The encepholite is a diminutive, six-legged parasite armed with two barbed mandibles, designed for latching onto and burrowing into the outer skin of much larger creatures. Often dubbed mind mites or brain ticks, these creatures attach themselves to the heads or spines of their hosts, delving into the brain to gradually liquefy and digest it. Encepholites exhibit a preference for larger creatures, possibly under the assumption that bigger beings offer more substantial brains to feast upon. Consequently, gargantuan creatures may unknowingly harbor encepholites beneath their hair or fur, seeking refuge within the massive figures. Encounters with these insect-like monstrosities typically occur during battles with larger creatures, as a few encepholites may fall off during the skirmish.
Removing encepholites requires caution due to their burrowing nature; an unskilled attempt may inadvertently cause additional harm to the victim. While it is commonly assumed that killing the parasite will alleviate the worst effects, the barbed head remains embedded until extracted. Seeking the assistance of a cleric or village healer is the safer approach for removal.
Interestingly, encepholites’ peculiar focus on larger prey favors smaller beings like gnomes and halflings. In rare cases, these creatures may even be kept as pets among smaller races.
Encepholite
Tiny Monstrosity, Unaligned
Armor Class 11
Hit Points 10 (4d4)
Speed 10 ft.
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (-2) | 13 (+1) | 11 (+0) | 3 (-4) | 8 (-1) | 6 (-2) |
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 9
Languages —
Challenge 1/8 (25 XP)
Proficiency Bonus +2
Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one Medium or larger creature. Hit: The encepholite attaches itself to the target, partially burrowing into the target. While attached, the target’s Intelligence score is reduced by 1 and the encepholite has the stunned condition. If the target’s Intelligence score is reduced to 0 or less, it has the unconscious condition until it has at least one point of Intelligence.
As an action, the target or a creature within 5 feet of it can make a DC 11 Wisdom (Medicine) check. The encepholite is detached and falls prone in the nearest unoccupied space. On a failure, the target also takes 3 (1d6) slashing damage.
Bonus Actions
Leap. The encepholite jumps up to 10 feet to an unoccupied space.
Downloads
Further Reading
Looking for more bugs? Check out the giant mite and the
Reflavor some other creatures to join a chilasa with the abyssal template from Monster Flavor: The Planes.
Imagery created with Midjourney.
