Dream Eater Asabikeshiinh (3.5e Elder Evil)
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Dream Eater Asabikeshiinh[edit]
The remains of the ancient tribe of natives known as the saulteurs give testament to the cataclysm which wiped them from the earth. While many have blamed disease or civil war, the relics recovered seem to point to a different end. The saulteurs people were well known for their mysticism and lore surrounding dreams, in their interpretation and culture, and belief of another world, the "Dreamlands", where dreams were reality. What has not been explained however is a re-occurrence of a common sigil found on nearly every major building and artifact recovered from their civilization. This sigil is known as the mind spiderweb, or dreamcatcher. Believed to be a ward against nightmares, our research now has determined that it was no mere good luck charm but an actual defense against something very real, yet as ethereal as the wind. For if the Dreamlands is real, then so to may the creature in their legends exist, the devourer of dreams. Within the unreality of these Dreamlands lies a terrible predator of dreams and sleep, the being known as Asabikeshiinh. If such a creature was allowed to enter reality, the dream eater would devour the concept of sleep from the world.
Of course, there is no direct evidence of any such extraplanar threat these days. The only remaining proof to this theory are the many temples scattered in the far corners of the world, lined with marks of mind spiderwebs and dreamcatchers, and fragments of an ancient idol. Perhaps by completing the broken idol, a clearer image could be created of what terrible secret from the Dreamlands the saulteurs had unlocked.
Background[edit]
Dream Eater Asabikeshiinh is a form of cosmic mental parasite which lives within the darkest depths of the Dreamlands, an obscure plane of existence where dreams are reality. Within this ethereal ever-changing realm, mortal minds briefly travel, touching the edges in vivid moments and leaving once the dream collapses. (Knowledge The Planes DC 30) In some cases the mind draws too close to the lair of Asabikeshiinh and instinctively draws back in terror what it sees, waking in fright and suffering from insomnia. Fortunately for mortalkind, the link between reality and the Dreamlands is tenuous, but if some stronger connection between the two planes were made and a sleeping mind were to make contact, then Asabikeshiinh may be able to latch on before they could instinctively escape, and something terrible occurs. (Knowledge The Planes DC 40)
Asabikeshiinh desires the sleeping minds of others and its hunger is insatiable. Though it is unknown if it is sapient or not, the dream eater knows the prime material contains a feast waiting to happen and will enter the mind of those who make contact with it. From there its baleful presence would drain the psyche from others, leaving them unable to sleep. (Knowledge Psionics DC 30) Mild insomnia turns into heavier bouts of restlessness. The body grows sore and fatigued, and the mind strains as it is forced to stay awake, unable to sleep and feeling only sickness and terror instead of rest when their eyes close. Eventually the mind will break under stress, rendering its victims insane, catatonic, and in some cases dead from lack of sleep. (Heal DC 25) The area of the effect spreads over time as the dream eater establishes itself in more and more minds, a terrifying web of sleeplessness, until it has consumed the sleep of all sentient beings. Civilizations collapse, leaving only insane fragments of society and mindless wanderers.
It is said that saulteurs had originally set up a link between here and the Dreamlands in preparation of great religious pilgrimage, but called in the dream eater instead. (Knowledge History DC 45) Somehow, a group of heroes had somehow managed to severe the link between the prime material and the Dreamlands, but not before their society collapsed on itself. The broken idol was the key between worlds, and even in its broken state it has great power. If the idol is removed from their sealed chambers and repaired, Asabikeshiinh will surely re-establish control in the material plane and finish what it had begun thousands of years prior. (Knowledge The Planes DC 40)
Goals[edit]
The dream eater desires to devour the sleep from all creatures which seek to rest. Eventually its hunger becomes so great that even beings which only rest (such as elves) begin to feel its effects. Only mindless beings are safe from its degenerative effects. (Knowledge Psionic DC 30)
Dream Eater Asabikeshiinh in the Campaign[edit]
Dream Eater Asabikeshiinh is stranded in the Dreamlands, but can influence the prime material through the fragments of the Dreaming God idol. Mortals which come into contact with these shards without suitable protection will be subject to its memetic effects, resulting in insomnia and the beginning of the process. The first to make contact becomes the "seed", and they will be compelled to find the other fragments while those around them will begin suffering from sleep problems. The area of effect grows with time and the number of fragments gathered in one place. Even worse, late stage events render those affected by sleeplessness as "seeds" as well, spreading the effect even further and faster. If the idol is completed, Asabikeshiinh will manifest into reality and result in a world-ending event as it breaks into the mind of all living creatures, denying them of required sleep.
A possible campaign arc follows, complete with Encounter Levels so you may design adventures for the PCs and include various events that foretell the dream eater's influence in the world.
EL 5: Investigations into various ancient temples uncover fragments of the idol, first infecting either a PC or a friendly NPC. The discovery is seen as a landfall and the PCs will be encouraged to find more fragments. Evidence of sleep issues are subtle, appearing only over the course of a few days and causing no real issues besides a general bad feeling and overwork.
EL 10 (Faint Sign): As more fragments are found, the original seed will be suffering from insomnia, but no less willing to continue to go out to find fragments. In addition the local area has been having their populace turn cranky, irritable, and in some cases violent. Accidents are on the increase as well as public disturbances. PCs will soon start getting fatigued and sleepless as well. It should be played up as the effect of some kind of disease, though a cure is not known. A search for a cure can be made, but this is a red herring.
EL 15 (Moderate Sign): The original seed will no longer be able to sleep, and the surrounding populace is suffering much the same. Unrest and displeasure begins to turn into full scale riots. Police action will be taken on a wide scale and international events will be provoked. Any pre-existing stresses in the social structure of the world likely will begin to break among the lack of sleep and panic over a global pandemic. PCs will be seriously effected by lack of sleep, and spellcasters will begin to have spotty success recovering spells each day.
EL 18 (Strong Sign): The world is in full panic, half the people insane and the other half in mental stupors, unsleeping comas where they slowly starve. The desire to sleep now exceeds feelings of hunger and thirst. Crazed animals and monsters prowl the land in their madness. Spellcasters will have a very difficult time resting to recover spells, and all creatures have difficulty performing day to day tasks as they will be unable to focus.
EL 20 (Overwhelming Sign): The idol has been completed and the original seed will finally be able to sleep. The moment this is done, the original seed becomes a host for the dream eater, which bursts out of the victims body in material form. The effects of sleeplessness are now worldwide, and those in the presence of Asabikeshiinh are driven mad or catatonic. Even if Asabikeshiinh is defeated, by this stage the condition is now irrecoverable. Only those who somehow managed to avoid becoming corrupted, and newborn creatures will be free to be able to sleep in peace.
Description[edit]
The Dream Eater Asabikeshiinh has no inherent form, being little more than a thought, but whenever it is 'observed' it is always seen as something terrifying deep within the psyche. For many, Asabikeshiinh appears as something vaguely spider-like. When it manifests into reality, Asabikeshiinh takes the form of the host's worst fear, always massive and terrible in its visage. Its spider motif has some correlation to the idol of the Dreaming God, a humanoid figure in a relaxed pose who has a crown shaped like a spider, and when completed whose calm visage and closed eyes open wide as if in sudden terror.
Sign[edit]
Insomnia
Insomnia is a terrible mental memetic virus which prevents sleep, devouring REM sleep and then even basic rest. Those that are affected will suffer from sleep deprivation to such an extent as to create serious health risks.
Faint: When creatures within 10 miles of any fragment or the original seed go to sleep, their sleep will be troubled. They will still be able to rest, but if they fail a DC 15 Will save they will be fatigued the next day until they rest further (save negates), and have an additional -1 penalty to attack rolls, skill checks, opposed checks, and saves for the rest of the day even if they do rest.
Moderate: When creatures within 100 miles of any fragment or the original seed go to sleep, they will constantly be woken up by nightmares. If they fail a DC 20 Will save they will be exhausted the next day until they rest further (save negates), and have an additional -2 penalty to attack rolls, skill checks, opposed checks, and saves for the rest of the day even if they do rest. Spells and other things which refresh daily will not refresh if the save is failed. Creatures which don't sleep but trance, such as elves, are affected as well.
Strong: When creatures within 1000 miles of any fragment or the original seed go to sleep, their sleep will be troubled. They will still be able to rest, but if they fail a DC 30 Will save they will be exhausted the next day until they rest further and fatigued even if they save, and have an additional -3 penalty to attack rolls, skill checks, opposed checks, and saves for the rest of the day even if they do rest. Spells and other things which refresh daily will not refresh if the save is failed. Creatures which don't sleep but trance, such as elves, are affected as well. If a creature has gone more than 3 days straight without sleeping, they will randomly begin to experience hallucinations (treat as major image castings, whose save to disbelieve is also DC 30).
Overwhelming: Creatures all around the world lose the ability to sleep completely, no save. Spells and other things which refresh daily are now impossible to refresh. Creatures get a DC 35 Will save each day or become exhausted the next day until they rest further and fatigued even if they save, and have an additional -4 penalty to attack rolls, skill checks, opposed checks, and saves for the rest of the day even if they do rest. If a creature has gone more than 1 day straight without sleeping, they will randomly begin to experience hallucinations (treat as major image castings, whose save to disbelieve is also DC 35). If they have gone 3 days without sleeping, they must make a DC 35 Will save or be driven insane.
Malefic Properties[edit]
Anathematic Secrecy: Immune to all divine divination spells and effects.
Discord and Woe: Incite killing rage in living creatures.EE
Encounter Information[edit]
| Asabikeshiinh | |
|---|---|
| Size/Type: | Huge Outsider (Evil, Psionic) |
| Hit Dice: | 25d8+525 (637 hp) |
| Initiative: | +7 |
| Speed: | 100 ft, 100 ft. fly (perfect), 50 ft burrow |
| Armor Class: | 45 (+7 dex, +32 natural, -4 size), touch 13, flat-footed 38 |
| Base Attack/Grapple: | +25/+49 |
| Attack: | Bite +33 melee (4d6+18 plus mind poison, 20/x2) or Claw +31 melee (3d6+12 plus grab, 20/x2) |
| Full Attack: | Bite +33 melee (4d6+18 plus mind poison, 20/x2) and Two Claws +31 melee (3d6+12 plus grab, 20/x2) |
| Space/Reach: | 15 ft/15 ft |
| Special Attacks: | Aura of Madness (DC 35), External Schism, Improved Grab, Mindhost (DC 35), Mind Poison (DC 34), Psionics, Summon Thralls |
| Special Qualities: | Blindsight 60 ft, DR 15/crystal and epic, Dreaming Idol, Fast Healing 10, Hinder Acid/Cold/Electric/Fire 50%, Immunities, Mental Pressure, Psychic Health, Spell/Power Resistance 36, True Seeing |
| Saves: | Fort +24, Ref +21, Will +25 |
| Abilities: | Str 34, Dex 24, Con 30, Int 27, Wis 33, Cha 33 |
| Skills: | Balance +9, Bluff +39, Concentration +38, Diplomacy +15, Disguise +13, Escape Artist +35, Gather Information +13, Hide +23, Intimidate +53, Jump +42, Knowledge Arcana +36, Knowledge Local +36, Knowledge Psionics +36, Knowledge The Planes +36, Listen +39, Move Silently +35, Psicraft +38, Search +36, Sense Motive +39, Spot +39, Survival +11 (+13 on other planes/following tracks), Tumble +35 |
| Feats: | Power Attack, Multiattack, Combat Reflexes, Combat Expertise, Superior Expertise, Power Penetration, Greater Power Penetration, Improved Manifestation |
| Environment: | Any, Dreamlands |
| Organization: | Unique plus 1-10 Thralls |
| Challenge Rating: | 25 |
| Treasure: | None |
| Alignment: | Always Evil |
| Advancement: | 26-50 HD (Huge), 51-75 (Gargantuan) |
| Level Adjustment: | — |
The cultist smiled painfully, the grin moving up and up the sides of its face as its mouth opened wide, tearing itself open, and a thousand spider legs seemed to reach forth from the bloody maw reaching for the sky. With a wet rip an unspeakable nightmare pulled itself into your world. It was something deep and primal in your mind, something horrid, only vaguely spider-like, the rest of it seeming to be made of fear itself...
The elder evil Asabikeshiinh is an unknown memetic parasite from the Plane of Dreams which feasts on the sleep of others. It is summoned through the terrible artifact known as the Dreaming God idol. Once manifested in the prime material, it acts as a blight upon the world, driving them to insanity and death through lack of sleep until only the mindless remain. None know the true form of Asabikeshiinh, for it appears to be the worst fears of those who look upon it. The only coherent description common among viewers is arachnid traits, leading some to believe that Asabikeshiinh is some manner of nightmaric spider creature.
Asabikeshiinh is born from the host body of its first victim. Once established, it can respawn anywhere the idol and one afflicted creature is. Even if destroyed and banished, its effects will be felt for years to come, an entire generation no longer able to rest ever again.
Combat[edit]
Asabikeshiinh surrounds itself with thralls from its mindhost ability, both to provide plenty of padding between it and any would-be heroes and to act as relays to increase its actions per round. It is even smart enough to keep some on reserve so as not to run out and have to rely on Summon Thrall ability. Mind-affecting immunity is always a problem, and so it will seek to demolish any protections through dispel psionics and its own mental pressure, before moving in to disable or kill its victims. It only engaged in melee when needed, or to soften up a creature's will saves and make them more pliable to its desires.
If killed, it has its dreaming idol as backup and will respawn at once with one of the nearby thralls as a host. With this in mind the only way to effectively fight Asabikeshiinh is to find its idol and threaten its destruction before it respawns. It knows that if the idol is destroyed, it will be unable to respawn making the battle much less focused on depleting Asabikeshiinh's hit points and more about destroying the idol (or keeping thralls 120 ft or more away from it) while Asabikeshiinh tries to murder you.
Aura of Madness (Su): All creatures within 120 ft. of Asabikeshiinh must make a Will save DC 35 or go hopelessly insane at what they've seen, but any results of attacking the caster replaced with running in fear. Those that succeed remain immune to the aura for 24 hours. This is a mind-affecting effect and the save is Charisma based.
Dreaming Idol (Ex): Asabikeshiinh is linked to the golden Dreaming God idol which brought it to this world, and it keeps its soul tied to the prime material as a result. If Asabikeshiinh is brought below 0 hp, it will immediately appear possessing the dreaming idol and only be able to use its mindhost and mental pressure abilities on nearby creatures to possess them and be reborn (see mindhost below). The Dreaming Idol itself is an artifact whose method of destruction is lost to history (rendering it, for all purposes, indestructible), but the magic which binds the fragmented surface together can be harmed. For the purposes of demolishing the idol into its component pieces the idol has hardness 40, 250 hp, and can only be harmed by epic weapons or spells with a caster level higher than 20. Destroying the idol is the only way to keep Asabikeshiinh permanently dead, no matter how many times it is killed if it can find a new host it will reappear at full strength in short order.
External Schism (Su): Asabikeshiinh can use the minds of those who failed the save against the overwhelming sign of its coming as a relay point for its psionic powers. It can use a valid creature in 60 ft. and have them manifest a psionic power that has a manifesting time of 1 standard action or less in its steed, with no action cost to either the creature or Asabikeshiinh. However, the power has a manifester level -5 lower than normal, similar to schism. Asabikeshiinh can do this with multiple creatures, reducing the manifester level by 5 for each creature (therefore if it decided to use three creatures to manifest various powers in its steed, it would have a -15 ML, or a manifester level of 10 for each creature, not including itself). As a result, it can manifest a maximum of one power on its own (ML 25) and manifest from four different creatures in 60 ft (ML 5).
All manifestations draw from Asabikeshiinh's own powers known and power points. The target valid creatures need not be psionic, high level, nor even willing. It can even manifest from player characters, if they are valid targets. Because of the extra actions it offers, Asabikeshiinh usually keeps a large group of thralls around it at all times.
Immunities (Ex): Asabikeshiinh is immune to poison, paralysis, polymorphing, petrification, or any form-altering attack. It is not subject to energy drain, ability drain, ability damage, and mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects).
Improved Grab (Ex): If Asabikeshiinh hits with a claw, it deals normal damage and attempts to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. Asabikeshiinh can use improved grab on a creature of any size, as it has no true size or mass of its own, only an apparent one. Each successful grapple check it makes during successive rounds automatically deals claw damage.
Mental Pressure (Su): Being near Asabikeshiinh wears on the mind. If within 60 ft., any temporary effects which render a creature immune to mind-affecting effects (such as mind blank) are subject to a dispel check of 1d20 + 20 each round. In addition, psionic creatures which are subject to mind affecting effects are drained of 10 power points a round, no save, while in the area.
Mindhost (Sp): Asabikeshiinh can dominate the will of others who have failed the save against the overwhelming sign of its coming. At will Asabikeshiinh can duplicate the effects of dominate monster (Will save DC 35) on any creature which has failed against its overwhelming sign. While useful, this is only half of its ability. If Asabikeshiinh is slain and returns to the Dreaming Idol, it can use this ability on any valid creature in 120 ft who must succeed on a Will save, followed by a Fortitude save. If they fail the Will save they will go into convulsions for 1 round and be helpless. If they fail the Fortitude save at the end of the round they will burst open, producing another Asabikeshiinh at full health. Saving on either negates. In this way, Asabikeshiinh respawns eternally. It always keeps a steady supply of thralls nearby the dreaming idol for precisely these forms of possession. If the possessed victim dies before Asabikeshiinh can respawn at the end of the round, Asabikeshiinh does not respawn and must try again.
Mind Poison (Ex): The bite of Asabikeshiinh has a dangerous neurotoxin. It deals 1d8 Wisdom/1d8 Wisdom damage, DC 34 Fortitude negates. The save is Constitution based.
Psionics (Ps): Asabikeshiinh is a 25th level Telepath with the following powers:
1st-defensive precognition, disable, mind thrust, sense link, vigor; 2nd-aversion, cloud mind, damp powerCPsi, ego whip, inflict pain, psionic suggestion; 3rd-crisis of breath, dispel psionics, false sensory input, forced share pain, hostile empathic transfer, psychic orb, telekinetic force, telekinetic thrust ; 4th-death urge, mindwipe, psionic dimension door, psionic freedom of movement, telekinetic maneuver; 5th-autoimmune reactor, psionic feeblemind, psychotic breakCPsi, shatter mind blank; 6th-breath of the black dragon, crisis of faith, fuse flesh, temporal acceleration; 7th-divert teleport, energy conversion, gauss whip, insanity, psionic moment of prescience, psychoclastic spray; 8th-hostile schism, hysterical contagion, psionic greater teleport; 9th-affinity field, assimilate, pain affinity fieldCPsi, reality revision, unreality zone. Saving throws are DC 21 + power level and are Charisma based.
Asabikeshiinh has a total of 493 power points, and regains 10 power points a round due to its mental pressure.
Psychic Health (Ex): Asabikeshiinh adds its Charisma score to its HD for determine bonus hp, in addition to Constitution. In addition, Asabikeshiinh automatically gains 10 power points each round as it drains from the minds of others worldwide.
Summon Thralls (Su): As a standard action, Asabikeshiinh can summon 1d10 thralls, victims of its overwhelming sign, within 60 ft. These thralls are not strong, typically low level commoners and warriors, but they are under its mind control and will be instructed to spread out and either blockade or serve as relay points for its external schism. The creatures are actually called, and as a result they actually die if slain and will not despawn. This is an instantaneous conjuration (calling) effect.
True Seeing (Su): Asabikeshiinh is always under the effect of true seeing.
Back to Main Page → 3.5e Homebrew → Deities → Elder Evils
| Eiji-kunv |
|---|
| Alignment | Always Evil + |
| Author | Eiji-kun + |
| Challenge Rating | 25 + |
| Environment | Any, Dreamlands + |
| Identifier | 3.5e Elder Evil + |
| Level Adjustment | — + |
| Rated By | Foxwarrior + |
| Rating | Rating Pending + |
| Sign | Insomnia + |
| Size | Huge + |
| Subtype | Evil + and Psionic + |
| Summary | Within the unreality of these Dreamlands lies a terrible predator of dreams and sleep, the being known as Asabikeshiinh. If such a creature was allowed to enter reality, the dream eater would devour the concept of sleep from the world. + |
| Title | Dream Eater Asabikeshiinh + |
| Type | Outsider + |
