Cloaker Lord (CR 7)
Huge Aberration
Alignment: Usually chaotic neutral
Initiative: +5 (+1 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative); Senses: darkvision 60 ft., Listen +15, and Spot +15
AC: 17 (-2 size, +1 Dex, +8 natural), touch 9, flat-footed 16
Hit Dice: 9d8+45 (85 hp)
Fort +8, Ref +6, Will +9
Speed: 10 ft., fly 50 ft. (average)
Space: 15 ft./10 ft. (5 ft. with bite)
Base Attack +6; Grapple +22
Attack: Tail slap +12 melee, bite +7 melee
Full Attack: Tail slap +12 melee, bite +7 melee
Damage: Tail slap 2d6+8, bite 2d4+4
Special Attacks/Actions: Moan, engulf spellcasting, dominate dual
Abilities: Str 26, Dex 13, Con 20, Int 15, Wis 17, Cha 15
Special Qualities: Shadow shift, plane shift, SR 15
Feats: Blind-fight; Combat Reflexes; Combat Expertise; Improved Initiative; Lightning Reflexes
Skills: Hide +5, Knowledge (arcana) +16, Listen +15, Move Silently +13, Spellcraft +18, and Spot +15
Advancement: By character class
Climate/Terrain: Underground
Organization: Solitary or swarm (1 plus 2-7 cloakers)
Treasure/Possessions: Standard
Source:
Monster Compendium: Monsters of Faerûn
Moan (Ex): As a free action, a cloaker lord can emit a dangerous subsonic moan at will, as long as it does not use its bite attack in the same round. By varying the frequency and intensity of the moan, a cloaker lord can create one of four different effects:
Unnerve: All within 90 feet of the cloaker lord suffer a -2 morale penalty on attack and damage rolls. Those forced to hear this sound for 6 consecutive rounds must make a Will save (DC 16) or enter a trance and become unable to attack or defend themselves until the moaning stops. Opponents who successfully save must repeat the save next round if the moaning continues.
Fear: All those within 40 feet of the cloaker lord must make a Will save (DC 16) or flee in terror for 2 rounds.
Nausea: Everyone in a 40-foot cone must attempt a Fortitude save (DC 16) or be overcome by nausea and weakness. Affected characters fall to the ground and are unable to take any actions, including defending themselves, for 1d4+1 rounds.
Stupor: A single individual no more than 50 feet from the cloaker lord must make a Fortitude save (DC 16) or be affected as by a hold monster spell for 6 rounds. A cloaker lord can affect only one victim at a time with this ability, so if it decides to affect one character while another is still under the effect of the stupor, the previous effect is canceled.
Engulf (Ex): A cloaker lord can try to wrap a foe of large size or smaller in its body. The cloaker lord makes a grapple attack that does not provoke an attack of opportunity. If the cloaker lord achieves a hold, it is free to use its whip like tail to strike at other targets while it gnaws on an engulfed victim. The cloaker lord can bite the engulfed foe with a +4 attack bonus.
Attacks made on an engulfing cloaker lord deal half their damage to the monster and half to the trapped victim.
Spellcasting: Cloaker lords have the spellcasting ability of 9th-level wizards, and this ability improves as they increase in size and Hit Dice. They are considered specialists in spells of the shadow sub-school, including the following spells:
1st - chill touch, ray of enfeeblement, sleep; 2nd - blur, darkness, scare, spectral hand; 3rd - gaseous form, nondetection, phantom steed; 4th - enervation, Evard's black tentacles, feat minor creation, shadow conjuration; 5th - greater shadow conjuration, major creation, passwall, shadow evocation; 6th - greater shadow evocation, shades; 7th - phase door, shadow walk; 8th - etherealness, maze; 9th - energy drain.
Cloaker lords cast all their spells with verbal components only.
Dominate Cloakers (Ex): Cloaker lords have a natural power of domination over ordinary cloakers, allowing them to rule as the unquestioned leaders in cloaker communities.
Shadow Shift (Su): Cloaker lords have the ability to manipulate shadows. This power is effective only in shadowy areas and has several possible effects:
Obscure Vision: The cloaker gains one-quarter concealment for 1d4 rounds.
Dancing Images: This duplicates the effect of a mirror image spell cast by a 9th-level sorcerer.
Silent Image: This duplicates the effect of a silent image spell cast by a 9th-level sorcerer.
Plane Shift (Sp): Cloaker lords can travel to and from the Plane of Shadow at will. Once per day, they can bring up to seven cloakers along with them on such a journey, as the spell plane shift.
Cloaker lords initially use their moan attack to thin the numbers of their opponents. With some opponents fleeing, nauseated, or held, the cloaker lord chooses the most dangerous or powerful remaining opponent (usually a wizard) and tries to engulf that character, while fighting off other attackers with its thick-muscled, bone-barbed tail.