2002-07-29 - 10:22 a.m.
Sheloth
Huge Aberration
Hit Dice: 12d8+72 (126 hp)
Initiative: +3 (-1 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative)
Speed: 20 ft., burrow 15 ft.
AC: 19 (-2 size, -1 Dex, +12 natural)
Attacks: 8 tentacle slaps +15 melee (2 groups, each with up
to 4 tentacles at a time)
Damage: Tentacle slap 2d4+8
Face/Reach: 10 ft. by 10 ft. (looped) / 10 ft.
Special Attacks: Improved grab, psionics, swallow whole
Special Qualities: Blindsight, psionics, slow regeneration,
telepathy, tremorsense
Saves: Fort +12, Ref +3, Will +11
Abilities: Str 26, Dex 9, Con 23, Int 16, Wis 17, Cha 15
Skills: Climb +12, Concentration +9, Craft (biocrafting) +10,
Intimidate +6, Intuit Direction +6, Knowledge (alien races) +7,
Knowledge (arcana) +5, Knowledge (planes) +5, Knowledge
(psionics) +8, Listen +7, Move Silently +0, Psicraft +5,
Search +5, Spellcraft +5, Spot +4, Swim +10
Feats: Endurance, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (biological
weapons), Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative, Track
Climate/Terrain: Any underground
Organization: Solitary, gathering (2-5, very rare)
Challenge Rating: 13
Treasure: No coins; 10% goods; 40% items (but add 10 to
the item roll, if items are indicated)
Alignment: Usually Neutral Evil or Chaotic Evil
Advancement: 13-18 HD (Huge), 19-24 HD (Gargantuan)
Picture Link: Click Here
Sheloth are massive, serpentine creatures, usually around 3 to 3½ feet in diameter and 20 to 24 feet long, weighing between 1200 and 2200 pounds (averaging around 1600). Rare, very ancient specimens can be even larger, since the creature continues to slowly grow throughout its entire long life. A Sheloth has no visible head, but, on each end, its body splits into seven tentacle-like sections that allow it to manipulate things with surprising dexterity. Each of its two "mouths" (which are used, interchangeably, to consume food and expel waste) is located at the center of one of these tentacle groups. It can consume almost anything organic that is not much wider than half-again the diameter of its own body (which stretches to accommodate large meals, in much the same manner as that of a snake). Its coloration is usually pale blue or blue-gray, with clusters of small, bulbous, rust-colored sense organs, just behind each set of the tentacles. Its skin looks like wet leather but feels more like wrinkled wax paper.
Sheloth are asexual and reproduce through fission, literally splitting themselves in half, when conditions are just right. This is presumably one of the main reasons that they are not very social, even with their own kind. They reproduce only rarely, which is probably a good thing, since they are exceptionally long-lived, often surviving for thousands of years. They are capable of entering a state of suspended animation, and, while doing so, they do not age or grow appreciably.
The Sheloth evolved on a dry, cool, desolate world, orbiting a dim type K8 V sun. The thin atmosphere and weak magnetic field allowed radiation to periodically permeate the planet in dangerous doses, so the Sheloth and many other life forms maintained a mostly subterranean existence. After gaining sentience, the Sheloth eradicated virtually every other form of indigenous life, replacing it with slave-tools of their own creation. When their sun eventually became unstable, they created insect-like living starships and spread to other worlds like a plague, in slow motion. Eventually, they came into contact with the Vasloi and have been at war with them ever since.
Sheloth seldom build mechanical tools, preferring to breed living ones, instead. They are masters of organic technology but can usually fathom the inorganic tools of other races, as well. When they wish to carry a non-living tool or other object around for long periods they simply consume it, storing it in one of several internal pouches that are generally used to hold food (they do not have fat stores, in the normal sense). When they need the object again, they simply expel it, in a blob of protective slime. Living creatures can also be carried around in this manner, but the slime paralyzes them and causes 1 point of damage per hour, until they are consumed.
Sheloth rely on telepathy for communication and do not speak any known language directly. While dominating a mortal creature, a Sheloth can speak through its mouth, using any language the host knows; however, even under these conditions, the sheer strangeness of its intellect makes communication with Humans problematic, at best.
Combat
Sheloth prefer to let others do their fighting for them; however, they are very dangerous when provoked. They seldom bother with weapons, except during mass warfare, when they resort to viruses, toxins, and other such biological terrors (or simply grow expendable troops). When forced to do battle, a Sheloth typically loops itself around, anchoring its position so that it can attack with both sets of tentacles.
Blindsight (Ex): A Sheloth can ascertain creatures by nonvisual means within 60 feet. Beyond that range, it treats all targets as having total concealment.
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, the Sheloth must hit with at least two tentacles during the same attack. If it gets hold, it automatically deals tentacle damage and can attempt to swallow its foe.
Psionics (Sp): At will - brain lock, detect thoughts, domination, mind probe, schism, sending, suggestion, suspend life. These abilities are as the powers manifested by a 12th-level Psion.
Attack/Defense Modes (Sp): At will - mind thrust, psychic crush / empty mind, mental barrier.
Slow Regeneration (Ex): Although Sheloth do not regenerate rapidly enough for this ability to have much impact on combat, they do heal unusually quickly, at a rate of 2 hit points per hour. Furthermore, they are capable of re-growing lost body parts (usually tentacles, but much larger areas, as well, after reproducing).
Swallow Whole (Ex): A Sheloth can attempt to swallow a grabbed opponent with a width of around 5 feet or less (i.e. any Medium or smaller foe, plus some Large ones, as well) by making a successful grapple check. Once inside, the victim may be treated in one of two ways. If the Sheloth simply wants to consume him, then he suffers 2d6+8 points of crushing damage plus 1d8 points of acid damage per round. If the Sheloth wants to "store" him, as described above, the victim must make a Fortitude saving throw (DC 18) each round to avoid being paralyzed. He takes no immediate injury, but suffers 1 point of damage per hour if held in storage for too long. A swallowed creature that has not been paralyzed can climb out with a successful grapple check. This places the escapee in the Sheloth's tentacled maw, where another successful grapple check is required to get free. A swallowed creature can also cut its way out, by using claws or a Small or Tiny slashing weapon to deal 20 points of damage to the gizzard (AC 20). Once the creature exits in this manner, muscular action closes the hole, so another swallowed opponent must cut its own way out. The Sheloth's interior can hold one Large, two Medium-size, four Small, eight Tiny, sixteen Diminutive, or thirty-two Fine or smaller opponents.
Telepathy (Sp): Sheloth can communicate telepathically with any creature within 100 feet that has a language. Due to the alien nature of their intellects, however, their messages usually appear cryptic or even nonsensical to Humans and are very unnerving.
Tremorsense (Ex): Sheloth can automatically sense the location of anything within 60 feet that is in contact with the ground.
Sheloth Society
Sheloth are solitary creatures and do not, at first glance, appear to have any society at all. In particular, since they are asexual, they do not have any need to interact with others of their own kind for purposes of reproduction. Unless given a reason to behave otherwise, they tend to be almost as unfeeling toward each other as they are toward members of other races.
Having said this, Sheloth do occasionally band together (usually, in groups of five or less) when doing so becomes necessary to further their own goals. For example, virtually the entire race worked toward a solution when their sun became unstable, and many Earthbound Sheloth are willing to work together, at least briefly, to change Earth into something more useful to them. When Sheloth do form groups, they tend to disagree frequently, and progress usually only begins once one of them has forced its way into a leadership position, through sheer force of will. This means that the leader of any Sheloth group will always be unusually powerful and/or cunning, and these qualities will tend to be proportional to the size of the group.
Sheloth Characters
Sheloth change only very slowly and do not have character classes. They grow more powerful with age, as represented by an increase in hit dice, with the usual corresponding improvements to attack bonuses, saving throws, skills, and feats. Their psionic powers also improve, with each extra hit die adding one to the creature's effective Psion level (from a base of 12th level, as noted above).
Sheloth Agenda
Intellectually, the Sheloth have little in common with Humans, beyond a strong self-preservation instinct and a sense of racial superiority. Often, their motives are baffling, and, when they can be understood, at all, they usually seem rather vile. The Sheloth view other creatures (including members of their own race) as tools, to be used and discarded, without compassion. They are completely self-centered, to the point of being solipsistic.
In general, the Sheloth have one basic goal: to increase the size of their territory by spreading, like a plague, throughout the galaxy. In truth, this has more to do with their need for ample room between members of their own kind, rather than any particular animosity toward other races; however, this does not make their actions seem any less reprehensible to the cultures they invade. The Sheloth are long-lived (to the point of seeming almost immortal), arrogant, antisocial, and fiercely territorial - a recipe that virtually guarantees an expansionist mentality.
The Earthbound Sheloth have a more specific goal: they wish to turn Earth into a more hospitable home. Their first attempt, to alter the planet directly, failed, because they ran out of time and resources. After that, they attempted to breed a slave race - the Surd - to continue their work while they slumbered. This plan was thwarted by the Vasloi, who decimated the Surd race and triggered the Cretaceous extinction.
Their final plan, which is just starting to come to fruition, began 65 million years ago, when they altered the genetic makeup of certain mammals and then began subtly guiding their evolution. Most "threads" of the genetic pattern they have been trying to weave have been lost to time and extinction; however, the primate strain is still going strong. Certain Humans have begun to appear with the Sheloth genetic sequence gaining ascendancy. These paranormals develop strange powers, usually of a psionic nature. Ultimately, once enough of them are in existence and begin breeding together, the various parts of the puzzle will come together, and the Sheloth race will be resurrected in Human hosts. Then, the remaining paranormal Humans will be made into slaves and used to complete the Sheloth's "great work". In effect, the Sheloth genetic "time bomb" acts rather like a poison that can be administered in parts, with each part being harmless until mixed with the others to create a lethal combination. This time, the Sheloth's subtly and patience may win them victory, since their Vasloi foes, weakened by the passage of time, are only just now beginning to sense the pattern forming and may not be strong enough to prevent mankind's horrid "evolution".
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