Cawtrid
Cawtrid (CR 15)
Cawtrids are an odd aberration that are believed to inundate the small extra-dimensional gaps between the Prime Material and other planes. Those few who have seen them have always claimed that they were everywhere and innumerable. It is not known what causes Cawtrids to take an interest in beings on the Prime Material, but attacks do happen, typically leaving the victims raving with incurable madness. Whether this is caused by the psychic damage inflicted by the Cawtrids, or by the glimpses of the tattered holes in our reality leading to the Outer Madness is also unknown.
Cawtrids are invisible nearly all of the time, so most people have no idea that they move through a sea of these creatures every day.
GENERAL
CR 15 Hit Dice 22
XP 51,200
NE Small Aberration
Init +7; Senses Weak Blindsense 30 ft., Perception +23
DEFENSE
AC 37, touch 21, flat-footed 31 (+10 armor, +6 dex, +6 natural, +5 deflection)
hp 328
Fort +14, Ref +14, Will +18
Aura: -
SR: -
Special Defenses: Greater Invisibility (see below)
Immunities: -
Weaknesses: -
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft.
Space / Reach: 5 ft. / 5 ft.
Single Melee Probiscus +24 (3d8+15/x2 non-lethal piercing damage) plus Fevered Visions
Full Melee Probiscus +24 (3d8+15/x2 non-lethal piercing damage) plus Fevered Visions, 2x Unguis +24 (3d6+3/x2 non-lethal piercing damage)
Ranged Sensile Intrusion +18 ranged touch (3d8+8 non-lethal piercing damage) plus Fevered Visions (max range 100 ft.)
Special Attacks Greater Invisibility, Fevered Visions
Action Points 0
STATISTICS
Str 11, Dex 10, Con 11, Int 36, Wis 22, Cha 25
Base Atk +15; CMB +24; CMD 32
Feats -
Skills Stealth +23 (+43 when invisible)
Languages Telepathic (all languages)
SPECIAL ABILITIES
- Greater Invisibility
Cawtrids are invisible at all times, granting them +20 to stealth checks and total concealment (50% miss chance) against creatures which rely on visual senses to target in combat. However, this invisibility is pierced by anyone suffering from the Confused status condition. Those rendered insane by Fevered Visions are also able to see Cawtrids.
- Fevered Visions
A creature hit by a Cawtrid's probiscus or by its Sensile Intrusion attack are assaulted with a frenzy of sights, sounds, smells and tastes, which urge the victim to perform impossible acts, or comprehend things they were not meant to know. Such creatures must make a Will save, DC 23, or suffer 1d4 points of Intelligence drain and become Baffled until the end of the Combat. Those who succeed on the save are still inundated with a rush of bizarre images, sounds and confusing lights, causing them to be Dazzled until the end of the combat. A creature who is already Baffled who fails another save instead becomes Confused. Note that Confused creatures can ignore a Cawtrid's invisibility.
Any creature who has failed at least one save from Fevered Visions may voluntarily make themselves Confused, giving in to the irrational flood of impossible ideas and urges which flood their mind. This surrender allows them to more effectively fight the Cawtrids, but at a terrible cost. The Confused state persists for 1d10 minutes.
The Intelligence drain recovers at the rate of 1 point per day, unless restored via magic, such as a Lesser Restoration spell. Any creature reduced to 0 Intelligence by a Cawtrid's Fevered Visions is rendered permanently insane, which can only be cured via a Greater Restoration spell, even if their Intelligence is restored through healing. Insane creatures have the Baffled condition at all times, and GM's are encouraged to come up with one or two other traits the character must endure (such as a powerful delusion, or synesthesia, etc.) until they are cured.
TREASURE
sell value of approximately 18,750 gp
COMBAT TACTICS
Cawtrids are inscrutable monsters that live in multiple planes of existence at once. They do not eat, sleep or breathe as we would define such things, and they don't have any apparent needs that anyone has been able to determine. However, occasionally, a hapless group of people will suddenly provoke a group of Cawtrids into violence. Such attacks are probably rare, though, since many of the victims of these attacks are rendered insane, it is possible they are more common than most experts believe. Certainly, these ravening madmen claim that Cawtrids are everywhere, all the time, which, if true, suggests they are usually non-violent.
Once provoked, they set upon the offenders with fierce efficiency. They are highly intelligent and will fight from range if possible. If an opponent somehow closes to melee with them, they will use full attacks to defend themselves.
Cawtrids don't experience fear as we would define it, and won't typically run from a fight that they can't win. However, in some cases, they have been known to disengage as if signaled by something no one could perceive (this has occurred even when their victory was certain).
Cawtrids never kill their victims. Even though their attacks deal damage, it is all non-lethal. Instead, Cawtrids will linger over an unconscious victim long enough to fully drain its Intelligence and ensure it becomes permanently insane. It is speculated that the fevered imaginings of the insane victims helps the Cawtrids in some way, or perhaps placates their violent tendencies for a time.