Ekolid (3.5e Monster)

''This hideous, insectoid like creature has a body that resembles that of a winged ant about 2 feet in length, with a clearly divided thorax and abdomen. The back part of its form is a bulbous, lime green egg sac that seethes andd roils with what you can only assume are live specimens. Its face is a horrific brown mass of skulls and jaws bound together by a giant mass of flesh. As it cackles at you, you notice each of its many mouths alternating in laughter, but your gaze quickly shifts to the six vicious stingers protruding from its midsection. Those stingers promise a slow and painful death, and to look at them makes you feel as though bugs are creeping along your skin.''

"The obyrith are demoted, but not destroyed. Your corpse will be one of the steps in the ladder of our ascension."

Ekolids are a low example of obyrith, creatures too numerous for the tanar’ri to exterminate completely but not trusted enough to actually be used in the Blood War or any other demonic conflict. They were mostly left to their own devices until they were rallied under the banner of Obox-ob, the only remaining obyrith demon lord. Now they are found nearly exclusively in his realm, and when encountered outside of it there’s a good chance that they are performing reconnaissance for him.

Combat
An ekolid adds its Dexterity modifier instead of its Strength modifier to attack and damage rolls.

 (Ex): Upon seeing an ekolid, any non-demon must make a Will save (DC 15) or suffer the hallucination of bugs crawling over and under their skin, incurring a -2 penalty on all attack rolls, damage rolls, skill checks, ability checks and saving throws and becoming unable to perform any act that requires concentration without a successful Will save (using the same DC). This affliction is permanent unless removed by a lesser restoration, heal, miracle, or wish spell, but a creature that saves successfully is immune to that ekolid's form of madness for 1 hour. This save is Charisma-based.

 (Ex): An ekolid can implant its larvae into any solid creature that it strikes with a stinger attack. A victim of this ability must make a Fortitude save (DC 17) or be infected with larva. A creature can only be the target of this ability once per round. The larvae incubate for 1 round, after which they hatch and deal 4d6 points of damage to the creature as they burrow their way out. This save DC is Constitution-based.]

 (Su): A ekolid has the ability to possess a mortal creature (see this page for complete rules on demonic possession). The save against this ability and all related abilities described below are Charisma-based, with a DC equal to 13. The ekolid may also attempt to possess someone without losing its physical form if they are implanted with its eggs.

While in spirit form, the ekolid's statistics are modified as follows: Its AC changes to 12. It loses its normal base speed but gains a fly speed of 120 feet (with perfect maneuverability). The ekolid loses the ability to communicate by any means short of telepathy, cannot have its mind read, and cannot interact with its surroundings in any way except by touching a potential possession victim. While the ekolid also loses all the use of all normal attacks or abilities in this form, it becomes invisible (as the invisibility spell) so long as it remains incorporeal in this manner.

A creature possessed by a ekolid makes curiously insectoid clicking sounds when they move, speak, or attempt basically any other action, causing them to suffer a -2 penalty on Charisma-based checks, as people around them are generally perturbed by the phenomenon. A look at the target through a true seeing spell displays the growth of actual insect mandibles and other similar features on the target, which aid in recognizing the possessed host to other demons.

Perhaps as a result of this change, the victim of an ekolid transformation becomes intensely arachnophilic, finding spiders and just about all other insectoid creatures or similarly nasty things cute and cuddly even as they are about to bite his (or her) face off. A creature possessed by an ekolid must make a Will save before it attacks any creature of the vermin type, or become unable to do so. Additionally, it is subject to a sympathy effect toward anything related to spiders or insects, with a DC 13 Will save to resist the effect for 1 hour.

A ekolid that uses the Bane action upon its host causes the host to become sickened, as they experience a sensation akin to insects burrowing through their innards.

If a ekolid attempts to possess a minor NPC 5th or lower level, instead of the normal possession rules, that creature becomes a possessed, with a level equal to its level. If the ekolid possesses a major NPC or PC whose level or CR is less than its own (normally 4), the insect features on its person manifest for all to see, warping the flesh to deal 1d6 points of damage per CR higher the ekolid is than the host (if any).

Caster level 4th.

 (Ex): An ekolid gains an extra standard action during each of its turns.