Credits Lead Designer: Logan Reese Rules Development: Jordon Gibson, Logan Reese Writing: Corodon Fuller, Jordon Gibson, Logan Reese Additional Companions: JoCat, Jess Jackdaw Editing: Corodon Fuller, Logan Reese Products & Fulfilment: Matthew Witbreuk Art Lead: Suzanne Helmigh Product Designer: Doug Spencer Cover Art: Marzena Piwowar Graphic Designers: Ammu Tier, Justin Oefelein, Suzanne Helmigh Interior Illustrators: Cynthia F.G., Decio Junior, Emanuel Silva, Fabio Perez, Gabriel Lopes, Gabriela Marchioro, Marilyn Brackett, Marzena Piwowar, Mattia Rangoni, Moniek Schilder, Ramzy Kamen, Rodrigo Camilo, Stephanie Böhm, Suzanne Helmigh, Yuri Cameirana, JoCat, Jess Jackdaw 3D artist: Emilio Jose Dominguez Calvo Marketing: Tyler Kempthorne Playtesting: The incredible community of backers that not only helped fund the book, but stuck around to help us fine tune the book Sponsors: DavvyChappy, Dungeon Dudes, Nerdarchy, Runesmith, XPtoLevel3 Special Thanks: Jacob Budz, Jordan Roberts, Marisa Williams, Tim Yaeger, Rex Gibson and the Wizards of the Coast Ownership & Copyright This product is compliant with the Open Game Licence and is suitable for use with the 5th Edition rules system. Product Identity: The following items are hereby identified as Product Identity, as defined in the Open Game License version 1.0a, Section 1(e), and are not Open Content: All trademarks, registered trademarks, proper names (characters, deities, etc.), dialogue, plots, storylines, locations, characters, illustrations, and trade dress. (Elements that have previously been designated as Open Game Content or are in the public domain are not included in this declaration.) Open Content: Except for material designated as Product Identity (see above), the game mechanics of this game product are Open Game Content, as defined in the Open Game License version 1.0a Section 1(d). No portion of this work other than the material designated as Open Game Content may be reproduced in any form without written permission. Stibbles Codex of Companions © 2020, Eldermancy LLC. All rights reserved. Reference to copyright material in no way constitutes a challenge to the respective copyright holder of that material. Eldermancy LLC, the Eldermancy logo, Stibbles Codex of Companions and the Stibbles Codex of Companions’ logo are trademarks of Eldermancy LLC. Made in China Stibbles Codex of Companions In July of 2016, my group’s passion for role playing led us to make our first piece of content on a shared YouTube channel. We had no plans to make any sort of career out of it, we just wanted to crack jokes and teach lessons to other tables. Two years later, in October of 2018, I decided to quit my lengthy trail of dead end jobs and make my own channel, Runesmith. I had a couple bucks in my bank, no followers, and about a month to make it or break it. Due to incredible support from the tabletop gaming community, that leap allowed me to make connections with other creative minds, and eventually form Eldermancy to create our first book: The one you have in your hands! I used to chase the pipe dreams of being a writer or a character designer as a kid, learning to draw and write poems or short stories during almost all of my free time. The fact that I’ve been granted the creative freedom by an overwhelming 6,434 backers to make a bestiary of my own monsters is a blessing I couldn’t even begin to repay in kind. I hope the contents of this book meets and exceeds your expectations for a codex of companions, and that Eldermancy is allowed to continue to provide resources to enrich your creative experiences and time you spend with friends. The over 100 unique companions in this book pull inspiration from global folklore, mythology, media, real world animals, and original concepts from my own mind! The purpose of this codex, and every monster inside, is to strengthen the bonds between your characters and their interests, as well as your friendships with the players around you. All of us at Eldermancy, especially myself, can only hope you enjoy this book as much as we did creating it. The mechanics, the fantastic illustrations, new additions like feats, spells and items, and the adorable products that were created alongside them took our team almost a full year to create. The process has been a more than enlightening experience, and I can only hope we’re able to use that experience to bring you higher levels of play in the future. Thank you so much for taking the time to explore these companions, and enjoy the book! Logan Reese Contents C CONTENTS Part 1 - Stibble’s Companions Octopus..........................................36 Wyrmlet........................................ 71 Ch. 1: Companions Opossum....................................... 37 Vishap............................................72 Aberrations Otter...............................................38 Elementals Biote................................................6 Piglet.............................................39 Armordillo.................................... 73 GonBun........................................... 7 Raccoon........................................ 40 Bennu............................................74 M’aw...............................................8 Rodents Burnling........................................75 Nyart...............................................9 Capybara................................... 41 Pearl Python.................................76 Shub...............................................10 Rabbit....................................... 42 Shingle..........................................77 Skinti..............................................11 Squirrel......................................43 Windole.........................................78 Skull Tick....................................... 12 Sovereign Scorpion..................... 44 Fey Soth................................................ 13 Celestials Bai Ze.............................................79 Thoth Ball..................................... 14 Blessling........................................45 Flitterbell..................................... 80 Tulu................................................ 15 Chamrosh.................................... 46 Kitsune.......................................... 81 Yetling........................................... 16 Feluros...........................................47 Moon Doppler..............................82 Beasts Loftus............................................ 48 Moon Singer.................................83 Axolotl........................................... 17 Odeye............................................ 49 Puca.............................................. 84 Bat.................................................. 18 Pangol.......................................... 50 Tanuki...........................................85 Birds of Prey Woar.............................................. 51 Tiki Spirit..................................... 86 Eagle........................................... 19 Constructs Wolpertinger................................87 Hawk......................................... 20 Animated Headwear...................52 Fiends Butterfly........................................ 21 Animated Glove...........................53 Blood Acher..................................88 Cat..................................................22 Awakened Mug............................54 Cerbus........................................... 89 Coconut Crab................................23 Balderdash...................................55 Chorden........................................ 90 Dinosaurs Boule..............................................56 Oboba............................................ 91 Albertonykus........................... 24 Clockwork Buddy.........................57 Strix.............................................. 92 Aquilops....................................25 Fetchen..........................................59 Teeniloth.......................................93 Compsognathus...................... 26 Flying Book.................................. 60 Thisschord................................... 94 Psittacosaurus..........................27 Holo............................................... 61 Wizard’s Parasite........................95 Dog.................................................28 Dragons Monstrosities Duck.............................................. 29 Basan............................................ 62 Bio#133........................................ 96 Frogs Dreparous.....................................63 Crabbit..........................................97 Toad...........................................30 Druk.............................................. 64 Flying Emperor Monkey............ 98 Tree Frog................................... 31 Entomodrake...............................65 Mimcat......................................... 99 Grimalkinn...................................32 Equtaras....................................... 66 Pygmy Owlbear........................ 100 Koala............................................. 33 Hydra Puck...................................67 Savannah Tatzelwurm............. 101 Lobster..........................................34 Knucker........................................ 68 Tarnisher....................................102 Manta Ray....................................35 Kur................................................ 69 Tradex.........................................103 River Ribbon................................70 4 Contents Oozes Part 3 - New Ways to Play Black Pudding Cup........................................................104 Ch. 4: Companion Personalities Gellump...........................................................................105 Common Personalities................................................ 131 Gummybear Ooze..........................................................106 Evil Personalities......................................................... 134 Plants Ch. 5: Dueling other Companions Bonsai Treant.................................................................108 Setting up a Duel..........................................................137 Bloom Crawler...............................................................109 The Duel.........................................................................137 Golden Torch Cactal Folk..............................................111 Finishing a Duel............................................................137 Prickly Pear Cactal Folk................................................111 Arenas............................................................................137 Fungal Folk.....................................................................112 Ch. 6: Ability Training Turf..................................................................................113 Companion Restrictions............................................. 140 Vine-Snake.....................................................................114 Strength Training........................................................ 140 Undead Constitution Training................................................. 140 Dentacles........................................................................115 Dexterity Training....................................................... 140 Exhoul.............................................................................116 Intelligence Training.................................................. 140 Hand Axe........................................................................117 Wisdom Training......................................................... 140 Renine.............................................................................118 Charisma Training...................................................... 140 Silhouette........................................................................119 Ch. 7: Eggs Part 2 - Playing with Companions Incubating Monster Eggs............................................141 Ch. 2: Finding and Taming Your Companion Keeping the Egg Warm................................................141 Locating a Companion.................................................121 Maintaining Moisture.................................................141 Forming the Bond.........................................................121 Incubation Period.........................................................141 Familiars as Companions............................................122 Types of Eggs.................................................................141 Bond Strength with Familiar Companions...............122 Part 4 - Player Tools and Extras Combat with Familiar Companions...........................122 Ch. 8: Player Options and Items Familiar Companions with Different Forms.............122 Player Feats.................................................................. 143 Multiple Companions and Familiars..........................122 Spells............................................................................. 144 Ch. 3: Bonding With Your Companions Magic Items.................................................................. 147 Bond Strength................................................................124 Ch. 9: Extras Having Multiple Companions......................................124 Environment Tables.....................................................153 Playing with Your Companion....................................124 Index.............................................................................. 164 Studying Your Companion...........................................124 About Stibbles (Fictional Author Biography).......... 165 Gifts and Treats..............................................................124 Thankyou to Backers................................................... 166 Grooming and Cleaning...............................................124 Dueling............................................................................124 Losing Bond Strength...................................................125 Spending Time Apart....................................................125 Starving...........................................................................125 Falling in Battle.............................................................125 Breaking the Bond.........................................................126 Bond Boons.....................................................................126 Dealing With Death.......................................................129 5 Chapter 1: Companions A ABERRATIONS Biote These small alien creatures are some of the most ambitious and compassionate companions one can have. A biote’s single eye is often considered a manifested metaphor, explaining that the biote has only its master in its sight. One odd feature of the biote is the rest of its facial structure: the more time a biote spends in the service of a single creature, the more it begins to resemble them: its hairstyle, mouth, ears, and jaw reform after enough blood has been consumed. Some scholars believe that a biote is actually just the floating tail, and that the rest of its body manifests to keep the appendage alive. Their psionic abilities grant them several spells, including the ability to float endlessly through the air. As feeble as their attacks seem to be, a creature lacking wisdom will soon find its injury spreading. Because the attacks of a biote have a unique echo that affects its enemies' minds, they are forced to relive the attack until they can overcome it. Unwavering Loyalty. A biote lives its entire physical life with the intent to serve a master. Forming some of the strongest bonds in very short periods of time, they try their best to convey their need for a dependent relationship. In this, biotes are aided by their ability to read the thoughts and emotions of nearby creatures. Dependent Biology. Biotes will die within hours if left alone. For unknown reasons, their bodies rapidly degrade without a master: no amount of food or water will keep them alive. They require three sources of nourishment, the combination of which seems nonsensical: sapient thoughts, small amounts of blood, and scat. Biote Environments: Space, Underground, Urban Tiny Aberration, Neutral Good Taming Difficulty: Very Easy Starting Bond Points: 10 Armor Class: 10 Suggested Personality: Clever, Friendly Hit Points: 2 (1d4) Innate Spellcasting (Psionics). The biote's innate Speed: 25 ft. spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 12). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA components: 8 11 11 15 14 10 At will: Chill Touch, Levitate (self only) (-1) (+0) (+0) (+2) (+2) (+0) 3/day: Detect Thoughts 1/day: Comprehend Languages Skills: Medicine +4, Perception +4 Senses: Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 14 Actions Languages: Telepathy 60 ft. Echoing Scratch. Melee Weapon Attack: +0 to hit, Challenge: 0 reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1 slashing damage. At the end of each of its turns, the target must make a DC 12 Wisdom Rarity: Rare saving throw, taking 1 slashing damage on a failure or Diet: Thoughts, Blood, Scat ending the recurring slashing damage on a success. 6 Aberrations GonBun Tiny Aberration, Lawful Evil Armor Class: 13 (Natural Armor) Hit Points: 11 (2d8 + 2) Speed: 0 ft., Fly 30 ft. (hover) STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 8 (-1) 14 13 8 14 (+2) 4 (+2) (+1) (-1) (-3) Skills: Perception +5 Senses: Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 15 Languages: -- Challenge: 1 Rarity: Very Rare Diet: Blood, Negative Emotions Environment: Ruins, Space, Underwater Taming Difficulty: Easy (only bonds with Evil aligned creatures) Starting Bond Points: 7 Suggested Personality: Cruel, Quiet Innate Spellcasting (Psionics). The GonBun's innate spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 13). It GonBun can innately cast the following spells, requiring no components: At will: Chill Touch, Toll the Dead 1/day each: Ray of Sickness The nightmarish GonBun is a single mind animating two distinct bodies. GonBun appears so rarely that sages are not Actions sure whether it is one entity appearing every few centuries, or if multiple GonBuns have visited our world over the ages. Spit Fire (Recharge 4-6). Bun spits a wave of flames GonBun makes its lair among ruins in the deepest reaches of that cover a 15 foot cone. Each creature in the area must the ocean, creating a dead space where the water boils and succeed on a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw or take 1d8 putrefies around them. It waits here for the emergence of a fire damage. powerful wizard in the world above. When it senses such a Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 5 ft., one wizard, GonBun seeks them out wherever they may be, in target. Hit: 3 (1d8 - 1) piercing damage. order to guide them down a dark path. Gon. The Gon body has the shape of a skeletal snake with an alligator-like skull, animated by lurid red tendons that cling Sinister Tutors. The GonBun is a servant of gods who govern to the bones. Inside the Gon is a necrotic void, and absolute evil, magic, and necromancy. When it emerges from its deep absence of life, which gives it limited magical power and slumber, it seeks out powerful mages who have begun to control over undeath. search for the secret of immortality. GonBun tests the mage, Bun. The Bun body, on the other hand, is amorphous and beginning with a series of questions to measure the prospect’s leech-like, covered by an unnerving abundance of eyes. In the arcane knowledge, and finally attacking to measure the mage’s Bun’s gut burns an insatiable, destructive fire that glows and intuition. If GonBun deems the mage worthy, it guides them radiates shimmering heat whenever Bun opens its mouth. on the path towards transforming oneself into a lich. 7 Chapter 1: Companions M’aw Tiny or Small Aberration, Unaligned Armor Class: 13 (Natural Armor) Hit Points: 6 (1d10 + 1) Speed: 30 ft., Fly 20 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 8 15 13 3 15 12 (-1) (+2) (+1) (-4) (+2) (+1) Skills: Deception +4, Perception +5, Persuasion +4 Senses: Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 15 Languages: Understands Common but can’t speak it Challenge: 1/4 Rarity: Rare Environment: Forest, Urban Diet: Anything Taming Difficulty: Easy Starting Bond Points: 4 Suggested Personality: Childish, Greedy Shapechanger. The m’aw can use its action to M’aw polymorph into a Tiny or Small creature, or back into its true form. Each form resembles a beast, but has strange features like vibrant colors, extra eyes or legs, or other unnatural traits. Its statistics, other than its size, are the A brightly-colored playhouse. A bush heavy with ripe berries. same in each form. It reverts to its true form if it dies. An unguarded pile of precious gems. A disembodied mouth, floating in the air. All these are forms a m’aw might take, only Actions the last of which shows the truth. In its natural form, the m’aw Swallow. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 appears to be nothing but a mouth, and in fact it is—on this ft., one small or tiny creature. On a hit, the creature plane of existence, at least. The creature’s digestive tract is a takes 5 (1d6 + 2) necrotic damage and is swallowed. small pocket dimension, to which it transports anything that it The swallowed creature can't breathe, is restrained, and swallows. M’aws mostly feed on birds and other small animals, takes 3 (1d6) necrotic damage at the start of each of the though some of the older and larger ones can, unfortunately, m’aw's turns. During this time, the target creature exists devour smaller and younger humanoids. in a pocket dimension. A m’aw’s extradimensional nature allows it to travel quickly An engulfed creature can try to escape by taking an from one hunting ground to another, which helps make up for action to make a DC 12 Strength check. On a success, the its low rate of hunting success. creature escapes and enters an unoccupied space within Shapeshifting Bait. The m’aw only assumes its natural form 5 feet of the m’aw as a mouth immediately before and after trying to swallow something. The rest of the time the m’aw assumes a shape that it thinks will attract prey. The m’aw finds effective lures Eyes Bigger Than Its Stomach. A m’aw will try to consume through trial and error. It assumes the form of something it almost anything that approaches it, but its extradimensional has seen, and if that form attracts something edible within a stomach is not large enough to hold most creatures. Anything reasonable amount of time, it uses the form again; if not, the too large to swallow is promptly disgorged, a little slimy but m’aw tries another form, more or less at random. A tell that otherwise unharmed. The m’aw’s mouth invariably assumes an every m’aw has, and one they are all unaware of, is a tendency expression of embarrassment when this happens, yet it never to make their forms more vibrant and colorful than it would seems to learn its lesson. This apologetic response is more normally be. honest than one would assume at first, but if considered the m’aw will happily work alongside its failed quarry. It will do this until it feels as though its debt has been paid. 8 Aberrations Nyart Tiny Aberration, Neutral Evil Armor Class: 13 Hit Points: 1 (1d4 - 1) Speed: 30 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 3 16 8 14 13 16 (-4) (+3) (-1) (+2) (+1) (+3) Saving Throws: WIS +3 Skills: Deception +5, Persuasion +5 Senses: Blindsight 120 ft. (blind beyond this radius), Passive Perception 11 Languages: Common, Deep Speech, Telepathy 30 ft., Undercommon Challenge: 0 Rarity: Very Rare Environment: Space, Urban Diet: Thoughts and dreams Taming Difficulty: Hard Starting Bond Points: 1 Suggested Personality: Nasty, Proud Wormhole. As a bonus action, the nyart can create a small, inky black wormhole within 5 feet of itself. The wormhole can lead to anywhere in the universe the nyart desires, provided there is at least 1 square foot of darkness near the destination. Only the nyart can use the rift, and it lasts until the end of the nyart’s next turn. Ominous messengers. If the nyart’s Bond Strength is 12 or higher, it can be used to send messages. As an action, you Nyart can give the nyart a name, description, and short message to relay. This message can be no more than 25 words. The nyart will attempt to reach the described creature using its wormhole ability and convey the message. The accuracy of the recipient and message are determined by the GM. Nyarts often appear as large, ominous figures that resemble shadowy humanoids. They are able to materialize seemingly Untraceable. The nyart cannot be targeted by any anywhere in the multiverse, and always convey mysterious divination magic, perceived through magical scrying messages before vanishing into darkness. Their piercing eyes sensors, and all attempts to teleport to the nyart and nightmarish voices are incredibly effective at delivering automatically fail. these messages with authority. Innate Spellcasting (Psionics). The nyart's innate False Form. The nyart isn’t actually what it appears to be. spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 13). It can If one were to attack or inspect the illusion it casts, they will innately cast the following spells, requiring no components: instead find a tiny leech-like creature: the real nyart. At will: Invisibility (self only), Major Image Powerful Portals. Nyarts are incredibly powerful teleporters, and can create tiny wormholes that lead to any destination Actions they desire. This makes sending messages an easy process, but Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one also aids their escape from dangerous situations. target. Hit: 1 piercing damage. Heralds from Beyond. These tiny creatures serve unknown masters, and every message they deliver is not their own. Whispers of Doom. The nyrat targets one creature within 30 feet of it. The target must succeed on a DC Adventurers with even the strongest bond with their own 13 Wisdom saving throw or take 4 (2d4) psychic nyarts haven’t been able to learn their origins. damage. 9 Chapter 1: Companions Shub Shub Small Aberration, Chaotic Evil Shubs are small outsiders resembling red-furred bovine, with a Armor Class: 15 (Natural Armor) few unsettling differences. Their mouths are lined with razor- Hit Points: 11 (2d6 + 4) sharp teeth, two curled horns take the place of their eyes, Speed: 30 ft., Climb 25 ft. and a network of twisted tusks protrude from their backs. Wherever they go they are shrouded in a thin, otherworldly STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA mist. They live isolated lives, often choosing locations with no canopy above them and remaining there until an outside force 13 11 15 11 8 6 compels them to leave. (+1) (+0) (+2) (+0) (-1) (-2) True Omnivores. Shubs have strong digestion that allows them to eat almost anything, such as poisonous plants, bone, Skills: Perception +4, Intimidation +3 wood or pleasant memories. When a shub leaves an area, one Senses: Blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this radius), can be sure that the domain they leave behind is completely Passive Perception 14 devoid of all organic and fluid material, and is now nothing Languages: -- but flat, cracked earth. Challenge: 1/2 Rarity: Very Rare Environment: Grassland, Mountain, Space Diet: Everything Taming Difficulty: Very Hard Starting Bond Points: 1 Suggested Personality: Cruel, Proud Actions Create Young. The shub breaths out a primordial fog that spawns 1d4 young. A young is a tiny aberration with an AC of 12, 1 hit point, and a flying speed of 15. They have a +2 to attack and deal 1 necrotic damage. On the shub’s turn, it can use a bonus action to command any young within 30 feet of it to attack one enemy of its choice. A shub can have up to 10 young. Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 3 (1d4 + 1) piercing damage and 4 (1d8) necrotic damage. Ram. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (2d4 + 1) bludgeoning damage. A Thousand Young. Shubs are all children of a single eternal mother. In imitation of her, they can all create their own smaller, fleeting spawn. These “young” are clouds of tiny, needle-like creatures which the shub can summon to flit about in a protective cloud around it. These creatures quickly live their alien lives and die in the space of an hour. Whether they create their own young during this time, even more minuscule and fleeting, is a mystery. Sure-Footed. Shubs have a supernatural sense of balance. They can stand upright on near-vertical surfaces, inverted surfaces, and surfaces that only exist outside of three- dimensional space. As such, they are equally often found leaping from place to place on remote mountaintops, in rolling grasslands, and in the howling darkness between the stars. 10 Aberrations Skinti Skinti Small Aberration, Neutral The Skinti is a floating mass of otherworldly matter that, for some reason, bears an uncanny resemblance to spaghetti and Armor Class: 10 meatballs. Perhaps one of the most enigmatic creatures in all Hit Points: 6 (1d6 + 3) the known planes, what little is known about these aberrations Speed: 10 ft., Fly 40 ft. (Hover) only begs more questions. Talented Artisans. The most common act performed by a STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA skinti is painting landscapes. Oftentimes, travelers who see the 6 11 16 7 16 4 skinti as omens will offer them easels and painting supplies (-2) (+0) (+3) (-2) (+3) (-3) in attempts to appease them. Without these materials, the skinti will either clear an area of dirt and create a canvas of Damage Immunities: Acid, Poison grass, dirt, and what resembles tomato sauce. However, their Condition Immunities: Poisoned, Prone painting skills when working with tools has gone unrivaled for eons. Skills: Performance +3 Senses: Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 13 Alien Flavor. A common test conducted by unfamiliar adventurers is to taste the flesh of a skinti. Oddly enough, it Languages: Skinti seems as though the skinti cares not if it is eaten or left alone. Challenge: 0 However, those foolish enough to eat and digest portions of a Rarity: Rare skinti will find the taste comparable to warm, moldy garbage Environment: Coastal, Grassland, Lake, Space with a SHU of 90,000. The following indigestion and expulsion Diet: Spaghetti of the material has similar features. Taming Difficulty: Average Quietly Waiting. No skinti has ever expressed a need or Starting Bond Points: 5 desire for anything but paint, even including food. The few Suggested Personality: Creative, Lazy scholars that dedicate attention to skintis have drawn the conclusion that these creatures are waiting for something. The Enigmatic Nature. The skinti is immune to scrying and dread that follows speculation is best laid to rest, for sanity's to any effect that would sense its emotions, read its sake alone. thoughts, or detect its location. Actions Noodle. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1 bludgeoning damage. Meatball. Ranged Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, range 15/30 ft., one target. Hit: 2 (1d4) acid damage. 11 Chapter 1: Companions Skull Tick Most people, if they encountered a shambling, half-dead figure They are seldom seen separate from a host, however. When with a skull-like spider attached to its face, would run away. actively parasitizing a victim, a skull tick looks like a macabre If they better understood the nature of the creature they saw, mask. however, they would run even faster. Body Thief. A skull tick attaches to the head of a humanoid With six scuttling legs, the odious parasites known as skull host, smothering the creature and slowly draining its blood. ticks get their names from their uncanny resemblance to The skull tick takes control of the dying body, observing the humanoid skulls, and their parasitic nature. Alone, they are world through a pair of eyes in its back, and directing the host quick and aggressive. to a safe location to be fed upon. A humanoid claimed by a skull tick looks and behaves much like a zombie. The host slowly becomes desiccated as the parasite feeds on its blood. While the hosts’ movements are Skull Tick mostly slow and aimless, the skull tick can direct it to defend itself. If it manages to subdue a potential host, it will abandon Tiny Aberration, Unaligned its current host in favor of the “fresher” victim. Horrific Reproduction. As it feeds, a skull tick lays its eggs Armor Class: 13 (Natural Armor) in the host body. In a few weeks the young skull ticks hatch Hit Points: 3 (1d6) and devour whatever’s left of the host from the inside out. The Speed: 40 ft. adult tick and its brood then set out in different directions to search for new victims. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 6 15 13 2 12 5 (-2) (+2) (+1) (-4) (+1) (-3) Skills: Perception +4, Stealth +4 Senses: Tremorsense 30 ft., Passive Perception 14 Languages: -- Challenge: 1/8 Rarity: Very Rare Environment: Ruins, Space, Underground, Urban Diet: Blood, Brain Matter, Meat Taming Difficulty: Very Hard Starting Bond Points: 1 Suggested Personality: Energetic, Aggressive Actions Latch On. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one medium or smaller creature. Hit: The creature is grappled (escape DC 12). Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained, blinded, and at risk of suffocating. While grappling a creature this way, the skull tick is also restrained. In addition, at the start of each of the target’s turns, the target takes 2 (1d4) piercing damage. Claim Host. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, one creature the skull tick is latched on to. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) piercing damage. If the target is reduced to 0 hit points, the skull tick kills the target by taking control of their brain. As long as the skull tick is attached to this body, it can control the body and gains the same statistics as a zombie. It can choose to detach itself as an action. The skull tick dies if the zombie is slain while it is attached. 12 Aberrations Soth When intelligent creatures first emerged in the mortal realm, Tham Soth. Provokes violence and sows discord between many beings sought to influence them to good or to evil. One friends. It glows with a lurid red light. great fiend, remembered as the Corruptor and other names Chag Soth. Separates creatures from the gods, undermining that must not be spoken, was barred from the Material Plane faith and working against divine magic. Its light is deep in order to protect its inhabitants. Unable to influence mortals indigo-violet, almost invisible. directly, the Corruptor created the soth to spread its evil. Gam Soth. Provokes gluttony and insatiable hunger. It pulses Orbs of Evil Influence. Soth appear as a variety of floating with a sickly orange light. spheres, each one seemingly made of some chaotic ichor. Gol Soth. Provokes the love of wanton destruction, and Though they are silent, and can seldom be seen to act, they especially of fire. It burns with yellow light like from a exert a malignant influence on the creatures around them. festering sun. There are six types of soth, each of which pursues a different Thag Soth. Creates crushing sadness. Its light is a flat and type of evil. Whatever their aims, soth’s influence takes similar pallid green. forms: they can read and influence the thoughts of nearby Nehe Soth. Provokes silence, muteness, isolation, and the creatures, provoke terrible nightmares, command bodies to keeping of secrets. It shines with blue light that is painful to rise, and alter the development of the unborn to suit their the eye. cursed nature. Soth Tiny Aberration, Lawful Evil Armor Class: 10 Hit Points: 4 (1d4 + 2) Speed: 5 ft., Fly 30 ft. (Hover) STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 4 11 15 10 6 5 (-3) (+0) (+2) (+0) (-2) (-3) Damage Immunities: Force, Poison, Psychic Condition Immunities: Blinded, Frightened, Poisoned, Prone Skills: Stealth +6 Senses: Blindsight 120 ft., Passive Perception 8 Languages: Telepathy 20 ft. Challenge: 0 Rarity: Very Rare Environment: Space, Urban Diet: Dreams Taming Difficulty: Hard Starting Bond Points: 2 Suggested Personality: Devious, Quiet Innate Spellcasting (Psionics). The soth’s innate spellcasting ability is intelligence (spell save DC 14). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no components: At will: Detect Thoughts 1/day: Create Undead 13 Chapter 1: Companions Thoth Ball Any attempt to describe a thoth ball is doomed to failure. It appears as a floating sphere of squamous tentacles and eyes, without any apparent body at the center. However, their Thoth Ball bodies are far less jarring than their music. Thoth balls play Small Aberration, Chaotic Neutral their flutes to create an endless, chaotic song that seemingly overlaps itself. These flutes bear otherworldly symbols, and Armor Class: 12 (Natural Armor) no thoth ball has ever been seen without one of its own. They Hit Points: 13 (2d10 + 2) hail from the darkness of distant space, where the boundaries Speed: 10 ft., Fly 30 ft. (Hover) between this plane and others become all but moot. It could be that the audience for their bizarre music slumbers beyond STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA some planar veil, kept at bay only by their lullabies. 7 13 12 11 12 14 (-2) (+1) (+1) (+0) (+1) (+2) Damage Immunities: Poison, Thunder Condition Immunities: Poisoned Skills: Performance +4 Senses: Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 11 Languages: Telepathy 30 ft. Challenge: 1/4 Rarity: Very Rare Environment: Space, Underground, Underwater Diet: Thoughts, Soundwaves Taming Difficulty: Average Starting Bond Points: 4 Suggested Personality: Chatty, Impulsive Actions Chaotic Tune. The thoth ball plays a timeless melody that overlaps itself. Every creature within 30 feet of it that can hear the tune must succeed on a DC 14 Intelligence saving throw or take 7 (1d10 + 2) psychic damage. A creature that succeeds on this save is immune to this ability for the next 24 hours. Tentacle. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 2 (1d8 - 2) bludgeoning damage. Mortals who keep a dead thoth ball’s flute, and learn to play unique melodies using it, invariably meet unpleasant ends. Audience Seekers. If anyone stops to listen to their music, Song of Chaos. No amount of study will uncover a pattern or and seems to enjoy it in any way, a thoth ball will follow that logic in the thoth ball’s music. Listeners with a deep wisdom creature until death. This death most often meets their allies find themselves able to focus on the chaos within themselves, first, as death is the only way to stop a thoth ball’s playing. If a and can reflect on their own paradoxes. Certain creatures person endures the thoth ball’s playing, however, they will find who choose to foster this chaos instead of resolving it do so in a constant companion in the creature. service of chaotic deities, allowing them to become more in Thoth Flute. Contrary to popular speculation, a thoth ball’s tune with the sublimity beyond order. Diviners may also find flute is not part of the creature’s body. However, if a creature useful clues about chaotic events in the thoth ball’s song; the successfully wrenches the flute from its tentacles, the thoth resulting prophecies, however accurate, resemble incoherent ball will rapidly wither and die. rantings to the layperson. 14 Aberrations Tulu When they wake, they tend to wander aimlessly, which leads them into all manner of locations. They often arrive at their destinations through routes that are, on examination, geometrically impossible. Children of chaos and beings of miniaturized and ancient Tough Companionship. Tulu are quite strong and durable horror, tulu are aberrations that resemble small, winged, and for their size. This is one of three reasons people sometimes pot-bellied humanoids with cuttlefish in the place of their attempt to tame them. The second reason is that those people heads. A tulu stands roughly two feet tall, its shape dominated are usually insane, or more often acolytes of chaos deities. The by a pulpy, tentacled head. Tulu spend most of their time third reason one would try to tame a tulu is because they are sleeping in the ruins of sunken cities. described as some of the rarest and most challenging creatures to tame. Chaotic Brats. Tulu are almost impossible to truly tame. They are happiest when doing whatever makes the least sense, Tulu whether that is wandering in circles, eating dirt, or rolling repeatedly down flights of stairs. Given any command, a Tiny Aberration, Chaotic Neutral tulu will usually do the opposite. Luckily, this makes reverse psychology the key to managing a tulu. Armor Class: 14 (Natural Armor) Telepathic Madness. Tulu are capable of connecting to others’ Hit Points: 11 (2d4 + 6) minds telepathically. This is troubling because a tulu’s mind is, Speed: 25 ft., Fly 5 ft., Swim 15 ft.. generously speaking, unsound. They tend to behave erratically, babble incoherently, lash out violently, and dissolve into fugues STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA of intense emotion. Any creature the tulu communicates with telepathically risks becoming insane in the same way the tulu 12 8 16 7 16 11 (+1) (-1) (+3) (-2) (+3) (+0) is—indeed, one can’t communicate with a tulu without sharing at least some of its incoherent perspective. Condition Immunities: Charmed, Frightened Skills: Arcana +3 Senses: Passive Perception 13 Languages: Telepathy 60 ft. Challenge: 1/4 Rarity: Very Rare Environment: Coastal, Lake, Ruins, Space, Underwater Diet: Fish, Thoughts Taming Difficulty: Very Hard Starting Bond Points: 1 Suggested Personality: Childish, Impulsive Actions Evoke Madness (Recharge 4-6). The tulu targets one creature within 30 feet of it. The creature must succeed on a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw or become charmed by it for the duration. While the target is charmed in this way, its blood appears black, and a madness glows in its eyes. A target that succeeds on the saving throw becomes immune to the ability for 24 hours. The charmed creature must use its action before moving on each of its turns to make a melee attack against a random creature other than itself and the tulu. The creature becomes prone and babbles incoherently if no targets can be found. The creature can make a Wisdom saving throw at the end of each of its turns to end the effect. Otherwise, the effect lasts for one minute. Scratch. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 3 (1d4 + 1) slashing damage. 15 Chapter 1: Companions Yetling Yetling Small Aberration, Plant (Fungus), Chaotic Evil With their transparent hindwings and chitinous claws, these Armor Class: 14 (Natural Armor) bizarre beings superficially resemble insects. In fact, their Hit Points: 16 (3d10) biology is made of a substance not found anywhere in the known world. If you could relate their bodies to a living Speed: 30 ft., Fly 15 ft. creature, it would actually be much closer to that of a fungus. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA Their bodies are covered with a layer of spore pods, by which they reproduce and heal. Yetlings gather into aggressive 14 13 10 5 15 6 swarms, invading and destroying unprotected villages or (+2) (+1) (+0) (-3) (+2) (-2) hamlets. However, when one is found alone, it expresses pleading and bargaining in an attempt to survive. If it fails Skills: Medicine +4, Perception +4 to accomplish this goal, adventurers may find they taste like Senses: Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 14 seasoned and sautéed mushrooms. Languages: Yetling Alien Invaders. Hailing from the distant space between Challenge: 1/2 planets where planar boundaries blur, the yetlings came to our world long ago in a massive swarm that darkened the sky. For Rarity: Rare a time it seemed they would make this world a colony in their Environment: Underground, Space fungal empire, but our emerging civilizations joined together Diet: Meat to retake the land and drive the yetlings underground. The Taming Difficulty: Very Hard remnants of the yetlings live in the deepest caverns, dreaming Starting Bond Points: 1 of a day when they will finally reconquer the surface. Suggested Personality: Aggressive, Cruel Grafts and Transplants. Yetlings use their sharp claws to sever body parts from their dead, transplanting these parts onto Actions