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Message: <blockquote data-quote="BOZ" data-source="post: 940310" data-attributes="member: 1241">MURSKAMURSKALarge Vermin (Extraplanar)Hit Dice: 7d8+21 (52 hp)Initiative: +1 (Dex)Speed: 30 ftAC: 18 (-1 size, +1 Dex, +8 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 17Attacks: Bite +8 melee (BAB +4)Damage: Bite 2d12+6Face/Reach: 10 ft /5 ftSpecial Attacks: Improved grab, gnaw 2d6+4, thrashSpecial Qualities: Molt, absorb mind, immune to gases, fire resistance 20, cold vulnerability, vermin traitsSaves: Fort +8, Ref +3, Will +2Abilities: Str 18, Dex 13, Con 17, Int ---, Wis 10, Cha 9Skills: Disguise +1, Hide +5, Listen +4, Spot +4Climate/Terrain: Any land and underground (Pandemonium)Organization: Colony (2-5)Challenge Rating: 6Treasure: NoneAlignment: Always chaotic evilAdvancement: 8-14 HD (Large); 15-28 HD (Huge)The murska is a ravenous hunter of the windswept plains of Pandemonium that wears the husked off skins of its victims.  Normally it appears as a large greenish-gold beetle beast, but it is rarely seen that way by living creatures.  The murska is able to absorb some of the physical properties of its latest meal, though the result is always distorted and artificial-looking.  The murska only likes to hunt at night or in darkness to better hide the misshapen parody of its victim.   The murska has no set nest or territory, and will follow its prey for miles.  It will attack anything human-sized or larger, though it ignores howlers due to their painful quills.  Starving murska will even turn on each other.COMBATMurskas hunt constantly in small cooperative groups, and are hardly ever encountered alone.  They attack in a coordinated fashion, circling and surrounding their prey.  They rarely fight to the death, but attempt to grab a victim and drag it away.  Murskas attack by biting with their eating mandibles, then gnawing on prey with the series of small razor-sharp teeth of their grinding mandibles.  A victim can break free on its own, but it requires all of its effort to do so; the victim can take no other actions that require movement.     A murska does not need to feed constantly, though it will often gorge itself and hide until it gets hungry again.  If it absorbs an intelligent creature, the murska becomes intelligent for a time.  Rumors persist of murska who have gained self-awareness after becoming accustomed to intelligent victims, and seek out sentient prey.   Improved Grab (Ex): If a murska hits an opponent with its bite attack, it deals normal damage and attempts to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity (grapple bonus +8).  If it gets a hold, it begins to gnaw on the opponent.  Thereafter, the murska has the option to conduct the grapple normally, or it can simply use its bite to hold the opponent (-20 penalty on grapple check, but the murska is not considered grappled).  In either case, each successful grapple check it makes during successive rounds automatically deals gnawing damage.   Gnaw (Ex): If a murska holds a victim in place at the beginning of the round, it deals 2d6+4 points of damage to the victim.  If the murska kills a victim this way, it can molt its carapace.   Thrash (Ex): If a victim’s companions attempt to aid in his escape, the murska will thrash the victim’s body about, causing 1d6 points of bludgeoning damage to all who are within melee range (Reflex save DC 17 to avoid), and an additional 2d6 points of damage to the victim automatically.   Molt (Ex): Murskas assume the form of their latest meal, if that creature was Medium-Size or larger.  The beetle beast constantly grows and sheds its old skin, and the victim’s skin comes through as the murska’s carapace molts away.  This new skin is stretched grotesquely over the monster’s shell, and appears misshapen and blobby.  In this form, the murska’s carapace lacks some firmness and the creature suffers a –2 penalty to AC, but gains a +2 bonus to Disguise checks.   This form persists for one day per Hit Die of the victim.   Absorb Mind (Su): The murska is normally mindless, but it temporarily gains some of the mental aspects of its most recent victim.  It gains some of the victim’s personality and memories, at least enough to fool unsuspecting associates of sentient victims.  Though it is still essentially mindless, it holds onto the victim’s nature and knowledge and behaves like a mixture of both the beetle and the other creature.  It gains no spells, skills, psionics, or class abilities from intelligent creatures.  This stolen mentality lasts until the victim’s skin molts completely away.   Vulnerable to Cold (Ex): Murskas are especially vulnerable to cold, and suffer a –2 penalty to saving throws against all cold-based attacks.   Vermin Traits: A murska is immune to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects).  It also has darkvision (60-foot range). The murska first appeared in Planes of Chaos (1994).</blockquote>

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