Mark Chance
Boingy! Boingy!
DREAD WATCHER
Medium-size Aberration
Hit Dice: 10d8+10 (55 hp)
Initiative: +6 (+2 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative)
Speed: 20 ft., climb 20 ft., fly 60 ft. (perfect)
AC: 20 (+2 Dex, +8 natural)
Attacks: 6 claws +9 melee
Damage: Claw 1d4
Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Claw rays, anti-magic zone, blood drain
Special Qualities: Fly, all-around vision, darkvision 90 ft.
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +5, Will +12
Abilities: Str 10, Dex 15, Con 13, Int 19, Wis 17, Cha 15
Skills: Bluff +9, Climb +8, Knowledge (any two) +11, Listen +12, Search +16*, Sense Motive +10, Spot +17*, Use Magic Device +9
Feats: Alertness, Blind-Fight, Dodge, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Weapon Finesse (claws)
Climate/Terrain: Any underground
Organization: Solitary, pair, or cluster (3-6)
Challenge Rating: _____
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Always lawful evil
Advancement: 11-20 HD (Medium-size), 21-30 HD (Large)
A dread watcher is a tyrannical creature possessed of vast intelligence and great magical power. Alone or with partners of its own kind, a dread watcher is often served by a number of subservient creatures, especially evil humanoids and subterranean magical beasts.
It appears much like an over-sized crab, but its darkly mottled, hard-shelled body is radially symmetrical. It sports six lengthy, segmented appendages spaced evenly around its body, each appendage ending in a pincer of surprising dexterity. Two keen eyes protrude on stalks in the space between each appendage. A dread watcher's underside has dozens of short but strong insectile legs. These legs carry the creature across ground, cave wall, or ceiling with equal ease.
A dread watchers's diet consists of various fungi and lichens as well as liquid blood, which is siphoned from helpless prey via a retractable proboscis. A dread watchers speaks Undercommon. It usually speaks four other languages as well.
COMBAT
A dread watcher avoids direct combat. Its claws are weak and ill-suited for rending a foe. Instead, a dread watcher makes judicious use of its magical powers while its servants directly engage opponents. Should a battle go against a dread watcher, it does not hesitate to retreat in order to heal and plan for a rematch.
Claw Rays (Su): Each of a dread watcher's six claws is capable of projecting a different magical ray. It can bring as many as all six claws to bear in a single round as a free action, either against the same or different targets. When flying, the dread watcher need no worry about facing, for its clawed appendages are long enough and flexible enough to fire in any direction. In all cases, a dread watcher's rays take effect as if cast by a 16th-level sorcerer. When a saving throw against a ray is permitted, the DC is 10 + 1/2 the dread watcher's HD + the dread watcher's Charisma modifier (DC 17 for a standard dread watcher).
The typical claw rays are:
* Anti-Magic Zone: As the 6th-level arcane spell, antimagic field, but creates a stationary 10-ft.-radius in which magic is negated. Range is 60 ft. A dread watcher can have no more than one anti-magic zone in effect at once.
* Cone of Cold: As the 5th-level arcane spell. Inflicts 15d6 points of cold damage in a 65-ft.-long cone. A Reflex save halves damage suffered. Spell resistance applies against this attack.
* Disintegrate: As the 6th-level arcane spell. The dread watcher must make a successful ranged touch attack with a maximum range of 260 ft.
* Dominate Person: As the 5th-level arcane spell with a range 260 ft. A dread watcher cannot have more than one creature dominated at a time. If it dominates a second creature, the first is immediately released from the dread watcher's control.
* Insanity: As the 7th-level arcane spell with a range of 260 ft.
* Telekinesis: As the 5th-level arcane spell. A dread watcher cannot maintain more than one telekinetic effect at a time. If it uses telekinesis for a second effect, the first effect ends immediately.
Blood Drain (Ex): Against a helpless foe as a standard action, a dread watcher can drain blood. Blood drain causes 1d4 points of temporary Constitution damage.
Fly (Su): At will, a dread watcher can fly.
All-Around Vision (Ex): Because of its many eyes, a dread watcher can see in all directions at once. Consequently, it is impossible for a visible creature to flank a dread watcher.
Skills: A dread watcher receives a +4 racial bonus to Search and Spot checks.
Medium-size Aberration
Hit Dice: 10d8+10 (55 hp)
Initiative: +6 (+2 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative)
Speed: 20 ft., climb 20 ft., fly 60 ft. (perfect)
AC: 20 (+2 Dex, +8 natural)
Attacks: 6 claws +9 melee
Damage: Claw 1d4
Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Claw rays, anti-magic zone, blood drain
Special Qualities: Fly, all-around vision, darkvision 90 ft.
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +5, Will +12
Abilities: Str 10, Dex 15, Con 13, Int 19, Wis 17, Cha 15
Skills: Bluff +9, Climb +8, Knowledge (any two) +11, Listen +12, Search +16*, Sense Motive +10, Spot +17*, Use Magic Device +9
Feats: Alertness, Blind-Fight, Dodge, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Weapon Finesse (claws)
Climate/Terrain: Any underground
Organization: Solitary, pair, or cluster (3-6)
Challenge Rating: _____
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Always lawful evil
Advancement: 11-20 HD (Medium-size), 21-30 HD (Large)
A dread watcher is a tyrannical creature possessed of vast intelligence and great magical power. Alone or with partners of its own kind, a dread watcher is often served by a number of subservient creatures, especially evil humanoids and subterranean magical beasts.
It appears much like an over-sized crab, but its darkly mottled, hard-shelled body is radially symmetrical. It sports six lengthy, segmented appendages spaced evenly around its body, each appendage ending in a pincer of surprising dexterity. Two keen eyes protrude on stalks in the space between each appendage. A dread watcher's underside has dozens of short but strong insectile legs. These legs carry the creature across ground, cave wall, or ceiling with equal ease.
A dread watchers's diet consists of various fungi and lichens as well as liquid blood, which is siphoned from helpless prey via a retractable proboscis. A dread watchers speaks Undercommon. It usually speaks four other languages as well.
COMBAT
A dread watcher avoids direct combat. Its claws are weak and ill-suited for rending a foe. Instead, a dread watcher makes judicious use of its magical powers while its servants directly engage opponents. Should a battle go against a dread watcher, it does not hesitate to retreat in order to heal and plan for a rematch.
Claw Rays (Su): Each of a dread watcher's six claws is capable of projecting a different magical ray. It can bring as many as all six claws to bear in a single round as a free action, either against the same or different targets. When flying, the dread watcher need no worry about facing, for its clawed appendages are long enough and flexible enough to fire in any direction. In all cases, a dread watcher's rays take effect as if cast by a 16th-level sorcerer. When a saving throw against a ray is permitted, the DC is 10 + 1/2 the dread watcher's HD + the dread watcher's Charisma modifier (DC 17 for a standard dread watcher).
The typical claw rays are:
* Anti-Magic Zone: As the 6th-level arcane spell, antimagic field, but creates a stationary 10-ft.-radius in which magic is negated. Range is 60 ft. A dread watcher can have no more than one anti-magic zone in effect at once.
* Cone of Cold: As the 5th-level arcane spell. Inflicts 15d6 points of cold damage in a 65-ft.-long cone. A Reflex save halves damage suffered. Spell resistance applies against this attack.
* Disintegrate: As the 6th-level arcane spell. The dread watcher must make a successful ranged touch attack with a maximum range of 260 ft.
* Dominate Person: As the 5th-level arcane spell with a range 260 ft. A dread watcher cannot have more than one creature dominated at a time. If it dominates a second creature, the first is immediately released from the dread watcher's control.
* Insanity: As the 7th-level arcane spell with a range of 260 ft.
* Telekinesis: As the 5th-level arcane spell. A dread watcher cannot maintain more than one telekinetic effect at a time. If it uses telekinesis for a second effect, the first effect ends immediately.
Blood Drain (Ex): Against a helpless foe as a standard action, a dread watcher can drain blood. Blood drain causes 1d4 points of temporary Constitution damage.
Fly (Su): At will, a dread watcher can fly.
All-Around Vision (Ex): Because of its many eyes, a dread watcher can see in all directions at once. Consequently, it is impossible for a visible creature to flank a dread watcher.
Skills: A dread watcher receives a +4 racial bonus to Search and Spot checks.
