Malidrous

Small Aberration (Psionic)
Hit Dice: 3d8+3 (16 hp)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares)
Armor Class: 21 (+1 size, +2 Dex, +8 natural), touch 13, flat-footed 19
Base Attack/Grapple: +2/+5
Attack: Slam +3 melee (1d3)
Full Attack: 2 slams +3 melee (1d3)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./ 5 ft.
Special Attacks: Attach, siphon
Special Qualities: Damage reduction 10/psionic, darkvision 60 ft., hide mind, psi-like abilities
Saves: Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +3
Abilities: Str 11, Dex 15, Con 13, Int 8, Wis 11, Cha 17
Skills: Climb +3, Hide +5, Jump +4, Listen +2, Move Silently +5, Spot +2
Feats: Alertness, Improved Grapple, Stealthy
Environment: Any
Organization: Solitary (hunting) or Nest (3–8)
Challenge Rating: 2
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Chaotic neutral
Advancement: 4-7 HD (Small); 8-12 HD (Medium)
Level Adjustment:

The diminutive creature doesn’t appear aggressive as you slowly approach. As you get closer, its glowing blue eyes turn to gaze at you, twinkling with cunning. With a shrill squeal, it jumps through the air and tries to latch onto your neck. You struggle to remove the creature, but slowly feel your psionic power slipping away.

The creatures known as malidrous are small psionic creatures who gain their sustenance by siphoning off the psionic power of others. Resembling brain moles, the malidrous is in fact a bigger, mutated version of the brain mole, being significantly larger and stronger than their standard cousins. Small, furry, and nearly blind, malidrouses are distinguishable from their common brain mole cousins due to their larger body size.

Standing roughly 2 feet tall at the shoulder, the malidrous typically prefers to walk on all fours, although it is capable of standing on its hind legs to grasp at a psionic creature. While the malidrous is not a malicious creature, it does not care for the well-being of those on which it feeds. Malidrouses do not possess the capability for speech, although most understand at least rudimentary Common.

Malidriouses gain Improved Grapple as a bonus feat. A malidrous uses its Dexterity bonus instead of its Strength modifier on Climb checks.

Combat

Siphoning psionic energy is the manner that a malidrous gains nourishment. To find its next meal, it uses its psi-like ability to detect nearby psionic energy and then will attempt to siphon the psionic power of the closest creature. The small creature is not mindless, however, so it will typically do its best to remain undetected until it can safely approach its meal.

Attach (Ex): A malidrous is capable of jumping up to 15 feet in a single bound. It uses this ability to attempt to grab onto an enemy and start a grapple check without provoking an attack of opportunity. If a malidrous successfully attaches to a target, the target must forcefully remove the creature from its neck, causing 2d4 points of damage on the check to break the grapple.

Siphon (Su): Unlike their brain mole cousins, the primary mode of attack for a malidrous is its ability to draw out the psionic power of its victims. Despite their small size, the malidrous will attempt to grapple its opponent and, once grappled, will begin to siphon psionic energy from its target. For each round the malidrous maintains the grapple, it gains the target’s Hit Dice in power points from the victim, until the target is drained of power points. Once a malidrous has siphoned five times its Hit Dice in power points, it will seek to disengage and look for a safe place to rest.

Psi-Like Abilities: At will—detect psionics; 3/day—aversion (DC 15), mind thrust (DC 14). Manifester level 1st. The save DCs are Charisma based.

Hide Mind (Su): A malidrous cannot be identified as psionic by divination spells or clairsentience powers.

Skills: Malidrouses have a +4 racial bonus on Jump checks.

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