Dungeons & Dragons

Medium-Size Outsider (Evil)
Hit Dice: 1d8+1 (5 hp)
Initiative: +1 (Dex)
Speed: 30 ft.
AC: 16 (+1 Dex, +5 breastplate)
Attacks: Masterwork greatsword +3 melee; or composite longbow +3 ranged
Damage: Greatsword 2d6; or composite longbow 1d8
Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Qualities: Psionics, power resistance (variable, see text)
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +3, Will +1
Abilities: Str 10, Dex 12, Con 13, Int 11, Wis 8, Cha 10
Skills: Craft (weaponsmithing) +2, Craft (armorsmithing) +2, Search +3
Feats: Weapon Focus (greatsword)
Climate/Terrain: Any land and underground
Organization: Company (2 to 4 3rd-level fighters or psionic warriors), squad (11 to 20 3rd level fighters or psionic warriors, plus 2 7th-level sergeants, 1 9th-level captain, and 1 young red dragon), or regiment (30 to 100 3rd-level fighters or psionic warriors, plus 1 7th-level sergeant per 10 members, 5 7th-level lieutenants, 3 9th-level captains, 1 16th-level supreme leader, and 1 adult red dragon per 30 members)
Challenge Rating: 1
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Always evil (any)
Advancement: By character class

Githyanki are an ancient line of humanlike beings who reside in the Astral Plane, filling their armories for their next skirmish, raid, or war.

Githyanki are gaunt, averaging 6 1/4 feet tall and typically weighing around 170 pounds. They possess rough, yellow skin and black hair that is often pulled into one or more topknots. Their eyes gleam darkly, and their ears are pointed and serrated in back. They enjoy elaborate dress and baroque armor. In fact, they revere weapons and armor, and it is not uncommon for githyanki to show more regard for their panoply than for a mate.

Githyanki speak their own secret tongue, but most also know Common and Draconic. Like dwarves, githyanki are craftmasters, although they focus exclusively on items of warfare. Their items are distinctive, and nongithyanki who acquire them run the risk of immediate retribution should they encounter githyanki.

Most githyanki encountered outside their homes are fighters or psionic warriors; however, psions, wizards (called "warlocks"), and multiclass githyanki (called gish) are not uncommon.

Combat

Githyanki are are seasoned warriors and well familiar with the tactical use of ambush, cover, and psionic sniper attacks from afar. However, they prefer to engage their enemies hand-to-hand so they can bring their devastating melee weapons to bear. Githyanki weapons are usually greatswords, bastard swords, and other particularly large-bladed weapons of special githyanki manufacture, all masterwork and each distinctively decorated and named. Githyanki psions and wizards direct their powers with pinpoint accuracy to support their comrades in melee.

Psionics (Sp): Manifest freely (at will)—Clairaudience/Clairvoyance, Telekinesis, and Dimension Slide. Upon advancing to 8th level in any class (or combination of classes), a githyanki can use Plane Shift once per day. These effects are as the powers manifested by a 16th-level psion.
Attack Modes/Defense Modes (Sp): Manifest freely (at will)— Mind Thrust/Empty Mind.
Power Resistance (Ex): A githyanki has power resistance of 5 + 1 per character level.

Silver Swords

These impressive weapons are carried by githyanki combatants of 7th level and higher. Of githyanki make, a silver sword is a +3 greatsword that looks much like a standard githyanki weapon. However, when drawn in melee, the blade transforms into a column of silvery liquid, altering the weapon’s balance round by round as the blade’s shape flows and shimmers. In the hands of someone without the appropriate Exotic Weapon Proficiency feat, the weapon is clumsy (–4 penalty to attack rolls) and possesses only its enhancement bonus. A proficient user on the Astral Plane, however, is able to attack the silver cord that connects many astral travelers to their physical forms; the normally insubstantial cord is treated as a tangible object with hardness 10 and 20 hit points (see "Attack an Object" on page 135 in the Player’s Handbook). Attacking the silver cord draws an attack of opportunity from the astral traveler.

A silver cord visibly trails 5 feet behind an astral traveler before fading into the astral medium. When the cord is damaged, the astral traveler must succeed at a Fortitude save (DC 13) or be immediately forced to return to its body—which might be a good idea anyway if the traveler is not up to fighting githyanki on their home plane. If the silver cord is completely severed, the creature’s material body (and astral echo) is slain instantly. The cords of travelers with the Mind Blank power active are immune to silver swords.

If a silver sword falls into the hands of a nongithyanki, githyanki will kill the possessor if they can, steal it if they have to, negotiate if they must, or ally with the thief’s most potent foe as a last resort. Silver swords with an enhancement bonus of +5 and vorpal characteristics exist, but these are minor artifacts, relatively few, and only handed down to heroes of the race.

Manifester Level: 11th; Prerequisites: Craft Psionic Arms and Armor, creator must be a githyanki; Market Price: 98,350 gp; Cost to Create: 49,000 gp + 3920 XP.

Githyanki Society

Mind flayers enslaved entire races, including the githyanki forerunners. Centuries of captivity bred hate, nurtured resolve, and finally instilled psionic powers. With mental armaments of their own and a powerful leader to rally behind (the legendary Gith), the slaves instigated a crossplanar struggle that, in the end, threw down the mind flayer empire, bringing freedom to the surviving slaves. Unfortunately, the former slaves soon split into the racially distinct githyanki and their mortal enemies, the githzerai. Each constantly attempts the extinction of the other. This animosity has burned through the centuries, warping the githyanki into the evil, militaristic creatures they are today. Both peoples’ hatred of the mind flayers knows no bounds, though, and they will break off hostilities to slay illithids if the opportunity presents itself.

Githyanki live within massive fortresses adrift in the Astral Plane. Here they conduct commerce, manufacture goods, grow food, and live out their lives. Family dwellings are nonexistent, as most githyanki prefer their own abode; however, githyanki are often found in groups, honing their fighting skills. A githyanki fortress contains noncombatants (mostly children) equal to 20% of the fighting population. Githyanki males and females may be found in almost any role or class.

The githyanki have no deity but instead pay homage to a lich-queen. A jealous and paranoid overlord, she devours the essence of any githyanki that rises above the 16th level of ability in any class (or combination of classes). Besides eliminating potential rivals, the lich-queen enhances her power with the stolen life essence.

Red Dragon Pact: Githyanki have a racial pact with red dragons, who sometimes serve them as steeds. Individually, githyanki gain a +4 racial bonus to Diplomacy checks when dealing with red dragons. In large groups, they can make temporary alliances with red dragons at the DM’s option (see Organization, above).

Githyanki Characters

A githyanki can choose fighter or psychic warrior as the favored character class. Githyanki are never clerics, unless they’ve forsworn the dreaded lich-queen (which is a dangerous and ultimately lethal choice).

About the Author

Bruce synthesized DNA for a living until TSR offered him a salary to make stuff up. No dummy, he abandoned science for a design position at TSR in October of 1995. Since then, he’s authored close to 20 projects, including Gates of Firestorm Peak, College of Wizardry, Return to the Tomb of Horrors, The Illithiad, Dungeon Builder's Guidebook, Tangents (Alternity sourcebook), The Shattered Circle, Bastion of Faith, Return to White Plume Mountain, and Killing Jar (Dark•Matter adventure). He lives in Seattle with his wife Dee and four cats.