Ah, life – there’s no spot in the multiverse where it hasn’t managed to take hold. Perhaps, in a tome dedicated to the creatures of the inhospitable Inner Planes, such a concept should be a theme or even the theme. There’s life everywhere.
The Positive and Negative Energy Planes are no exception to this rule. Somehow, on both of these seething planes of force, consciousnesses formed and adopted bodies made of the essence around them. The Positive Energy Plane – a brilliant sea of explosive vitality – spawned the creature known as the xag-ya, whereas the Negative Energy Plane – a cold pit of devouring darkness – brought forth the xeg-yi.
On the other hand, some say that neither creature is a true native of its plane at all. These folks claim that the xag-ya and xeg-yi came into existence elsewhere (perhaps on the same plane, perhaps on different planes), forming in isolated pockets of positive and negative energy. The beasts might even have been created by some intelligent agency for an unknown purpose. ‘Course, this is just idle speculation, but it comes about for a very good reason. The Positive Energy Plane is practically life incarnate. How could a creature attain enough true individuality in such a place to achieve consciousness and an ambulatory body? And the Negative Energy Plane is as anti-life as a basher can conceive, which makes the idea of a living creature of negative energy seem a bit of a contradiction.
The graybeards can rattle their bone-boxes all they like about these problems, but the fact is that no one really knows how or why the xag-ya and the xeg-yi exist. The two creatures are similar and yet opposite in appearance and nature – so much so that it makes a body wonder if their geneses didn’t have something in common.
In any event, both are spherical beings with multiple tendrils of energy writhing about them, almost like the tentacles of an octopus. Each creature’s main body is a globe of energy that’s unremarkable except for two narrow spots that suggest eyes. These eyes, in turn, suggest an unknowable and alien intelligence. At first glance, there’s only one way to tell the two creatures apart: The xag-ya appears silvery and lustrous, while its negative counterpart is black and dull.
How do Xag-ya/Xeg-yi fight?
Both monsters attack foes by striking with their whiplike tendrils of energy. The touch of the xag-ya carries with it a powerful jolt that overloads living creatures. Combustible, nonliving items such as paper, cloth, and wood catch on fire when exposed to this raw force.
Every other round, the xag-ya can fire a bolt of this energy at a target up to 10 feet away. Like the touch of the creature’s tendrils, the bolt ignites combustibles, but it also heats metal objects. Such items glow white-hot and remain so for half a minute.
On the other hand, the life-draining tendrils of the xeg-yi corrode and rot whatever they touch.
A basher’s got to have a magic weapon or better enchantment in order to harm either creature. And rather than discuss what kind of magic the pair is immune to, it’s easier to list the few spells that do affect them. Xag-ya are vulnerable to cold-based spells, while xeg-yi are harmed by magical fire. Both are subject to disintegration and magic missile, and neither can penetrate a shield spell. If a cutter runs into either monster elsewhere in the multiverse, he can send it back to its home plane with one of the following spells: abjure, banishment, dismissal, dispel magic (treat the level of magic as twice the creature’s Hit Dice total), holy word, limited wish, plane shift, or wish. No other spells can affect them.
A rod of absorption or a wand of negation can thwart the attack of a xag-ya, while a rod of cancellation or a mace of disruption provides protection from the assaults of a xeg-yi. What’s more, these four magical items can’t be harmed by either creature.
If a xag-ya or xeg-yi is slain, it explodes in the appropriate release of energy – either an overloading jolt or an enervating drain). Victims and objects are also affected as if struck by a bolt of energy loosed by the creature.
What are xag-ya/xeg-yi habitats and societies like?
Neither the xag-ya nor the xeg-yi seems to interact with other creatures – not even those of their own kind. Though they’re thought to be highly intelligent, they have no language or real means of communication. They’re completely solitary beings. Still, they’re also quite curious about what lies beyond their own planes and often wander about the multiverse, observing.
While they’re not outright hostile, their touch endangers virtually all things, so it’s inevitable that they find themselves in combat fairly often – others can’t help but perceive them as a threat.
Should a xag-ya and a xeg-yi ever meet, they instantly rush toward each other. If they come into contact, they annihilate themselves in a conflagration of energy that damages every living thing in a 30-foot radius. The blast randomly corrodes or heats nonliving objects within this area. No one knows exactly why the creatures do this; some bloods believe it’s motivated by hatred, while others think it’s due to some other need or flaw.
What is xag-ya/xeg-yi ecology like?
Xag-ya and xeg-yi feed on all sorts of energy. Their means of reproduction is unknown but must be asexual – after all, individuals of these species never interact.
Xag-ya
Medium aberration, neutral
Armor Class 19 (natural armor)
Hit Points 189 (18d8 + 108)
Speed 0 ft., fly 30 ft. (hover)
Abilities Str 3 (-4), Dex 19 (+4), Con 22 (+6), Int 21 (+5), Wis 18 (+4), Cha 16 (+3)
Saving Throws Int +9, Wis +8, Cha +7
Skills Perception +8
Damage Vulnerabilities cold, necrotic
Damage Resistances radiant
Damage Immunities acid, fire, lightning, psychic, thunder; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
Condition Immunities exhaustion, grappled, paralyzed, poisoned, prone, restrained, unconscious
Senses blindsense 30 ft., darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 18
Languages understands Deep Speech but doesn’t speak
Challenge 12 (8,400 XP)
Death Burst. When the xag-yi dies, it explodes in a burst of radiant energy. Each creature within 15 feet of it must make a DC 18 Dexterity saving throw, taking 20 (4d6 + 6) radiant damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. If the target is a creature or a flammable object, it ignites and burns with radiant fire for 1 minute. Metallic objects hit by the burst glow white hot for 1 minute as if under the effects of a heat metal spell. The fire can be extinguished with magic that deals cold damage or similar effects or by casting dispel magic or similar spell upon it. Until the fire is extinguished or goes out, the target takes 2 (1d4) radiant damage at the start of each of its turns.
Pure Radiance. A creature that touches the xag-yi takes 9 (1d6 + 6) radiant damage. Flammable objects that touch the xag-yi ignite and burn with a radiant fire for 1 minute. If a creature hits the xag-yi with a metallic weapon, the weapon suffers the effects of a heat metal spell for 1 minute.
Actions
Multiattack. The xag-yi makes four attacks with its tendrils and uses its Radiant Bolt if it can.
Tendril. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d6 + 6) radiant damage. If the target is a creature or a flammable object, it ignites and burns with radiant fire for 1 minute. Metallic objects hit by the tendril glow white hot for 1 minute as if under the effects of a heat metal spell. The fire can be extinguished with magic that deals cold damage or similar effects or by casting dispel magic or similar spell upon it. Until the fire is extinguished or goes out, the target takes 2 (1d4) radiant damage at the start of each of its turns.
Radiant Bolt (Recharge 4-6). The xag-yi fires a bolt of radiant energy at one target it can see within 30 feet of it. The target must succeed on a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw or take 9 (1d6 + 6) radiant damage. If the target is a creature or a flammable object, it ignites and burns with radiant fire for 1 minute. Metallic objects hit by the bolt glow white hot for 1 minute as if under the effects of a heat metal spell. The fire can be extinguished with magic that deals cold damage or similar effects or by casting dispel magic or similar spell upon it. Until the fire is extinguished or goes out, the target takes 2 (1d4) radiant damage at the start of each of its turns.
Xeg-yi
Medium aberration, neutral
Armor Class 19 (natural armor)
Hit Points 189 (18d8 + 108)
Speed 0 ft., fly 30 ft. (hover)
Abilities Str 3 (-4), Dex 19 (+4), Con 22 (+6), Int 21 (+5), Wis 18 (+4), Cha 16 (+3)
Saving Throws Int +9, Wis +8, Cha +7
Skills Perception +8
Damage Vulnerabilities fire, radiant
Damage Resistances necrotic
Damage Immunities acid, cold, lightning, psychic, thunder; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
Condition Immunities exhaustion, grappled, paralyzed, poisoned, prone, restrained, unconscious
Senses blindsense 30 ft., darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 18
Languages understands Deep Speech but doesn’t speak
Challenge 12 (8,400 XP)
Death Burst. When the xeg-yi dies, it explodes in a burst of necrotic energy. Each creature within 10 feet of it must make a DC 18 Dexterity saving throw, taking 20 (4d6 + 6) necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Any nonmagical armor worn by a target hit by the burst is partly dissolved and takes a permanent and cumulative -1 penalty to the AC it offers. The armor is destroyed if the penalty reduces its AC to 10.
Pure Necrosis. A creature that touches the xeg-yi takes 9 (1d6 + 6) necrotic damage. Any nonmagical weapon made of metal or wood that hits the xeg-yi corrodes. After dealing damage, the weapon takes a permanent and cumulative -1 penalty to damage rolls. If its penalty drops to -5, the weapon is destroyed. Nonmagical ammunition made of metal or wood that hits the xeg-yi is destroyed after dealing damage.
Actions
Multiattack. The xeg-yi makes four attacks with its tendrils and uses its Necrotic Bolt if it can.
Tendril. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d6 + 6) necrotic damage. In addition, nonmagical armor worn by the target is partly dissolved and takes a permanent and cumulative -1 penalty to the AC it offers. The armor is destroyed if the penalty reduces its AC to 10.
Necrotic Bolt (Recharge 4-6). The xag-yi fires a bolt of necrotic energy at one target it can see within 30 feet of it. The target must succeed on a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw or take 9 (1d6 + 6) necrotic damage. In addition, nonmagical armor worn by the target is partly dissolved and takes a permanent and cumulative -1 penalty to the AC it offers. The armor is destroyed if the penalty reduces its AC to 10.
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This entry is more for my Saturday campaign than the ongoing El Ocho content I’m putting out. Regardless, this should be a pretty fun monster to throw at my PC’s when they head to the negative energy plane today.
When using Dispel Magic, how are players expected to succeed on the check? If the magic level is twice the Xeg-Yi’s HD total, that would make the DC 46 (10+(2*18)) to dispel these creatures.
I think I copied the fluff straight from the 2nd edition fluff. Just banish ’em. 🙂