Symbiote
Tiny Aberration, any alignment
(requires attunement)
Art Credit: Goa'uld by Dan Antonescu
This alien creature can live on its own for a brief time, but requires a host creature in which to live and share its body.
When a symbiote bonds with another creature, it enters the creature and lives within it, using the creature's body to support its own life. A host creature that bonds with a symbiote gains many benefits from the relationship.
Long Life. When you bond with your symbiote, you no longer physically age, and your lifespan triples in length. For example, if you are a human with a symbiote, you could live to be around 300 years old.
Deep Speech. While you are bonded with your symbiote, you know the Deep Speech language.
Symbiotic Health. Through your bond with the symbiote, you are resistant to poison damage, and you are immune to disease and the poison condition.
Alignment. Each individual symbiote has its own alignment. The DM can choose the symbiote's alignment, or roll 2d3 on the table below.
If the host creature has a different alignment than the symbiote, its alignment changes to that of the symbiote.
Alignment
| d3 | Order |
|---|---|
| 1 | Lawful |
| 2 | Neutral |
| 3 | Chaotic |
| d3 | Morality |
|---|---|
| 1 | Good |
| 2 | Neutral |
| 3 | Evil |
Skills and Ability Score Improvements. Whenever you gain an Ability Score Improvement by gaining a level in any class, you can choose to instead gain proficiency in a skill, or double your proficiency in a skill in which you already have proficiency. In addition, you gain a +1 increases to one Ability score of your choice.
If you lose your symbiote for any reason, you will also lose any skill proficiencies and expertise gained through your symbiote. For every skill proficiency or expertise that you had gained through the power of your symbiote, you instead gain another +1 bonus to an Ability score of your choice.
Note to the DM
If you allow the symbiote to be a part of your campaign, it can be granted as if it were an item, or as a feat (Chapter 5 of the PHB) . If granted as a feat, you can decide whether or not to require that a character attunes to the symbiote.
Additionally, if a symbiote is ever encountered as a hostile creature, you can use the following statblock.
Goa'uld Symbiote
Tiny aberration, any alignment
- Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
- Hit Points 10
- Speed 10 ft., swim 30 ft., burrow 10 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 3 (-4) 16 (+3) 8 (-1) 16 (+3) 16 (+3) 5 (-3)
- Skills Perception +5, Stealth +5
- Damage Vulnerabilities Bludgeoning, Fire, Lightning
- Damage Immunities Poison
- Condition Immunities Charmed, Frightened, Poisoned, Disease
- Senses Darkvision 120 ft., Blindsight 10 ft.
- Languages Deep Speech
- Challenge ???
Traits
Amphibious. The symbiote can breathe air and water. When bonded with a host creature, it doesn't need to breathe at all.
Slither. For the purposes of attacking the symbiote, it is always considered prone.
Actions
Forceful Bond (Recharge 4-6). One humanoid that the symbiote can see within 5 ft. of it must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or be possessed by the symbiote; the symbiote then disappears, and the target is incapacitated and loses control of its body. The symbiote now controls the body but doesn't deprive the target of awareness. The symbiote can't be targeted by any attack, spell, or other effect, and it retains its Alignment, Intelligence, Wisdom, and its condition immunities. It otherwise uses the possessed target's Statistics, and gains access to the target's knowledge, Class Features, and proficiencies. The possession lasts until the body drops to 0 Hit Points, or the symbiote ends it as a Bonus Action. Another creature can attempt to remove the symbiote with a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Medicine) check. When the possession ends, the symbiote reappears in an unoccupied space within 5 ft. of the target. The target is immune to this Possession for 24 hours after succeeding on the saving throw or after the possession ends.