Gith Resources 2

The rest of "D" through "L."

Drizzt Do'Urden's Guide to the Underdark, 1999, 2nd Edition, p.44

A githyanki hunting party took out an elder brain on the Astral Plane which was connected to Ch’Chitl, an illithid city. Cloak & Dagger and City of Splendors (which are also 2nd edition sources), place this event in 1362DR, but the 3.5 sources Underdark and The Grand History of the Realms place it in 1250DR. No one ever said D&D’s strength is in consistency.

DSE1: Dragon's Crown, 2nd Edition

A great deal of this adventure is about the gith. First, players will need to rescue desert dwellers from a warband before the kidnapped people can become dinner for a gith tribe. Then the players may stumble across a ruined city which is a meeting place for various gith tribes, who are throwing their own gladiatorial games…and may welcome the PCs to participate as actual guests.

DSM1: Black Flames, 2nd Edition

A gith stands center stage on the gorgeous desert-night cover art for this Dark Sun adventure. More illustrations are in the Player's Book (Eight: Ambush and Thirty-Three: Enemies). A full gith lair is described in the DM's Book, the "Gith Cave." Six non-combatant children are present in the lair alongside the adults, one of the few times we see children of ANY gith group appear. Notable partly because, even in the grim Dark Sun setting where the gith are unequivocally monstrous, children are still noncombatants. Gith appear in one other combat encounter later in the adventure.

DSM2: Merchant House of Amketch, 2nd Edition

Gith play a central role in this adventure, too. After defeating a gith raid on a trading caravan they're guarding, the PCs are later sold out to the tribe of gith whose members they killed during the raid. We get the tribe's name, a leader with a name and personality, and more. There's a gith festival (the Ghost Moon festival, which involves eating captives), hints of sacred sites, and other glimpses of Athasian gith culture.

DSQ1: Road to Urik, 2nd Edition

The players, while traveling through a rocky badland on the road to the city of Urik, can end up in a fight with a warband of gith.

Dungeon #10 – Threshold of Evil

The archmage Azurax has a cordial relationship with a group of githyanki who live near a portal he keeps to the Astral Plane, and is able to call on a knight as an ally in dire straits. Additionally, his ally Lord Fell was raised by the githyanki and remains on good terms with them.

Dungeon #34 – AD&D Trading Cards Set Three

One of the cards, a psionicist, is carrying a githyanki silver sword. Somehow, she’s not already dead.

Dungeon #43 – Into the Silver Realm

An adventure where a party discovers a githyanki bastion on the Astral Plane preparing a major invasion of the Material Plane and has the chance to act to stop it. They’re hired by a disguised githzerai to do the job. Hr’a’cknir are described as "thought police," using powerful psionics to track down spies. It doesn’t seem that this role appears in any other source. Makes a special note that walls and floors are curved within the githyanki stronghold, because the githyanki are so used to living in three dimensions on the Astral Plane.

Dungeon #64 – Bzallin's Blacksphere

One of the apprentices of the titular evil mage, residing in his stronghold, is a githzerai. She's shunned by her people for being evil. And her name is Evelyn. Not the strangest gith name floating around out there, but still...an interesting choice for an evil wizard.

Dungeon #81 – Divisions of the Mind

A pair of githyanki has formed an unexpected and short-lived alliance with an ulitharid who seeks to work against illithids. The duo are described in detail, including their clothes, adornments, and personality. They also get a stunning artwork on p.36.

Dungeon #92 – Interlopers of Ruun-Khazai

A githyanki wizard hid his stronghold inside an astral storm a century ago, but the storm has abated and now the stronghold is ripe for the plundering. Githyanki, githzerai, and a party of player characters arrive to discover the secrets of the stronghold. Details on what a githyanki stronghold, art, living spaces, and more look like, as well as githyanki war tactics. The shards of the sword Fedifensor, which appeared decades prior in Dragon #67, are in the hoard of the stronghold. Marks the transition of the githyanki from 2nd to 3rd Edition in Dungeon magazine.

Dungeon #95 – Critical Threats

Describes the githyanki assassin Yu’thiol Mansecho, a fanatical devotee of Vlaakith. As a tenth-level character, it won’t be too long before the assassin gets called to serve his queen by letting her devour his essence.

Dungeon #99 – Critical Threats: Colossal Crypt and Maps of Mystery

Within a tomb full of deadly traps, there’s a secret portal to Sigil. A war band of githyanki have been ordered to claim the portal, so that they can use it to invade Sigil in force. A few pages later, a detailed map of a githzerai monastery is provided.

Dungeon #100 – The Lich-Queen's Beloved

This is THE githyanki adventure. The aim is to kill Vlaakith before she can use the essence of the god on which Tu’narath is built to achieve her apotheosis. Includes MANY NPCs, details on Vlaakith’s palace, and a great deal of background lore, as well as statistics for Vlaakith herself. Secrets, treasure, and language abound on every page. Also introduces the Sha'sal Khou, a faction of githyanki and githzerai who want to see the people reunited, and one of its leaders, Zetch'r'r. This organization and NPC will continue to play major roles well into 5th Edition. One ending for Lae’zel in Baldur’s Gate 3 takes players to the palace and it’s clear that the developers looked closely at this adventure to design it for their game. If you read nothing else about the githyanki on this list, read this.

Dungeon #100 Web Supplement: Tu’narath City Guide

Extended details on Tu’narath. Layout, interesting locations, culture—the works. The most detailed look at Tu’narath in any edition so far. Provides (relatively) safe locations for players to stay while visiting Tu’narath, NPC residents of the city both friend and foe, and maps to navigate places around the city.

Dungeon #100 Web Enhancement

Explores the massive flying fortresses that surround and guard Tu’narath. Who staffs them, what they look like, and what might be found inside.

Dungeon #110 – Last Stand at Outpost Three and Dark Sun Monsters Part One

Introduces the gith people of the Dark Sun setting to 3rd Edition. Although they're still powerful psionic creatures, they're not residents of the Astral Plane ruled by a lich queen here. Instead, they live in tight-knit tribes led by psionically-powerful leaders in caves under the scorched surface of the desert. Normal gith are to be treated with caution. These should make an adventurer run like all the hells are behind them.

Dungeon #112 – Kerzit’s Fane, p.61-62

A githyanki cleric of Olidammara (god of revels and rogues) is unexpectedly found prisoner here. On the run from her kin for her apostasy, she fell in with bad company. She’ll help a party out if they free her and return her gear.

Dungeon #116 – The Death of Lashimire

An arrogant psion, attempting to enter a lost githyanki city, stole a silver sword to try to unlock the doors. The sword’s githyanki owner comes looking and crosses paths with the players in the process. Provides insight into githyanki psionics, an illustration of a silver sword, and a table on githyanki attitudes towards outsiders and how they might interact.

Dungeon #125 – Seekers of the Silver Forge

Direct sequel to "The Death of Lashimire." The lost city of Kamyn-Dhun made particularly good silver swords until it got tossed onto the Material Plane. Now it’s lost and people want to find it, and what it contains. A possible hook is the sword owner from the previous adventure hiring the players to go look. Involves a group of githyanki mutated by magic to survive in the sunken city, and also has zombie sharks. What’s not to love?

Dungeon #131 – Dimension Doors

A dimensional travel mishap can send adventurers many places in the cosmos. A githzerai monastery in Limbo is one of the options on this massive random table.

Dungeon #141 – Slum Dwellers

A down-on-his luck merchant came into possession of two silver swords. Now he’s even MORE down on his luck because the githyanki are chasing him.

Dungeon #160 – Den of the Destroyer

4th Edition Scales of War adventure path. A significant part of the adventure takes place in an abandoned githzerai monastery controlled by gnolls. Not much direct action but interesting environment inspiration.

Dungeon #161 – The Temple Between

4th Edition Scales of War adventure path. The beginning of a githyanki invasion of the Material Plane. Introduces a githyanki general and his history, although he doesn’t survive the adventure. Also showcases a githyanki psionic ritual that allows them to possess people. The first full appearance of the githyanki in 4th Edition for Dungeon magazine.

Dungeon #163 – Beyond the Mottled Tower

4th Edition Scales of War adventure path. Githyanki feature as their invasion of the Material Plane progresses. Though the adventure focuses primarily on shadar-kai, githyanki move in the background and appear as low-level enemies.

Dungeon #164 – Haven of the Bitter Glass

From the 4th Edition Scales of War adventure path. A direct sequel to Dungeon #100, Lich-Queen’s Beloved! The githyanki found a communication device (the Bitter Glass) that allows fast communication between all parts of the githyanki army. Zetch’r’r, a major figure in the Lich-Queen’s Beloved, is the emperor of the githyanki now, and seeking to invade the Material Plane for real. (A bit of a turnabout from his characterization in that earlier adventure.) Includes a fascinating githyanki spy, a siege of a githzerai monastery, and other chaos. Notably, a githyanki airship is here powered by souls, not just psionics.

Dungeon #165 – Alliance at Nefelus

Scales of War adventure path. Githyanki don’t feature personally, but the titular alliance is designed to fight them. One of the NPCs the players can attempt to rescue is a kidnapped githzerai.

Dungeon #166 – Throne of the Stone-Skinned King

Still Scales of War. The githyanki have allied with a Fomorian king in the Feywild to move their troops through his domain. A githyanki assassin appears near the end of the adventure.

Dungeon #167 – Garaitha’s Anvil

STILL Scales of War. Details an ancient githyanki site, the Fane of Chanhiir, with its attendant planar artifacts. The climax of this adventure takes place in a githyanki astral shipyard called Utargaraith. The shipyard, a giant hollow sphere, is a dramatic set piece for a climactic battle. Monsters, NPCs, and general githyanki stylings abound here.

Dungeon #168 – A Tyranny of Souls

The final githyanki-centered adventure in the Scales of War adventure path! Thanks to breaking the red dragon pact back in Lich-Queen’s Beloved, Zetch’r’r has unintentionally released the soul of Gith herself from hell. The players, as well as fighting Zetch’r’r face to face and exploring Tu’narath, will have the chance to meet Gith and help decide the fate of the gith people—both githyanki and githzerai.

Dungeon #174 – Sliver's Call and Test of Fire

In the "Sliver's Call" adventure, the memories and adventures of a long-dead githzerai scholar guide the hunt for an ancient evil. In Test of Fire, the githyanki make one final Scales of War salute. If the players negotiated an alliance with Gith in "Tyranny of Souls," githyanki warships will join in an assault on the City of Brass.

Dungeon #180 – Aerial Battles

Where there are airships, there are airship pirates. And where there are pirates in D&D, there will be githyanki. The captain, crew, and ship of a raiding pirate band all get stats.

Dungeon #181 – The Vault of Darom Madar, p.15

In this Dark Sun adventure, a small group of gith have built a lair in the adventurers' path. They're disinclined to talk.

Dungeon #187 – Dark Sun Threats

A new monster, the gith dust racer, gets stats, tactics, and a little bit of lore.

Dungeon #191 – Adapting "The Lich-Queen's Beloved"

RPG designer Rodney Thompson converts Dungeon #100's iconic adventure to 4th Edition. This same content also appears in Dragon+ 19.

Dungeon #203 – Hunt for the Heretic

A githyanki Far Wanderer (see "The Plane Above: Secrets of the Astral Sea" for details), a pirate captain by trade, has been harassing an Astral Sea community for plunder. The adventurers are, of course, asked to step in.

Dungeon #214 – No Rest for the Wicked

An item present in the adventure is the ESP Medallion, a mind-reading and creature-detecting item crafted by the githyanki to use against illithids. Dungeon magazine ended at issue #221, with no further mention of the gith.

Dungeon Delve, 4th Edition – Planar Bandits

In the Level 13 encounter set, a war band of githyanki is presented for the players to fight. They’re accompanied by some of Tiamat’s dragon spawn (redspawn firebelchers), which are part of the dragon goddess’s war against Bahamut.

Dungeon Master’s Guide, 3rd Edition

Githyanki get a mention as pirates in the writeup of the Astral Plane, specifically noting that they hire mercenary clerics to handle healing since that doesn’t work on the Astral Plane. A really cool stylized illustration is provided nearby. Githzerai are discussed in the section on Limbo, with the monastery of Zerth’Ad’Lun described in detail as a site for adventures. They’re both mentioned as playable "monstrous races" later in the book.

Dungeon Master’s Guide 1, 4th Edition, p.177

A single reference to the githyanki as a potential candidate for the "death knight" template.

Dungeon Master’s Guide 2, 4th Edition

A tour of Sigil in this one, with brief references to the githyanki and githzerai. Not NEARLY as many as in 2nd Edition Planescape, though. Mostly included for completeness.

Dungeons & Dragons Online

A limited-time pack available in 2024 provided a "Model Githyanki Astral Ship" companion to players. Adorably, equipping a cosmetic hat can change the pattern of the ship's sail.

Eberron Expanded, Lords of Madness, 3rd Edition

In the Eberron Campaign Setting, mind flayers are gith forerunners mutated by the aberrant monsters of the setting, the daelkyr.

Exemplars of Evil, 3rd Edition

An entire chapter is dedicated to the githyanki necromancer Kastya Zurith-Movya, who seeks to ally with the infamous demilich Acererak to overthrow Vlaakith. His minions and plans are also described.

Expanded Psionics Handbook, 3rd Edition

Has brief sections on githyanki and githzerai as playable psionic races. Nothing new to note.

Explorer’s Handbook, 3rd Edition, p. 93-96

Explores the githyanki settlement of Katal Hazath in Eberron, as well as a sidebar describing how the gith specifically fit into that setting. The city protects portals to the underworld and hunts aberrations in the tunnels beneath the city. The gith here don’t have a connection to red dragons, but the githyanki still live largely on the Astral Plane. Instead of Limbo, the githzerai inhabit the similar plane of Kythri.

Exploring Eberron, 5th Edition, p. 171

Describes the githzerai of Kythri, the Churning Chaos, and offers insight on the origin of the gith in the Eberron setting specifically.

The Eyes of Gith, James Wyatt

a fallen paladin, hunting down githyanki, encounters a depiction of Gith herself…which appears to be haunted or, possibly, possessed by Gith. The paladin also appears briefly in the "Heroes of Horror" 3rd Edition sourcebook (p. 92).

Fiend Folio, AD&D

The FIRST major appearance of the githyanki and githzerai! Establishes their core characteristics: the rebellion led by Gith, silver swords and red dragons, the lich-queen ruling the githyanki and the undying king ruling the githzerai, the monastic culture of the githzerai, the civil war between githyanki and githzerai, and other pieces that have been central to the gith ever since. The lich-queen isn’t named, and the githzerai are monastic but not all monks. Additionally, the undying king of the githzerai here does the same thing that the lich queen does, and prevents githzerai from passing above a certain level. Something that has been dropped in later editions: the silver swords here are intelligent, which means that some of them might have full personalities, egos, and special powers above and beyond their magical properties.

Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide, 4th Edition

Githyanki and githzerai each warrant a single mention in the Cosmology sections on the Astral Sea and the Elemental Chaos.

Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone, 2004, Stormfront Studios

A hack-and-slash video game focusing on a battle between the slaad lord Ygorl and the githyanki general Cireka. Released from a petrified prison, the pair bring their war to the Material Plane. Only a trio of misfit heroes can possibly stop them. Sir Patrick Stewart voices the narrator. The lore here lines up with no other githyanki lore presented anywhere else (Cireka is the granddaughter of Vlaakith? Slaad are usually foes of githzerai, not githyanki?), but Cireka and the githyanki are beautifully designed and dramatic in personality. The Chapter Seven unlockable, "Cireka’s Vow," gives her full backstory details and an insight into her outlook.

Forgotten Realms Player's Guide, 4th Edition

Githyanki are mentioned in the "swordmage" class as having their own particular style (p.25).

A Guide to the Astral Plane, 2nd Edition

Extensive details on githyanki culture, war tactics, outlook, and history. Delves deep into the noncombatant castes and introduces a few concepts that have been lost since. A different take on the Tl’a’ikith than in the later 3.5 books, as well, framing them as much more common and much less monstrous than they appear later on. Truly fantastic artwork showing a very different vision of the githyanki than the art in almost all other sourcebooks.

Idle Champions of the Forgotten Realms, 2017, Codename Entertainment

Includes two gith champions. Nrakk (githzerai monk) was sent to the material plane by order of Zaerith Menyar-Ag-Gith. Lae’zel is herself from Baldur’s Gate 3.

The Illithiad 1

Contains details of the githyanki and githzerai and their history with/hatred of illithids, as well as some cool art. But it’s mostly about the illithids.

The Illithiad 3, Masters of Eternal Night

Introduces the "forerunners," a glimpse at the species that were the progenitors of the modern githyanki and githzerai. Also details an item used by the forerunners of the gith during the rebellion, a "headmesh" that can absorb some attempts at psionic control.

The Illithiad 4, Dawn of the Overmind

Even more details of the forerunners, in their modern culture, which is far from that of their gith relatives. A sidebar discusses "tumerogenesis tanks," where ancient illithids experimented to create enhanced species or even to create new ones—perhaps even the gith themselves. Additionally, the player characters may end up directly allying with modern githyanki to fight the illithid threat.

Into the Dragon’s Lair, 3rd Edition

A githyanki and a githzerai have (independently) tracked a mind flayer to the extradimensional city of Grodd. Githyanki, githzerai, and mind flayer can all be encountered in the city (and presumably if things go the right way, all at the same time).

Libris Mortis, 3rd Edition, p.155

A githzerai lich, a former member of a rrakmma who sought immortality after a brush with death, is briefly described.

Light of Xaryxis, p. 53

A 5th Edition spelljammer adventure. There’s an encounter with a knight hunting mind flayers with her young red dragon companion—she’s quite personable and funny.

Living Greyhawk Scenario, The Depths of Haradaragh: The Temple of Pelor

Briefly mentions a githyanki incursion on the city of Haradaragh in the world of Oerth. Unfortunately, Living Greyhawk adventures are no longer available in print and are not distributed online (there are rights issues at play), so any further details have been lost to time.

Lords of Madness, 3rd Edition, p.70-73

Details on the ancient (and future) history of the mind flayers and their relations to the githyanki and githzerai. Includes an uncanny suggestion that the gith progenitors might not have been from the past, but from the *future*, coming back in time with their mind flayer overlords to escape the foe that would have crushed illithid civilization.

The Lost Cistern of Aravek, 4th Edition

A Dark Sun adventure incorporating a small gith tribe. Brief but interesting.