Lure (3.5e Monster)

''The lure of glory and untold riches is a powerful one. Many adventurers that go out into the dungeons to find it never return from them as that lure becomes the nail on their coffin.''

A lure is an aberration whose body is covered in tough, damage resistant scale. It possesses one large, powerful funnel-like maw framed by four large, sharp teeth and festooned with an uncountable amount of smaller ones, a long, powerful tongue situated in the center of the maw. Despite the lack of any jaw structure, a lure's mouth is very muscled and powerful. Its body is scaled and stumpy consisting almost only of their oversized maw, and does not possess limbs although it has six black tendrils that extend behind it and allow it to latch on to or push off from surfaces. Using the adhesive qualities and the structures of their bodies, lures can climb with surprising dexterity. A lure's main body is about 15 inches long and its tendrils extend 2 to 3 feet beyond that. It weighs around 10 pounds.

A lure is in the same family of aberrations as the mimic and possess the same shape mimicing ability. Lures are greedy creatures and have a profound love for treasure such as gold, art, gems, magic items, and items that are simply valuable. They procure this wealth by assuming the form of something valuable (usually a masterwork weapon) and tricking unwitting adventurers into grabbing or otherwise touching them. Although they behave almost purely in self-interest, lures usually do not kill their victims as contrary to popular belief, they are not carnivorous. They simply leave the victim paralyzed so they can take everything he owns and clear off. Of course, they often forget that their paralyzed and itemless victims are a prime target for other monsters skulking in dungeons.

Combat
A lure strikes by waiting patiently for a victim, then transforming back moments after being grabbed. If they transform themselves into the shape of a weapon, they use their tongues to imitate the grip of it so that their maws can enclose the victim's arm as quickly as possible. It subsequently attempts to use its tongue to deliver a paralytic enzyme, so they can safely have their way with their prey.

 (Ex): To use this ability, a lure must hit with its bite attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. Alternatively, a lure may attempt to return to its normal form and attach when it is touched in some way by a creature while using its shape mimicry ability. In that case the lure deals damage as if having hit with its bite attack, and the creature may attempt a DC 14 Reflex saving throw to prevent the damage and release the lure before it attaches. This save is Dexterity-based and includes a +2 circumstance bonus.

When attached to a creature, the lure loses its Dexterity bonus to Armor Class. Due to the many barbed teeth that line the lure's maw, wrenching free from its grapple flays a creature's skin and deals damage to it as if the lure had hit it with its bite attack, unless that creature used an Escape Artist check to escape the grapple. *A lure has a +8 racial bonus to grapple checks while attached.

 (Ex): A lure's tongue delivers a paralytic enzyme. When it hits a creature with its bite attack or deals damage to a creature while grappling, that creature becomes paralyzed at the start of its next turn unless it succeeds on a DC 12 Fortitude saving throw. This save is Constitution-based. A lure's paralysis lasts for 2d4 hours unless treated.

 (Ex): A lure can assume the shape of any object roughly equal to its size. This object must be reasonably straightforward in shape and must lack moving parts that are more complex than a simple hinge, but may otherwise be made to show intricate detail and texturing. Possibilities include - but are not limited to - simple pieces of furniture like a chair, a jewelry box or a small chest, utility objects like large pans or platters, certain forms of art or tapestries like carpets and paintings or any non-light weapon intended for Medium creatures. A dagger would be too small, whereas something like an average door would be too large. Things like a crossbow or a lute are too intricate for a lure to mimic into. Lures often add creative patterning and detail to whatever object they choose to transform in, in order to make themselves look more interesting to would-be victims. A lure's body is hard and has a rough texture, no matter what appearance it might present. Regardless of its assumed form, a lure's weight always remains the same. Anyone who examines the lure can detect the ruse with a successful Spot check opposed by the lure’s Disguise check.

This hoard is generally close by as the lure loathes venturing more than 100 feet away from it, and the lure often uses its Disguise skill in order to hide it in some fashion.

Skills: **A lure has a +8 racial bonus on Climb checks and may take 10 on such checks even when threatened or endangered. Furthermore, it has a +4 racial bonus on Disguise checks.