Neh-thalggu
This crab-like nightmare has a lamprey mouth, twitching eyes on its legs, and several blisters along its back that hold human brains.
Neh-thalggu (CR 8)
Large AberrationAlignment: Chaotic Evil
Initiative: +7
Senses: Darkvision 60 feet; Perception +17
Speed: 10 feet, Fly 40 feet (perfect)
Space: 10 feet
Defense
Armor Class: 21, touch 19, flat-footed 18 (+3 Dex, +2 natural, +7 insight, -1 size)Hit Points: 105 (10d8+60)
Saving Throws: Fort +9, Ref +6, Will +11
Damage Reduction: 10/magic
Immunity: confusion effects
Spell Resistance: 19
Offense
Melee: bite +13 (1d8+7 plus poison), 2 claws +13 (1d6+7)Reach: 5 feet
Special Attacks: Rend (2 claws, 2d6+7)
Spells Known (CL 7th; Concentration +17):
- 3rd (5/day) - Lightning Bolt (DC16), Hold Person (DC 16)
- 2nd (7/day) - Acid Arrow, Alter Self, Invisibility
- 1st (7/day) - Grease (DC 14), Magic Missile, Ray Of Enfeeblement (DC 14), Shield, Unseen Servant
- 0 (at will) - Acid Splash, Dancing Lights, Detect Magic, Mage Hand, Open/Close, Prestidigitation, Read Magic
Statistics
| Str | Dex | Con | Int | Wis | Cha |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 (+7) | 16 (+3) | 23 (+6) | 19 (+4) | 18 (+4) | 17 (+3) |
CMB +15
CMD 35 (can't be tripped)
Feats: Arcane Strike, Extend Spell, Combat Reflexes, Eschew Materials, Improved Initiative
Skills: Fly +15, Knowledge (arcana) +23, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +23, Knowledge (planes) +23, Perception +17, Sense Motive +17, Spellcraft +17, Stealth +12, Use Magic Device +16
Languages: Abyssal, Aklo, Common, Draconic, Protean, Undercommon; telepathy (100 feet)
Special Qualities: brain collection, strange knowledge
Special Abilities
Brain Collection (Ex)
A neh-thalggu can store up to seven humanoid brains and use them to enhance its knowledge and power. Each stored brain grants a neh-thalggu a cumulative +1 insight bonus to AC, concentration checks, and Knowledge checks. A neh-thalggu can extract a brain from a helpless opponent with a coup de grace attack, or as a standard action from a body that has been dead for no more than 1 minute. A neh-thalggu that has fewer than seven brains gains one negative level for each missing brain. These negative levels can never become permanent, but they can only be removed by replacing one of its collected brains. The stats presented here assume a monster with a full collection.Poison (Ex)
- Delivery: Bite-injury
- Fortitude Save: 21
- Frequency: 1/round for 6 rounds
- Track: Moderate Strength
- Initial Effect: staggered 1 round
- Secondary Effect: staggered 1 round
- Saves: 2 consecutive saves
Spells
A neh-thalggu casts spells as a 7th-level sorcerer. For each negative level it takes from missing brains, its caster level is reduced by 1. A neh-thalggu with no collected brains cannot cast any of its spells.Strange Knowledge (Ex)
All knowledge skill are class skills for neh-thalggus.Ecology
Environment: AnyOrganization: solitary
Treasure: double
Known also as brain collectors, the alien neh-thalggus hail from distant worlds, traveling the gulfs of space on immense living ships that swiftly decay when they land upon a new world, leaving behind a deadly cargo of hungry monsters.
Neh-thalggus are carnivores, but they do not digest humanoid brains they eat-rather, these brains lodge in one of several bulbous blisters on the creature's back and help to increase its intellect.
Some speculate that neh-thalggus encountered in this reality may merely be juveniles of their kind, perhaps exiled from their home worlds by greater kin until they can prove their worth on other worlds.
Their brain collections may be a morbid form of currency in their home realm, or the thoughts in these brains may merely be fuel for a dark apotheosis into an even more sinister mature form.