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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Cleon" data-source="post: 5343832" data-attributes="member: 57383">Master Clam (Psychic Killer Scallop) [Homebrew]Large Aberration (Aquatic, Psionic)Hit Dice: 6d8+18 (45 hp)Initiative: +4Speed: 5 ft. (1 square), swim 15 ft.Armor Class: 19 (-1 size, +0 Dex, +10 natural), touch 9, flat-footed 19Base Attack/Grapple: +4/+12Attack: Tentacle +7 melee (1d4+4 plus paralysis) or slam +7 melee (1d10+4)Full Attack: 4 tentacles +7 melee (1d4+4 plus paralysis) or slam +8 melee (1d10+4)Space/Reach: 10 ft./5 ft. (10 ft. with tentacles)Special Attacks: Improved grab, paralyzing cloud, paralysis, psi-like abilities, psipearl, shell trap, subsume bivalveSpecial Qualities: Blindsight 30 ft., camouflage, immunity to mind-affecting effects, naturally psionic, power resistance 16, scent, telepathy 100 ft.Saves: Fort +4, Ref +2, Will +8Abilities: Str 18, Dex 10, Con 15, Int 13, Wis 16, Cha 14Skills: Concentration +11, Listen +12, Spot +12, Swim +12Feats: Combat Manifestation, Improved Initiative, Psicrystal Affinity (B), Psionic BodyEnvironment: Warm aquaticOrganization: Solitary or collective (1 plus 3-18 subsumed giant bivalves) or hive (1 plus 6-18 subsumed giant bivalves plus 1-30 non-subsumed giant bivalves)Challenge Rating: 5 (CR 7 with 4-6 subsumed 4HD giant carnivorous scallops)Treasure: 50% standard plus psipearlAlignment: Usually neutralAdvancement: 7–11 HD (Large); 12-18 HD (Huge)Level Adjustment: —This enormous shellfish is at least as wide as a human is tall. Two rows of tiny blue eyes interspersed with short, thin tentacles peek from between its shells.From the outside, a master clam looks like an ordinary giant clam or carnivorous scallop, but inside its shell is a tentacled horror with a vast, multi-lobed brain. Master clams are actually a parasitic lifeform that use giant shellfish as hosts, then use that body to subsume other giant shellfish into becoming extensions of their own will. The master clam parasites have no mouth, they nourish themselves by absorbing life-force from their host and other bivalves in their thrall. The parasite starts life as a Fine-sized larva that looks like a cross between a deformed octopus and a tadpole, these larvae must find a giant bivalve or die. If it finds a suitable host, a larva burrows inside it and transforms the unfortunate shellfish into a master clam.Master clams spend most of their lives lying motionless while waiting for prey, but can swim by making a butterfly movement with its shell. Some can even fly telekinetically. They are ruthlessly territorial and try to kill and eat any psionic creature that trespasses into their territory. Master clams may negotiate with non-psionic beings, however. These creatures are completely amoral, their only interests are their own survival, nourishment and reproduction — in that order.Some intelligent psionic monsters consider the flesh of master clams a great delicacy. Aboleths and certain subterranean aberrations may pay a hefty bounty to eat a master clam, preferably one that’s still alive.A typical master clam has a shell 6 feet across and weighs 1,500 pounds. They can communicate telepathically with any creature that has a language.COMBATMaster clams prefer to hide and use their psi-like abilities and subsumed giant shellfish as their weapons of first resort. They prefer to attack and talk through one of their subsumed shellfish, usually the largest among them, and may pretend this clam is the “leader” or “heart” of the collective, while the master clam itself masquerades as an ordinary giant shellfish. If discovered, they will also fight with their paralysing cloud and tentacles.A master clam employs its spell-like abilities cunningly. It usually casts biofeedback before battle commences to give itself and its subsumed shellfish damage reduction, and uses psionic charm or entangling ectoplasm to try to capture prey. if that fails it attacks opponents directly with ego whip or mind thrust while directing its subsumed shellfish into melee. They reserve body adjustment and force screen for their own security. Master clams may hold off casting force screen until they're personally threatened, to avoid giving away their position. If their body adjustment heals more hit points than the master clam has taken damage they can transfer the excess to heal the wounds of their subsumed shellfish.Some master clams use their psipearls to spy on other creatures and manipulate them into their clutches. Others simply use them as bait, gleaming enticingly from the open shell of the false “leader” shellfish.While a master clam shows little concern for the lives of its subsumed shellfish, it will quickly flee or barter if its own life is threatened.Blindsight (Ex): Master clams can ascertain all foes within 30 feet using vibration.Camouflage (Ex): A master clam often buries itself in the sand or mud of the ocean floor, and its rough shell is usually draped with barnacles, anemones, and bits of coral which help the shellfish blend in with its environment. Creatures must succeed on a DC 25 Spot check to notice a master clam. Anyone with ranks in Survival or Knowledge (nature) can use one of those skills instead of Spot to notice the clam.Naturally Psionic: A master clam gains 1 bonus power point.Paralysis (Ex): Those hit by a master clam's tentacle attack must succeed on a DC 15 Fortitude save or be paralyzed for 1d4+1 rounds. The save DC is Constitution-based.Paralyzing Cloud (Ex): Once per day, a master clam can release a cloud of chemicals in a 10-foot spread (15-foot for a Huge clam). All living creatures within this cloud must succeed on a DC 15 Fortitude save or be paralyzed for 1d4 rounds. Creatures with immunity to poison or paralysis are unaffected, and creatures resistant to poison or paralysis receive their normal bonus on their saving throws. A delay poison, neutralize poison or remove paralysis spell removes the effect from a paralyzed creature. The save DC is Constitution-based.Power Resistance (Ex): A master clam has power resistance equal to its Hit Dice +10.Psi-Like Abilities (Ex): At-will—detect psionics, empathy; 3/day—psionic charm (affects 1 aberration, animal, dragon, elemental, fey, giant, humanoid, magical beast, monstrous humanoid or outsider, DC15), entangling ectoplasm (up to Huge target), mind thrust (6d10 damage, DC15); 1/day—biofeedback (DR 3/–), body adjustment (3d12 hp healing), brain lock (1 animal, fey, giant, humanoid, magical beast or monstrous humanoid is dazed and unable to take psionic actions, DC14), ego whip (1d4 Cha, DC14 for half), force screen (+5 shield bonus, one shellfish only). Manifester level is equal to the master clam’s HD. The save DCs are Charisma-based.Psipearl: All master clams produce a psipearl, a pearl of incredible size and lustre. This pearl has all the properties of a psicrystal except that it can not contain personality fragments, with the master clam’s racial hit dice count as levels in a psionic class for determining the psipearl’s psicrystal powers. A psipearl has a 30 ft. swim speed as well as a normal psicrystal’s movement modes. In addition, so long as the pearl is within a mile of the master clam, the psipearl has all the master clam’s special qualities and feats as well as sharing its abilities as if it were a subsumed shellfish. If the psipearl moves outside that range, the master clam always knows which direction the psipearl lies in, as long as both are on the same plane of existence. The psipearl does not count against the number of giant shellfish a master clam can subsume.A psipearl is a gem with a value equal to the treasure value of the master clam’s Challenge Rating (1600 gp for a typical CR 5 master clam).Shell Trap (Ex): As a standard action, a master clam can attempt to trap any creature within reach up to one size larger than itself. The target can make an attack of opportunity against the clam, but if it does so it is not entitled to a saving throw. An opponent that does not attempt an attack of opportunity must succeed on a DC 17 Reflex save or be trapped. Immobilized creatures, including those affected by the clam's paralyzing cloud, are not entitled to a saving throw. The save DC is Strength-based.If the trapped opponent is smaller than the clam, they are drawn inside the clam's stomach, where they take 1d4+4 bludgeoning damage plus 1d4 acid damage per round. If the opponent is the same size as the master clam or one size larger, the clam uses the razor-sharp edges of its shell to saw at the trapped opponent, automatically inflicting 1d6+6 points of bludgeoning and slashing damage per round.A master clam can be forced to release a trapped opponent by succeeding at an opposed Strength check against the clam's Strength check (the clam gets a +4 racial bonus on this Strength check). A trapped victim can also try to cut its way free with any light slashing or piercing weapon, by doing 15 hit points of damage to the clam's AC 15 interior.Subsume Shellfish (Ex): A master clam can subsume the body and mind of any giant shellfish with an Intelligence score less than 2. To perform this subsumption process takes 1 minute and an unresisting victim — the master clam usually uses its paralysing tentacles on the shellfish it seeks to subsume. If the process is interrupted, the master clam must restart it afresh. A master clam can subsume as many giant shellfish as it has hit dice, once it reaches this limit the master clam can not subsume another shellfish without increasing its hit dice or removing a subsumed shellfish, usually by killing the weakest member of its collective. The psychic chirurgery psionic power can restore a subsumed shellfish to its normal state, as can a limited wish, wish or miracle spell.Once subsumed, the giant shellfish becomes an extension of the master clam as long as both molluscs remain alive. The master clam can simultaneously see through the senses of all its subsumed shellfish as well as its host, direct all their attacks, and it may cast its own Psi-Like Abilities from any shellfish in its collective. The subsumed shellfish have full access to the master clam’s power resistance, feats and skill ranks. Furthermore, the subsumed shellfish uses the master clam’s mental ability scores and Will save instead of their own. Any psi-like ability a master clam uses on itself will affect all its subsumed shellfish unless their description specifies otherwise —just as if the master clam and its subsumed shellfish were a single creature (which in many respects they are).All shellfish in the collective are in constant communication with each other. If one is aware of a particular danger, they all are. If one in a group is not flatfooted, none of them are. No shellfish in a master clam’s collective (subsumed or master) is considered flanked unless all of them are.The subsumption link has a range of 100 feet per hit dice of the master clam. Should a subsumed shellfish move outside this range, it loses all the benefits of subsumption and is unable to do anything besides wander randomly until it expires or re-enters the subsumption range of its master.Skills: A master clam 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.Advanced Master ClamsAs a master clam increases its racial hit dice it gains additional powers as follows:9 Hit Dice Master ClamA 9 HD master clam has Intelligence 14 and Charisma 15 (this includes ability increases from advancing its HD). Its psi-like abilities improve as follows. Typical feats and skills are also given:A 15 HD master clam gains Psionic Meditation as a bonus feat. If it already has that feat it can substitute it for another psionic feat.Skills: Bluff +8, Concentration +14, Diplomacy +10, Listen +15, Spot +15, Swim +12Feats: Combat Manifestation, Fleet of Mind, Improved Initiative, Psicrystal Affinity (B), Psionic Body, Psionic Meditation (B)Psi-Like Abilities (Ex): At-will—detect psionics, empathy; 3/day—aversion (DC17), entangling ectoplasm (up to Colossal target), intellect fortress (3 rounds), mind thrust (9d10 damage, DC17), psionic charm (affects 1 aberration, animal, dragon, elemental, fey, giant, humanoid, magical beast, monstrous humanoid, or outsider, DC17); 2/day—ego whip (2d4 Cha, DC16 for half), force screen (+6 shield bonus, one shellfish only), psionic levitate (master clam only); 1/day—biofeedback (DR 4/–), body adjustment (5d12 hp healing), brain lock (1 aberration, animal, dragon, elemental, fey, giant, humanoid, magical beast, monstrous humanoid or outsider is dazed and unable to take psionic actions, DC17), psionic blast (3 rounds stun, DC15), psionic fly (master clam only). Manifester level is equal to the master clam’s HD. The save DCs are Charisma-based.12 Hit Dice Master ClamA 12 HD master clam is Large-sized. As well as the normal changes for its size increase, it has Intelligence 15 and Charisma 16 (this includes ability increases from advancing its HD). Its psi-like abilities improve as follows. Typical feats and skills are also given:Skills: Bluff +11, Concentration +18, Diplomacy +13, Listen +18, Spot +18, Swim +16Feats: Combat Manifestation, Fleet of Mind, Improved Initiative, Psicrystal Affinity (B), Psionic Body, Psionic Fist, Psionic Meditation (B)Psi-Like Abilities (Ex): At-will—detect psionics, read thoughts; 3/day—aversion (DC19), brain lock (1 aberration, animal, dragon, elemental, fey, giant, humanoid, magical beast, monstrous humanoid or outsider is dazed and unable to take psionic actions, DC19), ego whip (3d4 Cha, DC19 for half), entangling ectoplasm (up to Colossal target), force screen (+6 shield bonus, one shellfish only), mind thrust (12d10 damage, DC21), psionic charm (affects 1 aberration, animal, dragon, elemental, fey, giant, humanoid, magical beast, monstrous humanoid or outsider, DC19), psionic levitate (master clam only); 2/day—biofeedback (DR 5/–), body adjustment (6d12 hp healing), intellect fortress (6 rounds), psionic fly (master clam only); 1/day—psionic blast (4 rounds stun, DC16), psionic dominate (affects 1 aberration, animal, dragon, elemental, fey, giant, humanoid, magical beast, monstrous humanoid or outsider, DC19), psionic teleport, psychic crush (DC19). Manifester level is equal to the master clam’s HD. The save DCs are Charisma-based.15 Hit Dice Master ClamA 15 HD master clam is Large-sized. As well as the normal changes for its size increase, it has Intelligence 16 and Charisma 17 (this includes ability increases from advancing its HD). Its psi-like abilities improve as follows. Typical feats and skills are also given:A 15 HD master clam gains Psicrystal Containment as a bonus feat. If it already has that feat it can substitute it for another psionic feat.Skills: Bluff +22, Concentration +22, Diplomacy +22, Listen +21, Spot +21, Swim +16Feats: Combat Manifestation, Fleet of Mind, Improved Initiative, Psicrystal Affinity (B), Psicrystal Containment (B), Psionic Body, Psionic Fist, Psionic Meditation (B), Unavoidable StrikePsi-Like Abilities (Ex): At-will—detect psionics, psionic levitate (master clam only), read thoughts; 3/day—aversion (DC21), body adjustment (8d12 hp healing), brain lock (1 aberration, animal, dragon, elemental, fey, giant, humanoid, magical beast, monstrous humanoid or outsider is dazed and unable to take psionic actions, DC21), ego whip (4d4 Cha, DC21 for half), entangling ectoplasm (up to Colossal target), force screen (+7 shield bonus, one shellfish only), intellect fortress (9 rounds), mind thrust (15d10 damage, DC21), psionic charm (affects 1 aberration, animal, dragon, elemental, fey, giant, humanoid, magical beast, monstrous humanoid or outsider, DC21), psionic fly (master clam only); 2/day—biofeedback (DR 6/–), psionic dominate (affects 1 aberration, animal, dragon, elemental, fey, giant, humanoid, magical beast, monstrous humanoid or outsider, DC21), psionic teleport; 1/day—energy current (15d6, 3 targets, DC 21), insanity (2 targets, DC21), psionic blast (6 rounds stun, DC16), psychic crush (DC21). Manifester level is equal to the master clam’s HD. The save DCs are Charisma-based.Subsumed Giant Carnivorous Scallop (for basic 6 HD Master Clam)Large Magical Beast (Aquatic, Psionic)Hit Dice: 4d10+14 (36 hp)Initiative: +1Speed: 5 ft. (1 square), swim 15 ft.Armor Class: 16 (-1 size, -3 Dex, +10 natural), touch 6, flat-footed 16Base Attack/Grapple: +4/+13Attack: Slam +8 melee (1d10+5)Full Attack: Slam +8 melee (1d10+5)Space/Reach: 10 ft./5 ft.Special Attacks: Paralyzing cloud, shell trap, psi-like abilitiesSpecial Qualities: Blindsight 30 ft., camouflage, immunity to mind-affecting effects, power resistance 16, scentSaves: Fort +6, Ref +1, Will +8Abilities: Str 20, Dex 5, Con 15, Int 13, Wis 16, Cha 14Skills: Concentration +11, Listen +12, Spot +12, Swim +13Feats: Combat Manifestation (B), Improved Initiative (B), Power Attack, Psicrystal Affinity (B), Psionic Body (B), Reckless OffensiveEnvironment: Warm aquaticOrganization: Solitary or collective (1 plus 3-18 subsumed giant bivalves) or hive (1 plus 6-18 subsumed giant bivalves plus 1-30 non-subsumed giant bivalves)Challenge Rating: 3Treasure: 50% standardAlignment: Always neutralAdvancement: 5–8 HD (Large); 9-12 HD (Huge)Level Adjustment: —Psipearl (for basic 6 HD Master Clam)Diminutive ConstructHit Dice: 6d10 (22 hp)Initiative: +2 [+6 when in range]Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares), climb 20 ft.*, swim 30 ft.Armor Class: 16 (+4 size, +2 Dex*), touch 16, flat-footed 14Base Attack/Grapple: +0/-17Attack: —Full Attack: —Space/Reach: 1 ft./0 ft.Special Attacks: Deliver touch attacks [Psi-like abilities when in range]Special Qualities: construct traits, hardness 8, psicrystal granted abilities, (deliver touch attacks, improved evasion, personality, self-propulsion, share powers, sighted, telepathic link, telepathic speech)[Blindsight 30 ft., camouflage, construct traits, hardness 8, immunity to mind-affecting effects, naturally psionic, power resistance 16, psicrystal granted abilities, (deliver touch attacks, improved evasion, personality, self-propulsion, share powers, sighted, telepathic link, telepathic speech), scent, telepathy 100 ft. when in range]Saves: Fort +4, Ref +2, Will +8Abilities: Str 1*, Dex 15*, Con –, Int 8, Wis 10, Cha 10[Str 1*, Dex 15*, Con –, Int 13, Wis 16, Cha 14 when in range]Skills: Climb +14*, Concentration +9, Listen +9, Move Silently +6, Search +3, Spot +9, Swim +10[Climb +14*, Concentration +9, Listen +12, Move Silently +6, Search +5, Spot +12, Swim +10 when in range]Feats: Alertness[Alertness, Combat Manifestation (B), Improved Initiative (B), Psicrystal Affinity (B), Psionic Body (B) when in range]Environment: AnyOrganization: SolitaryChallenge Rating: Included with master clamTreasure: NoneAlignment: As master clamAdvancement: —Level Adjustment: —The psipearl gains additional abilities whenever it is within a mile of its master clam.</blockquote>

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