Necromind (3.5e Monster)

{{3.5e Monster Classic }}
 * monster=Necromind
 * size=Large |type=Undead |subtypes=Evil
 * hd=34d12+34 |hp=255
 * init=+2
 * speed=5 ft., 30 ft. fly (perfect)
 * ac=37 (-1 size, +2 dex, +26 natural) |touch=11 |flat=25
 * bab=+17 |grapple=+32
 * at=Tentacle melee +24 (1d8+7, 20/x2) or Bite melee +19 (2d6+7, 20/x2) or Sting melee +19 (2d6+3, 20/x2)
 * full_at=Four Tentacles melee +24 (1d8+7, 20/x2) and Bite melee +19 (2d6+7, 20/x2) and Sting melee +19 (2d6+3, 20/x2)
 * space=10 ft. |reach=10 ft. (bite 5 ft.)
 * sa=Dark Surge, Eye Rays, Flailing Limbs, Impale, Improved Grab, Spell-like Abilities, Swallow Whole, Rebuke Undead
 * sq=All-Around Vision, DR 15/good and piercing, [{#Flight|Flight]], Frightful Presence, Immune to Acid, Necrotic Consumption, Pale Aura, Resistance to Cold/Elec/Fire 10, SR 39, Turn Resistance +4, Undead Traits
 * fort=+17 |ref=+13 |will=+20
 * str=24 |dex=14 |con= |int=16 |wis=15 |cha=30
 * skills=Concentration +37, Craft Taxidermy +37, Heal +37, Knowledge Arcana +37, Knowledge Local +37, Knowledge Religion +37, Spellcraft +37
 * feats=Quicken Turning{{sup|LM}}, Ability Focus (Frightful Presence), Ability Focus (Eye Rays), Graft Flesh-Undead{{sup|LM}}, Divine Vigor{{sup|CWar}}, Improved Toughness, Great Fortitude, Epic Fortitude, Great Charisma, Negative Energy Burst, Undead Mastery, Energy Resistance (Fire)
 * env=Underground
 * org=Solitary
 * cr=19
 * treas=Triple Standard
 * align=Always Evil
 * adv=35-68 HD (Large), 69-102 HD (Huge)
 * la=

''A horrible stench of decay rises as from the darkened pit, a sphere of putrid flesh appears. Its body resembled a beholder, little more than a giant head with a great maw of teeth, but then you realize its entire body is composed of the still twitching and animate bodies of the dead... a thousand eyes cross its head, interspersed with mouths, limbs, and bones jutting from rotten flesh. Its teeth are rib bones, its tongue a swarm of hands clawing out for freedom, a large spine of a tail trailing down with four tentacles slick with some vicious acid, the same which drips from its maw. It grins sadistically as its pale aura surrounds you.''

The necromind is a terrible result of many, many related bodies (such as a family or members of a group) perishing and piled into a mass grave. Animated by their bond which tied them together in life, this bond has grown perverse. Now among the undead, its only comfort is bringing like members of its kind into the fold... which it does by harvesting the living, turning them undead, and eventually devouring them to "join the family".

Its body is composed of many many undead bodies. In fact, it must continue to consume bodies, for at the core of a necromind is a dark pinpoint, a gate to the negative energy plane which slowly consumes and rots the bodies clumped around it. It would take over a thousand years, but eventually, a necromind would begin to shrink exponentially, and with time, be consumed by its own negative energy, and explode as the gate destabilizes.

Combat
Surrounded by undead at all times, a necromind rarely fights head on, letting its minions do the job and buffing and healing them as they go. When forced into combat, necrominds have many attacks and often will attempt to consume the enemy even when they are still alive, then run with their hostage in tow to turn them into a vile undead to send against their former friends.

 (Su): Negative energy pours from the necromind in copious amounts. By opening the connection to the negative energy plane, a necromind can empower any undead, including itself, with incredible abilities. However, this process is also dangerous, drawing hp from the undead as it uses its abilities, and forcing a Fortitude save vs being destroyed by the disintegrating effect of the plane, exploding into a burst of negative energy. Usable 1/encounter, the necromind can target itself or any undead in 60 ft. (Will save negates, DC 37), granting it the Dark Surge template for 1 round/level. At the end of the duration, the enhanced undead must make a Fort save DC 37 or be utterly destroyed. The saves are Charisma based.

 (Su): Surrounded by eyes, they gaze out firing black bolts of negative energy. As a free action once per round, a necromind can send out a bolt of negative energy as a ranged touch attack out to 60 ft. that deals 13d6 negative energy damage (Will save DC 39 for half). It usually uses this to heal its undead minions, since it cannot target itself, and may fire in each direction in a 90 degree arc much like a beholder (once forward, back, each side, up, and down). The save is Charisma based.

 (Ex): Composed of many bodies, the necromind's surface is difficult to grapple, and it can employ many, many hands to keep opponents down. It gains a +4 racial bonus to grapple checks. In addition, it can "hold" up to four items at once, though the arms are too spastic to make weapon attacks with.

 (Ex and Su): To use this ability, a necromind must hit with a sting attack. It can attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. On success, the enemy is stuck to the ground or wall on the tail and is considered pinned, while the necromind is not considered grappled, though it may not move out of range of its reach (20 ft.) and may not use its stinger while impaling the opponent.

If the opponent is undead, it may force a link with the undead with the same effect as a Shield Other spell. It often does this, using one of its minions as a damage sponge as it 'rides' behind it, in which case it is no longer pinned but still connected by the tail. The shielding effect is a supernatural ability.

 (Ex): To use this ability, a necromind must hit with a 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.

 (Sp): The necromind has the following spell-like abilities. At will- Animate Dead, Ray of Enfeeblement, Speak with Dead; 5/day- Contagion, Enervation, Summon Undead VSpC; 4/day- Create Undead, Fear, Poison, 3/day- Desecrate, Greater Create Undead, Slay Living; 2/day- Antilife Shell, Energy Drain, Soul Bind; 1/day- Harm, Plane Shift, Unhallow. The saves are Charisma based.

 (Ex): When a necromind 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 2d6+7 points of bludgeoning damage plus 2d6 points of acid and 2d6 negative energy damage per round from the necromind’s gizzard. A swallowed creature can cut its way out by using a light slashing or piercing weapon to deal 25 points of damage to the gizzard (AC 23). Once the creature exits, muscular action closes the hole; another swallowed opponent must cut its own way out. A Large necromind’s interior can hold 2 Medium, 4 Small, 8 Tiny, 32 Diminutive, or 128 Fine or smaller opponents.

 (Su): A necromind controls negative energy with keen precision, and is able to rebuke undead as an evil cleric equal to its HD.

 (Ex): Being able to see in 360 vision means a necromind is unable to be flanked. However, the multitude of eyes gives it a -4 on saves vs blinding and gaze attacks.

 (Ex): A necromind is naturally buoyant. If its flight is ever interrupted, it benefits from a constant Feather Fall effect.

Frightful Presence (Su): A necromind can unsettle foes with its mere presence. The ability takes effect automatically whenever the necromind attacks, charges, or flies overhead. Creatures within a radius of 90 feet are subject to the effect if they have fewer HD than the necromind. A potentially affected creature that succeeds on a Will save (DC 37) remains immune to that necromind’s frightful presence for 24 hours. On a failure, creatures with 4 or less HD become panicked for 4d6 rounds and those with 5 or more HD become shaken for 4d6 rounds. Undead ignore the frightful presence of the necromind. The saves are Charisma based.

Nectrotic Consumption (Ex): When a creature is swallowed by the necromind, they start to be pulled into the squirming bodies, and their soul begins to siphon away. If they die while consumed, they become part of the necromind, and cannot be resurrected until the necromind which devoured them is destroyed, not even by miracle or wish. Sometimes, when creating undead minions from a living creature, it consumes the soul but animates the body, resulting in the same effect, but with a mobile undead generally under its control.

When a creature, living or undead, perishes in the necromind, the necromind heals hp equal to twice the HD of the consumed creature. As such, a necromind often keeps a farm of undead nearby for it to devour and recover when needed. It is not a malicious act; for the necromind, consuming a corpse is a sign of warped compassion, as they bring their meals into "the family".

Pale Aura (Su): In a 60 ft. radius surrounding the necromind, [Healing] magic is interrupted, dealing -1 less hp cured per die. Meanwhile, negative energy spells which deal hp damage have the damage increased by +1 per die. In addition, all undead (except the necromind itself) gain +4 turn resistance, an ability it can toggle as a free action once per round.

Equipment: Necrominds often adorn themselves in magical gear, typically that which augments their abilities. They contain the item slots for the head, face, bracers (around two tentacles), four rings, amulet (around the spine-tail), waist (around the spine-tail), and shoulders.