Death Leech
by Jamie BatyAC9, CM2 26
Medium Undead (Extraplanar, Shapechanger)
Hit Dice: 8d12+3 (55 hp)
Initiative: +2 (+2 Dex)
Speed: 80 ft. (16 squares)
Armour Class: 12 (+2 Dex), touch 12, flat-footed 10
Base Attack/Grapple: +4/+5
Attack: Slam +5 melee touch (1d4 +1 plus Draining Life)
Full Attack: Slam +5 melee touch (1d4 +1 plus Draining Life)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Draining life, improved grab
Special Qualities: Amorphous, change shape, darkvision 60ft., living shield, undead traits
Saves: Fort +2, Ref +4, Will +7
Abilities: Str 12, Dex 14, Con 0, Int 4, Wis 12, Cha 18
Skills: Bluff +10, Diplomacy +5, Disguise +10*, Forgery -1, Listen +6, Spot +6
Feats: Alertness, Deceitful, Toughness
Environment: Entropic Planes, Any land
Organisation: Solitary, Pair, or Brood (2-5)
Challenge Rating: 7
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always chaotic evil
Advancement: 9-16 HD (Medium); 17-24 HD (Large)
Level Adjustment: -
In its natural form, a death leech looks like a large flat, translucent amoeba that shimmers with a variety of pale colours. Eight writhing, whip-like tendrils, each averaging 3 feet in length, extend from the sides of its body.
The death leech can change its form to appear as a number of lesser undead that have a physical form. A death leech which is killed while in an assumed form retains that form until touched. Then it crumples to its natural form and immediately rots away.
Death leeches are native to Entropic planes, and must be summoned onto the Prime. Death leeches often serve intelligent creatures of Chaos and Evil.
Combat
When it attacks, the death leech changes to its natural form as it advances, writhing horribly towards the intended victims. The death leech attacks by wrapping itself around its target, immobilising the unfortunate victim, and draining away its life.
Draining Life (Su): Any creature hit by the death leech's slam must make an immediate Fortitude save vs DC 18 (Cha based) or be paralysed for 1 round and be drained of 1d6 Constitution. Creatures that make the save suffer 1d2 Constitution damage.
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a death leech must hit with its slam attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can automatically inflict slam damage the following round. Any creature grappled by the death leech receives a -4 penalty to its Draining Life save.
Amorphous (Ex): A death leech in its natural form, having no clear front or back, cannot be flanked.
Change Shape (Su): A death leech has the ability to assume the appearance of a vampire, wight, ghoul, ghast, zombie, or skeleton of small, medium or large size, but retains most of its own physical qualities. The leech can duplicate any equipment, armour, and clothing that the undead might have, although it cannot use any of it. A death leech cannot attack while in another form. Changing shape is a full-round action, and reverting to its natural form is a move-equivalent action.
Living Shield (Ex): If the death leech is grappling a foe, it suffers only half damage from any attack upon it. The other half of the damage is inflicted upon its grappled foe.
Skills: A death leech has a +4 racial bonus on Bluff and Disguise skill checks. *When using its change shape ability, a death leech gets an additional +10 circumstance bonus on Disguise checks.
Undead Traits: Immune to mind-influencing effects, poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, disease, death effects, necromantic effects, and any effect that requires a fortitude save unless it also works on objects. Not subject to critical hits, subdual damage, ability damage, ability drain, energy drain, or death from massive damage. It cannot be raised, and resurrection works only if it is willing. The creature has darkvision 60 ft. unless otherwise noted.