Hunger for the Warm Blooded. A cerebug can smell the presence of warm blooded creatures even when buried below the surface to a range of 30 ft. even if those scents are covered by perfumes, rot or other strong odors.
Spider Climb. A cerebug can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.
Multiattack. The cerebug makes one attack with its burrowing claws and one with its sonic drill.
Burrowing Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target, Hit: 5 (2d4) slashing damage.
Parasitic Domination. The cerebug targets a stunned creature within 5 ft. and attempts to burrow into its skull cavity. The cerebug makes an attack with its burrowing claws, and any successful attack is a critical hit. If this damage reduces the target to 0 hit points, the cerebug burrows into the skull and eats the brain, killing the creature. It then occupies the skull cavity and takes control of the host body. The host body begins to rot within 24 hours, and the cerebug attempts to use the host body to lure new victims and consume more brains. If the cerebug leaves the host body, the dead creature can be restored to life with a resurrection spell or similar magic to restore the missing brain.
Sonic Drill. The cerebug targets one creature it can sense within 10 ft. It emits a focused droning beam of sonic energy intended to stun the target. The target must succeed on a DC 12 Intelligence saving throw or take 11 (2d10) thunder damage and be stunned until the end of the cerebug’s next turn.
Description
This Homebrew Content is part of the Nerdarchy "Out of the Box" product.
There are parasites even other aberrations avoid. The deadly cerebug is one of them. Resembling fat, eyeless fleas about the size of a large domestic cat, their speckled, coppery brown exoskeletons tend to glint in the light when exposed, which is a rare thing. Possessing four forelegs ending in sharp barbs, they are avid diggers propelled by two strong and larger rear legs.
Perpetually hungry for new brains to feed upon, and almost always buried below the surface of the ground or within cave walls and ceilings, these foul creatures always try to strike with surprise to find a new host. Bodies of its former hosts may even be found nearby as a lure, still wearing or carrying what treasure they had in life. The cerebug cares not for trinkets, only for the fresh brains of the warm blooded.
Living Landmines. Cerebugs always seek to bury themselves near populated areas of warm blooded creatures, picking off stragglers. Once they find a host, the cerebug uses that host to lure new victims away. If the host body begins to decay, they abandon it and burrow into a nearby surface, using the dead body as a lure for predators or the curious, only to begin the process over again.
Proficient Diggers. Cerebugs have several small burrowing claws used to dig through earthen materials, including softer stones like shale, slate and limestone. They cannot burrow through metals harder than lead. They dig through bone and chiton like it were earth beneath their tiny legs.
Territorial Hunters. Cerebugs, once hatched from their clutch, scatter to the four winds. They stake out territorial hunting grounds with which to find prey. They do not suffer the presence of other cerebugs. If two meet in the same given territory, whether they are in a host or not, the two fight to the death to control the area. This behavior is likely the only reason these parasites have not grasped more territory or endangered larger populations.
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Posted Jun 1, 2026I do wish that the images were added to these. Some are great.