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Sargassum Fiend

CR 9.00 Plant N Large HD 13

This shifting mass of green seaweed transforms from the shape of a humanoid back to a patch of algae, continually changing.

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Description

A sargassum fiend is a free-floating mass of intelligent seaweed capable of luring its victims to their deaths via a powerful hallucinogenic pheromone. Once the sargassum fiend lures prey within striking distance, it grabs the entranced creature and attempts to crush it to death. Experienced sailors tell tales of entire crews jumping overboard to swim out to a murderous field of the sea plants.

The strange pheromone produced by a sargassum fiend can be harvested from the numerous bulbs that grow within the fiend's body, but these bulbs rot quickly once harvested. A fresh bulb lasts for 1 hour before becoming useless; until that point it can be crushed as a standard action to produce a mirage effect as detailed above. A single sargassum fiend generally has 1d6 bulbs of musk when slain—harvesting one requires a DC 29 Survival check. To date, no alchemical or magical process has successfully preserved this musk.

Sargassum fiends usually reach sizes up to 10 feet in diameter before splitting, their means of asexual reproduction. Mutations have been known to exist, however, and sea-faring scholars have recorded individual sargassum fiends reaching masses of truly enormous size, up to Colossal. Such enormous sargassum fiends can be created by advancing their Hit Dice by a minimum of 5 HD per size increase step.

Combat Stats

123 (13d8+65)

24, touch 12, flat-footed 21 (+2 Dex, +1 dodge, +12 natural, -1 size)

Init

Speed

20 ft., climb 20 ft., swim 40 ft.

Fort

+15

Ref

Will

BAB

CMB

+17 (+25 grapple)

CMD

30 (can't be tripped)

Melee: 2 slams +16 (2d8+7 plus grab)
Space: 10 ft.
Reach: 10 ft.
DR: 5/slashing
Aura: mirage (300 ft., DC 18)

Ability Scores

str

dex

con

int

-4

wis

cha

Special Attacks

constrict (2d8+10)

Grab — A sargassum fiend can grab Huge or smaller foes, and has a +8 racial bonus on grapple checks rather than the normal +4 bonus most creatures with grab possess.

Feats

Dodge, Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes, Skill Focus (Perception), Stealthy, Weapon Focus (slam)

Special Abilities

Universal Monster Rules

Grab

Grab (slams) 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.

Constrict (2d8+10) Ex from Universal Monster Rule

A creature with this special attack can crush an opponent, dealing bludgeoning damage, when it makes a successful grapple check (in addition to any other effects caused by a successful check, including additional damage). The amount of damage is given in the creature's entry and is typically equal to the amount of damage caused by the creature's melee attack.

Feats, Traits & Items

Dodge from Feat

You gain a +1 dodge bonus to your AC. A condition that makes you lose your Dex bonus to AC also makes you lose the benefits of this feat.

Calculated: +1 Ac

Great Fortitude from Feat

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

Calculated: +2 Fort

Improved Initiative from Feat

You get a +4 bonus on initiative checks.

Calculated: +4 Initiative

Lightning Reflexes from Feat

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

Calculated: +2 Ref

Skill Focus (Perception) from Feat

You get a +3 bonus on all checks involving the chosen skill. If you have 10 or more ranks in that skill, this bonus increases to +6.

Calculated: +3 Skill Bonus

Stealthy from Feat

You get a +2 bonus on all Escape Artist and Stealth skill checks. If you have 10 or more ranks in one of these skills, the bonus increases to +4 for that skill.

Calculated: +2 Escape Artist, +2 Stealth

Weapon Focus (slam) from Feat

You gain a +1 bonus on all attack rolls you make using the selected weapon.

Calculated: +1 Attack Bonus

Skills

Climb +19, Escape Artist +4, Perception +11, Stealth +7, Swim +15

Details

Type: Plant
Alignment: N
Size: Large
Environment: any oceans
Organization: solitary, pair, or bed (3-8)
Treasure: incidental (1d6 sargassum fiend bulbs, other treasure)
Senses: blindsense 60 ft., tremorsense 120 ft.; Perception +11
Aura: mirage (300 ft., DC 18)
Source: Bestiary 3

Rules