| Hit Dice: | 1d8+2 (6 hp) |
| Initiative: | +1 |
| Speed: | 20 ft. in breastplate (4 squares); base speed 30 ft. |
| Armor Class: | 16 (+1 Dex, +5 breastplate), touch 11, flat-footed 15 |
| Base Attack/Grapple: | +1/+2 |
| Attack: | Masterwork greatsword +4 melee (2d6+1/19–20) or composite longbow (+1 Str bonus) +2 ranged (1d8+1/×3) |
| Full Attack: | Masterwork greatsword +4 melee (2d6+1/19–20) or composite longbow (+1 Str bonus) +2 ranged (1d8+1/×3) |
| Space/Reach: | 5 ft./5 ft. |
| Special Attacks: | Psionics |
| Special Qualities: | Darkvision 60 ft., psionics, spell resistance 6 |
| Saves: | Fort +4, Ref +1, Will –2 |
| Abilities: | Str 13, Dex 13, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 7, Cha 8 |
| Skills: | Craft (armorsmithing or weaponsmithing) +2, Intimidate +1, Spot +1 |
| Feats: | Weapon Focus (greatsword) |
| Environment: | Astral Plane |
| Organization: | Company (2–4 3rd-level fighters), squad (11–20 3rd-level fighters, plus 2 7th-level sergeants, 1 9th-level captain, and 1 young red dragon), or regiment (30–100 3rd-level fighters, 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: | Usually evil (any) |
| Advancement: | By character class |
| Level Adjustment: | +2 |
This tall, gaunt humanoid has rough, yellow skin and russet hair pulled into a pair of topknots. Its eyes have a sinister gleam, and its ears are pointed and serrated in back.
Githyanki are an ancient line of humanlike beings residing on the Astral Plane, filling their armories for their next skirmish, raid, or war.
Githyanki are gaunt, averaging a little over 6 feet tall and typically weighing around 170 pounds. They enjoy elaborate dress and baroque armor. In fact, they revere weapons and armor, and it is not uncommon for a githyanki to show more regard for panoply of possessions than for its mate.
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.
Githyanki speak their own secret tongue, but most also know Common and Draconic.
The statistics block above describes a 1st-level warrior with the following ability scores before racial adjustments: Str 13, Dex 11, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 9, Cha 8. Most githyanki encountered outside their homes are fighters. However, wizards (called warlocks) and multiclass githyanki (called gish) are also found.
Githyanki are seasoned combatants, familiar with the tactical use of ambush, cover, and psionic sniper attacks from afar. However, they prefer to engage their enemies in hand-to-hand combat 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 wizards direct their powers with pinpoint accuracy to support their comrades in melee.
Psionics (Sp): 3/day—daze (DC 9), mage hand. In addition, githyanki of 3rd level or higher can use blur three times per day, githyanki of 6th level or higher can use dimension door three times per day, and githyanki of 9th level or higher can use telekinesis (DC 14) three times per day and plane shift (DC 16) once per day. Effective caster level equals the githyanki’s class levels. The save DCs are Charisma-based.
Spell Resistance (Ex): A githyanki has spell resistance equal to its class levels + 5.
Challenge Rating: Githyanki with levels in NPC classes have a CR equal to their character level. Githyanki with levels in PC classes have a CR equal to their character level +1.
These impressive weapons are typically carried by githyanki combatants of 9th level and higher. Of githyanki make, a silver sword is a +1 silvered greatsword that looks much like a standard weapon while still in its sheath. But when drawn, the silver sword transforms into a column of silvery liquid, altering the weapon’s balance round by round as the blade’s shape flows and shimmers. A silver sword has the additional quality of reaching into the minds of the foes it strikes, disrupting their psionic powers. A target hit by the weapon must succeed on a DC 17 Fortitude save or lose any psionic abilities for 1d4 rounds.
High-level githyanki often take the Improved Sunder feat, using their silver swords to attack astral travelers’ silver cords (see the astral projection spell). The normally insubstantial cord is treated as a tangible object with the owner’s AC, hardness 10, and 20 hit points.
It is rumored that each githyanki warrior has but one silver sword, and if the weapon is lost or stolen, the githyanki must seek it out at all costs or be killed by its superiors. That may be only a legend, but githyanki have been known to exact terrible revenge upon those who steal their silver swords or win them in battle.
Some silver swords (belonging to particularly high-level githyanki) have additional enhancements. Enhancing a silver sword is just like working with any other weapon that has existing abilities. A normal githyanki silver sword is treated as having a +2 enhancement for this purpose: +1 for its bonus on attack and damage rolls and another +1 for the sword’s antipsionic ability.
In eons past, the mind flayers enslaved entire races, including the forerunners of the githyanki. Centuries of captivity bred hatred, nurtured resolve, and finally instilled psionic powers into these slaves. With mental armaments of their own and a powerful leader to rally behind (the legendary Gith), the slaves instigated a cross-planar struggle that, in the end, threw down the mind flayer empire, bringing freedom to the surviving slaves. However, these survivors 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 creatures’ hatred of 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, since most githyanki prefer their own abode; however, githyanki are often found in groups, honing their fighting skills. A 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 16th level. In addition to eliminating a potential rival, the lich-queen enhances her power with the stolen life essence.
Red Dragon Pact: Githyanki have a racial pact with red dragons, which sometimes serve githyanki as mounts. Individually, githyanki have a +4 racial bonus on Diplomacy checks when dealing with red dragons. In large groups, they can make temporary alliances with red dragons at the option of the Dungeon Master.
Most githyanki are fighters. Some of the most powerful githyanki warlords are blackguards. Githyanki are never clerics, unless they have forsworn the dreaded lich-queen (which is a perilous and ultimately lethal decision).
Githyanki characters possess the following racial traits.
Source: Monster Manual (version 3.5), page 127.