Ravingdork
Explorer
I put a lot of work into this homebrew monster (including hours of playtesting), so I would appreciate some honest critism on its flavor and balance. ENJOY! 
Art by Patrick McEvoy
BLOODY TONGUE
This vaguely humanoid creature has a pair of pincer-like claws instead of hands, a gaping maw with rows of sharp teeth instead of a head, and a body that ripples with layers of pink muscle. Even so, its most notable feature is the 10-foot long tongue that hangs from its blood-filled maw.
BLOODY TONGUE CR 6
Often CE Medium aberration
Init +0; Senses blind, blindsight 60 ft., scent; Listen +3
Languages understands Common, Giant; cannot speak
AC 16, touch 10, flat-footed 16
(+6 natural)
hp 85 (10 HD); DR 10/magic
Immune gaze attacks, illusions, visual effects
Resist –
Fort +7 Ref +3 Will +10
Weakness –
Speed 40 ft. (8 squares)
Melee Tongue lash +11 (1d8+4) and
2 claws +10 each (1d6+2)
Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft. (10 ft. w/tongue lash)
Base Atk +7; Grp +15 (+17 w/tongue)
Atk Options Bite, Constrict 1d8+4, Improved Grab, Rend 2d6+6
Special Actions –
Abilities Str 19, Dex 11, Con 19, Int 11, Wis 16, Cha 9
SQ blindsight 60 ft., damage reduction 10/magic, scent
Feats Improved Grapple, Improved Natural Attack (tongue lash), Multiattack, TrackB, Weapon Focus (claws)
Skills Climb +4, Hide +13, Jump +8, Listen +3, Move Silently +0, Survival +16 (+20 w/tracking by scent), Swim +4
Advancement 11-20 HD (Large); 21-30 HD (Huge)
Bite A bloody tongue can make a single bite attack (+9 to hit; 1d6+2 damage) each round against a target that it has grappled with its tongue as a free action. A bloody tongue is not considered grappled for the purpose of making this attack and cannot otherwise make a bite attack against anything not already held by its tongue.
Constrict (Ex) A bloody tongue deals automatic tongue lash damage with a successful grapple check with its tongue.
Improved Grab (Ex) To use this ability, the bloody tongue must hit with a tongue lash attack. It can then 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 constrict. A bloody tongue gets a +2 racial bonus on grapple checks made with its tongue and can grapple creatures of up to its own size in this manner.
Rend (Ex) If a bloody tongue hits with both claw attacks, it latches onto the opponent’s body and tears the flesh. This attack automatically deals an additional 2d6+6 points of damage.
Blindsight (Ex) A bloody tongue’s tongue gives it an acute sense of smell, which allows it to sense all foes within 60 feet as a sighted creature would. Beyond that range, they treat all targets as having total concealment. Bloody tongues are susceptible to scent based attacks, however, and are affected normally by overpowering odors (such as stinking cloud or incense heavy air). Negating a Bloody Tongue’s sense of smell (either with an overpowering odor or by severing its tongue) effectively renders it blinded.
Scent (Ex) A bloody tongue retains its scent ability even if it loses its tongue and uses it to locate particularly smelly prey that may be out of range of its blindsight.
Skills Bloody Tongues have a +4 racial bonus on Survival checks when tracking by scent.
Bloody tongues are aggressive creatures that generally attack anything that smells like food. They are well known for their unique attack style and their sheer ferocity and cunning. They appear to be monstrously strong humanoids with pink rubbery hides and tooth-filled maws that support a large tongue nearly half-again the size of the creature itself.
LORD TONGUE LASHER
This gigantic humanoid monstrosity stands no less than 30 feet tall. It has a menacing pair of deadly mandibles instead of hands, a gaping maw with rows of sword-like teeth instead of a head, and a body that ripples with mountains of pink sinewy muscle. Even so, its most horrific feature is the 30-foot long tongue that lashes out from its blood-filled maw.
LORD TONGUE LASHER CR 12
Often CE Huge aberration
Init -2; Senses blind, blindsight 60 ft., scent; Listen +3
Languages understands Common, Giant; cannot speak
AC 17, touch 6, flat-footed 17
(-2 size, -2 Dex, +11 natural)
hp 375 (30 HD); DR 10/magic
Immune gaze attacks, illusions, visual effects
Resist –
Fort +18 Ref +8 Will +20
Weakness –
Speed 40 ft. (8 squares)
Melee Tongue lash +35 (3d6+15) and
2 claws +34 each (3d6+7)
Space 15 ft.; Reach 15 ft. (30 ft. w/tongue lash)
Base Atk +22; Grp +49 (+51 w/tongue)
Atk Options Bite, Constrict 3d6+15, Improved Grab, Rend 6d6+22
Special Actions –
Abilities Str 40, Dex 7, Con 27, Int 11, Wis 16, Cha 9
SQ blindsight 60 ft., damage reduction 10/magic, scent
Feats Improved Grapple, Improved Natural Attack (tongue lash), Multiattack, TrackB, Weapon Focus (claws)
Skills Climb +15, Hide +23, Jump +19, Listen +3, Move Silently -2, Survival +36 (+40 w/tracking by scent), Swim +15
Advancement –
Bite As bloody tongue, but with +33 to hit and 2d6+7 damage.
Constrict (Ex) As bloody tongue.
Improved Grab (Ex) As bloody tongue.
Rend (Ex) As with bloody tongue, but with 6d6+22 points of damage.
Blindsight (Ex) As bloody tongue.
Scent (Ex) As bloody tongue.
Skills As bloody tongue.
Feared by all smaller creatures unlucky enough to be aware of their existence, lord tongue lashers are the evolutionary pinnacle of the bloody tongues. They are to bloody tongues what giants are to lesser humanoids. Like many evil giants, lord tongue lashers bully creatures smaller than themselves into submission in order to form dangerous bands of marauders.
STRATEGIES AND TACTICS
Bloody tongues generally hunt in small packs and coordinate rudimentary ambushes. They prefer to rush into melee after the initial ambush and grapple as many victims as they can with their tongues before dragging away their victims to be disposed of in a more secluded location. A lone bloody tongue prefers to forgo grappling altogether and relies primarily on its reach and rend abilities unless its victim is either alone, or significantly smaller than itself.
Lord tongue lashers prefer to grapple while using the hold option so that they may better defend against other foes while simultaneously devouring a held victim. If an opponent successfully gets within melee range to the lord tongue lasher, and the lord tongue lasher is unable to grapple it, the lord tongue lasher will always opt to use its Awesome Blow feat so it can continue taking advantage of its superior reach.
An opponent may make sunder attempts against the creature’s tongue as if it were a weapon. A bloody tongue’s tongue has 20 hit points whereas a lord tongue lasher’s tongue has 80 hit points. If the creature is currently grappling a target with its tongue, it usually uses another limb to make its attack of opportunity against the sunder attempt. Severing a tongue deals damage to the creature’s tongue equal to half the tongue’s full normal hit points and negates the creature’s blindsight, effectively rendering it blinded. The severed tongue grows back in 1d4 hours.
SAMPLE ENCOUNTERS
Bloody tongues prefer to hunt alone, but can often be found working with others nonetheless.
Solitary (EL 6): A lone bloody tongue is most often encountered as a hermit in a deep dungeons or cave complexes.
EL 6: This bloody tongue hides at the entryway to its lair, waiting to snatch the first living creature to walk past. If encountered by superior foes, it will attempt to capture one and use it as a hostage to barter for its safe escape.
Pair (EL 7): Bloody tongues are intelligent enough to know that they are stronger when in a group, thus bloody tongues on the hunt will often hunt in pairs.
EL 7: These two bloody tongues charge into flanking positions and then use their tongues to grab as many victims as possible. They then run away from other threats, dragging their victims along.
Slave Party (EL 12): More often than not, bloody tongues are encountered in the company of more powerful creatures. They are smart enough to realize the importance of having a strategic thinker guiding their attacks.
EL 12: Eight bloody tongues have been captured by a vicious mindflayer. Their new master now commands them to make nightly raids from the sewers into the city above for new slaves. The mindflayer is a strict tactician, often ordering the bloody tongues to set up elaborate ambushes with multiple means of escape should a raid fail.
Warband (EL 13): Bloody tongues are most often encountered in the company of more powerful creatures. They are smart enough to realize the importance of safety in numbers, but also know enough to keep their activities small so as to not draw on too much attention to themselves.
EL 13: A lord tongue lasher has called six bloody tongues to him in the mountains outside of a small village. They are preparing for a full frontal assault upon the village in the dead of night, when the town defenses are at their weakest.
ECOLOGY
Bloody tongues were created eons ago by a long forgotten force of evil from the subterranean realm. When by themselves, they act as feral hunters, calmly stalking and ambushing living prey in and around their environment. When with more intelligent and powerful creatures, however, they fill in the roles of bodyguard, hied muscle, or assassin.
Environment: Bloody tongues can most often be found operating in the depths of subterranean dungeons below large cities. They find most of their prey in the form of homeless citizens or drunks who find their ways into the sewers.
Typical Physical Characteristics: A typical bloody tongue is approximately 8 feet tall and weighs some 300 pounds. A lord tongue lasher can grow as tall as 32 feet and averages about 38 tons.
Alignment: Bloody tongues are extremely violent creatures that live for the hunt and the kill. They think nothing of devouring a sentient creature or tearing apart innocent victims for enjoyment. Although intelligent, they are disorganized and generally require more powerful creatures to lead them effectively. They are often chaotic evil.
BLOODY TONGUE LORE
Characters with ranks in Knowledge (dungeoneering) can learn more about bloody tongues. When a character makes a successful skill check, the following lore is revealed, including the information from lower DCs.
Knowledge (Dungeoneering)
DC - Result
20 - Bloody tongues are vicious marauders from the depths of the earth that enjoy raiding cities from below on dark nights. This result reveals all aberration traits.
25 - A bloody tongue’s tongue is more dangerous than the bite of a grizzly bear. This result reveals all of the barbed one’s special attacks such as improved grab and constrict. It also reveals the bloody tongue’s weakness of having its tongue severed.
30 - Bloody tongues are not natural creatures and were once created by a long forgotten force of evil below the earth. They now roam freely, devouring any creatures they can kidnap. They prefer ambushes and use a variety of methods to accomplish their goals. This result reveals the bloody tongue’s special qualities such as damage reduction, blindsight, and scent.
TYPICAL TREASURE
Due to their physiological structure, bloody tongues cannot wear captured armor and very rarely have armor crafted for themselves. They do not use manufactured weapons, instead preferring to use their own natural attacks. What’s more, most items that bloody tongues can use are often transferred over to their masters if any. Bloody tongues have standard treasure for their challenge rating.
BLOODY TONGUES IN EBERRON
Bloody Tongues and Lord Tongue Lashers serve the daelkyr, the dolgaunts, and the Cults of the Dragon Below. Independent groups can be found almost anywhere, but they generally travel to the lower depths underneath large cities. In daelkyr and dolgaunt armies, Bloody Tongues and Lord Tongue Lashers serve as shock troops. In Cults of the Dragon Below, they generally serve as bodyguards, extra muscle, or exotic assassins.
Art by Patrick McEvoy
BLOODY TONGUE
This vaguely humanoid creature has a pair of pincer-like claws instead of hands, a gaping maw with rows of sharp teeth instead of a head, and a body that ripples with layers of pink muscle. Even so, its most notable feature is the 10-foot long tongue that hangs from its blood-filled maw.
BLOODY TONGUE CR 6
Often CE Medium aberration
Init +0; Senses blind, blindsight 60 ft., scent; Listen +3
Languages understands Common, Giant; cannot speak
AC 16, touch 10, flat-footed 16
(+6 natural)
hp 85 (10 HD); DR 10/magic
Immune gaze attacks, illusions, visual effects
Resist –
Fort +7 Ref +3 Will +10
Weakness –
Speed 40 ft. (8 squares)
Melee Tongue lash +11 (1d8+4) and
2 claws +10 each (1d6+2)
Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft. (10 ft. w/tongue lash)
Base Atk +7; Grp +15 (+17 w/tongue)
Atk Options Bite, Constrict 1d8+4, Improved Grab, Rend 2d6+6
Special Actions –
Abilities Str 19, Dex 11, Con 19, Int 11, Wis 16, Cha 9
SQ blindsight 60 ft., damage reduction 10/magic, scent
Feats Improved Grapple, Improved Natural Attack (tongue lash), Multiattack, TrackB, Weapon Focus (claws)
Skills Climb +4, Hide +13, Jump +8, Listen +3, Move Silently +0, Survival +16 (+20 w/tracking by scent), Swim +4
Advancement 11-20 HD (Large); 21-30 HD (Huge)
Bite A bloody tongue can make a single bite attack (+9 to hit; 1d6+2 damage) each round against a target that it has grappled with its tongue as a free action. A bloody tongue is not considered grappled for the purpose of making this attack and cannot otherwise make a bite attack against anything not already held by its tongue.
Constrict (Ex) A bloody tongue deals automatic tongue lash damage with a successful grapple check with its tongue.
Improved Grab (Ex) To use this ability, the bloody tongue must hit with a tongue lash attack. It can then 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 constrict. A bloody tongue gets a +2 racial bonus on grapple checks made with its tongue and can grapple creatures of up to its own size in this manner.
Rend (Ex) If a bloody tongue hits with both claw attacks, it latches onto the opponent’s body and tears the flesh. This attack automatically deals an additional 2d6+6 points of damage.
Blindsight (Ex) A bloody tongue’s tongue gives it an acute sense of smell, which allows it to sense all foes within 60 feet as a sighted creature would. Beyond that range, they treat all targets as having total concealment. Bloody tongues are susceptible to scent based attacks, however, and are affected normally by overpowering odors (such as stinking cloud or incense heavy air). Negating a Bloody Tongue’s sense of smell (either with an overpowering odor or by severing its tongue) effectively renders it blinded.
Scent (Ex) A bloody tongue retains its scent ability even if it loses its tongue and uses it to locate particularly smelly prey that may be out of range of its blindsight.
Skills Bloody Tongues have a +4 racial bonus on Survival checks when tracking by scent.
Bloody tongues are aggressive creatures that generally attack anything that smells like food. They are well known for their unique attack style and their sheer ferocity and cunning. They appear to be monstrously strong humanoids with pink rubbery hides and tooth-filled maws that support a large tongue nearly half-again the size of the creature itself.
LORD TONGUE LASHER
This gigantic humanoid monstrosity stands no less than 30 feet tall. It has a menacing pair of deadly mandibles instead of hands, a gaping maw with rows of sword-like teeth instead of a head, and a body that ripples with mountains of pink sinewy muscle. Even so, its most horrific feature is the 30-foot long tongue that lashes out from its blood-filled maw.
LORD TONGUE LASHER CR 12
Often CE Huge aberration
Init -2; Senses blind, blindsight 60 ft., scent; Listen +3
Languages understands Common, Giant; cannot speak
AC 17, touch 6, flat-footed 17
(-2 size, -2 Dex, +11 natural)
hp 375 (30 HD); DR 10/magic
Immune gaze attacks, illusions, visual effects
Resist –
Fort +18 Ref +8 Will +20
Weakness –
Speed 40 ft. (8 squares)
Melee Tongue lash +35 (3d6+15) and
2 claws +34 each (3d6+7)
Space 15 ft.; Reach 15 ft. (30 ft. w/tongue lash)
Base Atk +22; Grp +49 (+51 w/tongue)
Atk Options Bite, Constrict 3d6+15, Improved Grab, Rend 6d6+22
Special Actions –
Abilities Str 40, Dex 7, Con 27, Int 11, Wis 16, Cha 9
SQ blindsight 60 ft., damage reduction 10/magic, scent
Feats Improved Grapple, Improved Natural Attack (tongue lash), Multiattack, TrackB, Weapon Focus (claws)
Skills Climb +15, Hide +23, Jump +19, Listen +3, Move Silently -2, Survival +36 (+40 w/tracking by scent), Swim +15
Advancement –
Bite As bloody tongue, but with +33 to hit and 2d6+7 damage.
Constrict (Ex) As bloody tongue.
Improved Grab (Ex) As bloody tongue.
Rend (Ex) As with bloody tongue, but with 6d6+22 points of damage.
Blindsight (Ex) As bloody tongue.
Scent (Ex) As bloody tongue.
Skills As bloody tongue.
Feared by all smaller creatures unlucky enough to be aware of their existence, lord tongue lashers are the evolutionary pinnacle of the bloody tongues. They are to bloody tongues what giants are to lesser humanoids. Like many evil giants, lord tongue lashers bully creatures smaller than themselves into submission in order to form dangerous bands of marauders.
STRATEGIES AND TACTICS
Bloody tongues generally hunt in small packs and coordinate rudimentary ambushes. They prefer to rush into melee after the initial ambush and grapple as many victims as they can with their tongues before dragging away their victims to be disposed of in a more secluded location. A lone bloody tongue prefers to forgo grappling altogether and relies primarily on its reach and rend abilities unless its victim is either alone, or significantly smaller than itself.
Lord tongue lashers prefer to grapple while using the hold option so that they may better defend against other foes while simultaneously devouring a held victim. If an opponent successfully gets within melee range to the lord tongue lasher, and the lord tongue lasher is unable to grapple it, the lord tongue lasher will always opt to use its Awesome Blow feat so it can continue taking advantage of its superior reach.
An opponent may make sunder attempts against the creature’s tongue as if it were a weapon. A bloody tongue’s tongue has 20 hit points whereas a lord tongue lasher’s tongue has 80 hit points. If the creature is currently grappling a target with its tongue, it usually uses another limb to make its attack of opportunity against the sunder attempt. Severing a tongue deals damage to the creature’s tongue equal to half the tongue’s full normal hit points and negates the creature’s blindsight, effectively rendering it blinded. The severed tongue grows back in 1d4 hours.
SAMPLE ENCOUNTERS
Bloody tongues prefer to hunt alone, but can often be found working with others nonetheless.
Solitary (EL 6): A lone bloody tongue is most often encountered as a hermit in a deep dungeons or cave complexes.
EL 6: This bloody tongue hides at the entryway to its lair, waiting to snatch the first living creature to walk past. If encountered by superior foes, it will attempt to capture one and use it as a hostage to barter for its safe escape.
Pair (EL 7): Bloody tongues are intelligent enough to know that they are stronger when in a group, thus bloody tongues on the hunt will often hunt in pairs.
EL 7: These two bloody tongues charge into flanking positions and then use their tongues to grab as many victims as possible. They then run away from other threats, dragging their victims along.
Slave Party (EL 12): More often than not, bloody tongues are encountered in the company of more powerful creatures. They are smart enough to realize the importance of having a strategic thinker guiding their attacks.
EL 12: Eight bloody tongues have been captured by a vicious mindflayer. Their new master now commands them to make nightly raids from the sewers into the city above for new slaves. The mindflayer is a strict tactician, often ordering the bloody tongues to set up elaborate ambushes with multiple means of escape should a raid fail.
Warband (EL 13): Bloody tongues are most often encountered in the company of more powerful creatures. They are smart enough to realize the importance of safety in numbers, but also know enough to keep their activities small so as to not draw on too much attention to themselves.
EL 13: A lord tongue lasher has called six bloody tongues to him in the mountains outside of a small village. They are preparing for a full frontal assault upon the village in the dead of night, when the town defenses are at their weakest.
ECOLOGY
Bloody tongues were created eons ago by a long forgotten force of evil from the subterranean realm. When by themselves, they act as feral hunters, calmly stalking and ambushing living prey in and around their environment. When with more intelligent and powerful creatures, however, they fill in the roles of bodyguard, hied muscle, or assassin.
Environment: Bloody tongues can most often be found operating in the depths of subterranean dungeons below large cities. They find most of their prey in the form of homeless citizens or drunks who find their ways into the sewers.
Typical Physical Characteristics: A typical bloody tongue is approximately 8 feet tall and weighs some 300 pounds. A lord tongue lasher can grow as tall as 32 feet and averages about 38 tons.
Alignment: Bloody tongues are extremely violent creatures that live for the hunt and the kill. They think nothing of devouring a sentient creature or tearing apart innocent victims for enjoyment. Although intelligent, they are disorganized and generally require more powerful creatures to lead them effectively. They are often chaotic evil.
BLOODY TONGUE LORE
Characters with ranks in Knowledge (dungeoneering) can learn more about bloody tongues. When a character makes a successful skill check, the following lore is revealed, including the information from lower DCs.
Knowledge (Dungeoneering)
DC - Result
20 - Bloody tongues are vicious marauders from the depths of the earth that enjoy raiding cities from below on dark nights. This result reveals all aberration traits.
25 - A bloody tongue’s tongue is more dangerous than the bite of a grizzly bear. This result reveals all of the barbed one’s special attacks such as improved grab and constrict. It also reveals the bloody tongue’s weakness of having its tongue severed.
30 - Bloody tongues are not natural creatures and were once created by a long forgotten force of evil below the earth. They now roam freely, devouring any creatures they can kidnap. They prefer ambushes and use a variety of methods to accomplish their goals. This result reveals the bloody tongue’s special qualities such as damage reduction, blindsight, and scent.
TYPICAL TREASURE
Due to their physiological structure, bloody tongues cannot wear captured armor and very rarely have armor crafted for themselves. They do not use manufactured weapons, instead preferring to use their own natural attacks. What’s more, most items that bloody tongues can use are often transferred over to their masters if any. Bloody tongues have standard treasure for their challenge rating.
BLOODY TONGUES IN EBERRON
Bloody Tongues and Lord Tongue Lashers serve the daelkyr, the dolgaunts, and the Cults of the Dragon Below. Independent groups can be found almost anywhere, but they generally travel to the lower depths underneath large cities. In daelkyr and dolgaunt armies, Bloody Tongues and Lord Tongue Lashers serve as shock troops. In Cults of the Dragon Below, they generally serve as bodyguards, extra muscle, or exotic assassins.
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![:]](http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/devious.png "Devious :]")
