Shoggoth, Proto-

Proto-Shoggoth CR 13

XP 25,600
CE Medium ooze
Init +11; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent; Perception +11

DEFENSE

AC 28, touch 18, flat-footed 20 (+7 Dex, +1 dodge, +10 natural)
hp 187 (15d8+120); fast healing 5
Fort +13, Ref +14, Will +13
Defensive Abilities all-around vision, amorphous; DR 10/—; Immune acid, cold, ooze traits; Resist fire 10, sonic 10; SR 24

OFFENSE

Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft., swim 30 ft.
Melee 2 slams +22 (2d8+10 plus grab and 2d6 acid)
Special Attacks constrict (2d8+10), explosive ambush, suffocate

STATISTICS

Str 31, Dex 25, Con 26, Int 6, Wis 22, Cha 9
Base Atk +11; CMB +21; CMD 39
Feats Dodge, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Mobility, Power Attack, Skill Focus (Disguise), Weapon Focus (slams)
Skills Climb +18, Disguise +7 (+23 when using masquerade), Perception +11, Swim +23; Racial Modifiers +16 Disguise when using masquerade
Languages Aklo, Common
SQ compression, masquerade

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Explosive Ambush (Ex)

When a masquerading protoshoggoth attacks, it explodes from its stolen skin in a hideous assault. This destroys the stolen skin completely.

A proto-shoggoth gains a +4 bonus on its initiative check when it begins a combat in this way. A proto-shoggoth gains a +4 bonus on the attack roll, damage, and grapple check of any attack it makes in a round in which it uses explosive ambush.

Masquerade (Ex)

A proto-shoggoth can masquerade as a Medium creature as long as it has a skin to hide inside. Unless the skin is harvested within a few hours of a creature’s death or magically preserved until the proto-shoggoth puts it on, the proto-shoggoth can only masquerade as an undead version of the creature whose skin it inhabits. While worn, the proto-shoggoth maintains the skin’s integrity, and it does not decay further. A proto-shoggoth can harvest a full skin from a dead creature as a full-round action, and inhabiting a harvested skin is a standard action for a proto-shoggoth.

The proto-shoggoth cannot take violent actions (such as attacking) while wearing a skin, but it can move about normally using its own speed. If the creature it stole the skin from could climb or swim, the proto-shoggoth can climb or swim using its own climb or swim speeds, but it does not gain speeds from stolen skins (for example, it does not gain a fly speed from taking a winged humanoid’s skin).

Suffocate (Ex)

Each time a proto-shoggoth inflicts constrict damage on a creature, the proto-shoggoth has a chance to flow over the victim’s mouth and nose. If the constricted creature fails a DC 25 Reflex save, it cannot speak, cast spells with verbal components, or breathe as long as it remains grappled by the proto-shoggoth. (Use the normal rules for suffocation.) The save DC is Constitution-based.

ECOLOGY

Environment any
Organization solitary, pair, or invasion (3–8)
Treasure standard

The humanoid’s skin splits apart with the nauseating sound of tearing flesh as a monstrous pink mass of pseudopods emerges through a growing rent in its skin. A mass of reeking protoplasm boils forth from the deflated human skin, which slips limply to the ground.

A proto-shoggoth is a creature formed from shoggothlike material: protoplasm more delicate than the standard shoggoth. They can be created in a number of ways, including by directly degenerating normal (even humanoid) tissue to a more primitive state.

Until the moment of its release, the proto-shoggoth attempts to hide its true nature encased with a humanoid skin, often wearing strong leather clothing or even armor to contain its true form. When it attacks, the humanoid form suddenly bursts open, releasing the creature like a geyser of flesh and rage.

In attacking, the proto-shoggoth typically bursts through its human skin in a surprise move, spraying itself over its intended target, and trying to suffocate and otherwise kill. Afterwards, it may gut the target, wearing its victim’s body as a shell to begin the masquerade anew.

The term “proto-shoggoth” is something of a misnomer.

It is indeed a creature formed from shoggoth-like protoplasm, albeit far more delicate. It is less toxic and much weaker proportionally than a true shoggoth, and it also lacks the same mutational power. However, because of its greater “liquidity,” a proto-shoggoth is capable of holding a shape and masquerading as a human, at least when contained within tough clothing and the husk of a living creature. By contrast, with its power, heat, and consumptive enzymes, a true shoggoth would rapidly break through a borrowed skin. Some wicked scholars find this characteristic of a proto-shoggoth immensely useful, and they apply arcane and biological science toward creating and domesticating these entities.

A proto-shoggoth is unable to maintain as large a size as a true shoggoth, and is rarely more than a f e w hundred kilograms in mass. It does not have the brute strength of a shoggoth, and while it can strangle or burn an enemy, it does so less quickly and efficiently.

On the other hand, it can easily squeeze through a pipe or under a door, and it can also mimic the humanoid vocal apparatus with amazing accuracy.

Variant: Shoggoth, Cogent (CR 19)

[Source]

This vast creature resembles a massive floating brain with dozens of green tentacles extending from its central mass. Each of its tentacles ends in a hideous, gulping maw. Electrical impulses course over its surface, perhaps ushering commands to the probing and writhing tendrils, which seem to cavort and flail by some mad design. The whole mass seems to glide effortlessly and must surely be buoyed by supernatural means. The cogent, or world flayers, are insanely powerful beings that occasionally leave the darkness between the stars. While their exact origins are unknown, sages speculate that they are the disembodied brains of elder beings. While normally only found in the darkness between the stars and other non-Euclidian planes of existence, cogent sometimes find their way to other mortal realms via dimensional bleeding and tears.

Most often, they will be encountered in the depths of space, throughout which they travel seeking places to consume. Wherever they appear, they seek to inflict maximum madness and chaos upon all sentient targets.

Type/Subtype Extraplanar; this replaces the shoggoth’s aquatic subtype.

Speed 10 ft., fly 60 ft.; this replaces the shoggoth’s normal speed and amphibious special quality.

Melee 4 bites +30 (3d6+15/19–20 plus mind rot); this replaces a shoggoth’s normal melee attacks.

Mind Drain (Su)

Every bite attack drains 1 point of Wisdom and 1 point of Intelligence from the victim, or 2 points each on a critical hit. The subject must then make a successful Will save DC 31 or suffer from a severe form of madness chosen by the GM. The onset time of this madness is immediate. The cogent heals 5 hit points for every Wisdom point drained. Below is one suggested form of madness. The save DC is Constitution-based.

This replaces the shoggoth’s grab and constrict special attacks.

Severe Teratophobia

Type insanity; save: Will DC varies onset 1 day effect irrational fear of monsters. Target is shaken as long as a monster (non-humanoid creature) is obvious; additionally, if the subject is directly confronted by a monster (he attempts to attack it for example, or the creature attacks one of the subject’s allies), he must make a Will save against the insanity, or become panicked by the monster for 1d6 rounds. If the subject is directly attacked by a monster, he must make a Will save against the insanity, or be cowered by the monster for 1d6+1 rounds.

Mental Degradation (Su)

Prolonged exposure to a cogent and its unnatural existence can have a detrimental effect on the psyche. Every round a creature ends its turn within 300 ft. of a cogent, that creature must make a successful Will save or suffer from a severe form of madness chosen by GM. The onset time of this madness is immediate. The DC for this begins at 11 and increases by 1 each round to an eventual maximum of 31. This is a mind-affecting effect. The maximum save DC is Constitution-based.

Divine Electricity (Ex)

The cogent’s vast synaptic responses carry with it a heavy electrical charge. A cogent’s attacks deal 2d6 electrical damage in addition to damage dealt on a successful hit in melee; +4d6 on a successful critical hit. Half of this damage is divine energy and is not subject to energy resistance or immunity. Creatures that hit a cogent with natural weapons, unarmed attacks, or primarily metal melee weapons take divine electrical damage as though hit by the cogent.

This replaces the shoggoth’s engulf and trample special attacks.

Environment any; this replaces the shoggoth’s cold aquatic or underground

Section 15: Copyright Notice

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

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