Proto-Shoggoth

Proto-Shoggoth CR 11

XP 12,800
N Medium ooze (mythos)
Init +7; Senses all-around vision, low-light vision, tremorsense 60 ft.; Perception +3

DEFENSE

AC 25, touch 17, flat-footed 18 (+7 Dex, +8 natural)
hp 138 (12d8+84); fast healing 5
Fort +13, Ref +11, Will +9
DR 5/—; Immune blindness, cold, deafness, disease, infestation, mind-affecting effects, ooze traits, sonic; Resist acid 10, electricity 10, fire 10; SR 22

OFFENSE

Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft., swim 30 ft.
Melee 4 slams +17 (1d6+8 plus grab)
Special Attacks constrict (1d6+8), create spawn, infect flesh

STATISTICS

Str 26, Dex 24, Con 25, Int —, Wis 16, Cha 1
Base Atk +9; CMB +17; CMD 34
Feats Great Fortitude B, Iron Will B
Skills Climb +16, Swim +16
SQ compression, merge

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Create Spawn (Ex)

A creature that dies while suffering from a proto-shoggoth’s infect flesh ability, either from the effects of the infection itself or from any other source, becomes a potential host for a new proto-shoggoth. Only 2d6 hours after death, as long as the majority of the creature’s body remains relatively intact, a new proto-shoggoth tears itself out of the corpse. This destroys the old body, preventing spells like speak with dead or raise dead from functioning on the remains.

A creature slain by an effect such as disintegrate that leaves no body behind can’t spawn a proto-shoggoth. Likewise, if an infected body is completely destroyed by fire, acid, or any similar effect, it can’t spawn a proto-shoggoth. A body infected with proto-shoggoth material is not contagious—it can’t infect other creatures through contact.

Infect Flesh (Ex)

When a living creature takes damage from a proto-shoggoth’s constrict ability, the monster infects the creature’s flesh with its alien enzymes. The victim can resist this infection with a successful DC 23 Fortitude save. Otherwise, the creature becomes sickened as microscopic fragments of proto-shoggoth tissue infest the victim, slowly transforming it from the inside into proto-shoggoth material. In addition to being sickened as long as the creature remains infected, it must succeed at an additional DC 23 Fortitude save once every 24 hours or it takes 1d4 points of Constitution drain as its body begins to consume itself. This is an infestation effect.

An infestation is similar to a disease, but it can be cured only through specific means; no matter how many saving throws a target succeeds at, the infestation continues to affect the target. While remove disease or similar spells can halt the progress of this infected flesh as if it were a disease, immunity to disease offers no protection. Application of negative energy can halt this infestation as well; each time an infected creature is reduced to negative hit points by such an effect, the victim can attempt a new DC 23 Fortitude save. On a success, the infection immediately ends as the negative energy scours the proto-shoggoth material out of the victim’s body. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Merge (Ex)

As a full-round action that provokes attacks of opportunity, two proto-shoggoths can merge together in an attempt to fuse. In order to do so, each proto-shoggoth must succeed at a DC 25 Fortitude save—if either fails, both protoshoggoths become staggered for 1d6 rounds. Those two protoshoggoths are then incompatible, and can never again attempt to merge with each other, although the individual protoshoggoths can attempt to do so with other proto-shoggoths in the future. If both proto-shoggoths succeed at the Fortitude save, they immediately merge together and form a Large protoshoggoth syncytium (see the stat block below).

ABOUT

Environment any
Organization solitary or mass (2–8)
Treasure incidental

Half-formed eyes, toothless mouths, gaping throats, and countless other malformed organs constantly form and dissolve over this monster’s surface.