This slender monstrous entity is mostly composed of many-jointed limbs, and yet, its torso and head are eerily reminiscent of a human, with their pale pink skin. It has four arms and four legs, elongated, and branching with multiple hand or feet appendages, and scythe-like, bony talons. Its forehead is mostly smooth dome, dotted with small, beady eyes, while its jaws split into four mandibles, revealing three elongated, tentacle-like tongues.
CR 11; XP 12,800
NG Large Aberration
Init +12 ; Senses blindsight 10 ft., darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent; Perception +29
Defense
AC 25, touch 17, flat-footed 17 (+8 Dex, +8 natural, –1 size)
hp 150 (20d8+60); regeneration 10 (electricity, negative energy)
Fort +11, Ref +14, Will +14; +4 vs. emotion, fear, and pain
Immune mundane diseases, radiation
Offense
Speed 40 ft., climb 40 ft.
Melee 8 claws +18 (1d3+4/18–20) and tongue +13 touch (calming saliva)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
Special Attacks calming saliva, razor claws
Statistics
Str 18, Dex 26, Con 16, Int 19, Wis 15, Cha 15
Base Atk +15; CMB +20; CMD 38 (50 vs. trip)
Feats Acrobatic Steps, Alertness, Bleeding Critical, Combat Reflexes, Critical Focus, Diehard, Endurance, Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative, Nimble Moves
Skills Acrobatics +39, Climb +35, Diplomacy +22, Escape Artist +39, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +27, Perception +29, Sense Motive +26, Stealth +27; Racial Modifiers +8 Acrobatics, +8 Escape Artist
Languages Aklo; telepathy 100 ft.
SQ compression, efficient metabolism, hibernation, hold breath,
Ecology
Environment any
Organization solitary, pair, coven (3–6)
Treasure standard
Special Abilities
Calming Saliva (Ex) A benevolent horror's saliva has anesthetic qualities, calming down, numbing pain, and stopping bleeding. A licked creature can make a new saving throw against any emotion, fear, and pain effect affecting it, and gains +4 bonus to saving throws against emotion, fear, and pain effects for the next 10 minutes. Creature using rage, bloodrage, or similar voluntary effect has to succeed a Will saving throw (DC 22) or the effect ends. As a side effect, the calming property of the saliva mitigates shock and terror caused by the benevolent horror's utterly monstrous appearance. The save DC is Charisma-based.
Efficient Metabolism (Ex) A benevolent horror can gain nutrition by eating anything remotely organic and drinking water of any quality without ill effect, and they can go multiple days without eating or drinking. Their bodies can withstand a wide range of temperatures, existing comfortably in conditions between –100 to 200 degree Fahrenheit (though even they might suffer discomfort with very sudden shifts of temperature between such extremes).
Hibernation (Ex) A benevolent horror can enter periods of extended hibernation, where it can spend months or years without need for sustenance or breathing.
Razor Claws (Ex) A benevolent horror's bony talons and protrusions are short but very sharp, having natural critical threat range of 18–20.
Benevolent horrors of Xvih are abominable-looking refuges from a collapsed universe. In spite of their monstrous appearance, they are highly cultured, polite, and compassionate beings. When they fold, tuck, and contract many parts of their limbs, their body shape becomes much closer to anthropomorphic. As their civilization developed around biological alteration, primarily focusing on augmenting their bodies it hints that benevolent horrors' ancestors could have been similar to humanoids... Those changes are long in the past, though, as their civilization's technological and magical phases waxed and waned through the ages to reach an extended period of cultural stability based on individual self-sufficiency and voluntary contact. Their advances were unable to prevent an nondescript (and possibly indescribable in languages of creatures of this world) cosmological cataclysm that unmade (or possibly merely sealed) their world, however.
Individually, benevolent horrors are highly self-sufficient, but they show no arrogance about it. Instead they are willing to provide aid to those in need, though they prefer to help develop some degree of self-sufficiency in their wards, reserving direct help for when it is truly necessary. They work smoothly in small groups, though they don't seem interested in rebuilding their civilization or creating larger communities in this world.
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