Monster Geographica - Marsh & Aquatic.pdf - The Secrets of the ...

8
Cerebral Stalker
Medium Aberration
Hit Dice: 9d8+18 (58 hp)
Initiative: +6
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares), burrow 20 ft. (4
squares)
Armor Class: 19 (+2 Dex, +7 natural),
touch 12, flat-footed 17
Base Attack/Grapple: +6/+9
Attack: Claw +10 melee (1d6+3)
Full Attack: 2 claws +10 melee (1d6+3) or
bite +9 melee (1d8+3)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Consume brain, create
zombie, fear gaze, improved grab, sink, web
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., earth
glide, tremorsense 90 ft.
This humanoid creature has blackish-gray
scales covering its semi-reptilian body. A thick
layer of gray mucus drips from its body. Its bestial
head sports vertical-slitted gray eyes and a wide
mouth lined with sharp teeth. Its hands end in filthy
claws.
A cerebral stalker is a carnivorous predator
that lies in wait just below the surface of the
ground for an unsuspecting victim to pass over or
near it. When it detects its prey, the stalker bursts
through the ground in a shower of rock and earth,
cocoons its victim and disappears into the ground
to devour the victim’s brain.
The lair of a cerebral stalker is a large,
hollow chamber of earth, often littered with skull
fragments, bits of webbing, and chunks of brain
matter. Cerebral stalkers are solitary creatures and
do not work in concert with others of their kind.
They attack those of their own race if another
attempts to take up residence in an area already
inhabited by a cerebral stalker (the typical stalker’s
hunting ground covers an area of 5 square miles,
though it rarely journeys that far from its lair).
The lifespan and reproduction method of these
creatures is completely unknown.
It is thought that cerebral stalkers understand a
variety of languages, including Common. Whether
they speak any languages at all is unknown as no
one has ever successfully conversed with one.
Combat
The cerebral stalker attacks from ambush,
hiding just below the surface of the ground where
it uses its tremorsense ability to detect living
creatures moving near it. When it successfully
detects a living creature, it violently emerges
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Saves: Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +8
Abilities: Str 16, Dex 15, Con 15, Int 11,
Wis 15, Cha 15
Skills: Hide +13, Listen +7, Move Silently
+13, Spot +7
Feats: Alertness, Improved Initiative,
Stealthy, Weapon Focus (claw)
Environment: Any land or underground
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 8
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always chaotic evil
Advancement: 10-18 HD (Medium), 19-27
HD (Large)
Level Adjustment: —
from the ground (behind its target, if possible) and
grabs the unsuspecting foe. A grabbed opponent is
quickly cocooned and pulled beneath the ground
where its brain is devoured. Those interfering with
the stalker as it sinks into the ground are subjected
to its fear gaze.
Consume Brain (Ex): Once it has its victim
underground, the cerebral stalker begins gnawing
on the victim’s head, rapidly chewing through
bone and tissue, dealing 2d8+4 points of damage
each round. When the victim dies, the cerebral
stalker has reached its goal—the victim’s brain,
which it promptly devours. A victim slain in this
manner is ejected from ground and becomes a
zombie (see below).
Create Zombie (Su): A creature whose
brain is devoured by a cerebral stalker is ejected
from the ground and animates as a zombie in 1d4
rounds. Zombies created in this manner are not
under the control of the cerebral stalker. They do
not possess any of the abilities they had in life.
Fear Gaze (Su): The eyes of a cerebral
stalker instill fear in living creatures that meet
its gaze. Creatures must succeed on a DC 16
Will save or cower for 1d4 rounds. The save
DC is Charisma-based. This is a mind-affecting
fear effect. On a successful save, that creature is
immune to the fear gaze of that cerebral stalker for
one day.
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a
cerebral stalker must hit with both claw attacks. It
can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action
without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it
wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and
can use its web ability to cocoon its foe.