Blood Orchid

This beast has three downward curving "petals" of flesh with a dark, pebbly outer hide and a pallid whitish underside. The petals end with split tip, and converge at the blood orchid's center. On its underside at the center dangle a swarm of writhing pallid tentacles: 16 manipulator arms and eight thinner tendrils with red eyes at the ends. At the center of these tentacles is a sphincter-shaped mouth at the end of a flexible trunk one foot long and six inches in diameter. At the apex of the creature there is another cluster of eye tendrils.

Blood Orchid (CR 5)

Large Aberration
Alignment: Lawful Evil
Initiative: +5
Senses: All-Around Vision, Darkvision 60 feet; Perception +15

Speed: 5 feet, Fly 30 feet (good)
Space: 10 feet

Defense

Armor Class: 18, touch 10, flat-footed 17 (+1 Dex, +8 natural, -1 size)
Hit Points: 52 (7d8+21)
Saving Throws: Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +8
Immunity: sonic
Energy Resistance: acid 10, cold 10, electricity 10, fire 10

Offense

Melee: 6 tentacles +7 (1d3+2 plus Grab plus poison)
Reach: 5 feet

Special Attacks: Blood Drain

Statistics

Str	Dex	Con	Int	Wis	Cha
15 (+2)	12 (+1)	16 (+3)	11 (+0)	12 (+1)	13 (+1)

Base Attack Bonus: +5
CMB +8 (+12 Grapple)
CMD 19

Feats: Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Weapon Focus (Tentacle)

Skills: Fly +7, Intimidate +10, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +10, Perception +15, Stealth +7

• Racial Modifiers: +4 Perception

Languages:

Special Qualities: telepathic link

Special Abilities

All-Around Vision (Ex)

A blood orchid sees in all directions at once. It cannot be flanked.

Blood Drain (Ex)

On a successful grapple check with two or more tentacles against a single foe a blood orchid can pull the grappled creature to the mouth on its underside as a free action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity. The mouth latches on and drains blood from the victim. Each round it maintains its grapple, the blood orchid automatically deals 1d4 points of bite damage and 1 point of Constitution damage as it drains its victim's blood.

Poison (Ex)

Tentacle-injury; save DC 16 Fort; frequency 1/ round for 4 rounds; effect unconsciousness; cure 1 save.

Telepathic Bond (Ex)

Blood orchids communicate through a non-magical telepathic bond. They can sense emotions in other blood orchids at a distance of 100 ft. or less, and emotions in other creatures at a range of five feet. They can communicate mentally with each other through full telepathy at a distance of 20 ft. or less, and can share knowledge very rapidly when touching each other.

Ecology

Environment: Underground
Organization: solitary, brood (3-8), or colony (9-20)
Treasure: standard


Blood orchids are territorial, xenophobic, and possessive. They rarely form alliances with other creatures, as their alien mindset keeps them from forming any common ground. They regard other races as aberrant and not to be trusted, even other lawful creatures.

Communication for blood orchids is through a means of empathy/ telepathy. They have no sense of hearing, which helps render them immune to sonic effects. The blood orchid can close its outer petals downward and rest on the ground, where it resembles a rocky nodule or fungus of some kind.

Blood orchids occasionally develop sorcerous talents, and transform into savants. When their abilities have reached a certain level, they can evolve into a grand savant. Normally each colony of blood orchids is led by a single grand savant, and another cannot evolve while one is present. Typically, a blood orchid savant ready to become a grand savant leaves the colony with a few followers, and set out to establish a new brood elsewhere.

Credit Originally appearing in Rappan Athuk Reloaded (© Necromancer Games, 2006)