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Neh-Thalggu

CR 8.00 Aberration CE Large

This crab-like nightmare has a lamprey mouth, twitching eyes on its legs, and several blisters along its back that hold human brains.

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Description

Known also as brain collectors, the alien neh-thalggus hail from distant worlds, traveling the gulfs of space on immense living ships that swiftly decay when they land upon a new world, leaving behind a deadly cargo of hungry monsters. Neh-thalggus are carnivores, but they do not digest humanoid brains they eat—rather, these brains lodge in one of several bulbous blisters on the creature's back and help to increase its intellect.

Some speculate that neh-thalggus encountered in this reality may merely be juveniles of their kind, perhaps exiled from their home worlds by greater kin until they can prove their worth on other worlds. Their brain collections may be a morbid form of currency in their home realm, or the thoughts in these brains may merely be fuel for a dark apotheosis into an even more sinister mature form.

Ability Scores

STR

DEX

CON

INT

WIS

CHA

Combat Stats

HP: 105 (10d8+60)
AC: 21, touch 19, flat-footed 18 (+3 Dex, +2 natural, +7 insight, -1 size)
Speed: 10 ft., fly 40 ft. (perfect)
Init: +7
Melee: bite +13 (1d8+7 plus poison), 2 claws +13 (1d6+7)
Space: 10 ft.
Reach: 5 ft.
BAB: +7
CMB: +15
CMD: 35 (cannot be tripped)
Fort: +9
Ref: +6
Will: +11
DR: 10/magic
SR: 19

Special Attacks

rend (2 claws, 2d6+7)

Special Qualities

Brain Collection — A neh-thalggu can store up to seven humanoid brains and use them to enhance its knowledge and power. Each stored brain grants a neh-thalggu a cumulative +1 insight bonus to AC, concentration checks, and Knowledge checks. A neh-thalggu can extract a brain from a helpless opponent with a coup de grace attack, or as a standard action from a body that has been dead for no more than 1 minute. A neh-thalggu that has fewer than seven brains gains one negative level for each missing brain. These negative levels can never become permanent, but they can only be removed by replacing one of its collected brains. The stats presented here assume a monster with a full collection.

Strange Knowledge — All Knowledge skills are class skills for neh-thalggus.

Feats

Arcane Strike, Extend Spell, Combat Reflexes, Eschew Materials, Improved Initiative, Power Attack

Special Abilities

Arcane Strike from Feat

As a swift action, you can imbue your weapons with a fraction of your power. For 1 round, your weapons deal +1 damage and are treated as magic for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. For every five caster levels you possess, this bonus increases by +1, to a maximum of +5 at 20th level.

Extend Spell from Feat

An extended spell lasts twice as long as normal. A spell with a duration of concentration, instantaneous, or permanent is not affected by this feat. An extended spell uses up a spell slot one level higher than the spell's actual level.

Combat Reflexes from Feat

You may make a number of additional attacks of opportunity per round equal to your Dexterity bonus. With this feat, you may also make attacks of opportunity while flat-footed.

Eschew Materials from Feat

You can cast any spell with a material component costing 1 gp or less without needing that component. The casting of the spell still provokes attacks of opportunity as normal. If the spell requires a material component that costs more than 1 gp, you must have the material component on hand to cast the spell, as normal.

Improved Initiative from Feat

You get a +4 bonus on initiative checks.

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.

Skills

Fly +15, Knowledge (arcana, dungeoneering, and planes) +23, Perception +17, Sense Motive +17, Spellcraft +17, Stealth +12, Use Magic Device +16

Spells

sorcerer spells known:

3rd (5/day)—Lightning Bolt, 3rd (5/day)—Hold Person, 2nd (7/day)—Acid Arrow, 2nd (7/day)—Alter Self, 2nd (7/day)—Invisibility, 1st (7/day)—Grease, 1st (7/day)—Magic Missile, 1st (7/day)—Ray Of Enfeeblement, 1st (7/day)—Shield, 1st (7/day)—Unseen Servant, At will—Acid Splash, At will—Dancing Lights, At will—Detect Magic, At will—Mage Hand, At will—Open/Close, At will—Prestidigitation, At will—Read Magic

Details

Type: Aberration
Alignment: CE
Size: Large
Environment: any
Organization: solitary
Treasure: double
Senses: darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +17
Languages: Abyssal, Aklo, Common, Draconic, Protean, Undercommon; telepathy (100 feet)
Source: Bestiary 2

Sources Used in This Record

23 House/Core

Uses feat: Arcane Strike (Feat)

House/Core — covered by the site's Section 15.
Uses feat: Extend Spell (Feat)

House/Core — covered by the site's Section 15.
Uses feat: Combat Reflexes (Feat)

House/Core — covered by the site's Section 15.
Uses feat: Eschew Materials (Feat)

House/Core — covered by the site's Section 15.
Uses feat: Improved Initiative (Feat)

House/Core — covered by the site's Section 15.
Uses feat: Power Attack (Feat)

House/Core — covered by the site's Section 15.
Knows spell: Lightning Bolt (Spell)

House/Core — covered by the site's Section 15.
Knows spell: Hold Person (Spell)

House/Core — covered by the site's Section 15.
Knows spell: Acid Arrow (Spell)

House/Core — covered by the site's Section 15.
Knows spell: Alter Self (Spell)

House/Core — covered by the site's Section 15.
Knows spell: Invisibility (Spell)

House/Core — covered by the site's Section 15.
Knows spell: Grease (Spell)

House/Core — covered by the site's Section 15.
Knows spell: Magic Missile (Spell)

House/Core — covered by the site's Section 15.
Knows spell: Ray Of Enfeeblement (Spell)

House/Core — covered by the site's Section 15.
Knows spell: Shield (Spell)

House/Core — covered by the site's Section 15.
Knows spell: Unseen Servant (Spell)

House/Core — covered by the site's Section 15.
Knows spell: Acid Splash (Spell)

House/Core — covered by the site's Section 15.
Knows spell: Dancing Lights (Spell)

House/Core — covered by the site's Section 15.
Knows spell: Detect Magic (Spell)

House/Core — covered by the site's Section 15.
Knows spell: Mage Hand (Spell)

House/Core — covered by the site's Section 15.
Knows spell: Open/Close (Spell)

House/Core — covered by the site's Section 15.
Knows spell: Prestidigitation (Spell)

House/Core — covered by the site's Section 15.
Knows spell: Read Magic (Spell)

House/Core — covered by the site's Section 15.

Rules