Yithian, Future
Future YithianCR 14
This creature resembles a mollusk with an iridescent, vaguely cone-shaped body about ten feet tall and a wide, snail-like foot. Four protrusions sprout from the dorsal side of the body: two claws, a grasping mouth, and some sort of horrific head bristling with sensing tentacles.
XP 38,400
LN Tiny aberration (swarm)
Init +3; Senses blindsight 60 ft., darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +29
DEFENSE
AC 30, touch 21, flat-footed 21 (+8 Dex, +1 dodge, +9 natural, +2 size)
hp 171 (18d8+90); fast healing 10
Fort +12, Ref +16, Will +17; +4 vs. disease and poison
Defensive Abilities improved evasion, swarm traits; Immune acid; Resist cold 10, fire 10
OFFENSE
Speed 20 ft., climb 10 ft.
Melee swarm (4d6 plus 4d8 acid, distraction, and poison)
Ranged 8 toxic jets +23 (1d6 acid plus poison) or Yithian lightning gun +23 (10d8 electricity)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 0 ft.
Special Attacks amnesia, distraction (DC 23), hypnotic luminescence, mind swap
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 16th; concentration +20)
At will—astral projection (self only), detect thoughts (DC 16), hold monster (DC 19), modify memory (DC 18)
STATISTICS
Str 14, Dex 27, Con 19, Int 30, Wis 19, Cha 18
Base Atk +13; CMB —; CMD —
Feats Alertness, Combat Expertise, Dodge, Great Fortitude, Improved Great Fortitude, Improved Iron Will, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Toughness
Skills Climb +16, Craft (any one) +28, Diplomacy +22, Disable Device +21, Heal +22, Knowledge (arcana) +31, Knowledge (engineering) +31, Knowledge (geography) +31, Knowledge (history) +31, Knowledge (planes) +31 or Profession (Yog-Sothothery philosopher) +26, Linguistics +28, Perception +29, Sense Motive +26, Spellcraft +31, Use Magic Device +22
Languages Aklo, 20 other languages, Yithian; telepathy 100 ft.
SQ beetle scout, item creation, scholar, survivor swarm, swarm manipulation
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Amnesia (Su)
Once per day as a standard action, a yithian can attempt to inflict amnesia on a target it is able to communicate telepathically with. A target can resist this attack with a DC 23 Will save. If the target fails its save, it takes a permanent –4 penalty on Will saving throws and all skill checks, and loses all memories save for those the yithian chooses to leave intact. This effect can be cured by heal or greater restoration. This is a mind-affecting insanity effect. The save DC is Charisma-based.
Beetle Scout (Ex)
A future yithian can send a single individual out of its swarm to observe. The individual has the same stats as the whole future yithian with the following changes: Type aberration; Space 2-1/2 ft.; hp 18; no hypnotic luminescence or swarm manipulation abilities; Melee bite +17 (1d3+2 plus 1d6 acid and poison); Ranged toxic jet +23 (1d6 acid plus poison); CMB +13; CMD 32. The future yithian can only control either its swarm or its scout each round, leaving the other effectively mindless and operating under simple, instinctive directions left by the yithian’s mind when it changed control. No distance or planar boundary blocks their connection.
Distraction (Ex)
A future yithian can nauseate creatures it damages. Any living creature that takes damage from a future yithian is nauseated for 1 round; a DC 23 Fortitude save negates the effect. This is a Constitution-based effect.
Hive Mind (Su)
A future yithian maintains its mind as a telepathic union of thousands of beetle-like aberrations. It can be targeted as a single normal creature by mind-affecting effects.
Hypnotic Luminescence (Ex)
A future yithian can communicate by luminescent organs in its beetles. In addition, as a standard action, it can produce a dizzying display of lights that fascinates all creatures that can see it within 300 feet. A successful Will save against DC 23 negates each effect. The future yithian can make a suggestion to up to five fascinated creatures as the spell if it can communicate telepathically with them (Will negates DC 23).
Item Creation (Ex)
A yithian possesses the ability to create exotic and powerful items that blur the line between magic and technology, given time and resources. This ability allows a yithian to ignore all of the Item Creation feat requirements and spellcasting requirements for creating a magic item. The resulting item is always yithian technology (see sidebar), built for their claws and tendrils to manipulate.
Mind Swap (Su)
As a full-round action, a yithian can trade minds with another living creature it is able to communicate telepathically with. This functions as magic jar, except the two minds trade bodies. An unwilling target can resist the mind swap with a DC 23 Will save, after which that particular yithian cannot attempt to swap minds with that creature again for 24 hours. The yithian can end the effect of this mind swap at any time and over any distance as a full-round action, instantly returning both minds to the proper bodies; if the yithian wishes, it may attempt to use its amnesia power on the other mind as a free action when it ends the mind swap in this way. With the aid of singular technological devices, yithians can swap minds with targets in other times as well, although this procedure often leaves the traveling minds disoriented for a period, so yithians use it only under controlled conditions. This is a mind-affecting effect. The save DC is Charisma-based.
Poison (Ex)
Swarm or toxic jet—injury; save Fort DC 23; frequency 1/round for 6 rounds; effect 1d4 Con damage; cure 2 consecutive saves.
Scholar (Ex)
Yithians treat all knowledge skills as class skills.
Survivor Swarm (Ex)
A future yithian’s swarm body is composed of creatures evolved to survive cataclysmic destruction. It has a +4 racial bonus on saving throws against disease and poison and has improved evasion (as the rogue talent). In addition, when the swarm disperses (which the future yithian can choose to do as a free action), the yithian is not slain. 3d12 of its constituent beetles survive, and one of the beetles takes on the future yithian’s consciousness (as described in beetle scout). The future yithian can shift its consciousness among these bodies but cannot reconstitute the swarm until it repopulates. A single survivor can spawn more beetles to replenish the swarm in 30 days (or fewer days, with the aid of multiple survivors).
Swarm Manipulation (Ex)
A future yithian can form its constituent beetles into rudimentary limbs to manipulate objects as if it were a single Large creature. If expecting trouble, it generally uses this ability to wield a Yithian lightning gun.
Toxic Jet (Ex)
A future yithian can shoot a jet of acid from up to eight of its component beetles at once with a range of 20 feet.
ECOLOGY
Environment any
Organization solitary, pair, band (3–9), or enclave (10+)
Treasure standard (Yithian lightning gun, other treasure)
The beetle-race is not gigantic, but small: no more than half a foot in length and weighing no more than 2-4 pounds. However this species is a gestalt—a group mind—and each grouping of several thousand beetles acts as a single individual. This also gives the beetles functional immortality: as a single beetle dies, new ones are born, and thus the gestalt goes on. Each beetle gestalt has thousands of manipulatory appendages, millions of sense organs, and untold billions of brain cells (each beetle’s brain combines into a great whole).
The beetle race is just as much the great race as the cone-shaped echinoderms of the Mesozoic (at least once they were conquered), but they are rarer, since travel into the distant future is typically rarer than into the past.
The Great Race of the Future
The great race has no interest in conquering humanoids.
They have identified a future race—a species of beetle—as their next destination. These beetles live many millions of years in the future and are viewed by the great race as far superior to humanity for their future habitation.
Using Yithians
The true “weapon” of the great race of Yith is their knowledge of all times in all history. Thus, they have access to EVERYTHING ever developed by any species on the planet (and sometimes other planets). Did someone create a terrible artifact or impenetrable defense? The great race can duplicate it. Some genius member of their species has traveled in time, studied the process, and given the necessary information to their loremasters.
Section 15: Copyright Notice
Sandy Petersen’s Cthulhu Mythos, © 2017, Petersen Games; Authors: Sandy Petersen, Arthur Petersen, Ian Starcher.
