Fell Flotsam

Bobbing along the surface of the water is a patch of oily blackness, like a piece of the night sky afloat on the waves. Vaguely discernable are lumps and protrusions, as if it were a tangle of bracken and flotsam. It has a slight sheen and, most disturbingly of all, seems to be floating along against the current.

Source Rivers into Darkness pg. 28

A fell flotsam is a hideous undead creature that takes the form of a floating ooze. As such, it shares many ooze characteristics and traits. A fell flotsam is formed from the combined psyches of the deaths of many sentient creatures in some swampy area. These souls merge with the primordial muck and fecund undergrowth of the marsh to create an undead predator of limited intelligence, capable of little more than hunting living creatures in order to consume them and deposit their bleached bones on the floor of swamp pools. The creatures gain no true sustenance from such predations, but each such creature slain allows a little bit of growth in the flotsam, so after many years a fell flotsam might advance to truly prodigious size. Fell flotsam’s prefer sentient prey and often ignore the natural fauna of their swamps unless they have not fed in some time.

Fell Flotsam CR 6

XP 2,400 NE Large undead Init -1; Senses blind, Blindsight 60 ft.; Listen +0, Spot -5

DEFENSE

AC 4, touch 4, flat-footed 4 (-5 Dexterity, -1 size) hp 91 (14d12) Fort +4, Ref -1, Will +6 DR 10/bludgeoning and magic; Immune acid, cold, ooze traits, undead traits; Resist electricity 10, sonic 10

OFFENSE

Speed 10 ft., Climb 10 ft., Swim 40 ft. Melee 2 slams +13 (2d4+6 plus 1d6 acid) Space 10 ft., Reach 5 ft. Special Attacks acid, constrict (4d4+6 plus 1d6 acid), hypnotic pattern, improved grab

STATISTICS

Strength 22, Dexterity 1, Constitution -, Intelligence 2, Wisdom 1, Charisma 16 Base Atk +7; Grapple +17 Feats Ability Focus (hypnotic pattern), Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Stealthy, Weapon Focus (slam) Skills Climb +14, Hide +7 (+15 in water), Listen +0, Move Silently +9, Swim +14; Racial Modifiers +8 Hide (+16 in water), +8 Move Silently

ECOLOGY

Environment tropical marshes Organization solitary Treasure none Advancement 15-18 HD (Large), 19-24 HD (Huge), 25-34 HD (Gargantuan)

Special Abilities

Acid (Ex)   A fell flotsam secretes a powerful acid that dissolves only flesh. Any melee hit or successful grapple check deals acid damage. Constrict (Ex) A fell flotsam deals automatic slam and acid damage with a successful grapple check. Hypnotic Pattern (Su)   As a standard action, a fell flotsam can cause the oily sheen of its surface to swirl and undulate in a strangely compelling manner. This affects anyone who views this display as with a hypnotic pattern spell (caster level 6th). Those who fail a Dc 18 Will save have an overwhelming urge to approach and touch the swirling lights unless prevented by others. Those who approach enter the fell flotsams’ area and allow it to make automatic constrict attacks until the victim is freed or dies. This constrict attack does not allow a new saving throw, as the fascinated individual willingly enters its embrace. The save Dc is Charisma-based. Improved Grab (Ex) To use this ability, a fell flotsam must hit with its slam attack. it can then start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. if it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can constrict.

Environment: Fell flotsams are typically only found in jungle swamps, where both the ever-present danger that creates the requisite number of deaths and the truly prodigious amounts of plant growth can combine in the deep, fermenting muck to spawn such an abomination of undeath.

Typical physical Characteristics: A fell flotsam resembles nothing so much as a 10-foot-diameter oil slick floating on the surface of the water. It is only a few inches thick but weighs around 3,000 pounds due to its compact mass. Though typically smooth in appearance, occasional protuberances resembling broken flotsam and debris press outward through its outer membrane, as if some primordial memory of the jungle wrack from which it is composed occasionally tries to emerge, only to be quickly reabsorbed.