Shoosuva (CR 8)
Large Undead (Extraplanar)
Alignment: Always chaotic evil
Initiative: +7; Senses: Listen +22 and Spot +22
AC: 26 (-1 size, +7 Dex, +10 natural), touch 16, flat-footed 19
Hit Dice: 18d12 (117 hp); DR: 10/cold iron and good
Fort +6, Ref +13, Will +12
Speed: 40 ft.
Space: 10 ft./5 ft.
Base Attack +9; Grapple +20
Attack: Bite +15 melee
Full Attack: Bite +15 melee
Damage: Bite 1d8+10/15-20/x3 plus creeping paralysis
Special Attacks/Actions: Augmented criticals, creeping paralysis
Abilities: Str 25, Dex 24, Con -, Int 14, Wis 12, Cha 18
Special Qualities: improved evasion, SR 21, turn resistance +4, undead traits
Feats: Combat Expertise; Combat Reflexes; Dodge; Improved Critical (bite); Mobility; Spring Attack; Whirlwind Attack
Skills: Intimidate +25, Knowledge (religion) +23, Listen +22, Move Silently +28, Ride +24, and Spot +22
Advancement: 19-30 HD (Large), 31-42 HD (Huge), 43-54 HD (Gargantuan)
Climate/Terrain: Infinite Layers of the Abyss
Organization: Solitary, pack (2-8), or cult (shoosuva plus 2-8 3rd-level gnoll rangers plus 1-4 5th-level gnoll clerics)
Treasure/Possessions: Standard
Source:
Dungeon #112
Augmented Critical (Ex): The shoosuva's bite attack threatens a critical hit on a result of 58-20 and deals X3 damage on a successful critical hit. Most shoosuvas further enhance their bite by taking the Improved Critical (bite) feat, which increases their threat range to 15-20.
Creeping Paralysis (Su): A creature bitten by a shoosuva must make a successful Fortitude saving throw (DC 23) or become afflicted with the creeping paralysis of the shoosuva. Upon becoming afflicted, the victim immediately takes 2 points of Strength drain and 2 points of Dexterity drain. On each round that follows, the victim takes an additional 2 points of Strength and Dexterity drain. Upon reaching 0 in either score, the victim becomes paralyzed until magic is used to restore any ability scores at 0 to at least 1. However, the power of the creeping paralysis is such that it persists even then, and on the round after being restored the victim starts taking Strength and Dexterity drain again. A remove paralysis spell can remove the creeping paralysis effect, but only if the caster makes a successful level check (DC 23), but this does not restore any drained ability scores. Heal automatically removes the creeping paralysis. The save DC is Charisma-based.
Improved Evasion (Ex): If a shoosuva makes a successful Reflex save against an attack that normally deals damage on a successful saving throw, it instead takes no damage. Even if it fails the saving throw, it takes only half damage from the attack.
A shoosuva is a savage combatant, and prefers to hurl itself into the midst of melee and lash out with its terrible bite.
These undead often deliberately surround themselves; they have no fear of suffering sneak attack damage since they are undead, and can use their Whirlwind Attack feat to great effect in such situations.
Yeenoghu long ago developed the demonic undead known as the shoosuva (translated to "returner" from the gnoll tongue) for use as an intermediary between him and his clerics. He vested in the shoosuva many of the traits of his other form of favored undead - the ghoul. Gnolls speak only rarely of the shoosuvas, and believe that they are the incarnations of the spirits of the greatest of Yeenoghu's shamans.
A shoosuva is usually encountered in one of two ways on the Material Plane. Powerful gnoll spellcasters can conjure them using spells like greater planar binding and greater planar ally to do their will. And rarely, Yeenoghu sends a shoosuva pack to a particularly favored gnoll cleric to provide support and advice in times of need.
Shoosuvas speak Common, Abyssal, and Gnoll.
Extraplanar Subtype
A subtype applied to any creature when it is on a plane other than its native plane. A creature that travels the planes can gain or lose this subtype as it goes from plane to plane. This book assumes that encounters with creatures take place on the Material Plane, and every creature whose native plane is not the Material Plane has the extraplanar subtype (but would not have when on its home plane). An extraplanar creatures usually has a home plane mentioned in its description. These home planes are taken from the Great Wheel cosmology of the D&D game (see Chapter 5 of the Dungeon Master's Guide). If your campaign uses a different cosmology, you will need to assign different home planes to extraplanar creatures.
Creatures not labeled as extraplanar are natives of the Material Plane, and they gain the extraplanar subtype if they leave the Material Plane. No creature has the extraplanar subtype when it is on a transitive plane; the transitive planes in the D&D cosmology are the Astral Plane, the Ethereal Plane, and the Plane of Shadow.