Analepcticians were supposed to be the cure, not the disease. Tailored by someone part snake oil salesman, part alchemist, and zero-percent morals, the first doses of the distilled crystals they found on a distant frontier provided immediate mental and physical relief. It turned out this wasn't because it was a medicine. Oh no. The crystal is a non-organic ‘fungus’ that eventually takes over its host while budding cysts full of spores. Depending on the arrangement of veiny crystalline growths, an analeptician projects different manners of psychic resonance. Their goal is always the same, to spread the infection and destruction.

Many pray that the woeweaver represents the ultimate analeptician variation for it is too disquieting to think of a worse version of these foul elementals. The woewever exists for one purpose, to share misery. The terror resembles jellyfish, spider, and elemental all at once with a ballon of a tormented face at the top, and a clutch of eight clear crystals strung together by distended, oozing muscle. The underside of its mantle is covered by dozens of fingers, constantly weaving new neuron patterns as other creatures are psychically connected to it and its kin. Not only does it share suffering along this network, but it can also reap energy from those infected by the crystalline spore.

Analeptician Woeweaver

Medium elemental (analeptician), chaotic evil

Armor Class 18 (natural armor)

Hit Points 127 (15d8 + 60)

Speed 30ft

Str 14 Dex 18 Con 18 Int 7 Wis 20 Cha 16

Damage Resistances force; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks

Damage Immunities psychic

Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 15

Languages Analeptician, telepathy 120 ft.

Challenge 10 (5,900 XP)

Crystalline Cysts. Disease

Whenever a creature afflicted with Crystalline Cysts ends a long rest, they must succeed on a DC 14 Constitution save or recover 1 less Hit Die than normal for every long rest they have had their current Crystalline Cyst infection. The creature develops one additional crystalline cyst, a hard protrusion of analeptician crystal. If a creature recovers no Hit Dice by failing this save, the infection takes over, the creature dies and arises as an analeptician variant as determined by the Game Master. Generally, the more cysts formed, the more powerful the resulting analeptician will be

On a successful save, the infection ends and all cysts fall harmlessly off of the body as inert rocks.

Cystallized Body.

A creature that touches the analeptician or hits it with a melee attack while within 5 ft. of it takes 7 (2d6) slashing damage.

Death Burst.

When the analeptician dies, it explodes in a burst of parasitic shards. Each creature within 10 ft. of it must make a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw, taking 7 (2d6) piercing damage and 7 (2d6) psychic damage on a failed save, and is afflicted with Crystalline Cysts. On success, the creature takes half as much damage and is not afflicted with Crystalline Cysts.

Magic Resistance.

The analeptician has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Magic Weapons.

The analeptician's weapon attacks are magical.

Synaptic Web.

If a non-analeptician begins its turn within 20ft of the elemental it must succeed or gain a telepathic bond with all creatures in the radius of effect who have failed the save and all analepticians, for the next minute. This has two effects.

1. The woeweaver has the effects of the Detect Thoughts spell on all affected non-analeptician creatures and may use all Actions within the spell description as a Bonus Action instead.

2. Whenever bonded creature takes damage, all non-analeptician creatures take 2 (1d4) necrotic damage.

This is a magical effect.

Actions

Multiattack.

The analeptician makes three attacks; only one of which may be Cystic Sap or Cystic Snap.

Slam.

Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (2d6 + 2) bludgeoning damage

Telekinetic Bolt.

Ranged Spell Attack: +9 to hit, range 60/120 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (4d6) force damage.

Cystic Sap.

Melee Spell Attack: +9 to hit, range 15 ft., one target. Hit: 17 (5d6) psychic damage. In addition, the creature must succeed on a DC 17 Constitution save or the Analeptician Woeweaver regains a number of hit points equal to double the cyrstalline cysts the creature has.

Cystic Snap.

Melee Spell Attack: +9 to hit, range 15 ft., one target. Hit: 17 (5d6) psychic damage. In addition, the creature must succeed on a DC 17 or suffer Disadvantage on all rolls for a number of rounds equal to their current number of cystalline cysts.