tentacle attacks. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking attacks of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can constrict. Tsochari receive a +4 racial bonus on grapple checks, which is already included in the statistics above.

Poison (Ex): Injury, Fortitude DC 15, initial and secondary damage 1d3 Dex. The save DC is Constitution-based. A tsochar’s poison is delivered by dealing damage with its constrict attack.

Take Spells (Su): A tsochar that eats the nervous system of a spellcaster (see below) retains any arcane spells prepared by the dead character, and can cast them as if it had prepared the spells itself. The tsochar must meet the minimum ability score needed to cast the spell based on the type of caster replaced (Intelligence for a wizard, for example), or else the spell is unavailable to it. If the tsochar replaces a spontaneous caster such as a sorcerer, it retains the available spell slots of the dead spellcaster, and can use any spells the dead host knew. In either case, the tsochar cannot regain spells or spell slots it expends from the dead character's spellcasting ability.

Wear Flesh (Su): Using this ability requires a 1 minute and an adjacent target which must be willing or helpless. The target must be corporeal, living, have a discernible anatomy, and be the same size as the tsochar or larger.

This process can be either painless or very, very painful (at the tsochar's discretion). If the target stops being helpless or willing part-way through the process, the two creatures roll initiative and begin combat in an uncontrolled grapple.

When first using this ability on a target creature, a tsochar chooses one of the following systems to replace:

  • Nervous System: The target creature dies. The tsochar then animates the body, effectively acting as the nervous system of the dead host. The body remains alive, hosting the tsochar.

    This functions like a polymorph spell into the victim's exact form, except that the tsochar can remain in the victim’s form for up to a year, and it leaves the victim’s corpse behind when it chooses to end the effect. The tsochar uses the victim’s physical ability scores or its own, whichever is better. The tsochar can remain in this form as long as it likes (or until a year passes), but once it abandons the form, it cannot reanimate the body.

    The tsochar keeps the victim's arcane spells (as above).
    .
  • Digestive System: The tsochar leaves its target alive and aware. Any time it cares to, it can inflict indescribable agony on its host as a standard action, dealing 1d6 to 6d6 points of damage and requiring the host to succeed on a DC 15 Fortitude save or be nauseated by the pain for 2d4 rounds. The tsochar chooses how much damage it deals with this attack.

    The tsochar can take no physical actions while hiding inside a host, but it can use purely mental actions (including Psionics which target itself or its host).

    If the tsochar leaves the host creature, the host creature becomes unable to eat or drink until the host receives a heal, restoration, regeneration, limited wish, wish, or miracle spell.

    Symbiosis: The tsochar's cold resistance is shared with its host, and the host becomes immune to nausea (except nausea inflicted by the tsochar). The tsochar can choose to affect the host with powers that it manifests on itself.

    On the host creature's turn, the tsochar can consume the host's move action to extrude a pair of tentacles from the host's belly, sides, or mouth. While the tentacles are extruded, the host creature can only take a single move or standard action each turn. However, the tsochar can also take a standard action each turn, to attack with the tentacles or use psionic powers.

    When the host takes damage (other than damage the tsochar inflicts on it), the damage is split between the host and the inhabiting tsochar, before applying resistances. For example, if the host would take 28 points of cold damage from a cone of cold spell, the damage is split into 14 each, and then the host and tsochar's cold resistance is applied, so each take only (14-5 =) 9 points of damage.

    As another example, if the host would take 20 points of slashing damage from an orc's steel axe, the damage is split into 10 each for host and tsochar, but the tsochar only suffers 5 damage because of its damage resistance.
    .
  • Muscles & Tendons: The tsochar leaves its target alive and aware. Any time it cares to, it can inflict indescribable agony on its host as a standard action, dealing 1d6 to 6d6 points of damage and requiring the host to succeed on a DC 15 Fortitude save or be nauseated by the pain for 2d4 rounds. The tsochar chooses how much damage it deals with this attack.

    The tsochar can take no physical actions while hiding inside a host, but it can use purely mental actions (including Psionics which target itself or its host).

    If the tsochar leaves the host creature, the host creature becomes unable to move until the host receives a heal, restoration, regeneration, limited wish, wish, or miracle spell.

    Symbiosis: The tsochar's damage resistance (5/adamantine) is shared with its host, and the host becomes immune to paralysis. The tsochar can choose to affect the host with powers that it manifests on itself.

    On the host creature's turn, the tsochar can consume the host's move action to extrude a pair of tentacles from the host's elbows, knees, or spine. While the tentacles are extruded, the host creature can only take a single move or standard action each turn. However, the tsochar can also take a standard action each turn, to attack with the tentacles or use psionic powers.

    When the host takes damage (other than damage the tsochar inflicts on it), the damage is split between the host and the inhabiting tsochar, before applying resistances. For example, if the host would take 28 points of cold damage from a cone of cold spell, the damage is split into 14 each, and then the tsochar's cold resistance is applied, so the host suffers 14 cold damage, but the tsochar takes only (14-5 =) 9 points of damage.

    As another example, if the host would take 20 points of slashing damage from an orc's steel axe, the damage is split into 10 each for host and tsochar, and then reduced to 5 each due to their shared damage reduction.
Telepathy (Su): A tsochar can communicate telepathically with any creature within 100 feet that has a language.

Skills: Tsochari have a +8 racial bonus on Climb checks and use their Dexterity modifier instead of their Strength modifier for Climb checks. They can always choose to take 10 on Climb checks, even if rushed or threatened. Tsochari have a +4 racial bonus on Use Psionic Device checks.
« Last Edit: February 19, 2017, 02:55:48 AM by Nifft »

Offline Stratovarius

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Re: Tsochar (Psionic)
« Reply #1 on: February 16, 2017, 07:32:33 PM »
It's probably a random question, but what happens if the target of Wear Flesh stops being helpless halfway through the 1 minute period? IE, a sleeping character is woken up. Also, the ability technically has no range, although it's obvious it's adjacent.

Offline Nifft

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Re: Tsochar (Psionic)
« Reply #2 on: February 19, 2017, 02:52:47 AM »
Grapple checks happen if the target decides to not cooperate. The Tsochar tries to use its Dex poison, and the struggle ends with either helplessness or escape.

Good call on the adjacent target.