Giant Sea Anemone
Large Animal (Aquatic)
Hit Dice: 7d8+14 (45 hp)
Initiative: -1
Speed: Swim 5 ft. (1 square)
Armor Class: 10 (-1 size, -1 Dex, +2 natural), touch 8, flat-footed 10
Base Attack/Grapple: +5/+10
Attack: Tentacle +5 melee (1d3+1 plus poison)
Full Attack: 100 tentacles +5 melee (1d3+1 plus poison)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft. (30 ft. with tentacle)
Special Attacks: Improved grab, poison, swallow whole
Special Qualities: Blindsense 30 ft., low-light vision
Saves: Fort +5, Ref +3, Will +1
Abilities: Str 13, Dex 9, Con 15, Int 1, Wis 8, Cha 1
Skills: Swim +9
Feats: Ability Focus (poison)(B)
Environment: Any aquatic
Organization: Solitary or colony (50–200)
Challenge Rating: 6
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 8-14 HD (Large); 15-21 HD (Huge)
Level Adjustment: --
This flowerlike creature has a vibrant purple cylindrical body, about 8 feet in diameter. Nearly a hundred brilliant red tentacles surround a slitlike mouth.
The giant sea anemone is essentially a larger and far more dangerous version of its smaller relative. The larger of the two creatures lives in a variety of ocean depths; At depths greater than 50 feet, however, the giant sea anemone is encountered singly. In tidal pools and secluded shorelines, smaller varieties live in colonies numbering from 50-200.
The creature's mouth is nearly 6 feet across and is centered between its tentacles. Most creatures of this species have 100 tentacles, with a rare few having more or less than this amount.
Tentacle color combinations include, but are not limited to purple and red, yellow and pink, blue and gray, green and brown.
An average giant sea anemone is about 8 feet in diameter.
Giant sea anemones do not speak.
Combat
Although it possesses 100 tentacles, a giant sea anenome can only use only three tentacles at once against a Small or Medium opponent. Against larger foes, it can use three additional tentacles for each size category larger than Medium. Against a Tiny or smaller opponent, the creature can use only one tentacle. It can use a maximum of three tentacles against all foes in any single 5-foot square.
An opponent can attack a giant sea anemone's tentacles with a sunder attempt as if they were weapons. A giant sea anemone's tentacles have 4 hit points each. If a giant sea anemone is currently grappling a target with the tentacle that is being attacked, it usually uses another limb to make its attack of opportunity against the opponent making the sunder attempt. Severing one of a giant sea anemone's tentacles deals 2 points of damage to the creature. A giant sea anemone usually withdraws from combat if it loses 25% of its tentacles (usually 25). The creature regrows severed limbs in 1d3 days.
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a giant sea anemone must hit an opponent of any size with a tentacle attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and attaches the tentacle to the opponent's body.
If a giant sea anemone begins its turn with at least one tentacle attached, it can try to attach two additional tentacles with a single grapple check. The opponent can escape with a single successful grapple check or Escape Artist check, but the giant sea anemone gets a +2 circumstance bonus for every tentacle that was attached at the beginning of the opponent's turn.
Once the giant sea anemone has wrapped three tentacles around the character, the creature attempts to swallow the victim whole.
Poison (Ex): Injury (tentacle), Fortitude DC 17, initial damage 1d6 Strength and 1d6 Dexterity, secondary damage 1d6 Strength and 1d6 Dexterity. The save DC is Constitution-based.
Swallow Whole (Ex): A giant sea anemone that begins its turn with three tentacles attached can try to swallow an opponent of a smaller size than itself by making a successful grapple check. Once inside, the opponent takes 2d6 points of crushing damage plus 1d3 points of acid damage per round from the anenome's digestive tract. A swallowed creature can cut its way out by using a light slashing or piercing weapon to deal 15 points of damage to the digestive tract (AC 12). Once the creature exits, muscular action closes the hole; another swallowed opponent must cut its own way out. A Large giant sea anemone's digestive tract can hold 1 Medium, 4 Small, 16 Tiny, 32 Diminutive, or 128 Fine or smaller opponents.
Skills: A giant sea anemone 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.
The giant sea anemone first appeared in Dragon Magazine #116, p. 41.
