Library / Bestiary

Slithering Tracker

CR 4.00 Ooze N Small HD 4
A long, moist streak along the dark stone suddenly undulates like a serpent and then rises up to attack.

An alien inhabitant of the dark underworld, the slithering tracker is a glistening creature of transparent ooze, typically about 3 inches thick and at least 3 feet in diameter. When still, it looks like a wet patch of stone or a patch of condensation on a wall. Comparatively slow moving, the slithering tracker relies on its transparency and knack for ambushing to surprise prey.

Once a slithering tracker has paralyzed a living creature, it flows over an exposed patch of flesh, grabbing on and draining blood from the victim. A slithering tracker can drain a human-sized creature of its blood with shocking swiftness, leaving only a desiccated carcass behind. A slithering tracker can go some time between meals, but never turns down easy prey. The larger a slithering tracker grows, the more voracious its appetite becomes, until, after a particularly large feeding, the creature splits into two smaller slithering trackers that eventually go their separate ways in search of feeding territory.

Slithering trackers are not harmed by bright light, but still prefer to avoid areas of intense illumination or natural sunlight, and so only venture aboveground at night. They prefer the cool, damp environment of their native caves and tunnels.

Although intelligent and cunning, slithering trackers are entirely alien creatures. They do not possess any language of their own, although they can usually understand the dominant language of the region they dwell in—usually Undercommon. Some underworld inhabitants do manage to forge alliances with slithering trackers, or at least exist with them in symbiosis by providing the creatures with easy and regular prey, but as one can never truly know a slithering tracker's desires or motivations, such alliances are dangerous to rely upon.

HP
42 (4d8+24)
AC
15, touch 15, flat-footed 11 (+4 Dex, +1 size)
Init
+4
Speed
10 ft., climb 10 ft.
Fort
+7
Ref
+5
Will
+1
BAB
+3
CMB
+5 (+9 grapple)
CMD
19 (can't be tripped)
Melee
2 slams +7 (1d6+3 plus grab and paralysis)
Racial Modifiers
+8 Stealth
str
16
+3
dex
18
+4
con
23
+6
int
11
+0
wis
10
+0
cha
1
-5

blood drain (1d2 Constitution)

grab (Colossal)

Transparent — Because of its lack of coloration, a slithering tracker is difficult to discern from its surroundings in most environments. The slithering tracker gains a +8 racial bonus on Stealth checks as a result, and can move at full speed without taking a penalty on Stealth checks. A creature that fails to notice a slithering tracker and walks into it automatically takes damage as if struck by the slithering tracker's slam attack and is immediately subject to a grab attempt and paralysis by the ooze.

Universal Monster Rules

Blood Drain (1d2 Constitution) Ex from Universal Monster Rule
The creature drains blood at the end of its turn if it grapples a foe, inflicting Constitution damage.
Grab (Colossal) 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.
Paralysis (slams) Ex from Universal Monster Rule
This special attack renders the victim immobile. Paralyzed creatures cannot move, speak, or take any physical actions. The creature is rooted to the spot, frozen and helpless. Paralysis works on the body, and a character can usually resist it with a Fortitude saving throw (DC 10 + 1/2 the paralyzing creature's racial HD + the paralyzing creature's Con modifier; the DC is given in the creature's description). Unlike hold person and similar effects, a paralysis effect does not allow a new save each round. A winged creature flying in the air at the time that it is paralyzed cannot flap its wings and falls. A swimmer can't swim and may drown. The duration of the paralysis varies and is included in the creature's description.

Special Abilities

Transparent from text
Because of its lack of coloration, a slithering tracker is difficult to discern from its surroundings in most environments. The slithering tracker gains a +8 racial bonus on Stealth checks as a result, and can move at full speed without taking a penalty on Stealth checks. A creature that fails to notice a slithering tracker and walks into it automatically takes damage as if struck by the slithering tracker's slam attack and is immediately subject to a grab attempt and paralysis by the ooze.

Feats, Traits & Items

Skill Focus (Stealth) 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
Skill Focus (Stealth) 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

Climb +11, Perception +7, Stealth +20

Details
Ooze Small N
Environment
any ruins or underground
Organization
solitary or pair
Treasure
incidental
Senses
blindsense 60 ft.; Perception +7
Languages
Undercommon (cannot speak)
Source
Bestiary 2 Get this book
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
2 House/Core
  • Uses feat: Skill Focus (Feat) — core content under OGL 1.0a
  • Uses feat: Skill Focus (Feat) — core content under OGL 1.0a
View references and cross-links for Slithering Tracker

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