The Vorpal Tribble
First Post
Brine Treader
A low, musical tone blears out across the waters and a towering creature thats little more than legs skims into view with fantastic speed...
Type: Gargantuan Aberration (psionic)
Hit-dice: 8d8 +48 (84)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 120 ft.
Armor class: 15 (-2 size, +7 natural)
Base attack/grapple: +6/+26
Space/reach: 120 ft./120 ft.
Attack: Slam +10 melee, (2d6+8 per pad)
Full attack: 4 slams +10 melee, (2d6+8 per pad)
Special Attacks: Psionics, Trample
Special Qualities: Boyant, Blindsight 200 ft., Electricity sense, Immunity to Electricity, Regeneration
Saves: Fort +8, Ref +3, Will +14
Abilities: Str 27, Dex 12, Con 22, Int 8, Wis 26, Cha 14
Skills: Concentration +18, Hide +9, Knowledge (Geography) +12, Knowledge (Nature) +15, Listen +10, Spot +10
Feats: Aligned Attack (Good), Improved Overrun, Power Attack, Run(B)
___________________
Environment: Any aquatic
Organization: Always solitary
Challenge Rating: 8-9
Alignment: Usually Neutral Good
Treasure: None
Advancement: -
A brine treader is a crustacean/arachnid-like creature nearly forty feet tall. The eight segmented legs rise up about five feet from the body and then go
straight down. They thicken a bit as they reach the water and widens
further into a giant, flat inflexible pad with a roughly 30-40 foot circumference. Being supported by these soaring legs and pads is an oval, 7-10 foot long body covered in a thin, flexible, mist-colored exoskeleton. The fused, neckless head has clusters of large, bulging white eyes that reflect as well as a mirror. A pair of sharp, comparatively small, ridged pinchers about a foot or two long protrude from the mouth, and, from above the eyes groups, hang two long, thin antennae. Faintly glowing feathery external gills grow along side the body between the leg junctions, and hang down all the way to the water. Despite its size brine treaders are comparatively frail and light, perhaps 800 lbs at most.
Brine treaders possess a great wisdom and understanding of the ocean, sky and storms, brought about by consistent balancing upon ocean waves, during storm or calm.
The creatures are nearly invisible despite their size, or perhaps, partially aided because of it, as well as their cloudy, transparent coloration that blends perfectly with sea and sky.
They breathe by dipping their gills into the ocean to wet them and then
raising back up to safety above the waves until the gills dry out. The
gills are also used to attract large fish at night with their bioluminescent glow, or used as a beacon for other treaders. The body can be lowered down into the water and will often do so to grab up fish with its pinchers. Most
of their life is spent sending cries echoing over the waves in the hope
of finding another of their kind. They can be found skimming around the landmasses, going from ocean to ocean and it is not unusual for them to circumnavigate the globe in their 400+ year life span.
Brine treaders speak their own language, plus Aquan and Common.
COMBAT:
Brine treaders generally find it easier to skim away at high speed, having no equal while they are atop the waves. However, if the treader senses intelligent evil in a nearby creature they will attempt to thrash it to death with their monstrous pads, or lead it into traps such as whirlpools or near good aligned sea inhabitants such as mers or sea-elves. Brine treaders can move without reduced speed even with up to half of their legs crippled or removed, but once there is less than four legs left they fall to the ocean, nearly harmless aside from their jaws, but their speed is reduced to only 5 ft. If the foe is particularly vicious they will release a torrent of captured electricity.
Blindsight (Ex):
Brine treaders use a type of echolocation to sense land and other large things about it, even while in dense fog. A brine treader therefore cannot use its blindsight if deafened.
Boyant (Ex):
A brine treader's pads keep it well balanced upon the waters and can move across it as if it were a solid surface.
Camouflage (Ex):
A brine treader's coloration allows it a +8 on hide checks while on the open ocean.
Electrical Immunity (Ex):
A brine treader is completely immune to electricity, grounding it out into the waters directly about it, as if using the Energy Burst ability. This is not a controllable ability, and cannot be dispelled or turned off while it lives.
Electricity Sense (Ex):
Brine treaders can detect any electrical discharges within 2000 feet, including that of approaching storms.
Psionics:
At will - Aura Sight and Energy Conversion (electricity only). Manifester level 8.
Empathy (Ps):
Brine Treaders may use empathy in a radius of 50 miles, though can only sense the general direction of the emenations. In particular brine treaders are empathically attracted to good alignments, or good and neutral alignments in sorrow or depression, and hostile to anything with an evil alignment. If of a good or neutral alignment and radiating sadness or depression it will seek them out. Wrecked sailors or anyone drowning of a good alignment are liable to be rescued, the Brine Treader giving them safe passage atop its pads.
Regeneration (Ex):
A brine treader can regrow a missing limb within a month.
Trample (Ex):
A brine treader who knocks an opponent prone may make a slam attack directly afterwards.
Skills:
A brine treader recieves a +12 racial bonus on Concentration, Knowledge (Nature), and Knowledge (Geography) checks.
---
Song of the Brine Treader
Rising from the mists of foam,
Striding on the swells that rise
The treaders of the brine must roam
Keening out, foretelling eventual demise
On legs of towering pillars tall
Of living flesh, not wood or stone
They intone their eventual fall
Echoing always, "I'm alone, so much alone!"
Forlorn sailers with no sails
Swimming strides with feet un-wet
Always dry eyed though they wail
Of the end that must be met.
The water in a touch of mercy
Gave the gift to stand up tall
That maybe against their poignant prophesy
They will meet another, however much the waiting galls.
Cheerless searching always, ever
Hanging lights above the spray
Any clime, wave or weather
In sad tones they plead and pray.
That maybe in a fluke of chance
(Of happenstance, not whale conclusion)
They will find one more with which to prance
To breach the gloom, halt morbid illusion.
But still they bawl within the windy heights
In their continual dismal fights
Wanting inner peace or their outlook mended
Then will their continuing search be ended...
A low, musical tone blears out across the waters and a towering creature thats little more than legs skims into view with fantastic speed...
Type: Gargantuan Aberration (psionic)
Hit-dice: 8d8 +48 (84)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 120 ft.
Armor class: 15 (-2 size, +7 natural)
Base attack/grapple: +6/+26
Space/reach: 120 ft./120 ft.
Attack: Slam +10 melee, (2d6+8 per pad)
Full attack: 4 slams +10 melee, (2d6+8 per pad)
Special Attacks: Psionics, Trample
Special Qualities: Boyant, Blindsight 200 ft., Electricity sense, Immunity to Electricity, Regeneration
Saves: Fort +8, Ref +3, Will +14
Abilities: Str 27, Dex 12, Con 22, Int 8, Wis 26, Cha 14
Skills: Concentration +18, Hide +9, Knowledge (Geography) +12, Knowledge (Nature) +15, Listen +10, Spot +10
Feats: Aligned Attack (Good), Improved Overrun, Power Attack, Run(B)
___________________
Environment: Any aquatic
Organization: Always solitary
Challenge Rating: 8-9
Alignment: Usually Neutral Good
Treasure: None
Advancement: -
A brine treader is a crustacean/arachnid-like creature nearly forty feet tall. The eight segmented legs rise up about five feet from the body and then go
straight down. They thicken a bit as they reach the water and widens
further into a giant, flat inflexible pad with a roughly 30-40 foot circumference. Being supported by these soaring legs and pads is an oval, 7-10 foot long body covered in a thin, flexible, mist-colored exoskeleton. The fused, neckless head has clusters of large, bulging white eyes that reflect as well as a mirror. A pair of sharp, comparatively small, ridged pinchers about a foot or two long protrude from the mouth, and, from above the eyes groups, hang two long, thin antennae. Faintly glowing feathery external gills grow along side the body between the leg junctions, and hang down all the way to the water. Despite its size brine treaders are comparatively frail and light, perhaps 800 lbs at most.
Brine treaders possess a great wisdom and understanding of the ocean, sky and storms, brought about by consistent balancing upon ocean waves, during storm or calm.
The creatures are nearly invisible despite their size, or perhaps, partially aided because of it, as well as their cloudy, transparent coloration that blends perfectly with sea and sky.
They breathe by dipping their gills into the ocean to wet them and then
raising back up to safety above the waves until the gills dry out. The
gills are also used to attract large fish at night with their bioluminescent glow, or used as a beacon for other treaders. The body can be lowered down into the water and will often do so to grab up fish with its pinchers. Most
of their life is spent sending cries echoing over the waves in the hope
of finding another of their kind. They can be found skimming around the landmasses, going from ocean to ocean and it is not unusual for them to circumnavigate the globe in their 400+ year life span.
Brine treaders speak their own language, plus Aquan and Common.
COMBAT:
Brine treaders generally find it easier to skim away at high speed, having no equal while they are atop the waves. However, if the treader senses intelligent evil in a nearby creature they will attempt to thrash it to death with their monstrous pads, or lead it into traps such as whirlpools or near good aligned sea inhabitants such as mers or sea-elves. Brine treaders can move without reduced speed even with up to half of their legs crippled or removed, but once there is less than four legs left they fall to the ocean, nearly harmless aside from their jaws, but their speed is reduced to only 5 ft. If the foe is particularly vicious they will release a torrent of captured electricity.
Blindsight (Ex):
Brine treaders use a type of echolocation to sense land and other large things about it, even while in dense fog. A brine treader therefore cannot use its blindsight if deafened.
Boyant (Ex):
A brine treader's pads keep it well balanced upon the waters and can move across it as if it were a solid surface.
Camouflage (Ex):
A brine treader's coloration allows it a +8 on hide checks while on the open ocean.
Electrical Immunity (Ex):
A brine treader is completely immune to electricity, grounding it out into the waters directly about it, as if using the Energy Burst ability. This is not a controllable ability, and cannot be dispelled or turned off while it lives.
Electricity Sense (Ex):
Brine treaders can detect any electrical discharges within 2000 feet, including that of approaching storms.
Psionics:
At will - Aura Sight and Energy Conversion (electricity only). Manifester level 8.
Empathy (Ps):
Brine Treaders may use empathy in a radius of 50 miles, though can only sense the general direction of the emenations. In particular brine treaders are empathically attracted to good alignments, or good and neutral alignments in sorrow or depression, and hostile to anything with an evil alignment. If of a good or neutral alignment and radiating sadness or depression it will seek them out. Wrecked sailors or anyone drowning of a good alignment are liable to be rescued, the Brine Treader giving them safe passage atop its pads.
Regeneration (Ex):
A brine treader can regrow a missing limb within a month.
Trample (Ex):
A brine treader who knocks an opponent prone may make a slam attack directly afterwards.
Skills:
A brine treader recieves a +12 racial bonus on Concentration, Knowledge (Nature), and Knowledge (Geography) checks.
---
Song of the Brine Treader
Rising from the mists of foam,
Striding on the swells that rise
The treaders of the brine must roam
Keening out, foretelling eventual demise
On legs of towering pillars tall
Of living flesh, not wood or stone
They intone their eventual fall
Echoing always, "I'm alone, so much alone!"
Forlorn sailers with no sails
Swimming strides with feet un-wet
Always dry eyed though they wail
Of the end that must be met.
The water in a touch of mercy
Gave the gift to stand up tall
That maybe against their poignant prophesy
They will meet another, however much the waiting galls.
Cheerless searching always, ever
Hanging lights above the spray
Any clime, wave or weather
In sad tones they plead and pray.
That maybe in a fluke of chance
(Of happenstance, not whale conclusion)
They will find one more with which to prance
To breach the gloom, halt morbid illusion.
But still they bawl within the windy heights
In their continual dismal fights
Wanting inner peace or their outlook mended
Then will their continuing search be ended...
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