Brain CylinderEquipment 6
Source Pathfinder Adventure: Malevolence
Price 250 gp
Weight 1 bulk
Perception +15; vision (precise) 30 feet, hearing (imprecise) 30 feet
Communication speech (all languages known in life)
Skills varies
Int +2, Wis +2, Cha +2
AC 21; Fort +10, Ref +8, Will +15
HP 68; Immunities bleed, disease, death effects, paralyzed, poison; Weaknesses bludgeoning 7, sonic 7; Resistances fire 7, piercing 7, slashing 7
A brain cylinder allows the extracted brain of a Large or smaller creature to continue to function even after it has been removed from the body. As long as the brain remains in the cylinder, the creature remains alive and can continue to think, even though its body is dead. Detachable modules that fit into the base of the cylinder allow the brain to see, hear, or speak using a raspy speaker. So long as these are attached, the brain can speak and understand any languages it knew in life, though nothing within the cylinder compels it to do so if it is unwilling. It also retains its living alignment, and can use Intelligence-, Wisdom-, and Charisma-based skills. A standard brain cylinder has one skill at +15, one at +13, and two at +11, as chosen by the GM.
The brain retains no other abilities it possessed in life, including purely mental ones. Mi-go typically preserve humanoid brains in this manner when they wish to interrogate a creature at a later date, or when they wish to preserve a creature as a resource for consultation or research purposes, as a brain preserved in this manner can live for centuries. If a brain cylinder is destroyed, the brain dies and its soul finally moves on to the Boneyard. Restoring a brain in a brain cylinder to its former body can be done by any effect that restores life (and, in most cases, any capable of creating a new body, since the original is typically missing or long gone).
Note that the level 6 brain cylinder presented represents a level 6 creature's brain. A less powerful or more powerful brain can be placed in a brain cylinder, which can affect the brain cylinder's Perception, mental ability scores, Will save, and skill modifiers (and can drastically alter the value of the brain cylinder), but the physical properties of the brain cylinder remain unchanged. Higher-level brain cylinders can be crafted, with resistances and weaknesses increasing as appropriate to their level. However, they always have low AC and HP and terrible Fortitude and Reflex saves for a creature of the brain cylinder's level.
You can open a brain cylinder by taking three consecutive actions with the manipulate trait. If the brain cylinder contains a brain, the brain dies 3 rounds after it's removed or if the cylinder is left open for more than 10 minutes. You can transfer a brain from one brain cylinder to another with a DC 25 medicine (expert) or Occultism (expert) check. This is a two-action activity with the manipulate trait. On a critical failure, the brain dies.
Traits
This rarity indicates that a rules element is very difficult to find in the game world. A rare feat, spell, item or the like is available to players only if the GM decides to include it in the game, typically through discovery during play. Creatures with this trait are rare. They typically can't be summoned. The DC of Recall Knowledge checks related to these creatures is increased by 5.
MagicalSomething with the magical trait is imbued with magical energies not tied to a specific tradition of magic. A magical item radiates a magic aura infused with its dominant school of magic. Some items or effects are closely tied to a particular tradition of magic. In these cases, the item has the arcane, divine, occult, or primal trait instead of the magical trait. Any of these traits indicate that the item is magical.
NecromancyEffects and magic items with this trait are associated with the necromancy school of magic, typically involving forces of life and death.