Monster: Shadow Flayer

Monster: Shadow Flayer

The shadow flayer is a product (an imperfect one) of the Thoon-aligned mind flayers' breeding program. They are more agile, less psionically powerful, but can briefly turn invisible.

 

Shadow Flayer [Monster Manual V, page 107]

212 points
Attribute Modifiers: ST+1 [10]; DX+1 [20]; IQ+3 [60].
Secondary Characteristic Modifiers: Per-2 [-10]; Will+1 [5].
Advantages: DR 1 (Tough Skin, -40%) [3]; Infravision [10]; Reduced Consumption 1 [2]; Resistant to Psionics (+3) [10]; Sharp Teeth [1]; Slippery 3 [6].
    Dissolving Enzyme: Corrosion Attack 2d (Accessibility, Can only be delivered with mouth tentacles, -10%; Costs Fatigue, 2 FP, -10%; Melee Attack, Reach C, Cannot Parry, -35%; Nuisance Effect, Effect decreases depending on the number of tentacles, -5%; Takes Extra Time 1, -10%) [6].
    Mouth Tentacles: Extra Arms 4 (Extra-Flexible, +50%; Short, -50%; Weak, 1/2 ST, -25%) [30].
    Shadowcloak: Invisibility (Affects Machines, +50%; Can Carry Objects, Medium, +50%; Costs Hit Points, 2 HP, -20%; Magical, -10%; Reduced Duration, 1/10, -20%) [60].
Disadvantages: Callous [-5]; Dependency (Brain of a sapient creature; Occasional; Monthly) [-20]; Hard of Hearing [-10]; Intolerance (Non-illithids) [-10]; Megalomania [-10]; No Sense of Smell/Taste (No Smell only, -50%) [-2]; Odious Racial Habit (Eats sapient beings) [-15]; Selfish (12) [-5]; Social Stigma (Monster) [-15].
Features: Night Vision 7.
Racial Psionic Abilities: Mental Blow 4 [28]; Telereceive 1 [21]; Telespeak 3 [39].
Racial Psionic Skills: Mental Blow (H) Will-2 [1]; Telereceive (H) IQ-2 [1]; Telesend (H) IQ-2 [1].
Creature Type: Aberration.

Sapient-Only Telepathy [-12] Mental Blow 4 [28] -> Mental Blow 4 [27] Telereceive 1 [21] -> Telereceive 1 [16] Telespeak 3 [39] -> Telespeak 3 [33]

Typical Stats

ST:	11	HP:	11	Speed:	6
DX:	12	Will:	15	Move:	6
IQ:	14	Per:	12
HT:	12	FP:	12	SM:	+0
Dodge:	9	Parry:	10	DR:	1* (tough skin)

    Spear (one-handed) (15): thrust 1d+1 impaling, Reach 1.
    Spear (two-handed) (15): thrust 1d+2 impaling, Reach 1-2*.
    Punch (12): thrust 1d-2 crushing, Reach C.
    Tentacles (12): The shadow flayer has four short tentacles that encircle its mouth. These are treated as four short arms with Reach C and effective ST of 5. The shadow flayer can use tentacles to attack for 1d-5 crushing damage (KYOS: 1d-8 crushing damage), but usually uses the tentacles for grappling and manipulating objects. The tentacles are considered to be “off-hands” for the purpose of penalties, but not for the purpose of determining the arc of attack.
    Dissolving Enzyme (12): The mouth tentacles have ducts that can transmit a powerful dissolving enzyme. This takes time – the shadow flayer must first perform a Ready maneuver, and only then follow-up with a Reach C melee attack with one or more of its tentacles. If it succeeds, it deals 2d corrosion damage. If it only has three tentacles in contact with the victim, then decrease it by 25%; if it only has two tentacles in contact with the victim, then decrease it by 50%; if it only has one tentacle in contact with the victim, then decrease it by 75%. Usually, the shadow flayer uses this attack when grappling the skull with all four tentacles to corrode its way through the skull and extract the brain. Each use costs 2 FP.
    Shadowcloak: A shadow flayer can draw on his own inner stores of quintessence to briefly become invisible. This requires a Ready maneuver and spending of 2 HP. The shadow flayer still makes noise, leaves footprints, and has a scent – and anything he is carrying (up to the Medium encumbrance) becomes invisible too. He gets a +9 to Stealth in any situation where being seen would matter.
    Individuals using paranormal remote viewing (crystal balls, Clairvoyance, etc.) cannot see the shadow flayer if he would be invisible to their normal vision. Paranormal abilities that detect enemies, life, and so on non-visually can still see him.
    Invisibility only works against electromagnetic vision (which encompasses ordinary vision, Infravision, Ultravision, and radar). The shadow flayer does not cast a shadow and doesn’t show up in mirrors.

    Traits: Callous; Dependency (Brain of a sapient creature; Occasional; Monthly); Hard of Hearing; Infravision; Intolerance (Non-illithids); Megalomania; Night Vision 7 (-7 is the native illumination level); No Sense of Smell/Taste (No Smell only); Odious Racial Habit (Eats sapient beings); Reduced Consumption 1; Resistant to Psionics (+3); Selfish (12); Slippery 3; Social Stigma (Monster).
    Psionic Abilities: Mental Blow 4; Telereceive 1; Telespeak 3.
    Skills: Expert Skill (Psionics)-14; Interrogation-14; Intimidation-14; Poisons/TL3-15; Spear-15; Stealth-15.
    Psionic Skills: Mental Blow-15; Telereceive-14; Telesend-14.
    Creature Type: Aberration.