Mindshredder Larva (CR 1)

Small Aberration
Alignment: Usually lawful evil
Initiative: +5; Senses: darkvision 60 ft. and thought sense 20 ft.
Languages: does not speak, but understands Common and Undercommon


AC: 14 (+1 size, +1 Dex, +2 natural), touch 12, flat-footed 13
Hit Dice: 2d8+4 (13 hp)
Fort +2, Ref +1, Will +4
Speed: 30 ft.
Space: 5 ft./5 ft.
Base Attack +1; Grapple -3
Attack: Tentacle +2 melee or tentacle +2 melee touch
Full Attack: 2 tentacles +2 melee (1d6 plus 1 Wis) or 2 tentacles +2 melee touch
Damage: tentacles 1d6 plus 1 Wis, tentacle touch 1 Wis
Special Attacks/Actions: Wisdom damage
Abilities: Str 11, Dex 13, Con 15, Int 6, Wis 12, Cha 6
Special Qualities: transformation
Feats: Improved Initiative
Skills: Hide +7 and Move Silently +4
Advancement: 3-6 HD (Small)
Climate/Terrain: Underground
Organization: Solitary or pack (2-5)
Treasure/Possessions: None

Source: Monster Manual III

Thought Sense (Su): All mindshredders are sensitive to the thought emanations of living creatures. A mindshredder larva usually does not need to make Spot or Listen checks to pinpoint the location of a living creature with an Intelligence of 3 or higher within 20 feet. Any opponent a mindshredder cannot see still has total concealment against the mindshredder, and the mindshredder still has the normal miss chance when attacking foes that have concealment. A mindshredder is still denied its Dexterity bonus to Armor Class against attacks from creatures it cannot see.

A mindshredder need not have line of effect to a creature to detect it. A mindshredder's thought sense ability can penetrate barriers, but it is blocked by 1 foot of stone, 1 inch of common metal, a thin sheet of lead, or 3 feet of wood or dirt.

Any creature immune to mind-reading effects (such as a character under the effect of mind blank) can't be detected with thought sense.

Wisdom Damage (Su): A mindshredder larva deals hit point damage as well as 1 point of Wisdom damage each time it hits a living creature with a tentacle attack. A mindshredder larva can also use a tentacle to make a touch attack. If successful, the touch attack deals no hit point damage but still deals 1 point of Wisdom damage.

If a mindshredder larva grapples an opponent, that opponent takes an extra 1 point of Wisdom damage at the beginning of each of the mindshredder larva's turns.

For each point of Wisdom damage that a mindshredder larva deals, it heals 2 hit points of damage. If a mindshredder larva is already at its maximum hit point total, it gains 2 temporary hit points for each point of Wisdom damage it deals. These temporary hit points last for a maximum of 1 hour.

Transformation (Ex): Once a mindshredder larva has fed on enough mental energy, it can build a cocoon and transform into a mindshredder warrior. A mindshredder larva must deal 20 points of Wisdom damage before it can build its chrysalis. Building the chrysalis requires one week of work. Once the chrysalis is complete, a larva must remain in the chrysalis for one month. At the end of the month, it emerges from the chrysalis as a mindshredder warrior.

A mindshredder larva's chrysalis has a hardness of 5 and 45 hit points (each chrysalis is 3 inches thick and has 15 hit points per inch of thickness). The hardened resin of a mindshredder larva's chrysalis is pale rose in color. A larva inside a chrysalis is helpless and dies if the chrysalis is destroyed.

A mindshredder larva rushes into combat quickly, battering the nearest foe with its tentacles. Although not smart enough to devise truly sophisticated tactics, a larva attempts to ambush foes when possible. A mindshredder larva is perceptive enough to ascertain when its tentacle attacks are not penetrating the armor of its foe; in such a case, it attempt touch attacks against that foe rather than regular melee attacks.