Savage Menagerie: Chronophage (Time Eater)

No. Enc.: 1d4 (2d4)
Alignment: Neutral
Movement: 90' (30'); Flying: 150' (50')
Armor Class: 5
Hit Dice: 4
Attacks: 1 (bite)
Damage: 1d10 plus special
Save: L3
Morale: 8
Hoard Class: None

A Chronophage is a large (1 foot long) locust-like insectoid with large glassy red eyes, sharp teeth, and a hard green shell-like exoskeleton. They are able to fly fairly well due to their complete wing development and their natural armor makes them harder to injure. However, unlike a locust that eats plantlife and crops, the Chronophage devours time.

A Chronophage consumes temporal energies, causing objects and creatures to wither and age as its "future potentiality" is absorbed by the creature. A Chronophage activates its temporal absorption ability in one of two ways. A Chronophage can absorb temporal energy by making constant contact with an object or creature. This "passive" absorption is very slow as the Chronophage may not move while feeding. For every 48 hours a Chronophage feeds in this manner, it will absorb 10d10 years of the object's temporal energy, aging the object in a like manner. It usually does this with inanimate objects or unconscious creatures. Because of this, the area around a Chronophage lair will seem more aged and decrepit as all of the trees and plantlife will be dead and brittle, stone will be crumbling to rubble, ruins will be particularly hazardous, and dusty skeletons of animal life will be found. A few months of exposure will age the area by centuries.

A Chronophage can also feed more directly by latching onto an object with its toothed mouth during combat. Upon a successful bite attack, a PC will need to make a save versus death. Failure means that the Chronophage has absorbed 2d10 years of the victim's temporal energy, aging him by that amount. A lone PC who stumbles into a Chronophage nest may find himself dying of old age within minutes.

If a PC has been aged by a Chronophage, it is suggested that the PC be penalized for extreme aging. If a PC is aged by 30 years, he should roll another save versus death. Failure means that he suffers a catastrophic shock to the system and dies of age-related causes (stroke, heart attack, etc.) This save versus death should then be rolled for every additional 10 years of "aging damage" thereafter. (The ML should determine if a PC simply dies of old age in extreme cases, say, if a Chronophage ages a victim by 60 years or more.) Also, for every 25 years aged, a PC should suffer a -1 penalty to his STR and DEX scores.

Mutations: temporal absorption, complete wing development, natural armor

NOTE: I came up with the concept of a "time eater" as well as the name "chronophage" some time ago. However, when I did a GIS on chronophage, I discovered this critter and the info on the Corpus Clock!