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Thought Eater

Thought Eater
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Appearance: A grotesque amalgamation of sinewy tendrils and a gaping, maw-like head, the Thought Eater’s translucent form pulses with an eerie glow. Its tendrils writhe with each pulse, resembling ethereal fingers reaching for elusive thoughts.

Behavior: Stealthy and patient, the Thought Eater slithers through the shadows, drawn to the pulsating psychic energies of sentient beings. It exhibits an otherworldly intelligence, adapting its tactics to exploit vulnerabilities in its prey’s mental defenses.

Habitat: Preferring the obscure corners of forgotten realms and the borderlands between reality and the ethereal plane, They are seldom seen in the light of day. They lurk in ancient ruins, haunted caverns, and the psychic residue of places steeped in forgotten lore.

Modus Operandi: When it senses a psychic presence, it moves with deliberate precision, infiltrating the mindscape of its target. With a voracious appetite for thoughts and memories, it siphons the psychic energy, leaving victims disoriented and haunted by the fragments of their stolen cognition.

Motivation: Driven by an insatiable hunger for psionic essence, the Thought Eater exists as a cosmic scavenger, feeding on the remnants of consciousness. It thrives on the chaos and disarray left in the wake of its psychic feasts, forever craving the next morsel of sentient minds to devour.


  • Thought Eater 5e
  • Thought Eater Pathfinder
Thought Eater 4
My Images (midjourney.com)

Small Aberration, Neutral Evil

Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
Hit Points 28 (8d6 + 8)
Speed 25 ft., Climb 15 ft.


STRDEXCONINTWISCHA
10 (+0)16 (+3)12 (+1)14 (+2)14 (+2)12 (+1)

Skills Stealth +5, Perception +4
Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 14
Languages Deep Speech
Challenge 1 (200 XP)


Shadow Blend. It can use its surroundings to blend into the shadows. While in dim light or darkness, it has advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks.

Mind Leech. When the Eater hits a creature with its tendrils attack, the target must make a DC 12 Intelligence saving throw or take 7 (2d6) psychic damage, and the Thought Eater gains temporary hit points equal to the damage dealt.


Actions

Tendrils. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (2d6) slashing damage plus 3 (1d6) psychic damage.

Psychic Drain (Recharge 5-6). The Eater targets one creature it can see within 15 feet. The target must make a DC 12 Intelligence saving throw or take 14 (4d8 + 3) psychic damage, and the Thought Eater regains hit points equal to half the damage dealt.


Reactions

Psionic Evasion. When the Eater is targeted by a spell or effect that allows it to make a Dexterity saving throw to take half damage, it takes no damage on a success and half damage on a failure.


Legendary Actions

It can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn. The Thought Eater regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.

  • Tendrils Attack. The Thought Eater makes one tendrils attack.
  • Shadow Shift (Costs 2 Actions). The Thought Eater moves up to its speed without provoking opportunity attacks.

A nimbus of glowing, intangible matter envelops this strange skeletal creature with a birdlike beak.

Thought Eater
My Images (midjourney.com)

These tiny predators of thought live almost their entire lives on the Ethereal Plane. They are so tied to that place that without its energy, a thought eater’s psychic power begins to deplete, until finally the very fabric of its own personal reality breaks down and it fades out of existence.

But while the Ethereal Plane is necessary for thought eaters’ continued existence, its vastness and relative lack of prey force thought eaters to sometimes hunt on the Material Plane. Such trips are often gluttonous affairs, as the thought eaters must not only gain sustenance, but also gain enough nourishment to stave off their rapid psychic and physical decay in that hostile environment.

Normally, thought eaters are fairly single-minded, but the inherent danger in their forays to the Material Plane makes them eager for easy meals. Someone who takes the time to provide consistent easy meals for a thought eater can expect the creature to follow her on the Ethereal Plane, watching for its next feeding time.

Given that every minute on the Material Plane is strenuous for a thought eater, such a person is unlikely to receive much conversation from the creature trailing her, but if something threatens the safety of its food source, the thought eater may be moved to protect its companion. In this case, the thought eater uses its daze monster ability to help the person escape and may even be motivated to cast resist energy on her. If this bizarre and alien friendship continues for long enough, the thought eater may even choose to assist in identifying magic items—when properly compensated, of course.

Thought Eater CR 2

XP 600
N Tiny aberration (extraplanar)
Init +8; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +8

DEFENSE

AC 16, touch 16, flat-footed 12 (+4 Dex, +2 size)
hp 18 (4d8)
Fort +1, Ref +5, Will +5
Defensive Abilities ethereal body

OFFENSE

Speed 10 ft., fly 30 ft. (perfect)
Melee bite +9 (1d3–3 plus eat thoughts)
Space 2-1/2 ft.; Reach 0 ft.
Psychic Magic (CL 4th; concentration +6)

5 PE—identify (1 PE), daze monster (2 PE, DC 14), detect thoughts (2 PE, DC 14), resist energy (2 PE)

STATISTICS

Str 4, Dex 19, Con 10, Int 7, Wis 12, Cha 15
Base Atk +3; CMB +5; CMD 12
Feats Improved Initiative, Weapon Finesse
Skills Fly +16, Perception +8, Stealth +19
Languages Aklo (can’t speak); telepathy 30 ft.
SQ ethereal passage

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Eat Thoughts (Su)

A living and corporeal creature that takes damage from a thought eater’s bite loses some of its thoughts, as the thought eater drains them to nourish itself. If the victim is a spellcaster, she loses a single spell prepared, or a single unused spell slot (if she is a spontaneous spellcaster) of 1st level or higher. A spellcaster chooses which spell or spell slot she loses from this ability.

If the victim is not a spellcaster or has no prepared spells or unused spell slots of 1st-level or higher, on a failed saving throw this ability instead deals 1 point of Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma damage (victim’s choice). When a creatures loses a spell slot or takes ability damage from this ability, the thought eater gains 1 PE (up to a maximum of its total daily PE; 5 for most thought eaters).

Ethereal Body (Su)

A thought eater’s skin and organs are composed primarily of ethereal tissue. The thought eater takes half damage from non-magical weapons, but is affected normally by magic weapons and spells. For every minute the thought eater remains on a plane other than the Ethereal Plane, it must spend 1 PE or take 1d6 points of damage as its body begins to dissipate.

Ethereal Passage (Sp)

A thought eater can move from the Ethereal Plane to the Material Plane as a move action, and can move from the Material Plane to the Ethereal Plane as a full-round action. Moving from the Material Plane to the Ethereal Plane costs the thought eater 1 PE, although moving from the Ethereal Plane to the Material Plane does not. Both forms of movement provoke attacks of opportunity.

ECOLOGY

Environment any (Ethereal Plane)
Organization solitary or group (1–3)
Treasure none

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary 5 © 2015, Paizo Inc.; Authors: Dennis Baker, Jesse Benner, John Bennett, Logan Bonner, Creighton Broadhurst, Robert Brookes, Benjamin Bruck, Jason Bulmahn, Adam Daigle, Thurston Hillman, Eric Hindley, Joe Homes, James Jacobs, Amanda Hamon Kunz, Ben McFarland, Jason Nelson, Thom Phillips, Stephen Radney-MacFarland, Alistair Rigg, Alex Riggs, David N. Ross, Wes Schneider, David Schwartz, Mark Seifter, Mike Shel, James L. Sutter, and Linda Zayas-Palmer.

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