Insectillar

Insectillar
No. Enc.: 1 (1)
Alignment: Lawful (Evil)
Movement: Special
Armor Class: 4
Hit Dice: 4+
Attacks: 1
Damage: 2d4+2 (Psychic Assault)
Save: F6
Morale: 8

Insectillars are huge, seemingly immobile insectoid beings who spend centuries slowly metamorphing into their adult form while sealed-away within their pupal-stage cocoons. Incapable of normal movement, Insectillars instead fade or phase across the boundaries of various adjacent worlds and parallel realms. In most respects this ability is somewhat similar to that of blink dogs, phase spiders or other such creatures.

A typical Insectillar will be from 3' to 12' in height, as determined by rolling 3d4. Their height determines their personal area of effect. It is possible for a 3' Insectillar to have 9 HD, and for a 12' tall one to have only 4 HD (Minimum Insectillar HD is 4).

Insectillars also use a limited form of local teleportation, allowing them to 'blink' from one place to another. Their blink range is determined by the Insectillar's height, each foot of stature giving them another 10' in range. However, they always move last, but may attack first if they have the initiative.

Insectillars can remain immobile and instead use their blink ability to create a Displacement Effect in order to remove opponents, especially if there is a distinct threat to the Insectillar's personal safety.

Another off-shoot of their innate blink ability is the capacity to shift an area equal to their personal area of effect (see Height above), from one world to another. This World-Shift ability can only be used once every 3d6 minutes and an Insectillar gains 1d4 World-Shifts per HD. Their favorite use of this ability is to strand victims from one world on another, and then observe how the victim fares in a hostile, alien environment of the Insectillar's choosing. (See our Exotic Environments Table, Broken Worlds Table, or use your own imagination.)

Yes, this World-Shift ability can easily kill anyone not prepared for the particular perils of the environment they get shifted to, but there is a saving grace to this terrible ability; the area affected by the Insectillar remains porous for the duration of the shift. If at any time during the duration of a particular World-Shift a victim makes a successful Save, they drop back to their starting point. The Insectillar will rarely come back for them, as those who can resist its abilities are no longer any fun to torment.

A Monster, Not a Conveyor Belt...
It is rumored that if someone were to successfully overcome an Insectillar in the same way that one dominates a sapeint sword, that it could possibly be forced to use its World-Shift ability as directed by their new master, but to do so is exceedingly dangerous. Attempts to Charm, coerce or dominate an Insectillar will drive them berserk, giving them an additional attack and doubling all damage dealt by their Psychic Assaults.

Insectillars will almost never willingly transport others to places they actually wish to go. Insectillars predominantly use their World-Shift ability to harm or strand victims, never to help anyone, unless they are somehow subdued or forced to do so under threat of death or destruction, but even then...they are not to be trusted. They tend to interpret things literally, especially when it suits their perverse sensibilities and provides a means of bringing their enemies into inimical environments they might not be able to survive. An Insectillar enjoys nothing quite so much as watching people struggle for survival against impossible odds, like trying to survive breathing chlorine, which, for them, is the height of humor.

Insectillars ignore all sounds, smells and most chemical forms of communication. They rely instead upon a combined form of ESP and Clairvoyance that extends across multiple time-lines, myriads of worlds and more. They only communicate via telepathy, and will ignore all other attempts to communicate, unless they detect the potential for having a little bad-natured fun.