AC 16 (natural armor)
HP 27 (6d4 + 12; bloodied 13)
Speed 30 ft., fly 30 ft.
Proficiency +2; Maneuver DC 13
Saving Throws Int +5, Wis +4, Cha +3
Damage Resistances fire, psychic, radiant
Condition Immunities charmed
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12
Languages telepathy 120 ft.
Detect Alignment. The khalkos can detect the presence of creatures within 30 feet that have an alignment trait, and knows the alignment of such creatures.
ACTIONS
Chaos Pheromones. The khalkos emits a cloud of pheromones into the air in a 10-foot radius. The cloud spreads around corners. Each non-khalkos creature in the area makes a DC 12 Intelligence saving throw . On a failure, the creature is confused for 1 minute. It repeats the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. If the creature makes its saving throw or the condition ends for it, it is immune to the chaos pheromones of khalkos spawn for the next 24 hours.
Sting. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 5 (1d4 + 3) piercing damage plus 3 (1d6) poison damage.
Combat
The khalkos spawn starts combat by using Chaos Pheromones on clusters of enemies and then stings a creature, preferably one affected by its pheromones.
Disease: Brain Larvae
A khalkos can infect an intelligent creature with a horrifying disease, injecting khalkos larvae directly into the creature’s skull. While infected with this disease, the host undergoes the following changes:
Telepathy. The host gains telepathy out to a radius of 120 feet. Additionally, the host can telepathically communicate with the khalkos that infected it over any distance, as long as they are on the same plane.
Trust. Whenever a khalkos makes a Charisma check to convince the host of its good intentions, it does so with advantage . If it succeeds, the host becomes friendly to it no matter its previous attitude.
After 10 (3d6) days, the host develops a splitting headache and is incapacitated for 24 hours. At the end of this time, the host dies. If the host has an alignment trait, 2 or 3 khalkos spawn burst out of the host’s skull after 1 round.
Greater restoration or a similar spell cast with at least a 5th-level spell slot is required to kill the brain larvae and remove the disease.
Legends and Lore
With an Arcana or Religion check, characters can learn the following:
DC 15 An ancient book, purportedly written by a refugee from another reality, describes a species of intelligent, wasp-like creatures that parasitically prey on angels and other planar beings.
DC 20 A khalkos is a wasp-like aberration. It exudes a cloud of pheromones that maddens everyone nearby, and it implants creatures with skull-exploding larvae.
When a khalkos spawn first “hatches” from a skull, it looks like a wasp the size of a dagger. In order to survive its first few hours, it must go on the hunt immediately, killing and eating as much food as possible. It grows to adulthood over several days under the telepathic tutelage of an adult khalkos .
1 Using alter self to infiltrate a group as a low-ranking member
2 Using alter self to infiltrate a group, taking the form of a high-ranking member that it has killed
3 Attacking, determined to infect a certain person with khalkos larvae
4 Using alter self and asking questions about local groups
5 Ritually casting teleportation circle as part of a year-long effort to make a permanent circle
6 Scouting for a larger group; has big plans and wants to eliminate anyone who could upset them
1-2 A corpse in a pool of blood, its head exploded
3-4 People acting strangely, insisting that you visit a friend of theirs who will make everything clear
5 What appears to be a dead, foot-long wasp
6 A faint, intoxicating scent in the air
Khalkoi haven’t discovered our reality yet. If they do, they will probably target Hell, the Abyss, or the planar realm of a god, or perhaps infiltrate a religious organization on the Material Plane.
CR 5–10 khalkos ; 3 to 5 khalkos spawn ; 2 swarms of khalkos spawn
CR 11–16 khalkos with parasitized cambion , couatl , high priest , or unicorn ; khalkos with 2 parasitized bearded devils or priests
Treasure 6 beads of force
CR 17–22 2 khalkos ; khalkos with 4 to 6 khalkos spawn
Treasure strangely proportioned black metal helm (acts as crystal ball when worn), cubic gate
Aberrations are unnatural beings that don’t belong to this plane of existence. Many aberrations are telepathic and use a mental power known as psionic power instead of magic. An aboleth is an aberration.