Bestiary of the Plague Year: Parasitic Brain Moths and Zombie Hosts

Dessiccated Tomatillo skins
By Roger Culos - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=31356863

Part One: An Overblown Introduction to Two New Monsters

DM: Ok, you enter a large circular room ... blah blahblah.... Oh yeah and there are 3 robed figures that look like monks on the cover of a black metal album or something.

Krago of the Mountains: Sorry I stopped listening after the second time you said “dweomer.”

Beska Miltar: He said we’re probably going to have to fight some evil monks.

DM: Also it looks like they have giant heads like they are sports mascots.

Krago of the Mountains: Can I see under their hoods?

DM: No, you are still too far away.

Beska Miltar: Let’s leave them alone.

Wangdingle Mupmup: I walk up to them and say “hi.”

Beska Miltar: Please don’t.

DM: They ignore you.

Wangdingle Mupmup: I peak under the hood of the closest one.

Beska: Seriously, no.

DM: It is too dark in the room to see under the hood and it is hanging really low over what should be the face of the figure.

Wangdingle Mupmup: I lift the hood back.

Beska Miltar: You cannot be serious.

Krago of the Mountains: I look at some other stuff that isn’t liable to get me killed.

DM: You pull back the hood to reveal what looks like a giant grey Tomatillo or something. You know like how the leaves are wrapped around it and you have to pull them off to get to the tomatillo. Then like insect legs come out and they are like rubbing the leaf-like thing the way a butterfly does when it fist comes out of the cocoon. They are in fact wings but the body is not that of butterfly but a grey oversized brain. The figure has no normal head and just this brain moth thing where the head should be. You see it is attached to the body by like this external spine that goes into neck stump.

All: gross.

Wangdingle Mupmup: I touch it.

Beska Miltar: I join Krago to look for stuff that isn’t whatever this is.

DM: Ok, let me see if you are surprised. (rolls) Yes, yes you are.

Wangdingle Mupmup: Wait but why would I be surprised I am looking right at it ready and prepared.

DM: If you are dumb enough to touch it you are dumb enough to be surprised.

Krago of the Mountains: Facts.

DM: You other guys find a book called Ten Thousand Minds on Fire.

Beska Miltar: Ok, I don’t open it.

DM: Ok, so Wangdingle’s AC is 4 so I (rolls) hit and now you need to save vs. wand.

Wangdingle Mupmup: (rolls) I fail. This is bs.

DM: Wangdingle is shocked as the brain moth thing rises up into the air pulling its spine-like tail out of the neck stump of the body before you and plunges it into Wangdingle’s throat. He loses (rolls) 3 points of intelligence. The other hooded figures approach Beska and Krago.

Beska Miltar: We totally leave.

Krago of the Mountains: Yeah right back through the door we came in.

Wangdingle Mupmup: You guys are dicks. (to the DM) Can I fight back now?

DM: Sure.

Wangdingle Mupmup: (Rolls) I miss.

DM: Ok, You feel a wave of psychic force emanate from the creature. (rolls) You collapse on the ground paralyzed. You feel the last of you will drain away as your intelligence approaches 0.

Krago of the Mountains: We go back to the inn.

Wangdingle Mupmup Jr.: I see two adventurer-looking people walk into the inn and I go over to them and say “hi, I’m Wangdingle Mupmup Jr. Are you brave souls looking for companions in adventure?”

Part Two: Actual Gameable content

Parasitic Brain Moths

Move:	20’ / turn 180’ / turn (flying)	Alignment:	Neutral
Hit Dice:	2	Attacks:	1
Armor Class	4	Damage:	Special
Treasure Type	Nil	Dexterity:	12

These are oversized grey flying brains with giant moth-like wings and a flexible stinger resembling a human spine.  They are often found attached to Zombie Hosts. It is said that powerful wizards can control and even create these monstrosities.

Parasitic brain moths attack with their flexible stinger.  Upon a successful attack the target must save vs. wand or lose 1d4 points of intelligence. The target will automatically take 1d4 points of intelligence damage until the parasitic brain moth is removed. The brain moth cannot attack other targets while sucking intelligence. If the target is reduced to 0 intelligence they become a zombie host. Parasitic brain moths also have a parasitic wave attack they can use once per round while draining intelligence.

Throwing salt on them will cause them to flee.

Parasitic Wave Attack: A wave of psychic force emanates from the brain moth. Roll a d20 and add the amount of intelligence points the brain moth has drained since its last parasitic wave attack. This roll is the strength of the parasitic wave attack. Anyone who is not a parasitic brain moth or zombie host within 15’ of the brain moth is paralyzed for 2 rounds unless their intelligence is equal to or greater than the strength of the parasitic wave attack.

Zombie Host

Move:	30’ / turn	Alignment:	Neutral
Hit Dice:	2	Attacks:	1
Armor Class	7	Damage:	1d6 (all day everyday)
Treasure Type	Nil	Dexterity:	5

This is what happens when a parasitic brain moth completely drains someone of intelligence. They become a sallow faced mindless slave. They will often be found with no head as the brain moth slowly digests the head while riding around on their host. A brain moth can control multiple zombie hosts at a time, usually using them to defend the moth while it sucks intelligence from a victim with friends. Unlike normal zombies, they are immune to salt.