Protothelid

Created by magical rituals intended to spur the evolvotion of the noethelid race, protothelids are neothelid spawn that incubate inside the bodies of other creatures, transforming their hosts into mere shells to house the growing spawn inside.

“Protothelid” is an acquired template that can be added to any Medium or larger, living, corporeal creature (referred to hereafter as the base creature). A protothelid retains all the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here.

CR: Same as the base creature + 2 (minimum 7).

Alignment: Always neutral evil.

Type: The base creature’s type changes to aberration. The base creature loses any alignment subtype and any subtype that indicates kind. Do not recalculate HD, BAB, or saves.

Senses: A protothelid is blind but gains blindsight 100 feet.

Armor Class: Natural armor improves by +2.

Hit Dice: A protothelid loses all of the base creature’s Hit Dice from class levels, but has a minimum number of racial Hit Dice equal to the base creature’s CR +3 (minimum 8).

Defenses: A protothelid has spell resistance equal to it’s CR +11.

Melee: A protothelid looses any bite attacks it may have and gains four tongue melee attacks. These are primary natural attacks that deal damage as if they were tentacles of the protothelid’s size plus the effects of the grab special ability. Any of the creature’s natural attacks that aren’t tongue attacks become secondary natural attacks.

Special Abilities: A protothelid loses all of the base creature’s class levels and associated class features, but retains all racial special abilities. In addition, a protothelid gains the following:

Breath Weapon (Su) A protothelid that is Large or larger can spew acid in a 30-foot cone once per day. This breath weapon deals 1d6 hit points of acid damage per racial HD possessed by the protothelid (Reflex half; DC 10 + 1/2 creature’s racial HD + creature’s Con modifier).

Grab (Ex) This ability applies whenever the protothelid hits with a tongue attack.

Mutilate (Su) As the worm hound ability described above.

Spell-Like Abilities: A protothelid with an Int or Wis score of 8 or higher has a cumulative number of spell-like abilities set by its HD. CL equals the creature’s HD (or the CL of the base creature’s spell-like abilities, whichever is higher).
1–2 HD: detect thoughts at will
3–4 HD: levitate 3/day
5–6 HD: clairaudience/clairvoyance 3/day
7–8 HD: suggestion 3/day
9–10 HD: charm monster 3/day
11–12 HD: telekinesis 3/day
13–14 HD: teleport 3/day
15–16 HD: levitate at will
17–18 HD: clairaudience/clairvoyance at will
19–20 HD: suggestion at will

Abilities: Increase from the base creature as follows: Int +2, Wis +2, Cha +2.

Skills: A protothelid has skill points per racial Hit Die equal to 4 + its Intelligence modifier. It’s racial class skills become those of the aberration creature type.

Languages: Replace the creature’s languages with Aklo. The creature gains telepathy 100 ft.

A worm hound is an enormous, otherworldly canine whose body is host to a worm-like neothelid spawn. That aberrant parasite serves as the hound’s mind and internal organs. The noethelid spawn that wears the worm hound’s body can extend its tongues out the worm hound’s mouth, and can use these slimy, mutagenic appendages to warp the flesh of its victims.

Distended Worm Hound (CR 10) As the neothelid spawn inside a worm hound grows, the worm hound’s flesh warps and expands, transforming it into a creature called a distended worm hound. A distended worm hound is a worm hound with the giant template.