Shoggoth (3pp)

This massive clot of luminous black protoplasm surges forward, eyes and mouths and limbs forming and dissolving from its mass in a churning storm. The smell of rot and corruption assaults you, and equally disgusting is the squishy, unwholesome sound of fleshy pustules and tissue forming and breaking apart. It is the sickening sound of birth, growth, and decay all at once.

Shoggoth CR 20

XP 307,200
CE Huge ooze (aquatic)
Init +12; Senses darkvision 120 ft., low-light vision, scent, tremorsense 60 ft.; Perception +26
Aura frightful presence (60 ft., DC 24, 10 rounds)

DEFENSE

AC 36, touch 16, flat-footed 28 (+8 Dex, +20 natural, –2 size)
hp 377 (26d8+260); fast healing 10
Fort +20, Ref +16, Will +23
Defensive Abilities all-around vision, strong-willed; DR 10/—; Immune blindness, charm effects, cold, deafness, ooze traits, sonic; Resist acid 30, cold 30, fire 30; SR 31

OFFENSE

Speed 50 ft., climb 30 ft., swim 50 ft.
Melee 4 pseudopods +32 (3d8+15/19–20 plus grab)
Space 15 ft.; Reach 30 ft.
Special Attacks constrict (3d8+15), consume (4d6+22 bludgeoning damage plus 10d6 acid damage, AC 20, hp 37), deadly blow, tekeli-li, trample (6d6+15, DC 38 plus grab)

STATISTICS

Str 40, Dex 26, Con 31, Int 5, Wis 22, Cha 13
Base Atk +19; CMB +36 (+40 sunder); CMD 54 (56 vs. sunder, can’t be tripped)
Feats Blind-Fight, Combat Reflexes, Critical Focus, Great Fortitude, Greater Sunder, Improved Critical (pseudopod), Improved Initiative, Improved Iron WillB, Improved Sunder, Improved Vital Strike, Iron Will, Power Attack, Staggering Critical, Vital Strike
Skills Climb +26, Perception +26, Swim +29
Languages Aklo
SQ amphibious

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Consume (Ex)

This ability functions like swallow whole, save that the shoggoth may consume a creature as a free action at any time during its turn, not just at the start of its turn. A creature that cuts its way out of a shoggoth leaves no hole in the protoplasmic creature’s body.

Deadly Blow (Ex)

If a shoggoth reduces a creature to fewer than 0 hit points with a pseudopod attack, the creature must make a successful DC 38 Fortitude save or it is instantly slain as the shoggoth plucks off the victim’s head, crushes its torso, or otherwise destroys the creature’s body. The save DC is Strength-based.

Pseudopods (Ex)

A shoggoth can attack with up to four pseudopods in a round. As it attacks, it can decide as a free action if the pseudopod inflicts bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage.

Strong-Willed (Ex)

Unlike most oozes, a shoggoth has a good Will save. It gains Improved Iron Will as a bonus feat.

Tekeli-li (Su)

As a free action, once per round, a shoggoth can give voice to sounds and words sane life was not meant to hear. Each creature in a 60-foot radius must make a successful DC 24 Will save or be confused for 1d8 rounds, during which time the creature suffers a –4 penalty to saves against fear effects. A creature normally immune to fear loses that immunity while affected by tekeli-li. Each round a creature is affected, it takes 1d6 points of Wisdom damage. A creature that saves cannot be affected by this shoggoth’s tekeli-li for 24 hours. This is a sonic mind-affecting effect. The save DC is Charismabased.

Although Alhazred himself claimed that no shoggoths existed in the world, the terrible truth is that these protoplasmic monstrosities have been around for eons, far longer than humanity. Originally created by the elder things as beasts of burden and slaves to aid in the construction of their megalithic cities, the shoggoths gained enough intelligence and will over the generations to rebel against their one-time masters, rising up to destroy the civilization of their creators.

The shoggoths dwell still in these remote ruins, splashing on the midnight shores of hidden oceans or surging through lightless tunnels, and woe be upon those who foolishly stumble upon their domains.

Shoggoths can vary tremendously in size, but a typical shoggoth is around 18 feet across and weighs about 50 tons.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Sandy Petersen’s Cthulhu Mythos, © 2017, Petersen Games; Authors: Sandy Petersen, Arthur Petersen, Ian Starcher.

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