Thought Eater

This bizarre creature is about three feet long with a feline-like hairless body. Its sickly gray and translucent flesh allows its skeletal and muscular systems to be easily seen. The creature's head seems to be a weird mix of feline and avian.

Thought Eater (CR 2)

Small Aberration
Alignment: Neutral
Initiative: +8
Senses: Darkvision 60 feet; Perception +11

Speed: 40 feet
Space: 5 feet

Defense

Armor Class: 17, touch 15, flat-footed 13 (+4 Dex, +2 natural, +1 size)
Hit Points: 13 (3d8)
Saving Throws: Fort +1, Ref +5, Will +4
ethereal jaunt, spell absorption
Spell Resistance: 13

Offense

Melee: touch +7 (1d2+1 plus eat thoughts)
Reach: 5 feet

Spell-Like Abilities (CL 3rd):

• At Will- Daze (DC 12), Detect Magic

Statistics

Str	Dex	Con	Int	Wis	Cha
12 (+1)	18 (+4)	11 (+0)	7 (-2)	12 (+1)	14 (+2)

Base Attack Bonus: +2
CMB +2
CMD 16

Feats: Improved Initiative, Weapon Finesse

Skills: Perception +11, Stealth +14

• Racial Modifiers: +4 Perception

Languages:

Special Qualities: precognition

Special Abilities

Detect Magic (Sp)

A thought eater can use its detect magic spell-like ability to detect magic-using creatures. Magic-using creatures are defined as creatures with levels in a spellcasting class or creatures with spell-like abilities or the ability to cast spells.

Eat Thoughts (Su)

The touch of a thought eater deals 1d2 points of Intelligence damage. A thought eater is sated when it has consumed at least 12 points of Intelligence in a given 24-hour period.

Ethereal Jaunt (Su)

A thought eater can shift from the Ethereal Plane to the Material Plane as part of any move action, and then shift back again as a free action. This ability is otherwise identical to the ethereal jaunt spell (CL 10th).

Precognition (Su)

As a standard action, a thought eater can concentrate and glimpse fragments of potential future events-what it sees probably happens if no action is taken to change it. The vision, however, is incomplete, and makes no sense until the events begin to unfold. On its next action, a thought eater gains a +2 insight bonus on a single attack roll, damage roll, saving throw, or skill check. The bonus can be applied to the roll after the results of the dice are known.

Spell Absorption (Su)

If a thought eater's spell resistance protects it form a magical effect, the creature absorbs that magical energy into its body. Absorbing a spells heals a thought eater a number of hit points equal to the absorbed spell's level. This cannot increase a thought eater's hit points above its normal maximum hit points.

Ecology

Environment: Any
Organization: solitary
Treasure: none


Thought eaters are bizarre creatures that spend their time swimming the Ethereal Plane feeding on the thoughts and intelligence of living creatures. What little is known of these strange creatures has only recently been discovered. Thought eaters, on average, live about 15 years in the Ethereal Plane. Whether this low life expectancy is the result of predation, natural selection, or the result of some anomaly is unknown. Their diet consists of only the thoughts, intelligence, and mental powers of other creatures. They need not eat or drink anything else to survive.

No juvenile or young thought eaters have ever been seen, but it is hypothesized that young are born live and mature very quickly. When a thought eater detects an intelligent creature, it manifests on the Material Plane and attacks from ambush, seeking to feed its insatiable appetite. A thought eater can spend a maximum of 1 minute (10 rounds) on the Material Plane before its wispy flesh disintegrates and the creature falls dead. If badly wounded, a thought eater seeks escape to the Ethereal Plane rather than continuing the fight.