Medium Monstrous Humanoid

Hit Dice: 2d8+4 (13 hp)

Initiative: +5

Speed: 40 ft. (6 sq.), climb 40 ft.

AC: 14 (+1 Dex, +3 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 13

Base Attack/Grapple: +2/+2

Attack: Claw +2 melee (1d3); or shortspear +2 melee (1d6), or dart +3 ranged (1d4)

Full Attack: 4 claws +2 melee (1d3) and bite –3 melee (1d3 plus disease); or shortspear +2 melee (1d6) and 2 claws –3 melee (1d3) and bite –3 melee (1d3 plus disease); or dart +3 ranged (1d4)

Special Attacks: Disease, psi-like abilities

Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., immunity to disease and sleep effects, light sensitivity, scent

Space/Reach: 5 ft./ 5 ft.

Saves: Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +5

Abilities: Str 11, Dex 12, Con 15, Int 8, Wis 12, Cha 7

Skills: Climb +8, Hide +2*, Move Silently +2, Listen +3, Spot +3, Survival +4

Feats: Alertness^B, Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative^B

 

Environment: Temperate and warm plains and underground

Organization: Solitary, or cluster (5 – 10)

Challenge Rating: 1

Treasure: Standard

Alignment: Usually chaotic neutral

Advancement: By character class

Level Adjustment: +2

 

This creature resembles a bipedal cockroach, complete with six limbs; the lower two are used for walking, and the upper four end in four-fingered clawlike hands. It has strong, albeit rather blunt, mandibles, compound eyes, and two long antennae sprouting from its head.

 

Thri-kroaches are a degenerate subrace of thri-kreen, adapted to dwell in urban an underground areas as scavengers. They still resemble their sibling race in many ways, but are of a darker, rather brown color and of a slightly smaller and lighter build. Also, their heads are not as distinctly set off from their bodies. A thri-kroach’s neck is shorter and its head is more set between its shoulders.

Due to its long feelers, thri-kroaches can sense even finest traces of odors within their surroundings.

Thri-kroaches speak Common and Thri-Kreen.

 

Combat

Thri-Kroaches have a strong innate instinct to flee rather than to fight. In combat, they usually look out for the next best opportunity to escape, and they bring all means to bear they have at their command to ensure that they survive a fray they happen to get involved to (rather in contrast than to defeat an opponent – that’s only secondary).

Disease (Ex): Bite – filth fever (save DC 13); incubation period 1d3 days; damage 1d3 Dex, 1d3 Con. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Psi-like abilities: 3/day – chameleon, know direction and location; 1/day – dimension slide, exhalation of the black dragon. Manifester level ½ the thri-kroach’s hit dice (minimum 1).

If you don’t use the Expanded Psionics Handbook, use the following spell-like abilities instead:

3/day – expeditious retreat, know direction; 1/day – invisibility, Melf’s acid arrow. Caster level ½ the thri-kroach’s hit dice (minimum 1).

Light Sensitivity (Ex): Thri-kroaches are dazzled in bright sunlight or within the radius of a daylight spell.

Skills: Thri-kroaches gain a +4 racial bonus on Hide checks in urban and underground settings.

A thri-kroach has a +8 racial bonus on Climb checks and can always choose to take 10, even if threatened or rushed.

Feats: Thri-kroaches gain Alertness and Improved Initiative as a bonus feat.

 

Thri-kroaches as Characters

Thri-kroach characters possess the following racial traits.

• +2 Dexterity, +4 Constitution, -2 Intelligence, +2 Wisdom, -4 Charisma. Thri-kroaches survive by escape, watchfulness, and digestion of things barely edible for others. They are, however, reclusive scavengers with barely anything else in mind than survival.
• Medium-size
• A thri-kroach’s base land speed is 40 ft. It also has got a climb speed of 40 ft.
• Darkvision out to 60 ft.
• +3 natural armor bonus
• Multiple Limbs: Thri-kroach have four arms and can take the Multiweapon Fighting and Multiattack feats.
• Natural Attacks: 4 claws (1d3) and bite (1d3). Since they are scavengers and not hunters, the natural weapons of thri-kroaches are weaker than those of thri-kreen.
• Weapon Familiarity: The gythka and chatkcha (specific thri-kreen weapons) are still martial weapons for thri-kroaches. Learning to wield them is a well-kept tradition of that race.
• Naturally Psionic: Thri-kroaches gain 1 bonus power point at 1st level.
• Special Attacks (see above): Disease, psi-like abilities (manifester level equal to ½ HD).
• Special Qualities (see above): Immunity to disease and sleep effects, light sensitivity, scent
• Racial Hit Dice: A thri-kroach begins with two levels of monstrous humanoid, which provide 2d8 Hit Dice, a base attack bonus of +2, and base saving throw bonuses of Fort +0, Ref +3, and Will +3.
• Racial Skills: A thri-kroach’s monstrous humanoid levels give it skill points equal to 5 x (2 + Int modifier, minimum 1). Its class skills are Climb, Hide, Move Silently, Listen, Spot, and Survival. Thri-kroaches have a +4 racial bonus on Hide checks in urban and underground settings.
• Racial Feats: A thri-kroach’s monstrous humanoid levels give it one feat. A thri-kroach gains Alertness and Improved Initiative as a bonus feat.
• Automatic Languages: Common, Thri-Kreen; Bonus languages: Dwarven, Draconic, Gnome, Goblin, Orc, Undercommon
• Favored Class: Rogue
• Level Adjustment: +2

© 2009 by Bruder Grimm