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Bodythief

CR 14.00 Plant LE Gargantuan HD 20

This immense plant has jaws inside its central flower and vines that thresh the air. Its ovular seedpods throb like beating hearts.

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Description

Plants of frightfully advanced intellect, bodythieves cannot abide the irrationalities of other intelligent life, particularly emotions. They seek to create a world of perfect order by replacing other life forms with nearly perfect duplicates spawned by the bodythief itself. Indeed, these duplicates improve on the originals, as they can communicate telepathically with the bodythief, and they lack wasteful emotions. Individual bodythieves vary as to their specific plans for building a perfect society of duplicates. A common, though recognized, flaw in their plans is the infertility of their duplicates. To maintain a stable society, the bodythieves must capture creatures to replace the inevitable loss of healthy duplicates.

Bodythieves are nearly immobile, though they can drag themselves along with their vines in extremis. When they must move large distances, they enlist the aid of their spawn.

A creature with the pod-spawned template is a duplicate created by the bodythief. It resembles the original and has all its memories, but can't exhibit sincere emotion.

Pod-spawned creatures can't reproduce and remain the same apparent age as their original at the time of replacement.

"Pod-spawned" is an acquired template that can be added to any living creature (referred to hereafter as the base creature).

Combat Stats

230 (20d8+140)

26, touch 1, flat-footed 26 (–5 Dex, +25 natural, –4 size)

Init

–1

Speed

5 ft.

Fort

+19

Ref

Will

+11

BAB

+15

CMB

+31 (+35 disarm, +35 grapple, +33 trip)

CMD

38 (40 vs. disarm, can't be tripped)

Melee: bite +23 (2d8+12 plus grab), 4 tentacles +21 (1d8+6 plus grab)
Space: 20 ft.
Reach: 20 ft. (40 ft. with tentacles)
Defensive Abilities: vexing vines
Racial Modifiers: +5 Disguise

Ability Scores

str

+12

dex

-5

con

int

wis

cha

Special Attacks

breath weapon (80-ft. line, 12d6 acid damage, Reflex DC 27 half, usable every 1d4 rounds)

swallow whole (4d6 acid damage plus absorb essence; AC 22, 23 hp)

Transfer — A bodythief can transfer a creature grappled with a tentacle to its mouth with a move action and a successful grapple combat maneuver check.

Special Qualities

Spawn Pod Creature — Once a bodythief has absorbed the life essence of a Large or smaller creature, it can begin growing a duplicate of that creature as a free action. Growing a Tiny or smaller duplicate takes 1 round, a Small duplicate 3 rounds, a Medium duplicate 5 rounds, and a Large duplicate 10 rounds. Duplicates are identical to the creature whose life essence has been devoured, but they gain the pod creature template. They closely resemble the original creature and retain all its memories. The newly created spawn has none of the original creature's equipment, though the bodythief can vomit forth any surviving swallowed gear as a move action. As the duplicate hatches, the bodythief makes a Disguise check to determine the resemblance to the original. The duplicate must be grown within 24 hours of the original's digestion, or its essence and memories dissipate. Only a single duplicate can made of any given creature.

Feats

Alertness, Combat Expertise, Greater Disarm, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Improved Iron Will, Improved Trip, Iron Will, Multiattack, Skill Focus (Knowledge [nature])

Special Abilities

Universal Monster Rules

Grab

Grab (bite, tentacles) 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 (4d6 acid damage plus absorb essence; AC 22, 23 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.

Breath Weapon (80-ft. line, 12d6 acid damage, Reflex DC 27 half, usable every 1d4 rounds) Su from Universal Monster Rule

Some creatures can exhale a cone, line, or cloud of energy or other magical effects. A breath weapon attack usually deals damage and is often based on some type of energy. Breath weapons allow a Reflex save for half damage (DC 10 + 1/2 the breathing creature's racial HD + the breathing creature's Con modifier; the exact DC is given in the creature's descriptive text). A creature is immune to its own breath weapon unless otherwise noted. Some breath weapons allow a Fortitude save or a Will save instead of a Reflex save. Each breath weapon also includes notes on how often it can be used, even if this number is limited in times per day.

Special Abilities

Spawn Pod Creature from text

Once a bodythief has absorbed the life essence of a Large or smaller creature, it can begin growing a duplicate of that creature as a free action. Growing a Tiny or smaller duplicate takes 1 round, a Small duplicate 3 rounds, a Medium duplicate 5 rounds, and a Large duplicate 10 rounds. Duplicates are identical to the creature whose life essence has been devoured, but they gain the pod creature template. They closely resemble the original creature and retain all its memories. The newly created spawn has none of the original creature's equipment, though the bodythief can vomit forth any surviving swallowed gear as a move action. As the duplicate hatches, the bodythief makes a Disguise check to determine the resemblance to the original. The duplicate must be grown within 24 hours of the original's digestion, or its essence and memories dissipate. Only a single duplicate can made of any given creature.

Transfer from text

A bodythief can transfer a creature grappled with a tentacle to its mouth with a move action and a successful grapple combat maneuver check.

Vexing Vines from text

Feats, Traits & Items

Alertness from Feat

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

Calculated: +2 Perception, +2 Sense Motive

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.

Greater Disarm from Feat

You receive a +2 bonus on checks made to disarm a foe. This bonus stacks with the bonus granted by Improved Disarm. Whenever you successfully disarm an opponent, the weapon lands 15 feet away from its previous wielder, in a random direction.

Calculated: +2 Maneuver Check Bonus

Improved Disarm from Feat

You do not provoke an attack of opportunity when performing a disarm combat maneuver. In addition, you receive a +2 bonus on checks made to disarm a foe. You also receive a +2 bonus to your Combat Maneuver Defense whenever an opponent tries to disarm you.

Calculated: +2 Maneuver Check Bonus

Improved Initiative from Feat

You get a +4 bonus on initiative checks.

Calculated: +4 Initiative

Improved Iron Will from Feat

Once per day, you may reroll a Will save. You must decide to use this ability before the results are revealed. You must take the second roll, even if it is worse.

Also in: Fortune & Luck

Improved Trip from Feat

You do not provoke an attack of opportunity when performing a trip combat maneuver. In addition, you receive a +2 bonus on checks made to trip a foe. You also receive a +2 bonus to your Combat Maneuver Defense whenever an opponent tries to trip you.

Calculated: +2 Maneuver Check Bonus

Iron Will from Feat

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

Calculated: +2 Will

Multiattack from Feat

The creature's secondary attacks with natural weapons take only a –2 penalty.

Skill Focus (Knowledge [nature]) 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

Skills

Disguise +27, Knowledge (geography, history, local, nobility) +20, Knowledge (nature) +31, Perception +30, Sense Motive +27

Details

Type: Plant
Alignment: LE
Size: Gargantuan
Environment: temperate or warm forests
Organization: solitary
Treasure: double standard
Senses: low-light vision; Perception +30
Languages: Common, Dwarven, Elven, Orc, Sylvan (can't speak any language); telepathy 1,000 ft. (with spawn only)
Source: Bestiary 4

Rules