Psurlon

(From Spelljammer: Adventures in Space - 2022):

Psurlons are malevolent, wormlike creatures that were ejected from the Far Realm long ago. They now live on the Astral Plane. They have legs that end in hooves and arms that end in hands with three long fingers. A psurlon’s eyeless head resembles that of an earthworm, capped by a maw ringed with teeth. Psurlons adorn themselves in richly colored robes and rarely wear armor or carry weapons.

Psurlons live for thousands of years because they spend most of their time in the Astral Sea. Every hundred years or so, psurlons leave their astral strongholds, invade Wildspace systems, and indulge in a seven-year-long ceremony called the Feast of Worlds, during which they consume as many sentient life-forms as they can before returning to the Astral Plane. Psurlons prefer the flesh of humans and halflings but don’t mind feasting on other folk. They use their spellcasting abilities to infiltrate the settlements of their intended victims.

On the Material Plane, psurlons have been known to work with mind flayers. Together, they collect victims to feed on; the illithids devour the victims’ brains while the psurlons consume the rest of the prey. Githyanki despise psurlons because of this alliance and attack psurlon strongholds in the Astral Sea wherever they are found.

When a psurlon dies, other psurlons store the corpse in a safe place. As the corpse decays, the psurlons lay one or more eggs inside it. These eggs hatch 24 hours later, each one producing a Tiny worm. For the next seven days, the worms feed on the corpse and on each other until only one remains. This worm crawls out of the putrescent remains of its dead host as an adult psurlon.

Psurlon Leader: One out of every hundred psurlons is a mutant with two heads, one at each end of its body, and a superior intellect. Other psurlons look to the two-headed ones for leadership.

(From Monster Manual II 3rd Edition - 2002):

Psurlons are wormlike creatures with formidable mental powers. The resemblance between psurlons and worms is likely more than coincidence; perhaps the monsters were magically created from earthworms, or an earthworm is a radically degenerate form of psurlon. 

A psurlon has a long, tubular, pinkish body marked with faint rings, just like an earthworm’s. It also has two arms and two legs, each of which also looks like a giant earthworm. The psurlon’s head is little more than a blunt end to its tubular body. Its only facial feature is a circular maw filled with gnashing teeth that serves as a mouth. It has visual organs (for darkvision) spaced evenly around the head. The typical psurlon wears a decorative or utilitarian belt fitted with straps and hooks to carry items, but no other clothing or armor. 

Psurlons often choose to live solitary lives, or to live only with their mates. Sometimes, however, psurlons form small communities called clusters for the purpose of claiming territory or working toward a common cause. 

Psurlons speak Undercommon.

Combat: Psurlons never use melee weapons. They can fight with their bare claws and teeth, but this does not make them very formidable opponents in physical combat. The real danger a psurlon presents is in its ability to cloud, numb, and control the minds of others. 

Blindsight (Ex): A psurlon can ascertain its surroundings by sensing sound, scent, heat, and vibration. This ability enables it to discern objects and creatures within 60 feet. The psurlon usually does not need to make Spot or Listen checks to notice creatures within range of its blindsight. 

Immunities (Ex): Psurlons are immune to sleep, charm, and hold effects. 

Telepathy (Su): A psurlon can communicate telepathically with any creature within 250 feet that has a language.

AVERAGE PSURLON: 

Average psurlons perform all day-today tasks related to keeping a cluster running smoothly. Of all psurlons, it is these that most often strike out to live on their own.

An average psurlon stands about 5 feet tall and weighs about 130 pounds.

Combat: Combat Although they do not relish combat, average psurlons are naturally suspicious and bad-tempered. They usually unleash their spell-like abilities against anything that approaches too closely. They usually begin with mind fogand then, if menaced by a whole group, follow up with dominate person to make physically powerful foes turn on their allies. Spell-Like Abilities: At will—detect thoughts, dominate person, hold monster, mind fog, sleep; 1/day—stoneskin. Caster level 10th; save DC 13 + spell level.

ELDER PSURLON:

Elder psurlons are leaders within their communities. They are respected for their experience, resourcefulness, and superior mental abilities.

An elder psurlon stands about 5 feet tall and weighs about 130 pounds.

Combat: Elder psurlons use much the same tactics as average psurlons do, but they are more likely to direct the battle from the rear while their underlings bear the brunt of the fighting. 

Spell-Like Abilities: At will—detect thoughts, dominate person, hold monster, mass suggestion, mind fog, sleep; 1/day— stoneskin. Caster level 12th; save DC 13 + spell level.

GIANT PSURLON:

Giant psurlons are bred for combat. Like all psurlons, however, their mental powers are more formidable than their physical abilities. A giant psurlon stands 12 feet tall and weighs about 600 pounds.

Combat: Giant psurlons prefer to attack from afar. After softening up the opposition with mind fog, a giant psurlon follows up with disintegrate against the most dangerous opponent. 

Spell-Like Abilities: At will—detect thoughts, dominate person, hold monster, mass suggestion, mind fog, sleep; 1/day—disintegrate, stoneskin. Caster level 18th; save DC 13 + spell level.

(From Planescape: Planes of Conflict Monstrous Supplement - 1998):

Psurlons are extremely intelligent wormlike humanoids. The psurlons are an advanced race living on the Astral Plane, and are sometimes summoned by evil psionicists who have the power to summon planar creatures.

Psurlons have earthwormlike bodies, legs that end in toothed maws, and arms that end in claws with black talons. Their heads are similar to those of earthworms, with large, gaping maws ringed with teethlike projections. They have no eyes and use other senses to “see”. They wear richly colored robes and never wear armor or carry weapons.

Psurlons communicate with one another telepathically and through grunts and squeals.

Combat: When psurlons engage in physical combat they use both their claws, causing 3-12 (3d4) points of damage each, and their bite, for 2-16 (2d8) points of damage. They seldom engage in physical combat, preferring to fight psionictally.

Psurlons have a natural AC 4 and can only be hit by a +1 or better magical weapon or by creatures of 6 HD or better and those with natural magical abilities. Wounds of other types cause very little damage and heal instantly. Their enhanced protection is because of their magical and psionic experimentation on their own flesh. Psurlons are immune to all sleep, charm, and hold spells and have 40% magic resistance.

Habitat/Society: Many thousands of years ago the psurlons lived on another world. The psurlons were a highly evolved race with vast knowledge and psionic power. In their quest for knowledge and power, the psurlons developed a means to psychically link all members of their race. However, disaster struck. A psychic backlash occurred, creating a massive rift into the Astral Plane, and their home world was destroyed. All surviving psurlons were sucked into the rift and became permanent residents of the Astral Plane.

With their world destroyed, the psurlons built cities within the Astral Plane, and have no desire to return to the Prime Material Plane. In the Astral Plane they can pursue research that is impossible elsewhere. They have noted Athas because it is a world that could survive the massive amounts of psionic force they used to destroy their own world. As a race they have no particular plans for Athas, although individual Psurlons might have some. The psurlons, who are far smaller in number than they were on their home world, are trying to boost their psionic powers and hone their abilities in order to attempt the mind meld again, despite their diminished population.

Psurlons are only encountered on Athas when summoned. Their knowledge is sought by many, especially psionicists and wizards who travel the Astral Plane. They hate being forced to serve, and seek vengeance upon those who summon them.

Ecology: Psurlons normally feed on the flesh of living creatures, especially that of other sentient races. They particularly lake human and halfling flesh.

The typical lifespan of a psurlon is 1,500 years. They are at the top of the food chain and are seldom preyed upon. Athasian rocs consider psurlons a delicacy, but fortunately for the psurlons there are no rocs on the Astral Plane.

Some evil psionicists summon psurlons in hopes of gaining their knowledge. The price is very high and often leads to the death of the summoner. Summoners who gain knowledge from psurlons and then attempt to slay them or send them back are tracked down and forced to pay what is due either by the psurlons they summoned or by others of their race.

Psionics Summary

Level    Dis/Sci/Dev Attack/Defense                        Score   PSPs

7          3/4/12        EW,II,MT,PsC/IF,MB,MBk,TS      12       45

Telepathy — Sciences: mass domination, mind link; Devotions: id insinuation, contact, psionic crush, mind thrust, ego whip.'

Psychoportation — Science: banishment; Devotions: astral projection, time/space anchor.

Psychometabolism — Science: life draining; Devotions: control body, mind over body, enhanced strength, flesh armor, prolong.

Psurlon Adepts: 

Psurlon adepts serve as leaders of the small psurlon communities. They are specially gifted psurlons whose psionic potential extend beyond that of most within their race. They are trained from an early age to serve as both a protector and a leader among the psurlons.

Some psurlons have become astral explorers, traveling across the Astral Plane, seeking new knowledge and power, hunting food and suitable creatures that might be subjugated and used as slave labor. Small exploration parties usually consist of 2-8 (2d4) psurlon adepts.

Psionics Summary

Level    Dis/Sci/Dev Attack/Defense                        Score   PSPs

12         4/6/17       EW,II,MT,PsC/IF,MB,MBk,TS      13       50

Telepathy — Sciences: mass domination, mind link, psionic blast; Devotions: id insinuation, contact, psionic crush, mind thrust, ego whip, psionic drain.

Psychoportation — Science: banishment; Devotions: astral projection, time/space anchor.

Psychometabolism — Science: life draining; Devotions: control body, mind over body, enhanced strength, flesh armor, prolong.

Clairsentience — Science: clairvoyance; Devotions: combat mind, danger sense, know location, spirit sense.

Giant Psurlons:

Giant psurlons are mutated psurlons who existed when their kind destroyed their world. They absorbed so much psionic energy when their world was destroyed that they became nearly immortal and they grew in size and psionic ability.

Only a handful of these creatures are left. These creatures make their own solitary dens upon the Astral Plane and have little contact with others, including those of their own kind, since other psurlons consider them cursed monsters.

There are a few, however, who have taken control of small psurlon communities, ruling them as harshly as any sorcerer king ever ruled.

Giant psurlons can attack with their claws and bite that cause far greater damage than those of both typical psurlons and psurlon adepts, but they seldom need to do so.

Psionics Summary

Level    Dis/Sci/Dev Attack/Defense      Score   PSPs

18         5/8/20       All/All                  17       100

Telepathy — Sciences: mass domination, mind link, psionic blast; Devotions: id insinuation, contact, psionic crush, mind thrust, ego whip, psionic drain.

Psychoportation — Science: banishment; Devotions: astral projection, time/space anchor.

Psychometabolism — Science: life draining; Devotions: control body, mind over body, enhanced strength, flesh armor, prolong, double pain.

Clairsentience — Science: clairvoyance; Devotions: combat mind, danger sense, know location, spirit sense.

Psychokinesis — Sciences: disintegrate, telekinesis; Devotions: levitation, inertial barrier.