Monster: Vulphrenex

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Vulphrenex
This creature has a general shape of a fox, except its eyes are shiny beads of utter black, its jaws extend into a mass of writhing tendrils, and it has two tentacles growing from its shoulders.

CR 3; XP 800
CN Small Aberration
Init +6; Senses darkvision 60 ft., thoughtsense 60 ft.; Perception +13

Defense
AC 15, touch 13, flat-footed 13 (+2 Dex, +2 natural, +1 size)
hp 33 (6d8+6)
Fort +3, Ref +4, Will +9
Immune confusion, insanity 
Weakness unliving thoughts

Offense
Speed 40 ft.
Melee bite +5 (1d4 plus eat thoughts), 2 tentacles +5 (1d4 plus mind bleed)
Special Attacks eat thoughts, mind bleed

Statistics
Str 10, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 13, Wis 15, Cha 13
Base Atk +4; CMB +3; CMD 15 (19 vs. trip)
Feats Alertness, Improved Initiative, Iron Will
Skills Acrobatics +11 (+15 leaping), Knowledge (dungeoneering) +10, Perception +13, Sense Motive +10, Stealth +15
Languages understand Aklo; alien telepathy 30 ft.
SQ enhanced thoughtsense, opportunistic travel

Ecology
Environment urban and ruins
Organization solitary, pair, or pack (3–5)
Treasure incidental

Alien Telepathy (Su) A vulphrenex can communicate telepathically with creatures that can understand Aklo, and those that have some form of telepathy themselves. They can project simple emotional signals to other creatures (e.g. feed me! go away! scary!).

Eat Thoughts (Su) A creature bitten by a vulphrenex has to succeed a Will saving throw (DC 14) or suffers 1d3 points of Intelligence and Charisma damage as their current thoughts and emotions are nibbled upon. The saving throw DC is Charisma-based. This is a mind-affecting ability.

Enhanced Thoughtsense (Su) A vulphrenex can concentrate as a full-round action to have its thoughtsense also detect psychic significance and detect mindscapes as if using corresponding spells within its range, though it suffers 1d3 points of Charisma damage when an intelligent undead is within the range of enhanced thoughtsense.

Mind Bleed (Su) A creature struck by a vulphrenex'es tentacle has to succeed a Will saving throw (DC 14) or its mind starts to slowly unravel, spilling its thoughts and emotions. The creature suffers 1 point of Wisdom damage each round until it succeeds a Will saving throw, loses consciousness, or is subject to any effect that heals Wisdom damage or drain. Any effect that protects mind from mind-affecting effects, calms emotions, or heals insanity will stop the mind bleed as well. The saving throw DC is Charisma-based. This is a mind-affecting ability.

Opportunistic Traveler (Su) While vulphrenex lack teleportation abilities of their own, they can follow other creatures that used teleportation abilities or other plane-traveling abilities such as shadow walk if they can reach the last position of such creature before the end of the creature's would be next turn, and they can pass magic gates and portals that closed within last round, even if they would travel against the gate or portal normal direction, unless the gate or portal was magically sealed in mean time. They also seem to be able to enter and leave nearby mindscapes at will.

Unliving Thoughts (Ex) A vulphrenex alien telepathy and thoughtsense don't discern intelligent undead from living things, often leaving vulphrenex exposed to undead hostility. A vulphrenex biting an undead suffers 1d3 points of Charisma damage itself as its mind is tainted with necrotic thoughts.


Vulphrenex are alien beings that feed on discarded and lost thoughts, psychic residues, and vulnerable minds that arrived from elsewhere and mantled themselves in a form mimicking local mundane scavengers. It is unclear if together with their form, vulphrenexes also copied some of vulpine behaviors, or if they choose animals they were already psychically similar to, but they show similar curiosity and playfulness as foxes.

When peacefully contacted, vulphrenexes can mostly harmlessly nibble on excess thoughts and emotions without causing much lasting damage. A desperate vulphrenex can feed on brain matter of creatures with animal intelligence, though they find that fare universally unappealing and tedious.

A young vulphrenex (CR 2) can be selected as a 7th level improved familiar, though whenever it suffers Charisma damage from contacting an undead creature via enhanced thoughtsense or their unliving thoughts vulnerability, their master suffers the same damage as well.

Dire vulphrenex (CR 5) is a giant, advanced vulphrenex with eight legs and two pairs of membranous wings. It is a Medium Aberration with AC 19, 57 hp, Fort +7, Ref +5, Will +11, Atk bite +9 (1d6+4 plus eat thoughts), 2 tentacles +9 (1d6+4 plus mind bleed). It has fly speed of 40 ft with good maneuverability, its special attacks have saving throw DCs of 16, and its thoughtsense has range of 120 feet. it has a starflight ability that allows it to survive the void of the outer space and travel between planets within the same system within 3d20 months, and different systems within 3d20 years or more. It might or might not be the vulphrenexes adult form, after they feasted on enough minds...