View source for Publication:Dread Codex/Monsters/Death Squid

=== Combat ===

Death squids strike opponents with their tentacles, draining the life from their prey before finishing their victims with their powerful jaws. If a death squid encounters a large number of foes or a powerful opponent, it resorts to using its animating ink to create undead allies or simply to cover its escape.

'''{{Anchor|Animate Dead}} ([[Su]]):''' Twice per day, a death squid may choose to have its ink cloud (see below) animate any corpse with which it comes into contact. A single cloud can animate up to 12 HD of undead, as if it were a single casting of the animate dead spell (caster level 12th). These undead do not attack the death squid, but attack any living foes within reach. The death squid cannot have more than 24 HD worth of undead animated at one time.

'''{{Anchor|Constrict}} ([[Ex]]):''' A death squid deals automatic tentacle damage with a successful grapple check.

'''{{Anchor|Energy Drain}} ([[Su]]):''' Living creatures hit by a death squid's tentacle attack gain one [[SRD:Negative Level|negative level]]. The DC is 16 for the Fortitude save to remove a negative level. The save DC is Charisma-based. For each negative level bestowed, the death squid gains 5 temporary hit points.

'''{{Anchor|Improved Grab}} ([[Ex]]):''' To use this ability, the death squid must hit an opponent of up to Medium size with an arm attack. If it establishes a hold, it automatically drains energy and constricts each round that the hold is maintained.

'''{{Anchor|Ink Cloud}} ([[Ex]]):''' A death squid can emit a cloud of jet-black ink in a 60-foot spread four times per day as a free action. The cloud provides total concealment, which the death squid uses to escape a combat that is going badly or to cover itself when exposed to sunlight. Creatures within the cloud are considered to be in [[SRD:Vision and Light|total darkness]].

'''{{Anchor|Jet}} ([[Ex]]):''' A death squid can jet backward once per round as a full-round action, at a speed of 180 feet.

'''{{Anchor|Sunlight Powerlessness}} ([[Ex]]):''' Death squids are utterly powerless in natural sunlight (not merely a daylight spell) and flee from it.

'''Skills:''' Death squids have a +8 racial bonus on Swim checks. They can always choose to take 10 on Swim checks, even if rushed or threatened.
Alignment	Always chaotic evil +
Challenge Rating	7 +
Environment	Any aquatic +
Level Adjustment	– +
Size	Large +
Subtype	Aquatic +
Title	Death Squid +
Type	Undead +