Gloom Crawler

This giant, squid-like beast has thirty to forty tentacles, each about 30 feet long. At the end of each tentacle stares a small, round, lidless eye with a stark blue pupil. The creature's glossy flesh is inky-black with a slightly paler underside centered upon a vicious looking, monstrously-sized, hooked beak.

Gloom Crawler (CR 8)

Huge Magical Beast
Alignment: Neutral
Initiative: +6
Senses: Darkvision 60 feet, Low-Light Vision, Tremorsense 60 feet; Perception +18

Speed: 20 feet
Space: 15 feet

Defense

Armor Class: 18, touch 10, flat-footed 16 (+2 Dex, +8 natural, -2 size)
Hit Points: 95 (10d10+30 plus +10)
Saving Throws: Fort +10, Ref +9, Will +6
All-Around Vision
Immunity: flanking
Weaknesses: vulnerability to sunlight

Offense

Melee: bite +16 (1d8+7), 10 tentacles +11 (1d6+3 plus Grab)
Reach: 15 feet (30 feet with tentacle)

Special Attacks: Constrict (1d6+7)

Statistics

Str	Dex	Con	Int	Wis	Cha
24 (+7)	14 (+2)	16 (+3)	4 (-3)	12 (+1)	2 (-4)

Base Attack Bonus: +10
CMB +19 (+23 Grapple)
CMD 31(cannot be tripped)

Feats: Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Toughness, Weapon Focus (bite), Weapon Focus (Tentacle)

Skills: Perception +18

• Racial Modifiers: +4 Perception

Languages:

Special Abilities

NONE

Ecology

Environment: Underground
Organization: solitary
Treasure: standard


The gloom crawler is a solitary creature resembling a giant squid with blackened skin and a large mass of writhing squid-like tentacles. It makes its lair in underground caves, dungeons, and other such subterranean complexes far away from the daylight of the surface world and spends most of its time dormant, waking every so often to eat. The gloom crawler moves along its underground world using the suction cups on its tentacles to pull itself along. The average gloom crawler has anywhere from thirty to forty tentacles, each averaging 15 to 30 feet long.

In addition, each tentacle has a small eye near the tip that allows it to see in any direction at any time if it wishes. When prey is encountered the gloom crawler brings as many tentacles to bear on a foe as it can, using its smaller tentacles to move around during combat. Gloom crawlers are omnivorous creatures sustaining themselves on a diet of subterranean plants, mosses, rodents, and other subterranean fauna. They do not, however, turn down the chance for a larger meal, such as that offered by a foolhardy adventurer that stumbles into a gloom crawler lair.

When an opponent first approaches a gloom crawler, it lashes out with its tentacles attempting to grab a foe. If successful, it hangs on and constricts that opponent while fighting off other foes with its other tentacles. A held foe is also pulled in close so the gloom crawler can bite with its beak. A gloom crawler can bring up to five tentacles to bear on a single 5-foot space.

Copyright Notice Author Scott Greene.