Dazreth (3.5e Monster)

= Dazreth =

''The tanks of the underdark, it appears to be an illithid, though only its head. It's bloated up to massive size, walking on four tentacles, two longer extra ones lashing threateningly.''

When an illithid is shamed it may be condemned to become a dazreth. The head is cut off and placed in a special brine which keeps it alive, mutating it into this nightmare. Strong but with fractured mind, it only remembers fragments of its existence, otherwise being a large animal. It simply eats flesh now, and the enlarged back of the head is hollow, enabling up to one Large, two Medium, four Smaller creatures, and so forth. Because of their protection, and because they can be easily commanded by the smarter illithid pilots, they are often driven by them as a living war machine. Knowledge of the outside is given to its users via mental contact.

Combat
If currently possessing a rider it's tactics are based on that of its user. When used in combat on the surface, distance fighting is preferred. Often in league with an army it fires psychobolts as siege weapons. If forced into closer combat, it attempts to jump on an opponent and devour them, slapping away other threats with it's tentacles, disarming and tripping until it can jump and slaughter the next one.

When unmanned they are more feral and basic, which decreases the CR by 2. They will fire their psychobolt only if the enemy attacks from a distance, and chooses to slap to crush equally.


 * Psychobolt

A powerful rush of psychic energy is invoked in front of the Dazreth's head, which is then catapulted up to 1 mile. On impact it explodes into a 20 ft. radius burst of typeless damage, and deals 28d6 damage, Reflex save for half DC (10 + 1/2 HD + Cha modifier). It takes 1 round to create, and one round to fire. It then cannot fire again for 1d4 rounds as a cooldown time. As a siege weapon it needs to hit AC 10 to get the right spot, distance modifiers applying, elsewhere it has missed and hit somewhere in a random area.

This weapon is ineffective within a range of 250 ft. Once this distance is covered it usually switches to its TK Wave, running into range.


 * TK Wave

A forceful blast of kinetic energy is released in a 60 ft. cone shaped blast. It deals 14d6 points of typeless damage to all within the area and knocks them prone on a failed Fortitude save, DC (10 + 1/2 HD + Cha modifier). On a successful save you are not knocked prone and take half damage. This ability can be used once every 1d4 rounds.


 * Crush

This special attack allows a jumping dazreth of at least Huge size to land on opponents as a standard action, using its whole body to crush them. Crush attacks are effective only against opponents two or more size categories smaller than the dazreth (though it can attempt normal overrun or grapple attacks against larger opponents).

A crush attack affects as many creatures as can fit under the dezreth’s body. Creatures in the affected area must succeed on a Reflex save (The save DC is 10 + 1/2 dezreth’s HD + dezreth’s Dex modifier.) or be pinned, automatically taking bludgeoning damage during the next round unless the dragon moves off them. If the dragon chooses to maintain the pin, treat it as a normal grapple attack. Pinned opponents take damage from the crush each round if they don’t escape.

A crush attack deals the indicated damage plus 1-1/2 times the dragon’s Strength bonus (round down). In this state the dezreth can attempt its more vicious attack, Grinder.


 * Grinder

Those who have been pinned by a grapple or the dezreth Crush attack may be subject to its horrible array of blender-like teeth. One pinned creature must make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/2 dezreth’s HD + dezreth’s Str modifier.) or die. Even on a successful save they take 6d6 piercing plus 1-1/2 times the Dazreth’s Strength bonus (round down). This replaces the normal damage from pinning, it does not stack.

Details as a Vehicle
It is a vehicle and as a vehicle, it protects its occupants. Its occupants cannot be targeted by spells, these attacks must be targeted to the vehicle. Likewise occupants cannot attack those outside from the inside, lacking line of sight even though they can 'see' the outside through the Dazreth's eyes. Likewise gases do not penetrate into the inside, though the Dazreth itself may be affected.

Its tentacles (both 'arms' and all four legs) can be severed with called shots. They have the same AC as the creature and 1/6th the hp of the total creature. Severing an arm reduces one of the attacks, while severing a leg reduces its movement by 10 ft. and Jump checks by half each time (round down).

As a living creature it still dies at -10 instead of 0. If reduced to 0 it will not move but the occupants can escape. If reduced to less than -10, the occupants take 20d6 damage, Reflex half, DC (10 + Killing Blow's Damage). Getting inside the Dazreth is a standard action, and getting out in a full round action. Only one person may enter/exit at a time. The door is a muscle flap which is usually kept closed. Treat the same as a tendril if attempting to bash through it, at 1/6 hp and all.

Because it is still alive it must eat at least once every week. If deprived of food it will begin hunting on its own and disobey its rider until it feeds or dies of starvation.

As a multilegged transport it gets a +8 racial bonus to balance checks. It also retains the illithid's +6 save vs Enchantment and Charm effects.

Creating a Dazreth
To create a Dazreth, one must first sever the head of an illithid. It must immediately be kept fresh, and within 2 rounds placed inside a vat of foul mixtures worth 20,000 gold. This solution is kept warm and dark, with daily supplies of raw pulped meat mixed in the solution daily. The head looses 1d6 points of Int per day until it hits a minimum of 3. By that time the head's wound will have sealed, and it may be transported to a brine pool where the feral Dazreth now may be fed chunks of meat every few days, taking 2d4 days to grow to full size and be ready to ride.

It requires a Heal check DC 20 to safety bring the Dazreth head from the solution to its brine pool