Pseudonatural Creature

elementals, oozes, plants, and undead. It is not instantly fatal to foes with multiple heads. Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, an illithid vampire must hit a Small, Medium, or Large creature with its tentacle attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking attacks of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold, attaches the tentacle to the opponent’s head, and drains blood (see below). A vampiric illithid can grab a Huge or larger creature only if it can somehow reach the foe’s head. If an illithid vampire begins its turn with at least one tentacle attached, it drains blood and can try to attach its remaining tentacles with a single grapple check. The opponent can escape with a single successful grapple check or an Escape Artist check, but the illithid vampire gets a +2 circumstance bonus on the grapple check for every tentacle that was attached at the beginning of the opponent’s turn.

Mind Blast (Sp): A vampiric illithid can discharge a devastating psionic attack in the form of a 60-foot cone. Anyone caught in this cone must succeed on a DC 16 Will save or be stunned for 3d4 rounds. The save DC is Charisma-based. This ability is the equivalent of a 4th-level spell. Fast Healing (Ex): A vampiric mind fl ayer heals 5 points of damage per round as long as it has at least 1 hit point. If reduced to 0 or fewer hit points, it is destroyed.

Undead Traits: An illithid vampire is immune to mindaffecting spells and abilities, poison, sleep effects, paralysis, stunning, disease, death effects, and any effect that requires a Fortitude save unless it also works on objects or is harmless. It is not subject to extra damage from critical hits, nonlethal damage, ability damage to its physical ability scores, ability drain, energy drain, fatigue, exhaustion, or death from massive damage. It cannot be raised, and resurrection works only if it is willing. It has darkvision out to 60 feet.

SAMPLE PSEUDONATUR AL CREATURE

This example uses a 3 HD hippogriff as the base creature.

Pseudonatural Hippogriff Large Outsider Hit Dice: 3d10+9 (25 hp) Initiative: +2 Speed: 50 ft. (10 squares), fl y 100 ft. (average) Armor Class: 15 (–1 size, +2 Dex, +4 natural), touch 11, fl atfooted 13 Base Attack/Grapple: +3/+11 Attack: Claw +6 melee (1d4+4) Full Attack: 2 claws +6 melee (1d4+4) and bite +1 melee (1d8+2) Space/Reach: 10 ft./5 ft. Special Attacks: True strike Special Qualities: Alternate form, darkvision 60 ft., lowlight vision, resistance to acid and electricity 5, scent, spell resistance 13 Saves: Fort +6, Ref +5, Will +2 Abilities: Str 18, Dex 15, Con 16, Int 3, Wis 13, Cha 8 Skills: Listen +4, Spot +8 Feats: Dodge, Wingover Environment: Any land and underground Organization: Solitary Challenge Rating: 2 Treasure: None Alignment: Always neutral Advancement: 4–6 HD (Large); 7–9 HD (Huge) Level Adjustment: —

PSEUDONAT UR AL CRE AT URE

Past the timeless eons that lie between the stars, pseudonatural creatures dwell beyond the planes as we know them, nestled in far realms of insanity. When summoned to the Material Plane, they often take on the form and abilities of familiar creatures, though they are more gruesome in appearance than their earthly counterparts. Alternatively, they might appear in a manner more consistent with their origins, manifesting as masses of writhing tentacles or other even more terrible-looking forms.

Pseudonatural hippogriff

Illus. by D. Crabapple