Brain Fiends!
Several grotesque monsters swarm over the body. Each appears to be an oversized brain with a single tentacle and snail-like eyestalks. They scurry about on spindly, insect-like legs.
Brain Fiend
CR 2; XP 600
LE Small aberration (aquatic, psionic)
Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft., detect hostile intent; Perception +8
DEFENSE
AC 13, touch 13, flat-footed 11 (+2 Dex, +1 size)
hp 13 (3d8)
Fort +1, Ref +3, Will +6
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft., climb 20 ft., swim 30 ft.
Melee tentacle +5 (1d4 plus grab)
Special Attacks constrict (1d4 plus strangle), powerful tentacle
Psi-Like Abilities (ML 3rd; concentration +6)
Constant – detect hostile intent
At will – detect psionics, read thoughts (Will 15)
3/day – cloud mind (Will 15)
1/day – brain lock (Will 15), inertial armor (+5 armor)
TACTICS
A brain fiend prefers to attack by surprise against a lone victim. It uses a combination of cloud mind and Stealth to avoid detection. When ready to attack, it opens with brain lock since this power has the potential to make a fight against a solitary target a rather short conflict. Against a victim who can fight back, a brain fiend protects itself with inertial armor, and then it tries to constrict its foe to death.
STATISTICS
Str 6, Dex 15, Con 11, Int 16, Wis 15, Cha 16
Base Atk +2; CMB -1 (+5 grapple); CMD 11
Feats Mental Leap, Stealthy, Weapon Finesse (B)
Skills Acrobatics +8 (+10 to jump with Mental Leap), Autohypnosis +8, Climb +16, Escape Artist +10, Knowledge (any one) +9, Perception +8, Stealth +14, Swim +11; Racial Modifiers +8 Climb, +4 Stealth, +8 Swim
Languages telepathy (100 ft.)
SQ amphibious, compression, water dependency
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Powerful Tentacle (Ex): A brain fiend’s tentacle is remarkably strong. Its Strength modifier for damage and grapple attacks enjoys a +2 racial bonus.
Skills: Brain fiends use their Dexterity modifier for Climb and Swim checks.
ECOLOGY
Environment any swamps or underground
Organization solitary, pair, or cortex (3-9)
Treasure standard
Brain fiends are amphibious monsters that resemble disembodied brains with snail-like eyestalks. These creatures scurry about on four insectile legs. Their bulbous, soft bodies terminate in a powerful, bony tentacle that it uses for combat, swimming, and manipulation of simple tools. All brain fiends possess impressive telepathic powers. These monsters are carnivorous, and they prefer to feast on the soft organs of their victims. They feel as if an organ’s flavorfulness increases as does the intelligence of the creature from which the organ is taken. The average brain fiend is about a foot in diameter with a two-foot-long tail, and it weighs about 30 pounds.
Brain fiend cortexes function as a cohesive, disciplined unit. The creatures’ constant detect hostile intent and ability to read thoughts make it so that dishonesty and treachery within the brain fiends’ collectivist society is almost unknown.
The thing is, my homebrew campaign is, at this point, a rather freestyle mix of D&D and Traveller, played up to and including E8. Reading this I had to wonder: are Brain Fiends undead Zhodani Intendants and Nobles? I think they really REALLY are. /evilDMlaugh.