Cheesy74
2011-09-05, 10:45 PM
I made this for this month's monster competition before I suddenly realized that it required creatures to be Steampunk-themed.
Designer thoughts: The flagellant does seem to just be your standard "tentacles and improved grab" monster at first glance, but I've utilized a lot of feats from Savage Species to give the fight a new flavor. Now, it's not weakened by grappling foes, it can just keep going normally. It's not hampered by losing use of a tentacle when grabbing foes, even, it can just throw creatures at each other. Overall, it's a more versatile monster that sheds a lot of the weaknesses of grappling for a much more interesting tactical fight.
Flagellant
http://fc08.deviantart.net/fs13/f/2007/099/1/2/Whats_In_The_Bag__COLOR__by_FedoraFTW.jpg
Huge Aberration
Hit Dice: 12d8+48 (102 hp)
Initiative: +3
Speed: 30 ft (6 squares), climb 30 ft
Armor Class: 26 (-2 size, +3 Dex, +15 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 23
Base Attack/Grapple: +9/+26
Attack: Tentacle melee +16 (1d10+9)
Full Attack: 2 tentacles melee +16 (1d10+9)
Space/Reach: 15 ft/25 ft
Special Attacks: Improved Grab, Constrict (2d6+13)
Special Qualities: Adhesion, fast healing 15, aberration traits
Saves: Fort +10, Ref +7, Will +11
Abilities Str 28, Dex 17, Con 18, Int 10, Wis 16, Cha 6
Skills: Hide +14, Move Silently +18
Feats: Dodge, Mobility, Spring Attack, Multigrab, Greater Multigrab, Area AttackB, Fling EnemyB
Environment: Underground
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 10
Treasure: None
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Advancement: 13-20 HD (Huge)
Level Adjustment: -
The strange presence felt in the room so far makes itself known with a slinging tentacle that lashes out at the party, wrapping around a player and pulling them in. The creature appears to be a massive, pale, gaunt humanoid with two long, powerful-looking tentacles jutting from its shoulders. Its entire form emanates malice and cunning as it scuttles across the ceiling, tentacles lithely swinging beneath it.
Flagellants are the victims of a powerful, lab-developed pathogen designed to enhance its subjects' strength. However, its intended effect, muscle growth, spiraled out of control, ballooning the size of the victims and causing them to sprout new, boneless limbs made of pure, braiding and interlocking muscle. The deformation has left the creatures ostracized from human society and hungry for far more nourishment than vegetables can provide. They quickly became predatory, hunting down humans and demihumans spurred by pure, animal hunger and aided by their incredibly strong and dextrous tentacles. After months of their new life, they appear as pale, deformed monsters rather than anything close to the humanoids they once were, and have lost their empathy for mankind. They no longer feel pity or have qualms about devouring those who come within their reach, and operate purely on instinct rather than the morality and deep thought of their previous forms. They are truly creatures, mutants, and monsters rather than men.
Combat
The flagellant makes use of its powerful tentacles to crush and disable enemies quickly and efficiently. Its Greater Multigrab feat allows it to keep control of a creature without impairing its own movement, which it uses for quick nabbing of foes with little danger to itself, after which it quickly absconds with its victim to devour them. If trapped or cornered, it is capable of shutting down a fighting force quickly and effectively simply by crushing them in its tentacles and uses this ability the moment it feels it cannot escape, proceeding to throw its foes as far away as it can before fleeing.
Adhesion (Ex): The flagellant's hands and feet secrete a sticky substance that allows it to effortlessly and firmly hold itself to any surface. It can walk on walls and ceilings without making climb checks as if it were the target of a spider climb spell.
Constrict (Ex): With a successful grapple check, a flagellant can crush a grabbed opponent, dealing 2d6+13 points of bludgeoning damage.
Improved Grab (Ex): If a flagellant hits an opponent that is at least one size category smaller than itself with a tentacle attack, it deals normal damage and attempts to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity (grapple bonus +26). If it gets a hold, it can also constrict in the same round. Thereafter, the creature simply holds the opponent in its tentacle (the flagellant is not considered grappled). Each successful grapple check it makes during successive rounds automatically deals tentacle and constrict damage.
All feats possessed by the flagellant except Dodge, Mobility, and Spring Attack can be found in Savage Species.
Designer thoughts: The flagellant does seem to just be your standard "tentacles and improved grab" monster at first glance, but I've utilized a lot of feats from Savage Species to give the fight a new flavor. Now, it's not weakened by grappling foes, it can just keep going normally. It's not hampered by losing use of a tentacle when grabbing foes, even, it can just throw creatures at each other. Overall, it's a more versatile monster that sheds a lot of the weaknesses of grappling for a much more interesting tactical fight.
Flagellant
http://fc08.deviantart.net/fs13/f/2007/099/1/2/Whats_In_The_Bag__COLOR__by_FedoraFTW.jpg
Huge Aberration
Hit Dice: 12d8+48 (102 hp)
Initiative: +3
Speed: 30 ft (6 squares), climb 30 ft
Armor Class: 26 (-2 size, +3 Dex, +15 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 23
Base Attack/Grapple: +9/+26
Attack: Tentacle melee +16 (1d10+9)
Full Attack: 2 tentacles melee +16 (1d10+9)
Space/Reach: 15 ft/25 ft
Special Attacks: Improved Grab, Constrict (2d6+13)
Special Qualities: Adhesion, fast healing 15, aberration traits
Saves: Fort +10, Ref +7, Will +11
Abilities Str 28, Dex 17, Con 18, Int 10, Wis 16, Cha 6
Skills: Hide +14, Move Silently +18
Feats: Dodge, Mobility, Spring Attack, Multigrab, Greater Multigrab, Area AttackB, Fling EnemyB
Environment: Underground
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 10
Treasure: None
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Advancement: 13-20 HD (Huge)
Level Adjustment: -
The strange presence felt in the room so far makes itself known with a slinging tentacle that lashes out at the party, wrapping around a player and pulling them in. The creature appears to be a massive, pale, gaunt humanoid with two long, powerful-looking tentacles jutting from its shoulders. Its entire form emanates malice and cunning as it scuttles across the ceiling, tentacles lithely swinging beneath it.
Flagellants are the victims of a powerful, lab-developed pathogen designed to enhance its subjects' strength. However, its intended effect, muscle growth, spiraled out of control, ballooning the size of the victims and causing them to sprout new, boneless limbs made of pure, braiding and interlocking muscle. The deformation has left the creatures ostracized from human society and hungry for far more nourishment than vegetables can provide. They quickly became predatory, hunting down humans and demihumans spurred by pure, animal hunger and aided by their incredibly strong and dextrous tentacles. After months of their new life, they appear as pale, deformed monsters rather than anything close to the humanoids they once were, and have lost their empathy for mankind. They no longer feel pity or have qualms about devouring those who come within their reach, and operate purely on instinct rather than the morality and deep thought of their previous forms. They are truly creatures, mutants, and monsters rather than men.
Combat
The flagellant makes use of its powerful tentacles to crush and disable enemies quickly and efficiently. Its Greater Multigrab feat allows it to keep control of a creature without impairing its own movement, which it uses for quick nabbing of foes with little danger to itself, after which it quickly absconds with its victim to devour them. If trapped or cornered, it is capable of shutting down a fighting force quickly and effectively simply by crushing them in its tentacles and uses this ability the moment it feels it cannot escape, proceeding to throw its foes as far away as it can before fleeing.
Adhesion (Ex): The flagellant's hands and feet secrete a sticky substance that allows it to effortlessly and firmly hold itself to any surface. It can walk on walls and ceilings without making climb checks as if it were the target of a spider climb spell.
Constrict (Ex): With a successful grapple check, a flagellant can crush a grabbed opponent, dealing 2d6+13 points of bludgeoning damage.
Improved Grab (Ex): If a flagellant hits an opponent that is at least one size category smaller than itself with a tentacle attack, it deals normal damage and attempts to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity (grapple bonus +26). If it gets a hold, it can also constrict in the same round. Thereafter, the creature simply holds the opponent in its tentacle (the flagellant is not considered grappled). Each successful grapple check it makes during successive rounds automatically deals tentacle and constrict damage.
All feats possessed by the flagellant except Dodge, Mobility, and Spring Attack can be found in Savage Species.