Astral Protean
by Jamie BatyIM 46
Gargantuan Ooze (Exalted, Extraplanar)
Hit Dice: 10d10+100 (155 hp)
Initiative: -5 (-5 Dex)
Speed: 100 ft. (20 squares)
Armour Class: 19 (-4 size, -5 Dex, +18 natural), touch 1, flat-footed 19
Base Attack/Grapple: +7/+29
Attack: Acidic touch +15 melee touch (2d6 acid)
Full Attack: Acidic touch +15 melee touch (2d6 acid)
Space/Reach: 20 ft. /15 ft.
Special Attacks: Acidic envelopment, improved grab, mind power
Special Qualities: Hard to spot, ooze traits, potent magic, spell resistance 10
Saves: Fort +13, Ref -2, Will +0
Abilities: Str 30, Dex 1, Con 30, Int -, Wis 1, Cha 1
Skills: ---
Feats: Die Hard, Endurance, Iron Will, Improved Overrun
Environment: Astral Plane
Organisation: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 7
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 11-1000 HD (Colossal) and See Below
Level Adjustment: -
Proteans are the most widespread life form in the entire Prime Plane, including the PC homeworld(s). They are almost entirely unknown to mortals, since they are usually limited to microscopic size by the conditions of that plane. The few mortals even aware of the existence of proteans call them amoebas.
At rest, a protean has a form similar to a thin circular disc. Its thickness is about 1 % of its width. Its circumference is about 6 feet per Hit Die. When it moves or attacks, a protean's form is irregular. Whatever their size, proteans are very simple single-celled organisms. In the Prime Plane, they are occasionally encountered in "giant" size. In the Astral and Outer Planes, they can grow to nearly any size.
A protean has little or no thought, and is thus quite predictable. It will instinctively reach for objects of all sorts, and can digest any solid or liquid. Proteans do not react to light or darkness. They tend to retreat from serious danger if they recognise it as such.
Proteans originated on the Prime Plane, and were some of the first forms of animal life. Despite Immortal efforts to quarantine proteans therein, the first human adventurers to discover and visit other planes of existence brought microscopic proteans with them. Some proteans survived and grew in the vast depths of the astral plane. They are now too prolific and widespread to be completely eliminated.
Most Immortals are well aware of the hazard posed by these creatures. Whenever mortals visit Outer Planes, Immortals arrive soon after they depart and conduct a mass protean hunt, lest the plane be contaminated. This became standard procedure when, in the course of routine Immortal exploration of the infinite number of Outer Planes, one was discovered to contain nothing but decomposing protean matter
apparently the end result of an unstopped infestation.
Combat
Touch. Envelope. Digest. Astral proteans exist only to devour food and grow. To attack, a protean extends a finger of protoplasm to envelop its victim at the same time, and secretes acidic digestive juices to consume its food.
Acidic Envelopment (Ex): An astral protean may completely envelope a grappled foe within its body. A victim enveloped automatically suffers 2d6+10 acid damage each round it is grappled. Any equipment worn by the victim suffers 10 points of acid damage per round (enchanted items may make a Fortitude save vs DC 20 to avoid the damage). After the victim dies, its body and equipment are completely digested within 15 minutes. An astral protean gains 1 HD for every 10 HD consumed.
A Gargantuan astral protean may envelope 2 Huge, 4 Large, 8 Medium, 16 Small, 32 Tiny or 64 Diminutive or smaller creatures. A colossal protean up to 20HD may envelope 2 Gargantuan, 4 Huge, 8 Large, 16 Medium, 32 Small, 64 Tiny or 128 Diminutive or smaller creatures . For every 20HD past 20, double the number of creatures a Colossal astral protean can envelope. At 40 HD, it may envelope a single Colossal sized creatures as well
Improved Grab (Ex): If the astral protean hits a huge or smaller target with its acidic touch, it may start a grapple as a free action, without suffering an attack of opportunity. On the next round, the astral protean may envelope the held creature with its body if its next grapple check succeeds (See Acidic Envelopment).
Mind Power (Sp): As a swift round action, an astral protean may create some spell-like effects at the expenditure of Power Points. An astral protean possesses 10 Power Points per HD to spend. Astral proteans are associated with the Sphere of Matter. Power Points regenerate with rest at the rate of 1 PP per minute. The following are typical uses for the Power Points:
• An astral protean may cast the immortal spells power attack (2 PP per 1d6, up to 10d6), probe (5 PP) and probe-shield (5 PP);
Hard To Spot (Ex): Creatures must succeed in a DC 20 Spot check to spot astral proteans from a distance greater than 30ft. The Spot check DC drops to 15 within 30ft of the amoeba.
Potent Magic (Ex): Unlike mortal creatures, an astral protean can affect an immortal with its magical attacks.
Spell Resistance (Ex): An astral protean has a spell resistance equal to its HD.
Ooze Traits: An ooze possesses the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature's entry): An ooze is mindless with no Intelligence score, and immunity to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects); An ooze is blind (but has the blindsight special quality), with immunity to gaze attacks, visual effects, illusions, and other attack forms that rely on sight; It has immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, polymorph, and stunning; Oozes are not subject to critical hits or flanking; Oozes eat and breathe, but do not sleep.
Astral Protean Advancement
When advancing an astral protean, the following apply:
• The creature gains 6ft of width per HD
• The creature's movement rate equals 10ft per HD.
• The creature may make 1 acid touch attack per 10 HD. It cannot make multiple attacks on the same foe.
• The creature gains 1 point of Str and Con for each HD it gains past 10.
• The creature's spell resistance equals its HD.