1.8 KiB
1.8 KiB
Skein — The Parasite
Look: Dog-sized translucent spider knotted from twisting threads; too many independently moving legs and six tendrils buried in Bren's skull. Vibe: A furtive, controlling feeder; terrified of Xarrul and willing to hurt its host to preserve its hiding place.
- Exists only in the Ethereal Plane; seeing it does not allow cross-planar attacks
- Uses Bren as senses, voice, shield, and food; Bren remains conscious throughout
- Xarrul's proximity distracts it, creating Bren's deepest lucid windows
- At 10 HP or less, flees and tears free; prevent escape for a permanent rescue
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA | AC | HP | Move |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| -2 | +3 | +2 | +2 | +3 | -1 | 13 | 38 | 30 ft., climb 30 ft. |
Saves/skills: WIS/DEX +5, Stealth +7, Perception +5 Resist: psychic; nonmagical bludgeoning/piercing/slashing. Immune: charmed, frightened. Senses: blindsight 30 ft. through host, darkvision 60 ft., passive 15.
Traits
- Parasitic Bond. Sees/hears/speaks through Bren; overrides his actions without a save.
- Six Tendrils. Each AC 13, 5 HP, Ethereal-only target. Each severed = loses host control 1 round; all six = Bren free 1d4 hours. Regrow in 1d4 hours.
- Mind Drain. Long-term WIS loss; killing Skein restores Bren only to WIS 10.
Actions / Reaction
- Psychic Lash. +5 to hit, 30 ft., Ethereal target that perceives it; 10 (3d6) psychic.
- Suppress Host. Force or prevent one of Bren's actions; no save.
- Flee (1/day, ≤10 HP). Detach, double speed; Bren takes 7 (2d6) psychic and is stunned 1 round.
- Silence the Host (reaction). Bren tries to reveal protected information: DC 15 WIS at -2; fail = garbled words or pain, success = one clear sentence.