Brain-bat
Brain-eating, thrall-making flying octopuses. A small aberration.
Imagine a flying octopus, with a bulging, pulsing brain and two very human looking eyes.
It seeks different able bodies to use as disposable labor to build their empire. Multiple digits are highly valuable.
Utilitarian liar, arrogant invader, misplaced superiority.
| HD: 1 | Armor: none |
| Hit it: normal | Dodge it: normal |
| Move: slow, fly and swim normal |
It resists mind attacks (because it’s an aberration). It can breathe underwater, see in the dark and speak telepathically, but only knows its own language and the ones known by the body it is controlling. It can’t die unless it’s would-be killer saves vs fear. However, due to its partial understanding of personality, its face always reveals its true intentions.
Attacks (1/round)
Drill Brain. The brain-bat attaches itself to an adjacent target. If the target fails a saving throw, it takes willpower damage (1D4). At 0 intelligence, the target becomes a zombie enslaved to the attached brain-bat, who also gains its knowledge. An attached creature takes half the damage the brain-bat takes.
The brain-bat can take control of dead bodies in the same way.
Random Encounter
- Monster: 1D8 brain-bats & 1D6 zombies.
- Lair: A strange house seems built from imperfect and superficial memories. Nothing in it is functional, except hidden flesh cocoons.
OR
Omen: “I come as your friend” says a voice in your head. - Spoor: A dead body, its brain leaking from its fractured skull.
- Tracks: Minor telepathic waves.
- Trace: A person with a very big “hat”.
- Trace: Graffiti of people with two heads on top of each other.
D6 Mutations
Your studies of the aberration have changed you in horrible, gruesome ways: roll a random mutation and …
- … you have an evil sentient tumor on your head that has 1/6 chance to influence you.
- … you gain a memory from the brains you eat.
- … you gain short range telepathy, but become mute.
- … you die and become the brainless zombie drone of a brain-bat who gains your abilities.
- … you are in a coma and become the brainless zombie drone of a brain-bat who gains your abilities. It is not aware you are still somewhat alive.
- you know the spell word Drone and gain one Spell Die.
DM Notes
The brain-bats is a monster that Richard J. Leblanc Jr adapted in the Creature Compendium from a 50s comic book, “The brain-bats from Venus”. It’s camp, it’s scary and fun to play with. — SaltyGoo