Roach Thrall

Roach thralls learn the dominant human language in their area quickly-generally within a few weeks of emerging from their eggs. They lose the ability to speak if they emerge from their human host, but they still understand any human language they know. In their true forms, roach thralls can wordlessly speak to each other by linking their antennae. In roach form, a roach thrall is about 5 feet long and weighs about 150 pounds.

Species Traits

Roach thralls have the following traits:

Human Host: While inside its human host, the roach thrall can't use its natural weapons or darkvision. The host body has 10 hit points; if it's reduced to 0 or fewer hit points, the roach thrall automatically spends a full-round action growing out of the ruined host.

The roach thrall can voluntarily cast aside its host body as a full-round action.

Multiple Limbs: Once they've emerged from their human hosts, roach thralls walk upright for a few days before reverting to the gait of a cockroach. This is a preference, not a mandate; the roach thrall can choose whether to be upright or not once per round as a free action. An upright roach thrall has a speed of 30 feet and can use four limbs to attack. Otherwise, it has a speed of 40 feet and can only use two limbs to attack.

Resistance to Massive Damage (Ex): Although roach thralls aren't vermin, they share some attributes with cockroaches. Roach thralls gain a +5 species bonus on Fortitude saves to negate the effects of massive damage.

Darkvision (Ex): Roach thralls outside of their human hosts can see in the dark up to 60 feet. Darkvision is black and white only, but it is otherwise like normal sight, and otyughs can function with no light at all.

Skill Bonus: The roach thrall living inside a human host gains a +10 species bonus on Disguise checks. It also gains a +5 species bonus on Bluff checks when attempting to pass itself off as its human host.

Roach Thrall: CR 2; Medium aberration; HD 3d8+3; hp 16; Mas 12; Init +6 (+2 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative); Spd 30 ft. (bipedal) or 40 ft. (as insect); Defense 18, touch 12, flat-footed 16 (+2 Dex, +6 natural); BAB +2; Grap +2; Atk +2 melee (1d4, claw); Full Atk +2 melee (1d4, 2 claws or 4 claws); FS 5 ft. by 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.; SQ human host, multiple limbs, resistance to massive damage, darkvision 60 ft.; AL roach thralls; SV Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +4; AP 0; Rep +0; Str 11, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 14, Wis 13, Cha 7.

Skills: Bluff +5 (+10 when pretending to be its human host), Climb +4, Disguise +5 (+15 inside human host), Jump +4, Listen +6, Read/Write Language (any three), Sense Motive +5, Speak Language (any three), Spot +6, Swim +4.

Feats: Alertness, Archaic Weapons Proficiency, Deceptive, Improved Initiative, Simple Weapons Proficiency.

Advancement: 4-6 HD (Medium) in cockroach form.