Extra Limbs (Ex): An apodalypse has a multitude of appendages on its body stolen from previous victims it has incorporated into its body. It may use up to four of these at random in any given round, each of which usually consists of a slam, claw, bite, sting, gore, tentacle, tail slap, or wing. Each such attack form deals 1d8 points of damage of the type appropriate to the attack form (see p. 312 in the Monster Manual).
Burrow (Ex): If an apodalypse progeny hits a X-size or larger living creature with a bite attack, on its next turn it can attempt to burrow into the target's flesh. The target may attempt a DC X Reflex save to prevent the progeny from burrowing in (a helpless creature can't prevent the burrowing). If the save fails, each round thereafter the target takes 2d4 points of Constitution damage. The save DC is X-based.
If any damage is dealt to a burrowing progeny, the creature it is burrowing into takes the same amount of damage.
Subsume (Su?): A burrowing apodalypse progeny will reach a creature's spinal column in 1d4+2 rounds, at which point the host will become paralyzed. Beginning with that round, the progeny will begin to digest and replace the spinal column and lower brain stem of the victim. The process of subsumption takes 6 full rounds, inflicting 2d6? hit points of damage upon the victim per round. At the end of 6 full rounds, the victim is permanently dead and the progeny takes possession of the body.
Any successful turning attempt on a progeny that is subsuming its host will kill the progeny instantly and end the subsumption.
Shade said:
I'd recommend reducing the progeny to Tiny, and saying that they can burrow into Medium or larger creatures. A Small creature burrowing into a Medium creature seems a bit farfetched, and if we limit them to affecting larger creatures, it sorta takes the threat away from most characters.
OK, I see your point, and I can make it Tiny (easier to change this now than when we come up with a full set of stats and such). However, as I said before, even at this smaller size I’m going to have to assume that while the creature is burrowing into someone’s body that it is not actually fully
entering said body. Do you think this will affect the entry as I wrote above?
Shade said:
I like it, but yeah, you might want to go with the standard: "X destroys the victim’s body and prevents any form of raising or resurrection that requires part of the corpse." (Borrowed from the barghest in this case).
The problem is, the body is not destroyed at all, but transformed:
“If subsumption is successful, the victim is irrevocably lost, and the progeny takes possession of the still-living husk. If allowed the time to slowly incorporate the recently acquired flesh, it transforms itself (over a month's time) into an apodalypse with minimum hit points.”