Illithid Servitor Species Part Four: Mind Rippers

The Illithids ran experiments and test on a great many of the species they conquered during the Invasion and humans/near-humans were no exception. As the invasion entered the more densely populated sectors, the Illithids were met with greater resistance to the point that in many sectors the war became more of a war of attrition than the blitzkrieg in which it started. In order to sow discord in the societies of their enemies the Illithid created a new species, splicing their own DNA with that of humans; thus were born the Mind Rippers.

Mind Rippers were meant to be covert operatives in regions of space where humans and near-humans were the norm. The Illithid wanted beings that were ruthless, goal-centered, and utterly loyal to them...the succeeded in two out of three goals. What the Illithid didn't count on was the seemingly innate need in humans (and most near-human species) for individuality and to follow their own paths. While they did develop a race that were ruthlessly pragmatic and goal-oriented, they failed in encoding loyalty into their creations they way they did the Tzakandi. Mind Rippers were smart enough to see what happens to those that displease the Illithid, so they played their part until it was becoming clear their masters were going to lose the war. When the Illithid defeat appeared to be a certainty, the Mind Rippers joined the Ith-Kon in fighting the Illithid from the inside, helping to scatter the invaders across the Alpha Quadrant and beyond.

After the war ended, most Mind Rippers did their best to disappear. They knew that their appearance marked them as being born and bred by the Illithid, and in any case they had little desire to either live among the species they warred against or to be test subjects in any attempt to better understand the Illithid. They made their way to sectors that didn't feel the effects of the war and beyond. Few had any destination in mind and there was little camaraderie among their own kind, so they wander the spaceways living their lives one parsec at a time. There are supposedly a couple colonies in remote systems where groups of Mind Rippers live, but most are vagabonds, traveling alone or in small groups.

Mind Rippers are humanoids with the same height and build as most humans. Their skin color is typically a sickly pale color with some slight mauve spots on their necks and along the hairline of their foreheads. Their most striking feature is the four small tentacles that adorn their faces. One extending from each cheek, one from the chin, and the last replacing their nose. These tentacles allow them to hold a victim's head tight while one or more tentacles find access to the brain to feed. Mind Rippers need to feed on cerebral fluid, but have no dietary need to feed on the fluids of sentient beings. In fact, most avoid to feed on sentient creatures, not out of respect for intelligent life, but for the fact that feeding in such a manner only causes more harm than good so they tend to get their cerebral fluid from animals. They can also eat regular food, which is where they get most of their sustenance. Their hair is stringy and oily unless it is washed regularly and ranges in color from black to sandy blonde. Mind Ripper eyes are deep-set and small, and are usually pale grey in color.

Mind Rippers are extremely focused. Once they set their mind on completing a task, they develop tunnel vision until it is seen through to the end. They are also a very pragmatic species as well. While not as married to logic as Vulcans, they are still quite adept at not letting emotions cloud their judgement. That is not to say that they are not fit to emotional outbursts. Mind Rippers can become frustrated if their efforts are continually hampered and that frustration can lead to fits of rage and violent outbursts.

Mind Rippers for Savage Worlds
Intelligent: Mind Rippers start play with a d6 for Smarts.
Tentacles: Str+d4; Reach 1"; Grab; can only be used against Shaken or Incapacitated foes. 
Focus: Mind Rippers can gain a +2 bonus to a skill roll, but during that time they take a -2 penalty to all Notice rolls due to being so focused on their task at hand. 
Mind Rip: Mind Rippers have a special psionic ability they can use even if they do not have the Psionics Arcane Background. They can focus their will on a foe and drain their Intelligence. This is like they are using the Lower Trait power with the trait being Intelligence. They do not expend power points to use this ability, but instead can use it a number of times per day based on their Smarts: d4: 1; d6: 2; d8: 3; d10: 4; d12: 5. No matter if the ability succeeds or not, the Mind Ripper is Shaken by using this power. 
Outsider: Mind Rippers start play with the Major version of the Outsider Hindrance. 
Dependency: Mind Rippers must feed on cerebral fluid at least once a week or they will suffer from Fatigue on the 7th day of not feeding. They become automatically Fatigued each day until they’re Incapacitated. A day after that, they perish. Each hour spent recovering with the appropriate substance restores a level of Fatigue.

Mind Rippers for Rogue Space
Archetypes: Mind Rippers can be Scoundrels or Technicians and receive a +1 bonus to either Acquiring or Repair. 
Tentacles do L damage, but are only usable against a for that is either pinned or otherwise helpless. 
Mind Rip: Mind Rippers can focus their minds to drain the Intelligence from another being. This is an opposed Empathy check. If the Mind Ripper succeeds, the foe's Empathy bonus drops by 1 for 1 round is suffers a -1 penalty to all physical-based tests for 1 round due to being dazed. The Mind Ripper is also dazed for 1 round after using this power no matter if he was successful in its use or not. A victim who drops below Empathy bonus 0 is slain by this attack. Mind Rippers can use this attack as many times a day equal to their Empathy bonus. 
Psionics: Mind Rippers can become Espers, and tend to focus on damaging powers like Psychic Blast and Scream.