Intellect Devourer

Strictly, the name means the adult; its larva is the ustilagor. Both look like a brain on four legs and are about as big as one. The adult wears a crusty shell over clawed, jointed legs, and can psionically change size. The soft, damp larva, usually furred with gray fungus, has spindly coral-like legs and a 3-foot front tendril.

The agile larva darts and leaps, whipping its tendril for 1d4+1 alkaline damage and 1d4+1 more next round unless the victim saves vs. poison. After psionic contact it uses aversion (to fungus or a place), id insinuation to all but paralyze, or telempathic projection to sow distrust. Only psionic blast reaches its mind; its fungus blocks other mental attacks, prevents drying, repels cerebral parasites and grants immunity to fungal and aura-based effects. Powers: contact, aversion, id insinuation, telepathic projection, body equilibrium, ectoplasmic form.

The adult likewise favors psionics but can pounce and rake with all its three-taloned paws in a round. Three special powers run constantly for free, though detectable as psionic activity: energy containment (immune to all fire, 1 point per die from electricity), split personality (claws and psionics together each round) and a 60-foot psionic sense. Powers: domination, mind link, ESP, ego whip, contact, aversion, id insinuation, telepathic projection, astral projection, reduction, expansion, chameleon power, body equilibrium, ectoplasmic form.

Weapons below +3 cannot harm it, and those that can deal only 1 point per hit. Death spell works only 25% of the time, but power word: kill is fully effective. Protection from evil keeps it at bay, and bright light, firelight included, drives it off.

It hunts psionic beings. With a victim dead, it may shrink, crawl inside, eat the brain while reading its memories, and settle into the skull to walk the body in search of fresh minds.

They live underground or in dismal wilds, breeding by unknown means; adults rarely guard young and may eat them. A larva's partner fungus feeds on stray thought from its victims, and the larva matures by consuming a psionic being's brain.

Mind reavers raise them, savoring larvae as delicacies and keeping adults as guard beasts. Both forms are useful components for items and potions involving ESP or mind control.