Sandy petersens cthulhu mythos 307

Brain Cylinder

Brain cylinders are alien technology, originating with
the fungi from Yuggoth. They are used to preserve

What You See

intact the brains of other organisms so that the fungi

A transparent cylinder holds a single
human brain connected to the inside
walls with wires and tubes. The top
and bottom of the cylinder have
metal caps imbedded with sockets
and studded with prongs for the
attachment of devices. The liquid
within glows eerily as sparks crawl
over the brain and up and around
the surface.

within the cylinder has a faint glow, and particles of

can carry them into space or other worlds. The fluid
light can be seen “crawling” up and down the brain
and brainstem. Unless the brain is of unusual size, the
cylinder containing it is not particularly large—only a
foot or two long at most and half as wide.
Cylinders need not be transparent and can be
made out of any substance, including metals or other
materials that are typically used in forging armor. The
fungi themselves tend to make the main part of the

cylinder out of armored glass, which is difficult but not
impossible to pierce.
Brain cylinders never run out of energy–they can

HUMAN

SCHOLAR

BRAIN

CYLINDER
CR 1/4

XP 100
Human brain cylinder expert 4
LN Tiny construct
Init –5; Senses Perception +8
DEFENSE

AC 5, touch 5, flat-footed 5 (–5 Dex, –2 object, +2 size)
hp 21 (4d8)
Fort +1, Ref –4, Will +5
Defensive Abilities half damage from sonic, fire, and
ranged attacks, hardness 10; Immune cold, construct
traits, critical hits, nonlethal damage
Weakness immobile
OFFENSE

Speed 0 ft.
S TAT I S T I C S

Str —, Dex 0, Con —, Int 15, Wis 8, Cha 10
Base Atk +3, CMB +1; CMD 6 (can’t be tripped)
Feats Alertness, Iron Will
Skills Appraise +9, Diplomacy +7, Knowledge (arcana) +9,
Knowledge (geography) +9, Knowledge (history) +9,
Knowledge (local) +9, Knowledge (nature) +9, Knowledge
(religion) +9, Perception +8, Sense Motive +8
Languages Aklo, Common, Sylvan
ECO LO GY

300

Environment any
Organization solitary, pair, or collection (3–20)
Treasure none

keep a brain alive and well for centuries. The extradimensional fluid taps into other planes of existence
for its power.

Cylinder Attachments
The cylinder has a number of plugs for attaching
devices to it, which enable the brain to see, hear, and
communicate, as well as perform other functions. The
fungi have a huge variety of devices they have created
for the cylinders, including means of interrogation and
even torture.
The devices that plug into the cylinder can easily be
modified from magic items built for humanoid races,
and the cylinder itself is made from normal terrestrial

substances. Cylinders can even be constructed by
skilled human craftsmen. The true alien technology is
not the cylinder itself but the liquid in which the brain
floats. This substance is partially extra-dimensional, as
are the fungi themselves and has a sort of life of its own.
The transparent fluid constantly repairs and maintains
the healthy state of the brain, preventing deterioration.
It even cures existing ailments, averts new ones, and
effectively grants the brain immortality.