Gastropotamos (3.5e Monster)



''The pile of sludge in the sewers is staring at you. Two beady eyestalks are watching you from the muck, when suddenly the thing opens a tooth-filled maw and out flies a long blue tongue that sticks to your body!''

The gastropotamos is a Gokian animal that lives in the swamp, though a few have found their way into the urban sewers, living amongst the filth and feeding off the Gokian equivalent of rats. They're large enough to pose a threat to humans, who may not see them posing as some horrid pile of trash until it's far too late.

Combat
A gastropotamos remains hidden in a location, blending in with the surroundings. It hunts by snapping up whatever passes by. Indeed it nearly never moves, only doing so when hunting is scarce. If facing a group it will try to eat the smallest, then immediately escape down a pre-determined escape route to safety to digest its prey.

Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a gastropotamos must hit an opponent least one size category smaller than itself with its bite attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can attempt to swallow the opponent the following round.

Swallow Whole (Ex): When a gastropotamos begins its turn with a grappled opponent in its mouth, it can swallow that opponent with a successful grapple check. Once inside, the opponent takes 1d8+6 points of bludgeoning damage plus 1d6 points of acid damage per round, and is subjected to the paralyzing slime from the gastropotamos’s gizzard. A gastropotamos secretes an anesthetizing slime forcing a DC 16 Fortitude save each round inside its stomach or be paralyzed for 1d6 rounds. A swallowed creature can cut its way out by using a light slashing or piercing weapon to deal 16 points of damage to the gizzard (AC 12). Once the creature exits, muscular action closes the hole; another swallowed opponent must cut its own way out. A Large gastropotamoii’s interior can hold 2 Medium, 4 Small, 8 Tiny, 32 Diminutive, or 128 Fine or smaller. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Tongue (Ex): The gastropotamos can project it's tongue out with great force, slapping the sticky end onto creatures and pulling them to their doom. It is considered a reach weapon and thus uses the gastropotamii's strength modifier. On impact, the target and the gastropotamos make opposed grapple checks. If the target fails, they are pulled into the gastropotamii's square, automatically take bite damage, and becomes grappled.

Dull Mind (Ex): The gastropotamos is a dull witted creature, and its brain is spread throughout it's mucus-filled body. Because of it they are immune to all enchantment spells, and do not feel pain, nor are effected by any pain-causing spell or effect.

Soft Body (Ex): The gastropotamos is very squishy, and can squeeze it's form into tight spaces. It is considered two sizes smaller for the purpose of Escape Artist checks and places it can fit.

Vulnerability to Dessication: The gastropotamos is a moist creature which cannot stand arid environments. It is considered to be a water-based creature for spells and effects that matter, and it take half again as much (+50%) damage as normal from dessication damage, regardless of whether a saving throw is allowed, or if the save is a success or failure.

Skills: The gastropotamos has a +10 racial bonus to hide checks when in a "dirty" environment such as a march or a sewer, as their bodies are covered in the surrounding detritus. They also receive a +8 racial bonus to Move Silently and Swim checks.