ANOMALOUS FORM CREATURE
Warped creatures that have had their form badly changed from what nature had intended, they are easy to spot for the protrusions, altered skin tones, and unnatural pallor. They are often considered to have been touched by an outside force, either created from a mad mage's experiment, or perhaps the planes of madness gripped them during their birthing stages. Whatever the cause, a creature with this anomalous form is one to be feared and wondered at.
CREATING AN ANOMALOUS FORM CREATURE
“Anomalous Form” is an acquired template that can be added to any creature that does not already have the psionic subtype (referred to hereafter as the “base creature”). An anomalous form creature uses all the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here.
Size and Type: The creature’s type changes to aberration. It gains the psionic subtype.
Armour Class: Natural armour bonus increases by a number based on the anomalous form creature's size:
Size AC Bonus
Tiny or smaller +0
Small +1
Medium +2
Large +3
Huge +4
Gargantuan +7
Colossal +11
Attacks: An anomalous form creature retains all the natural weapons, manufactured weapon attacks, and weapon proficiencies of the base creature. A anomalous form creature also gains two tentacle slam attacks, with a reach of 10 ft.
Damage: Natural and manufactured weapons deal damage normally. A tentacle slam attack deals damage depending on the anomalous form creature's size. (Use the base creature’s slam damage if it’s better.)
Size Damage
Fine 1
Diminutive 1d3
Tiny 1d4
Small 1d6
Medium 1d8
Large 2d6
Huge 2d8
Gargantuan 4d6
Colossal 4d8
Special Qualities: A anomalous form creature has all the special qualities of the base creature, plus the following special qualities.
Frightful Appearance: Creatures who gaze upon a creature with this template are affected if they have less hit dice than the.creature. A potentially affected creature that succeeds on a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 creature HD + creature’s Cha modifier) remains immune to that creature’s frightful appearance for 24 hours. On a failure, creatures with 4 or less HD become panicked for 4d6 rounds and those with 5 or more HD become shaken for 4d6 rounds. Anomalous form creatures ignore the frightful appearance of other anomalous form creatures.
Confusion Gaze (Su): An anomalous form creature can mentally attack with a confusion gaze, trapping the subject within its own mind. The target must succeed at a Will save or become confused. This is a mind-affecting effect. The save DC is Charisma-based. This lasts for as long as the anomalous form creature holds its gaze on the creature.
Abilities: Increase from the base creature as follows: Con +4, Str +2, Wis -4, Cha +4.
Challenge Rating: Up to 5 HD, same as base creature +2; 6+ HD, same as base creature +3.
BURROWING DREAD
Gargantuan Aberration (Fire, Evil, Psionic)
Hit Dice: 24d8+120 (228 hp)
Initiative: +3
Speed: Burrow 60 ft. (12 squares)
Armour Class: 30 (–4 size, –1 Dex, +25 natural), touch 5, flat-footed 30
Base Attack/Grapple: +18/+44
Attack: Bite +25 melee 19-20 (3d8+21 plus 2d6 fire)
Full Attack: Bite +25 melee 19-20 (3d8+21 plus 2d6 fire)
Space/Reach: 20 ft./20 ft.
Special Attacks: Prey, Inspire Dread, Tunnelling, Trample 3d8+21 plus 2d6 fire
Special Qualities: Damage Reduction 10/-, Blindsight 60 ft, Furnace Internal, Unknowable
Saves: Fort +13, Ref +7, Will +14
Abilities: Str 38, Dex 8, Con 21, Int 10, Wis 11, Cha 17
Skills: Listen +27, Spot +27
Feats: Awesome Blow, Power Attack, Snatch, Improved Bullrush, Improved Overrun, Improved Initiative, Improved Critical (Bite), Staggering Blow
Environment: Underground
Organization: Solitary or pack (4–11)
Challenge Rating: 14
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral evil
Advancement: 25–48 HD (Gargantuan)
The body of a burrowing dread is 10 feet in diameter and 40 feet long, weighing about 40,000 pounds. The front of the creature is a giant burning maw.
Burrowing dreads cannot speak, but understand Common and Undercommon. They have no known means of communication, but can understand one another.
COMBAT
Burrowing dreads attack only at night, although they will fight during the day if attacked. They never venture above the ground, going so far only as to open gaping pits underneath their foes. Once they have a foe marked as prey, they move directly towards him.
A burrowing dread’s natural weapons, as well as any weapons it wields, are treated as magic and evil-aligned for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
Prey (Ex): Burrowing dreads have the ability to lock onto a single creature, often one who holds something they desire. They always know the distance and direction to their prey, and once per day can view their prey as perremote viewing. On average, a burrowing dread will stalk their prey for a week before attacking.
Inspire Dread (Ex): Burrowing dreads forewarn their prey of their coming, as a growing sense of doom creeps over their targets, rendering them slowly helpless. Every day that the target is marked as prey, it must succeed at a DC 30 Will save or take a –2 penalty on attack rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks and one point of Wisdom drain. Each time the save is failed, the penalties increase by one, and the target takes another point of Wisdom drain. If, for whatever reason, the target is no longer considered prey, the penalties are removed, and the Wisdom drain converts to Wisdom damage.
Tunnelling (Ex): A burrowing dread can travel through the ground with no impediment, leaving behind a smooth-walled tunnel the diameter of its body. Should a burrowing dread desire, it can create a cave-in or subsidence of 100 ft in diameter per round spent creating the conditions. A burrowing dread can cause a maximum of a 1000ft subsidence in a single day, after which it must rest. Treat this as per the earthquake spell.
Furnace Internal (Ex): Creatures hitting a burrowing dread with natural weapons or unarmed attacks take 2d6 fire damage, and also catch on fire unless they succeed on a DC 27 Reflex save. The save DC is Constitution-based. The fire burns until extinguished. A burning creature can use a full-round action to put out the flames.
Unknowable (Ex): Any attempt to contact a burrowing dread with telepathy results in a DC 25 Will save or be affected by the insanity power. The save DC is Charisma-based.
Trample (Ex): Reflex half DC 36. The save DC is Strength-based.
