Beholder, Bleeder (CR 8)
Large Aberration
Alignment: Usually lawful evil
Initiative: +6 (+2 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative); Senses: all-around vision, Listen +15, and Spot +15
AC: 21 (-1 size, +2 Dex, +10 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 19
Hit Dice: 10d8+40 (85 hp)
Fort +7, Ref +5, Will +9
Speed: 20 ft., fly 30 ft. (good)
Space: 10 ft./10 ft.
Base Attack +7; Grapple +13
Attack: Tentacle +9 melee
Full Attack: 10 tentacles +9 melee
Damage: Tentacles 1d6+2 and blood drain
Special Attacks/Actions: Blood drain, tentacle grapple, trample (1d6+3)
Abilities: Str 14, Dex 14, Con 18, Int 14, Wis 14, Cha 12
Special Qualities: blood feeding, flight
Feats: Combat Reflexes; Hover; Improved Initiative; Weapon Focus (tentacle)
Skills: Hide +11, Listen +15, Move Silently +15, and Spot +15
Advancement: 11-14 HD (Large); 15-23 HD (Huge)
Climate/Terrain: Cold hills
Organization: Solitary
Treasure/Possessions: Standard
Source:
Dragon #59
Dragon Compendium Vol. 1
Blood Drain (Ex): A bleeder's tentacles deal 1 point of Constitution damage per round that they are attached to a victim. The bleeder drains blood from its victims and gathers it within its body. Keep track of the total Constitution damage a bleeder deals during an encounter, as it uses the blood it drains with its blood feeding ability.
Tentacle Grapple (Ex): A bleeder gains the benefits of improved grapple when it strikes an opponent with its tentacles, with several exceptions. The bleeder does not lose its Dexterity bonus to AC while grappling in this manner. If the specific tentacle used to grapple a victim is severed, the victim breaks free if no other tentacles remain attached to him.
The bleeder cannot make grapple checks to pin, damage, or otherwise use any of the standard options available to a grappler. Instead, it merely continues to drain blood from its victim. The victim can attempt to break free as normal, but he takes a -2 penalty on his grapple check per tentacle attached to him beyond the first.
The bleeder's tentacles are vulnerable to attack. A tentacle is AC 14 (-1 size, +2 Dex, +3 natural) and has 10 hit points. If its hit points are reduced to 0 or less, it is severed. A severed tentacle no longer causes Constitution damage via the blood drain ability. Damage dealt against a tentacle has no effect on the bleeder's overall hit point total.
A bleeder can attack a single opponent with up to four tentacles each round. It cannot bring more than that number to bear against a single foe.
All-Around Vision (Ex): Like its beholder cousins, the bleeder gains a +4 racial bonus on Spot and Search checks and cannot be flanked.
Blood Feeding (Ex): A bleeder uses the blood it absorbs as food. In addition, it can rapidly burn through the blood it absorbed to heal its body. Keep a running total of the points of Constitution that a bleeder has absorbed. A bleeder can "spend" 4 absorbed points of Constitution to regrow a severed tentacle. It can also heals points of damage per point spent.
Spending Constitution damage in this manner is a standard action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity. A bleeder can spend up to 1 point of Constitution per HD per round. The typical bleeder can spend up to io points of Constitution per round.
Flight (Ex): Bleeders fly in a manner similar to gauths and true beholders. This ability grants them a permanent feather fall effect (as the spell) with a personal range.
Bleeders prefer to attack from ambush, particularly if they can strike from above. While bleeders usually attack a foe with their tentacles, their bulky, spherical bodies are suited to trampling opponents. A bleeder uses this attack mode to escape tight quarters.