Xio

As Lashel stretched itself across the soft flesh of it’s

newly acquired host, it found and unsettling sense of...
sadness at the loss of it’s former bond. Vera had been a
good host: attentive and amiable to it’s needs, kind, and
anything but fearful. Lash was unsure if this new host
would be so accepting, but there was little choice but to
make the transition.
Symbiotic Kinship
Despite all her generosity in allowing the symbiote Despite their strangely parasitic nature, Xio are not,
free-reign of her body, Vera was quickly becoming an themselves parasites. Even under extreme duress, most
unsuitable host. After a year spent all-but comatose Xio will refuse to bond with an unwilling organism, and
within the throws of Lash’s breeding phase, The young each larvae from the time it is spawned understands the
fiend had never truly recovered. And her increasingly sacred nature of the Xio-Hostform relationship. Without
frequent outbursts were proof that real damage had suitable hosts, the Xio are helpless, and the most
been done. Lasheal felt guilt for this. It had been too effective way to ensure there will always be hosts is to
eager to establish it’s colony, to naïve to understand the nurture the symbiotic bond between races. However
effect the broodmother state would have on it’s host. alien the Xio may be, they come in peace, and exist to
aid their hosts in defence of freedom.
Yet Vera had never held the experience against her. In
truth, The succubus was likely eager to return to that
blissful state, not unlike an addict struggling to recover
To Spawn and Evolve
At the time of the First Spawning, The Thoc’Rah and
in the presence of her drug. Truly, this was the only way
their allies were fleeing from overwhelming threat. With
to ensure the girl’s recovery, despite the pain it would
each new world brought under siege by the Illithid
cause them both...
empire, new slaves and species added to the enemy
numbers, and if the Resistance were to have any chance
Engineered Lifeforms at survival, their own numbers had to be replenished as
Xio are a unique species, woven together from the well.
lifethreads of Qual’Ath, Thri-Kreen, and a dozen other
species from shoggoth to darkmantle. The goal of To this effect, the Xio were developed to breed rapidly,
all this to form a sort of sentient symbiote - A living spawning into vast colonies from only a single
armor capable of extending it’s hosts abilities as well individual. Much Like a hive of insects, Xio colonies
as protecting them against harm. First grown under follow a biological caste system, composed of sentinels,
the looming threat of war with the Illithid Empire, Xio drones, seekers, and above all others, a reproductive
are unlike any other life-form native to Terra, and are broodmother, capable of producing hundreds of new
incapable of even functioning unless bonded to another spawn each day.
living creature as their host.
Beyond this, each member of the Xio hive collects
Despite this reliance, Xio are powerful warriors and genetic information about potential hosts, which the
combatants in their own right, and frequently bond with broodmother can use to ensure compatibility between
adventurers seeking strength, power, or sometimes even her young, and any species deemed suitable for
enlightenment. While the Illithid war may be over, there cohabitation. In this way a Xio colony not only grows,
will always be new struggles ahead, and the Xio still but evolves, constantly expanding it’s genetic library to
very much have their place. ensure it’s own survival.
Physical Appearance
Overall, Xio are made up of a mixture of chitinous
plates and tendril-like living threads, woven tightly Xio Traits
together. They commonly exhibit insectoid or fungal- As an intelligent suit of biological armor, you gain the
like appearances, and their coloration ranges from following traits.
iridescent blacks through deep blues and purples,
sometimes with sharp contrasts of yellowish-green. Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score
increases by one.
That said, No two Xio truly appear the same, and Age. As long as you are able to remain well fed, Your
each individual within the hive adapts it’s form and synthetic biology will never expire. You have no
appearance based upon the mind and body of it’s host. maximum life-span, and show no recognizable signs of
Most Xio will instinctively mirror important motifs old age.
within it’s host’s psyche, and while some Individuals may Alignment. Xio hold no predisposition towards any
be truly alien in appearance, others will simply resemble particular alignment, however their alien nature can
armor crafted from strangely fluid materials. A Xio that make them seem chaotic or even evil.
has been carried by multiple hosts will inevitably retain Size. Your body adapts to fit tightly to the body of your
traits gathered from each of them, often resulting in a attuned host. Your size category is determined by that of
strange mismatch of patterns and forms. your host
Speed. Xio are dependant on the body of their host for
movement, your movement speed is equal to that of your
Names host.
Xio lack a concept of true individuality, and don’t Engulf. Your ooze-like body allows you to engulf other
expressly name their young. However, once bonded A creatures even while you continue fighting. You do not
Xio will commonly adopt one or more names for itself, require a free hand to attempt to grapple a creature.
drawn from powerful titles or concepts within the mind Engineered Biology. Your amorphous body was
of its host. specifically designed to counter biological threats
and weaknesses, but does poorly against other types
Myxapia Names: Armoura, Arachnae Brood, Dominion, of threats. You gain resistance to poison, and have
Legion, Lasheal, Miracle, Mindcrawler, Zeal advantage on saving throws against disease, sleep
effects, and the poisoned and paralyzed conditions.
However you are considered vulnerable to both acid and
psychic damage.
Living Armor. Your amorphous form is nevertheless
engineered to serve as armor. Your AC equals 10 + your
dexterity modifier, + your constitution modifier. While
wearing you, an attuned host adds your Constitution
modifier to it’s AC. When an attack made against your
attuned host misses, the attack is repeated against you.
Suspended Animation. During periods of inactivity,
you may enter a state of suspended animation, during
witch you are fully aware of your surroundings, and may
communicate this awareness to your host. Spending
at least 4 hours in this sleep-like state grants you the
benefits of completing a long rest
Synthetic Symbiote. Your symbiotic nature prevents
you from operating without a host. You are considered
paralyzed unless worn by a living creature who has
attuned to you. While paralyzed in this way, you
maintain a movement speed of 5 ft, and may still make
use of your Tactile Telepathy trait to communicate. Each
day you remain without a living host, you must succeed
on a constitution saving throw with a DC of 15, or suffer
one level of exhaustion.
Parasitic Lifeform. While attached to an attuned host,
you do not require food or drink and cannot be removed
from your host unless rendered unconscious. You
always occupy the same space as your host. If you or
your host take the move action are moved through any
form of forced movement, the other is moved as well,
without spending any movement of their own.
Tactile Telepathy. Xio are capable of exchanging
thoughts and memories without the need for language.
You can telepathically speak to any creature you are
currently touching, Including your host. They don’t need
to share a language to be heard, but creatures who do
not know a language may be unable to understand your
meaning
Languages. You can Speak, Read, and Write Common,
and Deep Speach.
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Sentinel
Resembling suits of heavy plate armor made up
of iridescent chitin, Sentinel Xio are more heavily
Drone protected than drones or seekers, and primarily serve
to protect the hive or gather important resources for the
Making up the Majority of a Xio colony, Drones are
colony.
equipped with limited chitinous plating, and a pair of
flexible tendrils or insect-like arms, which supplement
Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score
the limbs of their host.
increases by 2 instead of 1, and your Strength score
increases by 1.
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases
Hardened Shell. Your chitinous plating provides
by 2.
additional protection against most basic forms of
Drone Limbs. A pair of delicate, yet powerful limb-like
attack. You and your attuned host gain resistance to
appendages sprout form your back, assisting you and
bludgeoning, slashing, and piercing damage from non-
your host in a variety of tasks. You may take the Use an
magical sources.
Object action as a bonus action on your turn or that of
your host.
Defensive Reaction. Your engineered reflexes allow
you to protect yourself and your host against danger.
Once per turn, when you or your attuned host are
hit by an attack, you may use your reaction to reduce
the damage of the attack by an amount equal to your Variant Rule: Symb
proficiency bonus iotic Features.
The unique relationsh
ip a Xio shares with
interesting situations it’s host can create so
in the advancement me
of a character. For ex
Seeker many of an artificer’s
it’s armor - which mi
class features might
revolve around modif
ample,
Seekers serve a special role within the hive, searching ght just be a Xio, Or ying
sense that a Drone’s perhaps it would ma
for prospective hosts outside the colony. As such, their extra limbs could be ke
host to perform the used by it’s spellcasti
forms are less obtrusive, and they are gifted with more somatic components ng
represents intense foc of a spell. This varian
potent psionic powers than those of lesser Xio. us on strengthening t rule
host, teaching each oth the bond between Xio
er how to properly ma and
abilities of your share ke use of the unique
Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence score d body.
increases by 2. As a variant rule, your
Discrete Appearance. Your cloth-like body lacks the DM may allow your
certain class features Xio or it’s host to ga
chitinous plating characteristic of other Xio, allowing or racial traits already in
by taking them as fea available to their partn
you to be worn beneath other clothing or armor. While ts in place of ability er
other point you migh score increases (or at
worn beneath other armor, your host doe snot gain the t gain a feat). any
benefit of you Living Armor trait. Not all features make
Telepathic Reach. You may communicate telepathically sense to be shared in
should have final say this way, and your DM
with any creature within 20 ft. This replaces your Tactile on how realistic or via
feature to be gained ble it is for a particula
Telepathy racial feature in this way. r
Psionic Influence You gain access to the Spell Calm Some features may
Emotions, and may cast it a number of times between be too powerful to be
alone, and your DM learned through a fea
might ask you to fulfil t
long rests equal to your proficiency bonus. Intelligence before they can be sh other special requirem
is the ability you use when determining the spell-save ared - such as spendin ents
together, or experienc g several months tra
ing some climactic eve ining
DC for this spell. symbiotic bond nt that strengthens yo
ur
 Xio Broodmother
Each Xio Colony has at least one Broodmother, who’s
sole purpose within the Hive is to reproduce.

Broodmother hosts reside in a near comatose state

of minimal awareness while their Xio counterpart
takes full control of locomotive function. Meanwhile,
the Broodmother itself drastically overgrows the host,
forming an enormous centaur-like insect body, capable
of producing vast amounts of Xio young.

Broodmother Traits
Size Category Increase. As a broodmother, your size
category increases to huge
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength and Intelligence
scores both increase by 2
Overgrown Host. Your host has entered a catatonic
state of minimal awareness. You ignore the benefits
of your Parasitic Lifeform trait, and are no longer
paralyzed while not worn by an attuned host.
Telepathic Echo. You may
communicate telepathically with any
creature within 120 ft. This replaces
your Tactile Telepathy racial feature
Psionic Control You gain access to
the Spells Suggestion, Command,
and Dominate Person, and may
cast these spells a number of
times between long rests equal
to your proficiency bonus.
Intelligence is the ability you use
when determining the spell-
save DC for this spell.

tion.
Broodmothers in ac Broodmother is
as pa rt of this supplement, the Xio
While includ ed size and powerful
le subrace. It’s immense
not intended as a playab yer character, except
ropriate for use as a pla
psionics make it inapp a racial template for a
rem e situ ati on s, an d it is better used as
in ext
powerful NPC.
of their colony
if ever leave the safety
Broodmother Xio rarely hiv e to ser ve as adventurers.
valuable to the
chambers, and are too