Scamille
by Jamie BatyDMR2 89
Medium Aberration (Shapechanger)
Hit Dice: 10d8+10 (55 hp)
Initiative: +5 (+1 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative)
Speed: 15 ft. (3 squares)
Armour Class: 15 (+1 Dex, +4 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 14
Base Attack/Grapple: +7/+6
Attack: Slam +6 melee (3d6 -1)
Full Attack: 6 Slams +6 melee (3d6 -1)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Adhesive punch
Special Qualities: Alternate form, amorphous, darkvision 60ft., light vulnerability, tremorsense 60ft
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +12
Abilities: Str 9, Dex 12, Con 13, Int 12, Wis 16, Cha 13
Skills: Diplomacy +5, Disguise +6, Gather Information +8, Knowledge (history) +3, Knowledge (local) +4, Listen +10, Search +8, Sense Motive +8, Spot +10
Feats: Alertness, Improved Initiative, Investigator, Iron Will
Environment: Any underground
Organisation: Solitary, or Cluster (2-5)
Challenge Rating: 5
Treasure: None
Alignment: Usually neutral
Advancement: 11-20 HD (Medium); 21-30 HD (Large)
Level Adjustment: -
Scamilles are amorphous, amoeba like creatures that can change their shapes. They dwell in subterranean areas and are distantly related to ochre jellies. Unlike ochre jellies, scamilles are intelligent and can camouflage themselves.
In their normal forms, scamilles resemble giant amoebas. Each has a black nucleus surrounded by a mass of rock-grey protoplasm. The protoplasm can extrude pseudopods. The scamille emits a slightly acidic odour, though it does not attack with acid.
Scamilles use their pliable form to create mouths. They can speak Common, which is their preferred language. Scamilles do not have their own language.
Scamilles dwell in dark places and rarely appear aboveground, even at night. Though scamilles can be found in small groups, there is no group mentality- each scamille acts as it pleases.
Scamilles are asexual beings, dividing like amoebae once every five years or so, when enough raw material has been gathered. A scamille lives for about 120 years.
Scamilles like to learn secrets, and because of their camouflage ability, they are in an ideal position to eavesdrop on other underground dwellers.
When found in a good mood, a scamille may offer information in exchange for food. However, scamilles are prone to profound mood swings.
Scamilles keep cavern floors clear of obstructions, especially absorbing the remains of intruders to the underground world. In addition to plant and animal material, scamilles eat small quantities of minerals and rocks, and even derive some sustenance from a dead victim's equipment. Scamilles enjoy small scraps of what humans and other humanoids consider food. To a scamille, such scraps are a tasty treat.
Combat
In general, scamilles are not aggressive. They will wait and observe a party to determine whether it is a threat. If a party is "interesting" (perhaps clever or eloquent), the scamilles will continue to watch for a while.
When at rest, a scamille takes the form of some inanimate object such as a rock, door, wall, table, chair, or chest. Scamilles cannot take the form of living creatures.
Scamilles attack with their six pseudopods, and will attempt to grab one foe with its adhesive punch. If successful, the scamille will pummel that foe with its other pseudopods until the victim is killed, or it escapes.
Once a victim dies, the scamille draws the victim into its body, digesting it and all its equipment in 1d4 rounds.
Adhesive Punch (Ex): Each round, a scamille may designate on of its pseudopods to become adhesive. A target successfully hit by that pseudopod takes normal damage, and the scamille immediately starts a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If the grapple succeeds, the sand-star may hold the victim and inflict damage automatically each round. Due to the adhesive on the pseudopod, the scamille receives a +8 bonus to all grappling checks with that pseudopod.
Alternate Form (Su): A scamille can assume an inanimate form of its same size category as an immediate action. This ability functions as a polymorph spell cast on itself (caster level 10th), except that the scamille does not regain hit points for changing form. A scamille can remain in its alternate form until it chooses to return to its natural form. Or forced to by its Light Vulnerability. Each scamille can assume only one alternate form.
The scamille is effectively camouflaged as an object of its form, and it gains a +10 bonus on Disguise checks.
Amorphous (Ex): A scamille in its natural form has immunity to poison, sleep, paralysis, polymorph, and stunning effects. It is not subject to critical hits and, having no clear front or back, cannot be flanked.
Light Vulnerability (Ex): Any spell with the Light descriptor cast at a scamille will prevent the scamille from forming its pseudopods and attacking for one round. If a spell with the Light descriptor is cast at a scamille in its alternate form, it is forced into its normal form. Those effects are in addition to any other damage the spell may inflict. The scamille automatically fails any saving throw against a spell with the Light descriptor.
Tremorsense (Ex): A scamille can automatically sense the location of anything within 60 feet that is in contact with the ground, so long as it is touching the ground itself.