Realms of Chaos
2007-04-29, 11:55 PM
The Bloody Maw
Medium undead
Hit Dice: 12d12 (42 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: Fly 30 feet (average)
AC: 16 (+1 Dex, +5 natural), Touch 11, Flat-footed 15
Base Attack/Grapple: +6/+10
Attack: Slam +10 melee (1d6+4) or up to 5 Bites +10 melee (1d8+4)
Full Attack: Slam +10 melee (1d6+4) or up to 5 Bites + 10 melee (1d8+4)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./ 5 ft. (10 ft. with bite)
Special Attacks: Bursting Maw, Snatch Morsel
Special Qualities: DR 5/Slashing or Piercing, Fast Healing 1, Undead Traits, Blindsight 60 ft., Flight, Sustenance dependency, Endless Torment
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +5, Will +8
Abilities: Str 18, Dex 13, Con -, Int 1, Wis 10, Cha 5
Skills: Hide -15
Feats: Improved Natural Attack (bite) b, Improved Natural Attack (slam) b,
Environment: Any
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 5
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always Chaotic Evil
Advancement: 13-20 HD (medium), 21-30 HD (large)
Level Adjustment: -
The blob of quivering flesh floats a few feet off of the ground. Its skin appears to be pulled extremely tightly over the body, revealing that a skeleton of sorts continually shifts just below the surface.
The Bloody Maw was originally the work of a lowly necromancer. This necromancer, seeking a minion within their reach, inserted the bones from an average skeleton into the body of a beholder after softening its flesh and removing its skull. Furthermore, its eye and mouth were melded closed and the minimum amount of flesh was used, making a mass of loosely shaped flesh that looked as though it were nearly pierced by the bones beneath. When the body was animated, however, a very unexpected event occurred. The flesh and bones commingled, creating a being far out of its creator’s ability to control. This new being, soon to be called a bloody maw, responded to its creation with the destruction of its creator, who died with the method to create one.
The Bloody Maw is a disturbing paradox, in that it is driven in its undead state towards a goal more suitable for the living. The Bloody maw needs to eat not just life force but actual mass of bodies (in a similar manner to ghouls). This condition, unusual for undead, is complicated by the fact that their mouths are sewn shut and quickly heal when torn open. As a result, the Bloody Maw requires a direct confrontation in order to eat. For this reason, Bloody Maws desperately attack any living creature they come across, even if it is clearly stronger than them (although they may flee from stronger foes once their mouths have been torn open).
One last mystery surrounds the Bloody Maw. Although the original creator only created one, several have turned up over the years. This has led to conjectures that either the necromancer’s notes have survived his destruction or that the Bloody Maws have some form of slow-acting spawn animating ability. A third, highly controversial hypothesis is that the Bloody Maw may in fact reproduce asexually. While reproduction is all but unheard of in undead, the same can be said for conventional hunger.
Combat: A Bloody Maw is literally forced to live from combat to combat. They run through battle, slamming foes without mercy until their mouths are pierced open. Only at this point will a Bloody Maw ever retreat, and this is only if it is quite obviously outmatched.
Bursting Maw (Ex): Whenever a Bloody Maw is dealt damage with a slashing or piercing weapon, they immediately lose their slam attack as their skeleton makes the most of the opening in the flesh, extending a protruding jaw of bone. When this occurs, the Bloody Maw may make an attack of opportunity against its attacker (even if they have no attacks of opportunity left for that round) and the attacker is targeted by a dispel magic effect inherent to its “breath” (+10 on dispel checks). Each attack creates an additional mouth, up to a maximum of 5. All mouths seal up simultaneously the moment that the Bloody Maw reaches full hit points.
Snatch Morsel (Ex): Whenever a Bloody Maw deals enough damage to drop a foe, it simultaneously bites off a piece of that foe, dealing an additional 1d6 damage.
Flight (Ex): A Bloody Maw’s body is naturally buoyant. This buoyancy allows it to fly at a speed of 30 feet. This buoyancy also grants it a permanent feather fall effect (as the spell) with personal range.
Hunger Dependancy: A Bloody Maw, despite its undead state, has hunger directly analogous to a living creature. For the purposes of all related checks, the Bloody Maw has a Constitution score of 10. Whenever hunger would deal the Bloody Maw nonlethal damage, it instead deals that much lethal damage, which cannot be cured until the Bloody Maw has eaten. Much like a beholder, any organic substance may be used as food.
Endless Torment: A Bloody Maw is constantly torn by the desires of its interior to escape. As a result, it remains at the very verge of intelligence. It remains immune to mind-affecting abilities and gains neither skill points nor feats. Their intelligence score is raised by two and its wisdom and charisma are each increased by 1 (for the purpose of rudimentary intelligence and tactics) for each bite attack it has available.
While is has 10 or more intelligence, it gains a certain level of awareness. It gains improved toughness, wingover, hover, flyby attack, and improved turn resistance as feats, gains 15 ranks in spot, listen, bluff, and intimidate, and is no longer immune to mind-affecting effects (although they get a +4 bonus on will saves made to resist them).
Skills: A bloody maw takes a –4 racial penalty on hide checks due to its unnatural coloration and undulations.
Medium undead
Hit Dice: 12d12 (42 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: Fly 30 feet (average)
AC: 16 (+1 Dex, +5 natural), Touch 11, Flat-footed 15
Base Attack/Grapple: +6/+10
Attack: Slam +10 melee (1d6+4) or up to 5 Bites +10 melee (1d8+4)
Full Attack: Slam +10 melee (1d6+4) or up to 5 Bites + 10 melee (1d8+4)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./ 5 ft. (10 ft. with bite)
Special Attacks: Bursting Maw, Snatch Morsel
Special Qualities: DR 5/Slashing or Piercing, Fast Healing 1, Undead Traits, Blindsight 60 ft., Flight, Sustenance dependency, Endless Torment
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +5, Will +8
Abilities: Str 18, Dex 13, Con -, Int 1, Wis 10, Cha 5
Skills: Hide -15
Feats: Improved Natural Attack (bite) b, Improved Natural Attack (slam) b,
Environment: Any
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 5
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always Chaotic Evil
Advancement: 13-20 HD (medium), 21-30 HD (large)
Level Adjustment: -
The blob of quivering flesh floats a few feet off of the ground. Its skin appears to be pulled extremely tightly over the body, revealing that a skeleton of sorts continually shifts just below the surface.
The Bloody Maw was originally the work of a lowly necromancer. This necromancer, seeking a minion within their reach, inserted the bones from an average skeleton into the body of a beholder after softening its flesh and removing its skull. Furthermore, its eye and mouth were melded closed and the minimum amount of flesh was used, making a mass of loosely shaped flesh that looked as though it were nearly pierced by the bones beneath. When the body was animated, however, a very unexpected event occurred. The flesh and bones commingled, creating a being far out of its creator’s ability to control. This new being, soon to be called a bloody maw, responded to its creation with the destruction of its creator, who died with the method to create one.
The Bloody Maw is a disturbing paradox, in that it is driven in its undead state towards a goal more suitable for the living. The Bloody maw needs to eat not just life force but actual mass of bodies (in a similar manner to ghouls). This condition, unusual for undead, is complicated by the fact that their mouths are sewn shut and quickly heal when torn open. As a result, the Bloody Maw requires a direct confrontation in order to eat. For this reason, Bloody Maws desperately attack any living creature they come across, even if it is clearly stronger than them (although they may flee from stronger foes once their mouths have been torn open).
One last mystery surrounds the Bloody Maw. Although the original creator only created one, several have turned up over the years. This has led to conjectures that either the necromancer’s notes have survived his destruction or that the Bloody Maws have some form of slow-acting spawn animating ability. A third, highly controversial hypothesis is that the Bloody Maw may in fact reproduce asexually. While reproduction is all but unheard of in undead, the same can be said for conventional hunger.
Combat: A Bloody Maw is literally forced to live from combat to combat. They run through battle, slamming foes without mercy until their mouths are pierced open. Only at this point will a Bloody Maw ever retreat, and this is only if it is quite obviously outmatched.
Bursting Maw (Ex): Whenever a Bloody Maw is dealt damage with a slashing or piercing weapon, they immediately lose their slam attack as their skeleton makes the most of the opening in the flesh, extending a protruding jaw of bone. When this occurs, the Bloody Maw may make an attack of opportunity against its attacker (even if they have no attacks of opportunity left for that round) and the attacker is targeted by a dispel magic effect inherent to its “breath” (+10 on dispel checks). Each attack creates an additional mouth, up to a maximum of 5. All mouths seal up simultaneously the moment that the Bloody Maw reaches full hit points.
Snatch Morsel (Ex): Whenever a Bloody Maw deals enough damage to drop a foe, it simultaneously bites off a piece of that foe, dealing an additional 1d6 damage.
Flight (Ex): A Bloody Maw’s body is naturally buoyant. This buoyancy allows it to fly at a speed of 30 feet. This buoyancy also grants it a permanent feather fall effect (as the spell) with personal range.
Hunger Dependancy: A Bloody Maw, despite its undead state, has hunger directly analogous to a living creature. For the purposes of all related checks, the Bloody Maw has a Constitution score of 10. Whenever hunger would deal the Bloody Maw nonlethal damage, it instead deals that much lethal damage, which cannot be cured until the Bloody Maw has eaten. Much like a beholder, any organic substance may be used as food.
Endless Torment: A Bloody Maw is constantly torn by the desires of its interior to escape. As a result, it remains at the very verge of intelligence. It remains immune to mind-affecting abilities and gains neither skill points nor feats. Their intelligence score is raised by two and its wisdom and charisma are each increased by 1 (for the purpose of rudimentary intelligence and tactics) for each bite attack it has available.
While is has 10 or more intelligence, it gains a certain level of awareness. It gains improved toughness, wingover, hover, flyby attack, and improved turn resistance as feats, gains 15 ranks in spot, listen, bluff, and intimidate, and is no longer immune to mind-affecting effects (although they get a +4 bonus on will saves made to resist them).
Skills: A bloody maw takes a –4 racial penalty on hide checks due to its unnatural coloration and undulations.