Original Stats
Slaiyiths have round, bulbous bodies from which they can extend pseudopods. These armlike extensions end in chomping maws filled with chitinous teeth. Six reddish eyes dot the slaiyith’s gray body, spaced equidistantly around the globelike mass. A few of the local Hanim claim to have seen slaiyiths measuring more than 50 feet in length (pseudopod tip to pseudopod tip). Most, however, are only 30 feet long. They can form up to four pseudopods at a time, although normally they have only two. Despite their vicious mouths, slaiyiths feed on grubs and insects that dwell on the bottom of the pools in which they live. Except for the occasional pseudopod that breaks the surface, planewalking visitors to Maelost may never see the slaiyiths.
The PCs can do little to attract the attention of the slaiyiths or the valgoss. Even an outright attack probably just induces them to flee underwater or, barring that, fight back to the death. Spells or psionic abilities that allow a body to read the creatures’ minds reveal that while both possess intelligence, neither is even aware of the PCs’ existence. Essentially, both types of creatures feel that the characters are beneath notice—not even worth considering.
SLAIYITH: AC 4; MV 3, Sw 12; HD 16; hp 80; THAC0 5; #AT 2-4; Dmg 2d4 each (bite); SA bite drains blood for 2d4 points of damage each round once mouth has latched onto victim, ESP at will, casts spells as an 8th-level wizard; SD +1 or better weapon to hit, immune to fire, cold, and acid, regenerate 1 hit point per round; MR 25%; SZ G (30-50’ long); ML avg (10); Int genius (18); AL N; XP 18,000.
Notes: In one round, a slaiyith can attack with all of its arms and cast no spells, or cast one spell and make one physical attack, or cast two spells and make no physical attacks. All slaiyiths can use telepathy at will.
Typical spell selection (4/3/3/2): 1st—charm person, detect magic, magic missile, shield; 2nd—invisibility, Melf’s acid arrow, web; 3rd—dispel magic, hold person, spectral force; 4th—dimension door, fear
Homebrew Conversion
Slaiyith
Huge Aberration (Aquatic)
Hit Dice: 16d8+64 (136 hp)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 10 ft. (2 squares), swim 30 ft.
Armor Class: 18 (–2 size, +2 Dex, +8 natural), touch 10, flat-footed 16
Base Attack/Grapple: +12/+28
Attack: Bite +18 melee (1d8+8)
Full Attack: 4 bites +18 melee (1d8+8)
Space/Reach: 15 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks: Blood drain, improved grab, quickness, spells
Special Qualities: All-around vision, damage reduction 10/magic, darkvision 60 ft., fast healing 3, immunities (acid, cold & fire), thoughtsense, slaiyith telepathy 100 ft., spell resistance 16
Saves: Fort +9, Ref +9, Will +14
Abilities: Str 27, Dex 15, Con 19, Int 18, Wis 18, Cha 18
Skills: Concentration +23, Knowledge (any two) +23, Listen +23, Search +8, Spot +27, Spellcraft +23
Feats: Blind-Sight, Combat Reflexes, Eschew Materials, Lightning Reflexes, Spell Focus (Enchantment), Power Attack
Environment: Temperate aquatic
Organization: Solitary or consensus (2–8)
Challenge Rating: 11
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 17–23 HD (Huge); 24–48 HD (Gargantuan)
Level Adjustment: —
A bulbous grey mass the size of an elephant, encircled by a ring of wide-spaced reddish eyes. Two armlike tentacles writhe from its body, each ending in a maw full of chomping teeth. Its gelatinous flesh bulges and shapes itself into a third such pseudopod, then a fourth limb forms beside it.
Background.
A slaiyith has six eyes equally spaced around its body. Slaiyiths normally employ two pseudopods for everyday activities but can form up to four at the same time.
A typical slaiyith is about 30 feet across (pseudopod-tip to pseudopod-tip) but the largest individuals can grow up to 50 feet across.
Combat
An opponent can attack a slaiyith's pseudopods with a sunder attempt as if they were weapons. If a slaiyith is currently grappling a target with the pseudopod that is being attacked, it usually uses another limb to make its attack of opportunity against the opponent making the sunder attempt. The damage from the sunder attack is dealt to the slaiyith's total hit points, but if the sunder does at least 10 hit points of damage (15 for Gargantuan slaiyith) the pseudopod is severed or crushed, which releases any opponent it is grappling. The slaiyith can form a replacement pseudopod as a free action on its next turn.
Slaiyiths prefer to avoid confrontations by diving underwater or disappearing via dimension door or invisibility. If forced into combat they will fight to the death, never willingly surrendering to a foe. A slaiyith's supernatural quickness allows it to make multiple actions on its turn, and its genius intelligence helps it choose its actions to best effect. Their quickness allows a slaiyith to make a standard action (usually cast a spell) and make a full attack in one round, or make a move action and two standard attacks (usually two spells or a spell and a bite). They can also run or charge and still make a standard attack.
A slaiyith that's prepared for a fight will have cast eagle's splendor, shield, expeditious retreat, and resistance on itself, usually in that order. They prefer to use charm, fear hold or web to immobilize or repel opponents while attacking them with their bites, but will use acid arrow and magic missile to engage opponents at range. A fighting slaiyith is more likely to use dimension door to close with opponents than its natural movement, since they do not move exceptionally fast even with expeditious retreat. They like to use true strike and Power Attack against concealed opponents.
All-Around Vision (Ex): A slaiyith’s symmetrically placed eyes allow it to look in any direction, providing a +4 racial bonus on Spot and Search checks. A slaiyith can’t be flanked.
Blood Drain (Ex): A slaiyith can drain blood from a grabbed opponent, dealing 1d6 point of Constitution damage each round it maintains the hold.
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a slaiyith must hit an opponent of any size with a bite 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 drain blood.
Quickness (Su): Although not particularly dexterous, a slaiyith is supernaturally quick. It can take an extra standard action or move action during its turn each round.
Thoughtsense (Su): A slaiyith can detect the presence or absence of thoughts in a 60 ft. radius sphere. It can locate any conscious creatures with Intelligence scores of 1 or higher within that area. The slaiyith can determine what 5 ft. squares each mind occupies but cannot pinpoint their location; so an intelligent opponent will have total concealment (50% miss chance) against a slaiyith that cannot see it. Thoughtsense can penetrate barriers, but 1 foot of stone, 1 inch of common metal, a thin sheet of lead, or 3 feet of wood or dirt blocks it.
Unlike the detect thoughts spell, the slaiyith does not risk being stunned if it detects an Intelligence at least 10 points higher than itself with thoughtsense.
Slaiyith Telepathy (Su): A slaiyith can communicate telepathically with other slaiyiths, valgoss, and creatures who are hosting valgoss symbionts.
Spells: A slaiyith casts spells as a 9th-level sorcerer.
Typical Spells Known (6/7/7/7/5; save DC 14 + spell level, 15 + spell level for Enchantment spells)
0—arcane mark, detect poison, dancing lights, detect magic, ghost sound (DC 14), mage hand, read magic, resistance;
1st—charm person (DC 16), expeditious retreat, magic missile, shield; true strike;
2nd—eagle's splendor, invisibility, acid arrow, web (DC 16);
3rd—dispel magic, hold person (DC 18), major image (DC 17);
4th—dimension door, fear (DC 18).
Skills: A slaiyith has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line.
Originally appeared in Tales From the Infinite Staircase (1998) in Tale 3: Lord of the Worms