#knowledge (psionics)

[terolusgreyhawk]

Knowledge (psionics) or (history) DC20:

The geckofolk city of Hezsiljab's High Council of Archmagi created the first psionic half-giants as slaves millennia ago. Many have since escaped into the deep deserts to establish hidden communities, and others traveling further to be now found in disapora throughout the world. 

[terolusgreyhawk]

Knowledge (dungeoneering) or (psionics) DC25:

Illithids aren't sexually dimorphic, and reproduce via parasitic ceremorphosis. This process is a bodily change that occurs when an illithid tadpole reaches maturity and is inserted into the brain of a humanoid host, usually a human. The tadpole eats away the victim's brain matter while growing to replace the brain, erasing all of the subject's personality and memory, but leaving the physical body alive and under the tadpole's control. After this, morphological transformations begin to occur to the body, driven by alien hormones excreted by the new tadpole ‘brain’, and over the course of a week it becomes a new illithid. 

Despite their lack of biological sex, illithids do have binary gender constructs. Humanoids tend to refer to them as male and female, but these are inaccurate frameworks to describe the true strangeness of mindflayer gender identity, which is completely different from that of other races in often unexpected ways.

[terolusgreyhawk]

A yuan-ti always shows her true nature in the end.

[terolusgreyhawk]

Languages, Part 15 (OOC)

The following are some of the languages spoken in the world of Greyhawk. They can be learned with the Speak Language skill, though exceptions may apply where noted. Unless your character speaks a particular language, assume that knowledge or recognition of it is OOC information.

Khen-zai: the racial language of khen-zai, or ethergaunts, a spindly race of alien humanoids created by powerful aberrations in the distant past, that now dwell in the Ethereal Plane. They cannot speak, but use special tendrils on their head to produce a psychic sensation of sound in the minds of their own kind, or of those they have psionically dominated. Khen-zai is the language they use for this, but it cannot be understood or learned by other sane races.

Kuo-Toan: the racial language of the kuo-toa, an evil race of froglike monstrous humanoids. It contains a lot of croaking sounds, which can be hard on the throats of other races. Drow sometimes know it, as they often trade with nearby kuo-toa settlements. Rare outside of kuo-toa settlements, though resources on it can be found in larger towns and cities.

Leskylor: the racial language of the leskylor, a race of winged tigers native to Eronia, the second layer of Elysium. Despite their fearsome appearance, they are highly intelligent and kind, and have a complex language of their own. Very rare outside of Eronia, though resources on it can be found in larger cities.

Loxo: the racial language of loxo, a race of towering, nomadic elephantfolk found in places like the Gnoll Lands. Loxo has many deep and guttural sounds. Its pictographic written form is rarely used, as the nomadic loxo must travel with few possessions, but is often found carved into the living tusks of storied tribe members as a physical display of their achievements. When a loxo dies, its tusks are removed and used as grave markers, except those that are completely covered with carvings--seen as a mark of a life well-lived, these are carried by the family as holy heirlooms, to help teach the tales of their ancestors to future generations. Rare outside of loxo communities, which tend to be found in warm plains, though resources on it can be found in larger cities.

[terolusgreyhawk]

Knowledge (psionics)

This skill can be used to see what you remember about psipowers, psionic crystals and creatures, psionic items, astral constructs, meditation and focus, mind over body, and mental abilities.

[terolusgreyhawk]

Knowledge (psionics) DC16: A conglomerate of elemental stone and crystal, a crysmal above all else seeks to perpetuate its kind. These scorpion-like psionic creatures transform mundane minerals into juvenile crysmals, and sometimes attack travelers to steal their gems for this purpose. They have excellent natural defenses, including complete immunity to heat and cold.

[terolusgreyhawk]

Knowledge (psionics) DC16: Phthisics are hulking, monstrous humanoids that are created when a mental illness becomes so overwhelming that it develops its own consciousness and escapes the mind of its creator. Each vaguely resembles the person whose mind it escaped from, but is severely distorted and horrible. Their powerful jaws can sap the intelligence of victims, and those who fall into a coma from enough bites are said to never awaken again.

Bardic Knowledge DC20: There are legends of an immensely powerful psion dwelling deep beneath the Catacombs of the Lich-King, who has the power to extract mental illnesses as phthisics in return for the lifelong service of both the patient and the newly-born monster.

[terolusgreyhawk]

House Rule: Psicraft as a Knowledge check

If you have at least half a rank in Psicraft, you can use it like a Knowledge skill to see what you remember about psionic powers, psionic items, psionic disciplines, materials created or shaped by psionics, psionic circles and diagrams, and unique psionic effects. 

Remember that Knowledge (psionics), Psicraft, and Autohypnosis (from the Psionics Handbook) are treated as core skills, and that Psicraft is a class skill for Wizards.