Sandy Claws
by Cab Davidson
| Stat | Sandy Claws* |
| AC: | 7 |
| HD: | 6*** |
| Movement Rate: | 120’ (40’) |
| Attacks: | 2 claws |
| Damage: | 1d8/1d8+special |
| Number Appearing: | 1 (1) |
| Save As: | F6 |
| Morale: | 9 |
| Treasure Type: | Special |
| Intelligence: | 13 |
| Alignment: | Chaotic |
| XP Value: | 800 |
Sandy Claws a mysterious planar predator, only occasionally attracted to the Prime during great festivities, typically at midwinter where mystical practices and sacrifices thin the boundaries between planes. When they arrive they are without form, and unable to attack or communicate with any other creatures. Without the aid of magic such as truesight they are essentially undetectable. Soon, they search for soil, sand, or any other particulate matter, from which all minerals and salts are rapidly leached by their possession, leaving nothing but a white form shaped as if a large, rounded, beareded human. They may change between this form and an amorphous pile of sand at will. Once they have taken solid form they commence upon a single night orgy of murder and destruction.
They seek the blood of humans, ideally that of children. Preventing their ingress into homes is practically impossible. A favoured method is to enter via. chimneys, slowly and quietly seeping down into the hearth at night, in the form of a sandy powder that extinguishes the embers of the fire, silently reforming into a humanoid form in 1-3 rounds and attacking their victims.
Each claw attack inflicts 1d8 points of damage and necessitates a saving throw vs. death ray. A failure denotes a tendril of sandy particles is left attached to the wound site, siphoning blood from the victim to the sandy claws, turning their outer layer of sand blood red, leaving only their extremities (head, beard, feet, etc.) white. Up to 8 such tendrils may be attached to a target, and to break one a successful open doors roll (5 or 6 on a 1d6, modified by strength bonus) is required. While the tendrils do no actual damage, each round they wrap further around a victim, reducing their dexterity by one point per attached tendril, until the victims dexterity score is reduced to 0 and they are completely parcelled up. A sandy claws will then detach the tendrils, the ends forming into a bow that ties the victim in place, and leave them to pursue more prey.
They do not value standard treasures, the are instead collectors of trophies from their victims. A single toy or prized possession is taken from each victim, perhaps a hoop, a drum, whistle, piece of jewellery, etc.. When a whole sack of such prizes has been taken, the sandy claws seeks to make their escape, via. portals to their own home planes. At this time the sandy claws is most dangerous. Not requiring further prey, they employ their most dangerous weapon, the slay bell.. Upon sounding the slay bell all creatures hearing the sound within 30’ takes 1d8 damage per round (save for half). A sandy claws will continue sounding their slay bell while retreating to their home plane, constructing strange, sledge like sand constructions to carry their essences and trophies.
Sandy claws are immune to sleep, and charm spells, and to all forms of heat and fire damage.