Sand-star
by Jamie BatyHWR2 21
Huge Magical Beast
Hit Dice: 9d10+48 (97 hp)
Initiative: -2 (-2 Dex)
Speed: 80 ft. (16 squares) (can't run)
Armour Class: 16 (-2 size, -2 Dex, +10 natural), touch 6, flat-footed 16
Base Attack/Grapple: +9/+25
Attack: Tentacle +15 melee (1d4 +8)
Full Attack: 6 Tentacles +15 melee (1d4 +8) and bite +13 melee (2d8 +4)
Space/Reach: 15 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks: Improved grab, swallow whole
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60ft., low-light vision, tremorsense 60ft
Saves: Fort +11, Ref +4, Will +6
Abilities: Str 27, Dex 7, Con 21, Int 4, Wis 13, Cha 11
Skills: Hide +2*, Listen +5, Spot +5, Survival +4
Feats: Alertness, Iron Will, Multiattack, Toughness
Environment: Warm deserts
Organisation: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 8
Treasure: Standard (found in stomach)
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 10-18 HD (Huge); 19-27 HD (Gargantuan)
Level Adjustment: -
The sand-star has an immense, sac-like body, covered in leathery skin studded with thick spikes to anchor it into the ground. Six sinewy tentacles surrounded a four-sectioned beak that is set into folds of rubbery skin. Behind this hellish maw is a large sac of pure water.
The sand-star is a dangerous creature to those that travel across deserts. It has 6 8ft long tentacles attached to a 10ft body which is primarily a beaked mouth attached to a stomach. Largely a sedentary creature, a sand-star can move very quickly overland by using its tentacles to walk.
These carnivorous creatures are somewhat unique in the fact that they extract water from the bodies of their victims and store it in a large sac within their body. For those powerful enough to slay one, the sand-star can provide a large quantity of pure water, and its well-hydrated flesh makes a fine meal.
Combat
The sand-star typical remains buried underneath the sand until a victim approaches. It attacks with its tentacles, attempting to grab opponents to feed to its mouth. Unless a victim steps into the squares occupied by the sand-star's body, the sand-star cannot bite an opponent not held by a tentacle. A sand-star's tentacle may be severed if it takes 10 points of slashing damage. The tentacle is AC 18.
Improved Grab (Ex): If a sand-star hits with its bite attack, it deals normal damage and attempts to start 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. After the hold is established with the tentacle, the sand-star may attempt to bite the creature in any following round.
If a sand-star hits with its bite attack, it deals normal damage and attempts to start 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 bite damage automatically each round. After the hold is established, it may attempt to swallow the creature in any following round.
Swallow Whole (Ex): A sand-star can try to swallow a grabbed opponent of up to two sizes smaller by making a successful grapple check. The swallowed creature takes 1d8+8 points of bludgeoning damage and 1d8 points of damage from desiccation per round from the sand-star's gizzard. A swallowed creature can cut its way out by using a light slashing or piercing weapon to deal 20 points of damage to the gizzard (AC 15). Once the creature exits, muscular action closes the hole; another swallowed opponent must cut its own way out.
A sand-star's gizzard can hold 2 medium creatures, 8 small creatures, 32 tiny creatures and 128 diminutive or smaller creatures.
Tremorsense (Ex): A sand-star has tremorsense to a range of 60ft.
Skills: A sand-star has a +8 racial bonus to all hide checks. *When buried in sand, the sand-star receives an additional +10 to all hide checks.