Swarm of Cranium Rats
Medium swarm of tiny beasts- Challenge
- STR
- −1
- DEX
- 2
- CON
- 0
- INT
- 2
- WIS
- 0
- CHA
- 2
- Fort
- +1
- Ref
- +1
- Will
- +3
Illumination. The swarm of cranium rats sheds bright light in a 3-meter radius and dim light for an additional 3 meters. It can extinguish the light or relight it as an action.
Ki. The swarm of cranium rats uses maneuvers (maneuver save Difficulty 13) and uses Psionics (int) to cast spells (spell save Difficulty 13, +4 to hit with spell attacks). It has 9 ki, a dice limit of 2, a mana limit of 1, regains all expended ki when it finishes a long rest, and regains half its total ki when it finishes a short rest.
It knows the following maneuvers, which it can use by expending a number of ki based on the maneuver’s dice cost:
1 stamina die: ambush, scurry, spring attack
It knows the following spells, which it can cast by expending 2 ki for each mana that the spell costs:
At will: command, comprehend languages, detect thoughts
1 mana: confusion
Swarm. The swarm can occupy another creature’s space and vice versa, and the swarm can move through any opening large enough for a Tiny creature. The swarm can’t regain health or gain temporary health.
Telepathic Shroud. The swarm of cranium rats is immune to any effect that would sense its emotions or read its thoughts, as well as all divination spells.
Actions (2)
Bites. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit. Hit: 16 (4d6 + 2) piercing damage, or 9 (2d6 + 2) piercing damage if the swarm has half of its health or less.
Maneuvers
As an action, you can use Stealth without using an action. Additionally, before the end of your next turn, you can add the stamina die to an attack’s damage (add half on a miss by 4 or less) if you have advantage on the attack, or if the creature is within 1 meter of an enemy of the creature that isn’t incapacitated and you don’t have disadvantage on the attack.
Enhance
You can increase the damage for each additional stamina die expended.
As an action, you can use the Dash action. If you move at least 3 meters straight toward a creature, you can make a melee weapon attack against it.
On a hit, add the stamina die to the attack’s damage.
On a critical hit, add twice as much damage.
On a miss by 4 or less, add half as much damage.
Enhance
You can increase the damage for each additional stamina die expended.
Spells
As an action, you speak a one-word command to a creature that you can touch or see within 10 meters. The target must succeed on a Will saving throw or follow the command. The spell has no effect if the target is undead, if it doesn’t understand your language, or if your command is directly harmful to it.
Some typical commands and their effects follow. You might issue a command other than one described here. If you do so, the GM determines how the target behaves. If the target can’t follow your command, the spell ends.
Approach. On its turn, the creature must use its speed to move toward you by the shortest and most direct route, and can’t willingly move away from you on during its turn.
Drop. The creature immediately drops whatever it is holding at its feet.
When a creature tries to interact with an object in a space occupied by a hostile creature it must use an action to make a Brawn or Nimbleness (its choice) check contested by the hostile creature’s Brawn or Nimbleness check (its choice). If the creature attempting to interact with the object wins the contest, it can interact with the object.
Flee. On its turn, the creature must use its speed to move away from you by the shortest and most direct route, and can’t willingly move toward you on during its turn.
Grovel. The creature immediately falls prone.
Halt. On its turn, the creature can’t willingly move. A flying creature stays aloft, provided that it is able to do so. If it must move to stay aloft, it flies the minimum distance needed to remain in the air.
Augment
You can target one additional creatures for each additional mana expended. The creatures must be within 5 meters of each other when you target them.
You can expend 2 additional mana to change the duration to 1 minute/mana, concentration. For the duration, you can make an additional command on each of your turns.
(ritual); 1 hour/mana
As an action, you understand the literal meaning of any spoken language that you hear for the duration. You also understand any written language that you see, but you must be touching the surface on which the words are written. It takes about 1 minute to read one page of text.
This spell doesn’t decode secret messages in a text or a glyph, such as an arcane sigil, that isn’t part of a written language.
Augment
You can target one additional creature for each additional mana expended. The creatures must be within 5 meters of each other when you target them.
Tongues. You can expend 1 additional mana so you also understands the true meaning of any spoken language you hear. Moreover, when you speak, any creature that knows at least one language and can hear you understands what you say.
As an action, you assault and twist a creature’s mind, spawning delusions and provoking uncontrolled actions. Choose a creature that you can touch or see within 10 meters. The target must succeed on a Will saving throw or it is confused until the end of its next turn.
Augment
You can expend 1 additional mana so the duration changes to 1 minute/mana, concentration and the creature is confused for the duration. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
You can target one additional creature for each additional mana expended. The creatures must be within 5 meters of each other when you target them.
concentration, 1 minute/mana
As two actions, you can read the thoughts of certain creatures. When you cast the spell—and as two actions on each turn until the spell ends—you can focus your mind on a creature that you can touch or see within 5 meters of you. If the creature has an Intelligence of −4 or lower or doesn’t speak any language, the creature is unaffected.
You initially learn the surface thoughts of the creature—what is most on its mind in that moment. As two actions, you can either shift your attention to another creature’s thoughts or attempt to probe deeper into the same creature’s mind. If you probe deeper, the target must make a Will saving throw. If it fails, you gain insight into its reasoning (if any), its emotional state, and something that looms large in its mind (such as something it worries over, loves, or hates). If it succeeds, the spell ends. Either way, the target knows that you are probing into its mind, and unless you shift your attention to another creature’s thoughts, the creature can use an action on its turn to repeat the saving throw; if it succeeds, the spell ends.
Questions verbally directed at the target creature naturally shape the course of its thoughts, so this spell is particularly effective as part of an interrogation. You can also use this spell to detect the presence of thinking creatures you can’t see. When you cast the spell or as two actions during the duration, you can search for thoughts within 5 meters of you. The spell can penetrate barriers, but 60 centimeters of stone, 5 centimeters of any metal other than lead, or a thin sheet of lead blocks you. You can’t detect a creature with an Intelligence of 3 or lower or one that doesn’t speak any language.
Once you detect the presence of a creature in this way, you can read its thoughts for the rest of the duration as described above, even if you can’t see it, but it must still be within 5 meters of you.
Augment
You can expend 1 additional mana to plant an idea or memory in the creature’s mind. The creature must remain within 5 meters of you and you must focus on it for 1 minute. After 1 minute the creature must make a Will saving throw or you plant the idea or memory in the creature’s mind as if it were an organic thought or real memory. You choose whether the idea or memory is trivial (such as “I had porridge for breakfast” or “Ale is the worst”) or personality-defining (“I failed to save my village from orc marauders and am therefore a coward” or “Magic is a scourge, so I renounce it”). The idea or memory lasts for 4 hours for each mana expended to cast this spell.