A-Z Blogging challenge

Q is for Qubit

Qubit

No. Enc.: 2 (1d4 pairs)

Alignment: Chaotic

Movement: 120' (40')

Armor Class: 7

Hit Dice: 1

Attacks: 1

Damage: 1d3, special

Save: F7

Morale: 11

Hoard Class: None

XP: 78

Qubits are extradimensional creatures, physically resembling enlarged human brains, floating through the air while pulsating with faint blue waves of energy. Though they do not seem to possess the capability of communicating directly with other species, they are presumed to be extremely intelligent. Qubits always travel in pairs, and both entities in a pair are linked by an aetherial bond. This bond allows the instantaneous sharing of thought and knowledge, provides the pair with the ability to switch positions among themselves by teleportation and creates a shared physical well-being and perception.

Qubits are extremely antagonistic, though they seldom outright kill sentient creatures. Rather, they are mostly interested in gaining knowledge from their victims, though this process may harm and sometimes even cause the death of weaker minds. When qubits encounter interesting targets, they shoot a focused ray of energy from their frontal lobes, which causes 1d3 damage to sentient beings. If the attack is successful, the target and the qubit become entangled. This entanglement breaks the preexisting bond between a pair of qubits; if possible the remaining qubit will try to form a new entanglement with another target. While the entanglement with the qubit lasts, the creature's and its target's mind are merged, and any damage done to one is received equally by the other. Other qubits will never attack a target that is entangled with another qubit, unless the latter continues to attack.

Once entangled, a qubit will start probing its target's brain, which takes 1d4+1 rounds to complete. At the beginning of the next round, the target may make an Intelligence roll to resist the intrusion. If successful, the target takes 1 point of damage per round of the qubit's probing, if unsuccessful the character suffers 1d3 damage per round instead. This lasts until the probing is finished or the recipient dies from critical brain hemorrhaging. Any character who succeeds in the Intelligence roll may additionally attempt to gain knowledge from the qubit or switch places with it.

When the qubit is finished, it will break the bond and either move on to its next target or retreat. Death of the linked partners ends the bond immediately. Otherwise, the bond is not limited by time or distance. Indeed, some entrepreneuring scholar occassionally attempts to capture a qubit and break its will, seeing the enormous possibilities the bond creates. It rarely ends well.