At first glance, this resembles a ancient pillar composed of copper, stone, and blue crystals. Legs unfold from the pillar and the crystals glow wight light as four lanky arms bearing saws and drills appear, accompanied by an ominous whine.

Deranged Trepanner
CR 6 CN Medium construct (psionic) XP 2,400
Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +2

Defense
AC 20, touch 12, flat-footed 18 (+2 Dex, +8 natural)
hp 65 (7d10+27)
Fort +2, Ref +4, Will +1; DR 5/bludgeoning; Immune construct traits; PR 17

Offense
Speed 30 ft.
Melee 4 claws +13 (1d6+5 plus grab or psychic drain)
Space 5 ft.; Reach 10 ft.

Special Attacks
grab, trepanning

Psi-Like Abilities (ML 7th)
At will – empathic transfer
3/day – psychic drain (DC 15) (may manifest as swift action upon successful melee strike)
1/day – dimension slide
dispel psionics
energy push (4d6, DC 15)
specified energy adaptation (immediate action)
The save DCs are Intelligence-based.
*Includes augmentation for the trepanner’s manifester level.

Statistics
Str 20, Dex 14, Con -, Int 13, Wis 8, Cha 1
Base Atk +7; CMB +12 (+16 grapple); CMD 24

Feats
Combat Reflexes, Skill Focus (Heal), Toughness, Weapon Focus (arm)

Skills
Heal +17, Perception +2, Stealth +8; Racial Modifiers +8 Heal, +2 Stealth
Languages Common
SQ Aid overchannel, freeze

Ecology
Environment: any
Organization: solitary or team (3-5)
Treasure: none

SPECIAL ABILITIES
Aid Overchannel (Su): A creature in physical contact with a deranged trepanner can divert one-third of the damage caused by using the Overchannel feat (rounded up) to the trepanner, which the trepanner cannot avoid. A creature can only benefit from one trepanner’s aid overchannel ability at a time, and this ability functions up to three times per day.

Freeze (Ex): A deranged trepanner can hold itself so still it appears to be a column between 5 to 10 feet in height. A deranged trepanner that uses freeze can take 20 on its Stealth check to hide in plain sight as a column. This ability does not work against creatures that have previously witnessed a deranged trepanner unfolding from its column shape.

Grab (Ex): A deranged trepanner can use its grab attack
against a foe of up to Medium size.

Trepanning (Ex): If a deranged trepanner successfully pins an opponent that has a skull, it may immediately attempt to bore a hole in the opponent’s skull by making an attack roll, taking into account the target’s AC penalties for being pinned. If successful, the target suffers 4d6 damage, loses 3d6 power points, and takes 1d6 points of Intelligence damage.

Legend has it that the trepanners were crafted centuries ago to ease the suffering of powerful psions when they felt overwhelmed by the energy churning within them. Trepanners are equipped with adamantine blades and drills precisely designed for piercing the thick bone of the skull to relieve cranial swelling, as well as drain psionic energy.

Perhaps due to the passage of time, malicious sabotage, or a psychic virus, the trepanners devolved from gentle healers into compulsive schizophrenics. In their deluded dementia, deranged trepanners believe all sentient beings suffer from insanity, edema, or an overabundance of psionic power. True to their original calling, they seek to alleviate such suffering by any means necessary, even if that means pain or death to the “patient.” (Sages surmise that originally they were equipped with anesthesia, but that their supplies ran out long ago.)

When a deranged trepanner encounters a creature with a brain and sentient thought, it moves quickly to alleviate the creature from the burdens of thought. It overlooks animals, constructs, plants, and other creatures free of the yoke of a brain capable of higher thought. They prefer to grapple and use their trepanning ability, and have other methods at their disposal to handle unruly patients or those standing in their way. Once a trepanner has successfully trepanned a creature or used its psychic drain ability against it three times, the trepanner generally moves on to another patient.

It is possible to convince a trepanner that its medical services are unnecessary with a DC 26 Bluff check to back down. Even if a trepanner is persuaded in this way, sooner or later it likely will relapse and come to believe that the PC is in need of a good skull-boring.

CONSTRUCTION
A trepanner is constructed from stone and steel, with crystals providing the power. It weighs 800 pounds.

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