Perhaps eight creatures eventually revealed themselves by their calls, as they closed in upon the pair of travelers. In appearance, they were alike to the master, bipedal but only barely so, thin of limb and long of claw. An unhealthy ochre pallor colored their pitted flesh. They deviated in form from the master in one clear way. Where the nub that emerged from the shoulder of the master was home to an over-sized spherical eye, each of these creatures possessed, instead of a seeing orb, a circular maw filled with rows of needle-like teeth. Their mouths opened and closed at much the same languid pace that they eyelids had inexorably blinked over the master’s eye. There was almost a lascivious aspect to the lips slowly hiding and revealing the barbed orifice beneath.

Psothics are generally bipedal creatures whose faces (and often their entire heads) are replaced by a single organ of an ordinary body. Because each individual is capable of performing only a single task corresponding to their respective organ, psothics, in contrast to many aberrations, are communal creatures. This document details only the two most common variations on the psothic theme, the psothic eye and the psothic mouth (pictured above). However, travelers to aberrant realms reliably report observing psothics corresponding to other organs, including the ear, the liver and, most uselessly, the appendix. There is also a reliable account given by the Monk of Many Faces and her acolyte³ that large communities of psothics are organized around a massive psothic brain, in much the same manner as the social organization of their fellow aberrations, the illithid. Disreputable scholars speculate that psothic reproduction occurs via pairs of psothics, which have the form of compatible genitalia but no unequivocal documentation of such beings exists. In any case, there are no accounts of any encounters with a solitary psothic.

Silent and brooding, psothic eyes instill uneasiness in all who encounter them. The well-informed understand that, even if out-of-sight, a psothic mouth lurks nearby, for the twain are never distant. As is typical of visitors from aberrant realms, the motives of the psothics are largely inscrutable. Certainly, they experience the desire to survive as do ordinary biological entities, but this existential imperative seems balanced by a counter-intuitive ambivalence regarding the value of their own or any other life. They seem most strongly bound by a curiosity that is inexplicably mingled with indifference. If this description seems incongruous, one only has to seek out a pair of psothic twins oneself to verify the accuracy of this contradiction.

The two tables below provide a Pathfinder compatible entry for a pair of psothic twins, comprised of a psothic eye and a psothic mouth. In generating these statistics, we relied heavily on the existing port of the progenitor species, the nothic, from D&D third edition to Pathfinder from The Creature Chronicle.⁴

Racial Variants Psothics possess the mutability of aberrations. The following traits can be substituted or added to psothics as necessary. In particular, multiple mouths can straight-forwardly increase the difficulty of an enounter.

Variant Gaze Attacks: Being caught in the gaze of the wicked orb of psothic eyes come may have a wide range of efffects. Instead of its rotting gaze, the psothic's eye may inflict hypnotism, or burning gaze, or another gaze effect. See, for example, the various stare effects of the mesmerist class.

Cursed Bite: The aberrant maws of psothic mouths come in a variety of forms. The type of aberrant bacteria described above as part of the inchoate saliva feature is only a single example. The bites can spread contagions manifesting in any number of curses, madnesses, horrors, physical and psychological diseases, and occasionally other biological venoms.

Multiple Mouths: Some eyes have more than a single twin. Triplets composed of a single eye and two mouths have been confirmed. Larger quadruplets through octuplets are rumored, though in all cases there is but a single eye accompanied by a pack of it brethren mouths.

Certainly, there are a number of precedents for player characters with two distinctly controllable bodies. One need think no further than such pairs as the wizard and familiar, druid or ranger and animal companion, summoner and eidolon or cavalier and mount. In each of these cases, however, the relative importance of the two components is unequal. There is a primary body, the character, and a secondary body, the companion. If the companion dies, it can be replaced without undue effect (save grief, in some cases) on the part of the character. The case of psothic twins is entirely different. The two components of the entity are entirely equal in importance and one organ cannot live without the other.

In the description that follows, the general case of psothic twins is first presented. Here, the rules for race building^PF:ARG are followed and the resulting race possesses 36 Racial Points (RP), making it a monstrous race according to the relevant rules of categorization. To some extent, this high number of racial points can be rationalized as providing points for both the psothic mouth and eye, averaging 18 RP apiece, making them individually in the advanced race category.

Multiclassing Psothic Twins
Characters of any race may choose to take levels in more than one class, a practice that has come to termed multiclassing. Often, multiclassing is used in a perjorative manner, because it causes a source of game imbalance, in which unscrupulous players generate over-powered characters who gain an array of disproportionate arcane and martial skills by taking only one or two levels in many classes. When applied to psothic twins, multiclassing has a wholly unrelated effect.

Psothics twins who hold to a single class are comprised of an eye and a mouth, which share all characteristics save hit points. Multiclassing allows psothic twins to gain more distinction between the twins. When multiclassing, posthic twins still share abilities, skills and feats, but the class features can be split among them. In the archetypical case, where the eye pursues a spell-casting class and the mouth pursues a martial class, class traits associated with the spellcaster are attributed to the eye, while those traits due to levels in the martial class, are associated with the mouth. Some unique features result from this multiclassing. A mouth may wear armor for which it is proficient due ot its martial class, without incurring a penalty to arcane casting for the eye.

Aberrant Spittle (Ex)
Description: The psothic mouth develops a spit attack, able to infect a target with the effects of its Inchoate Saliva trait. This is a ranged touch attack with a range of 30'.
Prerequisite: Psothic mouth, Inchoate Saliva (or variant) trait
Benefit: Target successfully hit suffers the effect of the psothic mouth's Inchoate Saliva.

Cacophonic Giggle (Sp)
Description: The psothic mouth can emit an unnerving giggle. One foe within close range suffers the effect of hideous laughter for as long as the psothic mouth maintains the giggle or until a successful saving throw is made, allowed each round. The psothic mouth can continue to move and attack during this effect, but cannot speak or cast spells with verbal components.
Prerequisite: Psothic mouth
Benefit: The psothic mouth can affect foe with hideous laughter.

Cacophonic Cackle (Sp)
Description: The psothic mouth can emit an unnerving cackle. 1d4+1 foes within close range suffer the effects of hideous laughter for as long as the psothic mouth maintains the giggle or until a successful saving throw is made, allowed only once every x rounds, where x is the level of the psothic. The psothic mouth can continue to move and attack during this effect, but cannot speak or cast spells with verbal components.
Prerequisite: Psothic mouth, Cacophonic Giggle feat, 5^th level
Benefit: The psothic mouth can affect foes with a more powerful hideous laughter.

Cacophonic Howling (Sp)
Description: The psothic mouth can emit a raucous howling. All foes within close range suffer the effects of hideous laughter for as long as the psothic mouth maintains the giggle or until a successful saving throw is made, allowed only once every x rounds, where x is the level of the psothic. After the save is made, the target must wait 1 round to regain their composure to act. The psothic mouth can continue to move and attack during this effect, but cannot speak or cast spells with verbal components.
Prerequisite: Psothic mouth, Cacophonic Giggle feat, Cacophonic Cackle feat, 9^th level
Benefit: The psothic mouth can affect foes with a more powerful hideous laughter.

Double Tough (Ex)
Description: Unlike other races, the feat toughness can be taken twice by psothics, granting its additional hit points to each twin. Regardless of how the hit points accrued by the Toughness feat have been distributed between the two twins, taking the Double Tough feat redistributes two full sets of bonus hit points due to the Toughness feat equally between the two twins.
Prerequisite: Psothic, Toughness
Benefit: Both twins gain hit points from the Toughness feat.

Elemental Saliva (Ex)
Description: The psothic mouth adds 1d6 damage of fire, cold, electricity or acid damage to the Inchoate Saliva trait. This damage can be added to the attack of the Aberrant Maw trait or the Aberrant Spittle feat.
Prerequisite: Psothic mouth, Inchoate Saliva (or variant) trait, Aberrant Maw trait or the Aberrant Spittle feat, 3^rd level
Benefit: Elemental damage added to natural attack of psothic mouth.

Elemental Saliva, Improved (Ex)
Description: The psothic mouth adds an additional 1d6 damage of fire, cold, electricity or acid damage to the Inchoate Saliva trait. The element can be the same as or different than the element selected previously for the Elemental Saliva. This damage can be added to the attack of the Aberrant Maw trait or the Aberrant Spittle feat.
Prerequisite: Psothic mouth, Inchoate Saliva (or variant) trait, Aberrant Maw trait or the Aberrant Spittle feat, Elemental Saliva, 5^th level
Benefit: Additional elemental damage added to natural attack of psothic mouth.

Elemental Saliva, Greater (Ex)
Description: The psothic mouth adds an additional 1d6 damage of fire, cold, electricity or acid damage to the Inchoate Saliva trait. The element can be the same as or different than the element selected previously for the Elemental Saliva and Improved Elemental Saliva. This damage can be added to the attack of the Aberrant Maw trait or the Aberrant Spittle feat.
Prerequisite: Psothic mouth, Inchoate Saliva (or variant) trait, Aberrant Maw trait or the Aberrant Spittle feat, Elemental Saliva, Improved Elemental Saliva, 7^th level
Benefit: Additional elemental damage added to natural attack of psothic mouth.

Extra Aberrant Stare (Ex)
Description: The psothic eye can apply stare feats, including extended stare, manifold stare and intense pain stare to its gaze attack. Use the aberrant's total level as the mesmerist level required as the feat prerequisite. This feat can be taken multiple times.
Prerequisite: Psothic eye, gaze attack
Benefit: The gaze attack of a psothic eye gains additional effects of a mesmerist stare.

Gaze Thrust I-VI (Sp)
Description: The psothic eye can add the effect of mind thrust to its gaze attack, using its level as the caster level. This feat can be taken a maximum of six times, with each subsequent addition corresponding to an increase in the level of the mind thrust from I to VI. Each lower level is a prerequisite for the next level of the spell. Each level of the feat can be used one time per day plus an additional time per day for each higher level of the feat known, per the table below.

• Gaze Thrust I: Mind Thrust I (1/day)
• Gaze Thrust II: Mind Thrust I (2/day), Mind Thrust II (1/day)
• Gaze Thrust III: Mind Thrust I (3/day), Mind Thrust II (2/day), Mind Thrust III (1/day)
• Gaze Thrust IV: Mind Thrust I (4/day), Mind Thrust II (3/day), Mind Thrust III (2/day), Mind Thrust IV (1/day)
• Gaze Thrust V: Mind Thrust I (5/day), Mind Thrust II (4/day), Mind Thrust III (3/day), Mind Thrust IV (2/day), Mind Thrust V (1/day)
• Gaze Thrust VI: Mind Thrust I (6/day), Mind Thrust II (5/day), Mind Thrust III (4/day), Mind Thrust IV (3/day), Mind Thrust V (2/day), Mind Thrust VI (1/day)

Split Personality (Ex)
Description: The psothic eye and mouth gain a minor level of independence. If one twin is subject to a mind-effecting spell or spell-like ability, such as confusion, fear, charm or sleep, the other twin is not subject to the same effect.
Prerequisite: Psothic
Benefit: Mind-effects do not automatically impact both twins.

Demented Eyebite
School necromancy; all spellcasting classes 6
CASTING: Casting Time 1 standard action; Components V,S
EFFECT
Range: medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./2 levels)
Target: one living creature
Duration: 1 round/level
Saving Throw: Fortitude, negates; Spell Resistance: no
This is a psothic variation on the eyebite spell. Each round, you can target a single living creature, striking it with waves of power. Depending on the target’s HD, this attack has as many as three effects.This illusion can be penetrated by spells or abilities able to pierce or dispel first level magic.

• HD: Effect
• 10 or more: nauseated
• 5-9: paralyzed & invisible
• 4 or less: blinded, deafened & mute

False Gaiety
School enchantment; all spellcasting classes 2
CASTING: Casting Time 1 standard action; Components V,S
EFFECT
Range: medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./2 levels)
Target: one living creature
Duration: permanent, until dispelled
Saving Throw: Will, negates; Spell Resistance: no
The target of this spell responds to all emotional situations with gaiety, regardless of whether that is the appropriate response or not. While they may internally experience fear, sorror or disappointment, outwardly they are compelled to present a cheery, overly optimistic demeanor. In terms of game mechanics, such a response may alter the difficulty of changing an attitude via a diplomacy check. The change may be either a penalty or a bonus and the magnitude may vary from +/-1 to +/-5 or more and is left to the discretion of the GM, depending on the particulars of the situation.

Febrile Jeremiad
School enchantment; bard 2
CASTING: Casting Time 1 standard action; Components V,S
EFFECT
Range: medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./2 levels)
Target: one living or dead creature
Duration: permanent, until individual save is made
Saving Throw: Will, negates; Spell Resistance: no
The spell can be used in two occasions. When cast over a recently deceased creature, it can be used to increase or decrease the difficulty checks associated with any raise dead, reincarnate or resurrection by +10 or -10, as determined by the nature of the song the bard chooses to sing. A similar effect applies to animate dead or other spell, which attempts to create an undead creature from the corpse.
In the second occasion, the casting of Febrile Jeremiad can cause all foes within listening distance to join in the singing of a woeful dirge, in a language of their choice, in which they enumerate the grievances, injustices and bad luck that they have experienced during their lifetimes. This collective lamentation results in a -4 penalty to Will and -4 penalty to Fortitude for as long as the jeremiad lasts. Each singer is allowed to attempt a save every round. Afflicted creatures may move and attack during the jeremiad but may not speak or cast spells with verbal components.

Psothic Appearance Swap
School illusion; Level all spellcasting classes 1
CASTING: Casting Time 1 standard action; Components S
EFFECT
Range: medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./2 levels)
Target: one pair of twins
Duration: 1 minute/level
Saving Throw: Will, negates; Spell Resistance: no
This spell exchanges the appearance of a pair of psothic twins, making the eye appear as the mouth and the mouth appear as an eye. Each retains their own capabilities and equipment. This illusion can be penetrated by spells or abilities able to pierce or dispel first level magic.

Psothic Life Swap
School transmutation; Level all spellcasting classes 1
CASTING: Casting Time 1 standard action; Components S
EFFECT
Range: medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./2 levels)
Target: one pair of twins
Duration: instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will, negates; Spell Resistance: no
This spell exchanges the current hit points between a set of psothic twins. If one twins receives more hit points than their total, the extra hit points are temporary hit points and disappear after 24 hours or until the psothic sleeps, which ever comes first. This spells still functions if one of the psothic has negative hit points.

Psothic Location Swap
School transmutation; Level all spellcasting classes 1
CASTING: Casting Time 1 standard action; Components S
EFFECT
Range: medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./2 levels)
Target: one pair of twins
Duration: instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will, negates; Spell Resistance: no
This spell functions as benign transposition but allows the caster to exchange positions only with its psothic twin. The spell may function for natural twins of other races with a 50% success rate.

Psothic Porcupine
School conjuration; Level all spellcasting classes 2
CASTING: Casting Time 1 standard action; Components S
EFFECT
Range: touch
Target: one living creature
Duration: 1 hour/level
Saving Throw: Will, negates; Spell Resistance: no
This spell causes functions like mage armor but can be cast on others as well. Also, the nature of the armor is different. spikes grow from the creature's back, shoulders, and sides. Any armor or clothing accommodates the spikes for the duration of the spell. The growths have the following effects. They improve AC by +4 for the duration of the spell. Any melee attack that is delivered except from the space directly in front of the the caster causes the attacker to take 1d6 piercing damage per 4 levels of the caster to a maximum of 5d6 damage at 20^th level. If the caster curls into a fetal position, all melee attackers are subject to this damage, irregardless of position relative to the caster. In this position, the caster is considered prone, gaining the standard +4 AC vs ranged weapons, but a -4 AC (negating the AC bonus to the spell) vs melee attacks.

The following magic items originate with psothics. In some cases items are fitted to the anatomy of a psothic and cannot be used by other humanoid species. Magic item requiring an eye or a mouth are strictly usable by a psothic eye or psothic mouth, respectively. Other magic items in this list originate from psothics and grant the user abilities derived from a psothic. Such items would not be used by psothics themselves.

Balm of Nepenthe
Price: 30,000; Slot: shoulders; CL: 12th; Weight: 0.25 lbs.; Aura: moderate abjuration and enchantment
Description: The saliva of the psothic mouth, if collected, can be fermented into a paste. When applied to the chest of a humanoid, the balm unnaturally banishes all grief and troubles from the target's mind for 1d6+1 days. While under the influence of this balm, the target is immune to all mind-affecting effects associated with grief, fear or panic. The target is similarly immune to relevant conditions. As a potentially negative effect, the target is utterly incapable of experiencing natural emotions related to grief or anxiety during the period in which this balm remains active. The target will remain peaceful even observing a terrible tragedy or receiving news of the death of a loved one. The target seems unaffected by phsyical pain, though its loss of hit points is not diminished by the balm. The ointment is therefore regarded as a protection, albeit temporary, against coercion via torture, allowing a victim to succumb with a smile to gruesome treatments unto death.
Construction Requirements
Cost: 15,000 gp; Feats: Brew Potion; Spells: globe of invulnerability and overwhelming grief or cause fear

Lachrymose Ichor
Price: 5,000; Slot: imbibition; CL: 3^rd; Weight: 0.0625 lbs.; Aura: enchantment
Description: The tears of the psothic eye, if collected, grant peculiar and unpredictable powers when imbibed. Of course, no one knows what induces a psothic eye to weep, so acquiring the tears of a psothic eye is a difficult endeavor. If imbibed, this potion causes the target to succumb to uncontrollable weeping. The effects are analogous to hideous laughter, except that weeping replaces laughter and the duration is extended to 1d3 times 10 rounds. There is a 50% chance that the target is also subject to true seeing for the duration of the effect.
Construction Requirements
Cost: 2,500 gp; Feats: Brew Potion; Spells: create water and charm person

Prosthetic Canines
Price: 5,000; Slot: mouth; CL: 3^rd; Weight: 0.25 lbs.; Aura: transmutation
Description: These prosthetic teeth grant the wearer the Aberrant Maw trait of the psothic mouth.
Construction Requirements
Cost: 2,500 gp; Feats: Craft Wondrous Item; Spells: venomous bite

Psothic Manacles
Price: 25,000; Slot: arms; CL: 7^th; Weight: 3.0 lbs.; Aura: transmutation
Description: These rusted iron manacles fit around the wrists of a single psothic (or similary sized humanoid). Despite the chain that links the two wrists, all of the target's melee attacks gain a +2 attack. Moreover, the wearer gains a +5 to Will Saves only if their total Will is less than or equal to 10. If a creature with a Will score greater than 10 puts on the manacles, they gain the +2 attack but suffer a -5 penalty to Will saves.
Construction Requirements
Cost: 12,500 gp; Feats: Craft Wondrous Item; Iron Will; Spells: liberating command

Psothic Shackles
Price: 5,000; Slot: feet; CL: 3^rd; Weight: 3.0 lbs.; Aura: transmutation
Description: These rusted iron shackles fit around the ankles of a single psothic (or similary sized humanoid). Despite the chain that links the two ankles, all of the target's modes of movement (including land movement, burrow, climb, fly, and swim) increase by 30 feet, to a maximum of twice the subject's normal speed using that form of movement. However, they can be noisy and the resulting clanking imparts a -2 penalty to stealth.
Construction Requirements
Cost: 2,500 gp; Feats: Craft Wondrous Item; Spells: haste

Psothic's Metamonocle (Lesser, Normal or Greater)
Price: 7,500 gp (lesser); 25,000 gp (normal); 100,000 (greater)
Slot: chest; CL: 7^th (10^th) (15^th); Weight: 2 lbs.; Aura: moderate divination
Description: This monocle is designed like a goggle to fit over the posthic's eye and he held in place by adhering to the psothic's skin. It is enchanted with a single metamagic feat, which would increase the level of a spell by 1 slot (a lesser monocle), 2 slots (normal) or 3 or more slots (greater). This metamagic feat is applied to all capabilities of the eye, including darkvision, see invisibility and rotting gaze or its racial variants, if applicable. The most common metamonocle is the enlarge (lesser) metamonocle, which doubles the range of its darkvision from 120' to 240', its see invisibility trait from 60' to 120' and its rotting gaze trait from 30' to 60'. The ectoplasmic metamonocle allows the rotting gaze to affect incorporeal beings; however, if they have no constitution, that aspect of the gaze is negated. The enlarge (lesser) and maximize (greater) metamonocles increase the ability damage of the rotting gaze trait. The persistent metamonocle (normal) requires an additional successful save to be cured from the rotting gaze. The widen (greater) metamonocles allow two foes within 30' of each other to be affected by the rotting gaze trait. The umbral (normal), sickening (normal), daze (lesser) and disruptive (greater) metamonocles apply their respective effects to the subject of the rotting gaze attack. The elemental (lesser) metamonocle has a unique effect, changing the damage of the rotting gaze to 1d2 ability damage of the choice of the psothic eye.
Construction Requirements
Cost: 3,800 gp (lesser); 12,500 gp (normal); 50,000 gp (greater) Feats: Craft Wondrous Item; metamagic feat to be applied Spells: N.A.

Rugose Complexion
Price: 25,000; Slot: torso; CL: 7^rd; Weight: 10.0 lbs.; Aura: abjuration
Description: A Rugose Complexion is a euphemism for the hide of another psothic that has been tanned and enchanted. It provides a +3 AC to the wearer. If worn by a non-psothic it imposes a -2 Diplomacy penalty and a +2 Intimidation bonus. If worn by a psothic, it grants a +2 Diplomacy bonus only to other aberrations and a +2 Intimidation bonus in general. The armor also grants the wearer the ability to cast unnatural lust once every three days, although the subject of infatuation is invariably the wearer of the Rugose Complexion.
Construction Requirements
Cost: 12,500 gp; Feats: Craft Wondrous Item; Spells: unnatural lust

Psothic twins pursue a range of classes. Provided below are six sample psothic twins, including the iconic psothic twin. These six psothic twins present four examples of multiclassing, typically including a spell-casting and martial classes, and two single classes, including the atrocious bard. In the character sheets given below, the multiclass psothic twins share character sheets, although the class features are distributed between twins. For the single class examples, a single sheet is again provided, since the only difference between them (aside from the eye/mouth differences listed above) is the number of hitpoints. In both cases, the weapons and armor may vary between twins, when so indicated. In all cases, psothic twins share a common name, signifying their existence as a single entity.