FREQUENCY: Very rare
FREQUENCY: Very rare ([Dungeon Level II])
FREQUENCY: Rare ([Astral Plane])
NO. APPEARING: 1-4
ARMOR CLASS: Variable
MOVE: Variable
HIT DICE: Variable (upper limit
of 9)
% IN LAIR: 50%
TREASURE TYPE: [A]
NO. OF ATTACKS: Variable (as human)
DAMAGE/ATTACK: By weapon type
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Nil
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Nil
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 50%
INTELLIGENCE: Exceptional
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic neutral
SIZE: M
PSIONIC ABILITY: 121-250
Attack/Defense
Modes: All / all
LEVEL/X.P. VALUE: II and up | Variable
The githzerai are a race of inhabitants
of [Limbo], co-existing with the
slaadi,
roaming the Prime Material Plane like
the [githyanki] and constantly at war with the latter race.
The githyanki-githzerai warfare
is curious since they are both offshoots of the original race released
from mind
flayer bondage under the leadership of Gith -- yet the war
is vicious and long-enduring. Githzerai
are generally slightly weaker
than githzerai, but their magic
resistance appears to compensate and
neither side holds supremacy for
long over the other.
The githzerai and the mind flayers
hold to an uneasy truce, but this is
constantly being broken in isolated
skirmishes.
The same class limitations apply
to githzerai as apply to githyanki,
though some githzerai have been
known to specialise as monks and
the githzerai have no counterpart
to the githyanki anti-paladin class.
They fight with silver swords
and other weapons as do the githyanki,
with the same probability of possession
of a particular item. Githzerai
appear not to have developed the
special
silver swords as have the githyanki.
They have the same sort of political
organisation as have
the githyanki and are ruled by an
undying wizard-king said to be of
16th/23rd level of fighting/magic-use
who prevents githzerai progression
byond the 9th level of experience.
Whereas the githyanki are users of
baroque armour and ornate
weapons and are generally florid
in their magic-use, githzerai are
monastic creatures, their weapons
are very plain and their magic-use
economic of movement and direct
in effect.
Githzerai hold a few fortresses on
the Prime Material Plane but these
are particularly strong holdings,
with walls of adamantite rising as
huge squat towers from dusty plains.
Each houses about 500
githzerai.
All githzerai have the following
psionic abilities at the 6th level of
mastery: astral
projection, mind bar, probability
travel and energy control.
Their psionic powers are highly
developed with all attack/defence modes.
Like the githyanki, githzerai will
rarely be encountered outside their
lair in parties greater than 4,
a typical party consisting of two trainees
of any of the three main classes
(fighter, magic-user or fighter/magic-user, levels 1-2),
one fighter of level 3-5 and a leader
fighter/magic-user of 5th/5th level. The chance
of a character with monkish abilities
is only 5%, but if one is encountered it will be of 6th-8th
experience level since the monks'
main training takes place in the githzerai fortress.
If a lair is found it will be a temporary
base for hunting/warring
activities and will house 21-30
githzerai, with distribution approximately
as follows --
| 1 supreme leader | 9th level fighter or 4th/7th level fighter/magic-user |
| 1 captain | 6th level fighter or 5th/5th level fighter/magic-user |
| 2 warlocks | magic-users of 3rd-5th level |
| 3 sergeants | fighters of 3rd-6th level |
| 3 'zerths' | fighter/magic-users of 3rd/3rd level |
| 11-20 1st-2nd levels | evenly distributed between the three possible classes |
Githzerai have normal human chances
for possession of magic items
(except for swords). A lair will
contain 2-16 magic items.
A large githzerai party will be organised
on much the same lines as a
large githyanki party, depending
to a certain extent on the importance
of the mission. A typical large
party would contain the supreme leader,
both warlocks, 2 of the sergeants,
a zerth and 4-7 1st or 2nd levels.
If a monk is present in the lair,
it will always accompany a large party.
by Charles
Stross
-
MP:
The githzerai are later arrivals to the plane of Limbo. Though
outnumbered by the chaotic Slaad,
the two races exist in relative
peace. The githzerai are relatives
of the githyanki of the Astral;
these races have engaged in genocidal
warfare with each other
for their entire history. The githzerai
use their high intelligence to
set up watch posts and citadels
in the void, but they and
fight in chaos without ill effect,
similar to the Slaadi.
Descriptions of githzerai outposts
and war parties can be found
in the FIEND FOLIO tome.
Githzerai wield silver swords in the
same manner as githyanki. Their
initial move in battling travelers
who have arrived via [astral projection]
is to surround the targets
and sever the silver cords, marooning
the intruders in Limbo. The
githzerai, former slaves themselves,
are not above capturing
beings for use as slaves in their
cities.
Githzerai cities are large constructs
made of chaos matter.
Most cities number some 100-600
githzerai of various levels. The
greatest metropolis is the Floating
City, or Citadel of Gith, that
has been sighted in all five layers
of Limbo. Gith has a population
of well over 10,000 of the race,
not counting servants and slaves.
It is ruled by Zaerith Menyar-Ag-Gith
(the Great Githzerai), an
immortal wizard-king who is a 16th-level
figghter and a 23d-level
mage. He is treated as a demi-god
if encounted in Limbo.
Githzerai often astrally project
into the Astral plane to combat
the hated githyanki. They always
use the [mind bar] ability to protect
their astral forms from the normal
variety of githyanki silver
swords. For travel to the various
alternate Prime Material planes,
the githzerai use [probability travel]
and bring their physical forms
along.
Quote:
Originally posted by Daiymo
Greetings Gary!
You spoke earlier about mind flayers, so I have a question about the Gith races, my favorite outisder type monster race(no doubt due to their being prominently featured on the cover of the old Fiend Folio).
I dont know how much input
you had in the gith's development, but where did the idea of these two
warring races(the yanki and zerai) come from?
Where are Steve Jackson
(the Brit) and Ian Livingston when you need them? Likely living it up in
Spain...
The FIEND FOLIO was compiled by those two, then the owners of GW, from submissions published in WHITE DWARD MAGAZINE, and brought to TSR as material for an additional book of monsters. I culled some, saw that other creatures were added, and then Lawrence Shick, the man in charge of project left in the monsters I'd said must be cut--he was leaving the company so...
Anyway, I agree that the Gith are an interesting racial pair. Only their creator, or Steve & Ian possibly, can give you the inside information you seek.
Cheerio,
Gary
Quote:
Originally posted by
tsadkiel
Here's an interview with Charles Stross about the origins of the Gith races.
http://www.planewalker.com/loz/mi_stross.shtml
Thanks for the URL.
Interesting that he has become a pro SF author, and too bad he has left gaming.
Mr. Stross' observations in regards to what inspired him to create the various monsters he did is pretty much the same as how I have done a number of them.
Although I know Larry Niven, I most certainly wasn't reading his material for monster ideas, then or now. As noted, the inspiration for the mind flayers came from a piece of cover art on a book in the Lovecraftian Cycle, Lumley's THE BURROWERS BENEATH. I still have that paperback in my libreay, too
Gary