Cardiotula (3.5e Monster)
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| Cardiotula | |
|---|---|
| Size/Type: | Medium Aberration |
| Hit Dice: | 7d8+28 (56 hp) |
| Initiative: | +3 |
| Speed: | 30 ft, climb 30 ft |
| Armor Class: | 16 (+3 dex, +3 natural), touch 13, flat-footed 13 |
| Base Attack/Grapple: | +5/+8 |
| Attack: | Bite +9 melee (1d8+3 plus 1d4 bleedout, 20/x2) |
| Full Attack: | Bite +9 melee (1d8+3 plus 1d4 bleedout, 20/x2) |
| Space/Reach: | 5 ft/5 ft |
| Special Attacks: | Blood Spray, Spring Grab, Vampiric Bite, Vascular Web |
| Special Qualities: | Darkvision 60 ft, Quickening, Scent |
| Saves: | Fort +6, Ref +7, Will +6 |
| Abilities: | Str 16, Dex 16, Con 18, Int 1, Wis 13, Cha 7 |
| Skills: | Climb +11, Hide +13 |
| Feats: | Weapon Focus (bite), Lightning Reflexes, Murderous Threat |
| Environment: | Plane of Flesh |
| Organization: | Solitary, Pair, or Clutch (3-8) |
| Challenge Rating: | 5 |
| Treasure: | Half Standard |
| Alignment: | Always True Neutral |
| Advancement: | 8-14 HD (Medium), 15-21 HD (Large) |
| Level Adjustment: | — |
The spider-like beast had no exoskeleton, composed of naught but twisted muscles and dominated by a pulsing heart-like thorax.
Blood drinking spider-like hunters, the cardiotula appears like a monstrous spider whose body is mostly composed of muscle fibers and blood vessels, with tougher gristle forming their "exoskeleton" and fangs. Places they infest inevitably take on a horrifying organic appearance as they cover their surroundings in living vascular webs and slick protein wax.
Combat[edit]
Cardiotulas prefer to ambush and fight in packs, but while not entirely mindless they are simple minded animals focused only on feeding or fleeing. They use their Spring Grab to move into position against targets with greater reach.
Blood Spray (Ex): Cardiotulas can release a jet of high pressure superheated blood against targets, which deal 2d6 fire damage as a ranged touch attack ray out to 30 ft. This is a standard action. Struck creatures must make a Reflex save DC 17 or become blind for 1d4 rounds. You can wipe your face and end the blindness early as a standard action. Cardiotulas can use this ability once per minute, though it is immediately refreshed upon a successful bite attack against a blood-bearing creature. It can track a blood-covered creature by scent and know its exact position up to 120 ft. The save DC is Constitution based.
Quickening (Ex): When under 50% hp, or whenever struck with electric damage and for 5 rounds after, the cardiotula is filled with adrenaline. It falls under the effects of haste until its triggering event abates.
Spring Grab (Ex): As a full round action a cardiotula can leap forward up to 10 ft up and 20 ft forward in a straight line, without provoking attacks of opportunity for movement and counting as a charge attack. They can make a single grapple attempt at the end of their movement, and on grappling an opponent they immediately apply bite damage. No jump check is required.
Vampiric Bite (Ex): The cardiotula heals its base bite damage in hp on a successful bite attack.
Vascular Web (Ex): The cardiotula produces substances not unlike sticky blood vessels that acts as webbing. While not as sticky as actual spider web, only acting as difficult terrain, breaking through the web by force releases the superheated blood inside subjecting them to the effects of blood spray. If a cardiotula is on webbing connected to a broken section of web, they immediately become aware of the movement. Covering a 5 ft square in webbing takes 10 minutes of work, so it is not an action taken in combat.
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| Eiji-kunv |
|---|
| Alignment | Always True Neutral + |
| Author | Eiji-kun + |
| Challenge Rating | 5 + |
| Environment | Plane of Flesh + |
| Identifier | 3.5e Monster + |
| Level Adjustment | — + |
| Rating | Undiscussed + |
| Size | Medium + |
| Title | Cardiotula + |
| Type | Aberration + |
