Spulpit (3.5e Monster)

= Spulpit =

''This creature is often mistaken for a very thick, viscous ooze because it looks pulpy, its bulk spread over the desert ground like a depressed, desiccated organic mass. Though if one would take a look beneath this mass of thick, multilayered hide, one would see numerous tendrils with which the Spulpit moves. Too bad it is, it only shows them to those few unfortunate enough to be crushed under its massive body.''

The spulpit's shape is derivative of its environment; It's seemingly shapeless body is built to conduct heat away into the ground and therefore help to keep itself relatively cool. This is how it overcomes the fate that befalls most large creatures in a particularly hot environment. A matured Spulpit is about 20 to 25 feet long, weighing 16,500 pounds.

Spulpits can survive for months without food and water and therefore have a metabolism so slow that its physique is quite poisonous. Even its touch, its very skin can cause poisoning. Due to its slow speed, it is often forced to scavenge for corpses, which it eats by sliding over it. That's why it is tempted to keep close to nomadic human tribes. This is also the reason why it has a much higher intelligence than an average animal.

Combat
Spulpits are usually very shy creatures, and prefer to be solitary, although, when existing in dangerous environments with many potential enemies, they tend to form ‘colonies’, where up to a dozen exemplars are nested together. When approached, they prefer to release a defense in the shape of a cloud of poison gas to deter attackers. If that does not deter them however, it will use its full arsenal for its personal defense, as due to its slowness fleeing is generally not an option.

A spulpit attacks by slamming its front up and against their prey and enveloping it by moving its massive, shapeless form around it. This can be counted as a grapple and the squeezing force it can apply with its large body is what causes the damage in a grapple.

Spulpits get a +8 racial bonus to Hide when in their preferred environment (desert).

 Improved Grab (Ex):  To use this ability, a spulpit must hit with its slam 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 constrict. A Spulpit can only incite a grapple with creatures of smaller size than itself.

 Constrict (Ex):  A spulpit deals automatic bludgeoning damage with a successful grapple check.

 Hide in Plain Sight (Ex):  When in the desert, a Spulpit is able to hide its body in plain sight, due to the camouflaging colors that its body possesses.

 Poison (Ex):  Injury, Fortitude DC 18, initial and secondary damage 1d6 Str.

 Poison Cloud (Ex):  As a standard action, a Spulpit can voluntarily release a cloud of poison gas in a 20 ft. radius centered on itself. Also, when it is hit with an attack that deals damage (and overcomes its damage reduction if applicable), there is a 20 % chance of an involuntary release.

 Projectile Cover (Ex):  A Spulpit’s low, slouching body is treated as having cover from ranged weapons of any kind, and gains a +4 bonus to AC against them.