It Devours from Below [Creature & Item]

[The Demented One]

Cave Chameleon
Size/Type: Large Magical Beast
Hit Dice: 4d10+12 (34 hp)
Initiative: +5
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares), climb 20 ft.
Armor Class: 16 (-1 size, +1 Dex, +6 natural), touch 10, flatfooted 15
Base Attack/Grapple: +4/+12
Attack: Bite +7 melee (1d8+4)
Full Attack: Bite +7 melee (1d8+4)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: –
Special Qualities: Darkstealth, darkvision 60 ft., light blindness, low-light vision,
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +1
Abilities: Str 18, Dex 12, Con 16, Int 3, Wis 14, Cha 6
Skills: Climb +12, Hide +4, Listen +4, Move Silently +2, Spot +4
Feats: Power Attack, Improved Initiative
Environment: Underground
Organization: Solitary, pair, or scurry (5-12)
Challenge Rating: 3
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always True Neutral
Advancement: 5-12 HD (Large), 13-20 HD (Huge)
Level Adjustment: +1 (cohort)

Cave Chameleons are subterranean carnivores who, by a strange twist of evolution, are completely invisible to darkvision. This has given them all but total freedom to hunt down and devour their favorite prey–namely, drow and dwarves. The two races have been plagued by Cave Chameleon attacks for centuries, and many suspect the lizards are the only reasons the races have ever used torches or light magic. The lizards fade into darkness like polar bears in a snowstorm, but simple light reveals their form. They resemble horse-sized alligators with little in common with common chameleons, and with a hide resplendent in shimmering colors.

Darkstealth (Ex)
A curious property of a Cave Chameleon’s pigmentation causes any attempt at rendering the color of its skin to black, white, or a shade of grey to fail. Thus, black-and-white darkvision cannot perceive a Cave Chameleon at all. A creature incapable of visually perceiving a Cave Chameleon except through darkvision cannot see it, and treats it as if it were invisible. See invisibility cannot overcome a Cave Chameleon’s darkstealth ability, but true seeing can. If, for some reason, a creature can perceive colors other than black and white with darkvision, its darkvision overcomes this ability.

Light Blindness (Ex)
Abrupt exposure to bright light (such as sunlight or a daylight spell) blinds a Cave Chameleon for 1 round. On subsequent rounds, it is dazzled as long as it remains in the affected area.

Skills
A Cave Chameleon has a +6 racial bonus on Hide checks. It also has a +8 racial bonus on Climb checks and can always choose to take 10 on a Climb check, even if rushed or threatened.

Darkstealth Cloak
Though a Cave Chameleon’s hide loses its properties within minutes of its death, the hide can be magically treated and crafted into a Darkstealth Cloak. Each cloak is made of beautifully shimmering scales that mimic the colors of their surroundings, but are unseeable in darkness. The wearer of a Darkstealth Cloak gains a +6 competence bonus on Hide checks and the darkstealth ability of a Cave Chameleon.

Faint Evocation and Illusion, CL 5th. Craft Wondrous Item, darkness, invisibility. Cost 7,500 gp + 600 xp. Price 15,000 gp.

[Lord Iames Osari]

Nice. This explains why dwarves aren't light sensitive.

[Matthew]

I was exepcting something to do with Buffy on this thread, "It eats you starting from your bottom."

Oh well, interesting Monster.

[Lord Iames Osari]

As usual, D1, your work is superb. I was waiting to let others have a look, but since they have remaineed silence, let me be the first herre to say: MitP Vote: Yes. ;D

Edit: Obviously, I meant to say Yes all along, but I must've had a brain malfunction.

[Winged One]

Oh, I didn't see that this was submitted. MitP vote: yes.

[LordOfNarf]

A flaw in Darvision, stick it to the dwarves! :P

MitP Vote Yes

[ExHunterEmerald]

...stupid question, but suppose you see darkvision in black and blue.
Would the thing be visible?
I'm asking because of an eye condition I have that keeps the blue cones running in the dark.

[Lord Iames Osari]

Darkvision only works in black-and-white. That said, if you wanted to houserule that certain character could perceive blues in darkvision, I'd say that yes, they'd be able to see this.

[The Demented One]

...stupid question, but suppose you see darkvision in black and blue.
Would the thing be visible?
I'm asking because of an eye condition I have that keeps the blue cones running in the dark.
Added a bit on that, though there's no way of seeing color in darkvision as far as I know.

[Fualkner Asiniti]

I think the magic item is overpriced. There is a ring of Darkvision in Underdark, it means you can't be seen by darkvision. It costs about 2,000 gp. Add 36 X 20 gp, the cost for the hide bonus, and you have 2,720 gp as the total cost.

BTW, MitP Vote: Yes.

[asromta]

MitP Vote: Yes.

And will the item be included in the book?

[fangthane]

Actually, it'd be 36*100 for the hide bonus, and I seem to recall there's some kind of surcharge for stacking two effects on a single item, might be a double price but I can't recall offhand. I'd tend to give it a +8 at that price though, and consider raising the level required to make it by one or two.

In any case, MitP Vote (for the creature, at least): Yes.

[ghost_warlock]

*bites dwarves in the FACE!* MitP Vote: Yes.

[Saithis Bladewing]

MitP Vote: Yes.

[Bob_the_Mighty]

Added a bit on that, though there's no way of seeing color in darkvision as far as I know.There's actually a race called Aradan in the Mercenaries book that has darkvision in full color. Other than that, that's all that I know of.

[I_Got_This_Name]

MitP Vote: Yes

[MandibleBones]

MitP: Yes - and between this and the Diamond Reaper, I'm never going underground again. Ever.