Library / Bestiary

Nightshade, Nightcrawler

CR 18.00 Undead CE Gargantuan HD 25
This immense worm is covered with plates of dead-black, chitinous armor. Its toothy maw yawns like a cave.

Although the nightcrawler might appear to be little more than an immense and frightening vermin, with its centipede-like body and numerous glowing eyes, it is actually incredibly intelligent. When not cleansing the deep caverns of life, the nightcrawler spends its time plotting how best to carry out its own private stages of the overall nightshade plan to expunge life from all worlds, conferring with its undead minions and, when necessary, observing living creatures from afar while invisible to learn about hidden enclaves that its depredations might otherwise have missed.

It would be one thing if the nightcrawlers remained in the deep caverns, for these regions are rife with foul life the world is better off without. Yet unfortunately for those who dwell upon the surface, nightcrawlers often crawl up through the tunnels to bring their devastation to the night above. Although they always retreat underground before the first tentative rays of dawn color the eastern skies, they can spread an incredible amount of ruin in the span of a few short hours each night.

A nightcrawler is 60 feet long and weighs 10,000 pounds.

HP
312 (25d8+200)
AC
33, touch 6, flat-footed 33 (+27 natural, -4 size)
Init
+4
Speed
30 ft., burrow 60 ft.
Fort
+16
Ref
+10
Will
+23
BAB
+18
CMB
+37 (+41 grapple)
CMD
47 (can't be tripped)
Melee
bite +32 (4d10+18/19-20 plus 4d6 cold and grab), sting +32 (4d6+18/19-20 plus 4d6 cold and poison)
Space
20 ft.
Reach
20 ft.
DR
15/good and silver
SR
29
Aura
desecrating aura (30 ft.)
Racial Modifiers
+8 Stealth in dim light and darkness
str
41
+15
dex
10
+0
con
-
int
20
+5
wis
21
+5
cha
23
+6

Weapons: Simple

channel negative energy (9d6, DC 31, 9/day)

Energy Drain — A creature that has been swallowed whole by a nightcrawler gains 1 negative level each round.

swallow whole (4d10+22 bludgeoning plus energy drain, AC 23, 31 hp)

Universal Monster Rules

Grab
Grab (bite) Ex from Universal Monster Rule
If a creature with this special attack hits with the indicated attack (usually a claw or bite attack), it deals normal damage and attempts to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. The creature has the option to conduct the grapple normally, or simply to use the part of its body it used in the grab to hold the opponent. If it chooses to do the latter, it takes a –20 penalty on its combat maneuver check to make and maintain the grapple, but does not gain the grappled condition itself. A successful hold does not deal any extra damage unless the creature also has the constrict special attack. If the creature does not constrict, each successful grapple check it makes during successive rounds automatically deals the damage indicated for the attack that established the hold. Otherwise, it deals constriction damage as well (the amount is given in the creature's descriptive text). Creatures with grab receive a +4 bonus on combat maneuver checks made to start and maintain a grapple. Unless otherwise noted, grab works only against opponents no larger than the same size category as the creature. If the creature can use grab on sizes other than the default, this is noted in the creature's Special Attacks line.
Swallow Whole (4d10+22 bludgeoning plus energy drain, AC 23, 31 hp) Ex from Universal Monster Rule
If a creature with this special attack begins its turn with an opponent grappled in its mouth (see Grab), it can attempt a new combat maneuver check (as though attempting to pin the opponent). If it succeeds, it swallows its prey, and the opponent takes bite damage. Unless otherwise noted, the opponent can be up to one size category smaller than the swallowing creature. Being swallowed causes the target to take damage each round. The amount and type of damage varies and is given in the swallowing creature's statistics. A swallowed creature keeps the grappled condition, while the creature that did the swallowing does not. A swallowed creature can try to cut its way free with any light slashing or piercing weapon (the amount of cutting damage required to get free is equal to 1/10 the creature's total hit points), or it can just try to escape the grapple. The Armor Class of the interior of a creature that swallows whole is normally 10 + 1/2 its natural armor bonus, with no modifiers for size or Dexterity. If a swallowed creature cuts its way out, the swallowing creature cannot use swallow whole again until the damage is healed. If the swallowed creature escapes the grapple, success puts it back in the attacker's mouth, where it may be bitten or swallowed again.
Energy Drain Su from Universal Monster Rule
This attack saps a living opponent's vital energy and happens automatically when a melee or ranged attack hits. Each successful energy drain bestows one or more negative levels (the creature's description specifies how many). If an attack that includes an energy drain scores a critical hit, it bestows twice the listed number of negative levels. Unless otherwise specified in the creature's description, a draining creature gains 5 temporary hit points for each negative level it bestows on an opponent. These temporary hit points last for a maximum of 1 hour. Negative levels remain until 24 hours have passed or until they are removed with a spell such as restoration. If a negative level is not removed before 24 hours have passed, the affected creature must attempt a Fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/2 the draining creature's racial HD + the draining creature's Cha modifier; the exact DC is given in the creature's descriptive text). On a success, the negative level goes away with no harm to the creature. On a failure, the negative level becomes permanent. A separate saving throw is required for each negative level.
Poison (sting) Ex from Universal Monster Rule
A creature with this ability can poison those it attacks. The effects of the poison, including its save, frequency, and cure, are included in the creature's description. The saving throw to resist a poison is usually a Fort save (DC 10 + 1/2 the poisoning creature's racial HD + the creature's Con modifier; the exact DC is given in the creature's descriptive text). Poisons can be removed through neutralize poison and similar effects.

Special Abilities

Channel Negative Energy (9d6, DC 31, 9/day) from text

Feats, Traits & Items

Combat Expertise from Feat

You can choose to take a –1 penalty on melee attack rolls and combat maneuver checks to gain a +1 dodge bonus to your Armor Class. When your base attack bonus reaches +4, and every +4 thereafter, the penalty increases by –1 and the dodge bonus increases by +1. You can only choose to use this feat when you declare that you are making an attack or a full-attack action with a melee weapon. The effects of this feat last until your next turn.

Command Undead from Feat

As a standard action, you can use one of your uses of channel negative energy to enslave undead within 30 feet. Undead receive a Will save to negate the effect. The DC for this Will save is equal to 10 + 1/2 your cleric level + your Charisma modifier. Undead that fail their saves fall under your control, obeying your commands to the best of their ability, as if under the effects of control undead. Intelligent undead receive a new saving throw each day to resist your command. You can control any number of undead, so long as their total Hit Dice do not exceed your cleric level. If you use channel energy in this way, it has no other effect (it does not heal or harm nearby creatures). If an undead creature is under the control of another creature, you must make an opposed Charisma check whenever your orders conflict.

Critical Focus from Feat

You receive a +4 circumstance bonus on attack rolls made to confirm critical hits.

Situational: to confirm critical hits: +4 circumstance attack rolls

When you use the attack action, you can make one attack at your highest base attack bonus that deals additional damage. Roll the weapon's damage dice for the attack four times and add the results together before adding bonuses from Strength, weapon abilities (such as flaming), precision based damage, and other damage bonuses. These extra weapon damage dice are not multiplied on a critical hit, but are added to the total.

Improved Critical (sting) from Feat

When using the weapon you selected, your threat range is doubled.

Improved Critical (sting) from Feat

When using the weapon you selected, your threat range is doubled.

You get a +4 bonus on initiative checks.

Calculated: +4 Initiative

When you use the attack action, you can make one attack at your highest base attack bonus that deals additional damage. Roll the weapon's damage dice for the attack three times and add the results together before adding bonuses from Strength, weapon special abilities (such as flaming), precision based damage, and other damage bonuses. These extra weapon damage dice are not multiplied on a critical hit, but are added to the total.

Iron Will from Feat

You get a +2 bonus on all Will saving throws.

Calculated: +2 Will
Power Attack from Feat

You can choose to take a –1 penalty on all melee attack rolls and combat maneuver checks to gain a +2 bonus on all melee damage rolls. This bonus to damage is increased by half (+50%) if you are making an attack with a two-handed weapon, a one handed weapon using two hands, or a primary natural weapon that adds 1-1/2 times your Strength modifier on damage rolls. This bonus to damage is halved (–50%) if you are making an attack with an off-hand weapon or secondary natural weapon. When your base attack bonus reaches +4, and every 4 points thereafter, the penalty increases by –1 and the bonus to damage increases by +2. You must choose to use this feat before making an attack roll, and its effects last until your next turn. The bonus damage does not apply to touch attacks or effects that do not deal hit point damage.

Quicken Spell-Like Ability (cone of cold) from Feat

Choose one of the creature's spell-like abilities, subject to the restrictions described in this feat. The creature can use the chosen spell-like ability as a quickened spell-like ability three times per day (or less, if the ability is normally usable only once or twice per day).

Using a quickened spell-like ability is a swift action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity. The creature can perform another action—including the use of another spell-like ability (but not another swift action)—in the same round that it uses a quickened spell-like ability. The creature may use only one quickened spell-like ability per round.

The creature can only select a spell-like ability duplicating a spell with a level less than or equal to 1/2 its caster level (round down) – 4. For a summary, see the table below.

A spell-like ability that duplicates a spell with a casting time greater than 1 full round cannot be quickened.

Whenever you score a critical hit, your opponent becomes staggered for 1d4+1 rounds. A successful Fortitude save reduces the duration to 1 round. The DC of this Fortitude save is equal to 10 + your base attack bonus. The effects of this feat do not stack. Additional hits instead add to the duration.

Vital Strike from Feat

When you use the attack action, you can make one attack at your highest base attack bonus that deals additional damage. Roll the weapon's damage dice for the attack twice and add the results together before adding bonuses from Strength, weapon abilities (such as flaming), precision based damage, and other damage bonuses. These extra weapon damage dice are not multiplied on a critical hit, but are added to the total.

Intimidate +34, Knowledge (arcana) +33, Knowledge (planes) +30, Knowledge (religion) +33, Perception +33, Sense Motive +33, Spellcraft +33, Stealth +16 (+24 in darkness), Swim +40

spell-like abilities:
Constant—Air Walk, Constant—Detect Magic, Constant—Magic Fang (DC 17), At will—Contagion (DC 20), At will—Deeper Darkness, At will—Dispel Magic, Greater, At will—Invisibility (DC 18), At will—Unholy Blight (DC 20), 3/day—Cone Of Cold (DC 21), 3/day—Confusion (DC 20), 3/day—Haste (DC 19), 3/day—Hold Monster, 1/day—Finger Of Death (DC 23), 1/day—Hold Monster, Mass, 1/day—Plane Shift (DC 23)
Details
Type
Undead
Alignment
CE
Size
Gargantuan
Environment
any (Negative Energy Plane)
Organization
solitary or pair
Treasure
standard
Senses
darksense, darkvision 120 ft., detect magic, low-light vision, tremorsense 120 ft.; Perception +33
Aura
desecrating aura (30 ft.)
Languages
Abyssal, Common, Infernal; telepathy 100 ft.
Source
Bestiary 2
Source

Bestiary 2

Attribution

Seeded catalog content, attributed to Paizo Inc. by catalog provenance — not an individual Open Game License attestation. Licensing for reproduced SRD content is covered by the site's Section 15 register.

Sources Used in This Record
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