Githzerai

This creature is a thin and tall humanoid with sharp features, a somber face, and yellow eyes.

Githzerai are a hard-hearted, humanlike people who dwell on the plane of Limbo, secure in the protection of their hidden monasteries.

Githzerai average more than 6 feet tall and weigh about 160 pounds. Some have gray eyes instead of yellow. All of them dress in drab, unadorned clothing.

As a rule, githzerai are close-mouthed, keep their own counsel, and trust few outside their own kind.

They speak their own language (similar enough to the tongue of the githyanki that either could understand the other if they chose to speak instead of fight), but many also speak Common.

The statistics block describes a 1st-level warrior. Many githzerai are monks; however, sorcerers, rogues, and multiclass githzerai (called zerths) are also indispensable members of a monastery.

Combat

Able to fight without weapons and armor, githzerai monks yearn to bring the “good fight” to their enemies, the githyanki and the mind flayers. In melee, githzerai sorcerers often use their powers to enhance the monks, warriors, and rogues.

Psionics (Sp): 3/day⁠—​daze (DC 9), feather fall, shatter (DC 11). A githzerai of 11th level or higher can use plane shift (DC 16) once per day. Effective caster level equals the githzerai’s class levels. The save DCs are Charisma-based.

Inertial Armor (Sp): Githzerai can use psychic force to block an enemy’s blows. This ability gives them a +4 armor bonus to AC as long as they remain conscious. This is the equivalent of a 1st-level spell.

Spell Resistance (Ex): A githzerai has spell resistance equal to its class levels + 5.

The githzerai warrior presented here had the following ability scores before racial adjustments: Str 13, Dex 11, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 9, Cha 8.

Challenge Rating: Githzerai with levels in NPC classes have a CR equal to their character level. Githzerai with levels in PC classes have a CR equal to their character level +1.

Githzerai Society

The githzerai forerunners united under the command of the rebel Gith (see the Githyanki entry) and threw down the plane-spanning empire of the mind flayers. Once free, the former slaves split ideologically and eventually racially, becoming the githzerai and their foes, the githyanki. The githzerai’s history of imprisonment was the foundation of their monastic lifestyle, in which all githzerai learn from childhood how to eradicate potential oppressors and enemies (anyone not a githzerai).

Githzerai live within self-contained, fortresslike monasteries hidden deep in the swirling chaos of Limbo. While disorder rules outside, stability holds sway inside. Each monastery is ultimately under the control of a sensei, a monk of at least 16th level, and follows a strict schedule of chants, meals, martial arts training, and devotions, according to a particular sensei’s philosophy. A monastery contains noncombatants (mostly children) equal to 15% of the fighting population. Githzerai males and females may be found in almost any role or class.

Rrakkma: As a special devotion, githzerai sometimes organize mind flayer hunting parties called rrakkma. A rrakkma consists of 4–5 githzerai of 8th level and 1–2 of 11th level, mainly monks, but also containing at least one sorcerer and possibly a rogue. A rrakkma does not return to its home monastery before slaying at least as many illithids as its membership.

Githzerai as Characters

Githzerai characters possess the following racial traits.

+6 Dexterity, –2 Intelligence, +2 Wisdom.
• Medium size.
• A githzerai’s base land speed is 30 feet.
• Darkvision out to 60 feet.
• Racial Feats: A githzerai gains feats according to its character class.
• Special Qualities: Psionics, inertial armor, spell resistance equal to class levels + 5.
• Automatic Languages: Githzerai. Bonus Languages: Common, Slaad, Undercommon.
• Favored Class: Monk.
• Level adjustment +2.

Source: Monster Manual (version 3.5), page 129.