The stink of rotten meat surrounds this multilegged creature with a segmented, 10-foot-long body. Eight writhing tentacles protrude from its head, growing directly from above its clacking mandibles and tooth-filled maw.

Carrion crawlers are aggressive subterranean scavengers, greatly feared for their paralyzing attacks. They scour their underground territory for dead and decaying flesh but won’t hesitate to attack and kill living creatures.

Each of a carrion crawler’s tentacles is about 2 feet long and secretes a sticky, paralyzing substance. Like so many hybrid monsters, the carrion crawler may well be the result of arcane experimentation. A carrion crawler weighs about 500 pounds.

Combat

Carrion crawlers use their senses of sight and smell to detect carcasses and potential prey. When attacking, a crawler lashes out with its tentacles and tries to paralyze its victim. The tentacles deal no other damage. The creature then kills the paralyzed victim with its bite and devours the flesh. Multiple crawlers do not fight in concert, but each paralyzes as many opponents as possible. The unintelligent creature continues to attack as long as it faces any moving opponents.

Carrion crawler

Large aberration

Init +2; Senses darkvision, scent; Perception +9

Defense

AC 17, touch 11, flat-footed 15 (−1 size, +2 Dex, +6 natural)

hp 22 (3d8+9)

Fort +3, Ref +3, Will +5

Offense

Speed 30 ft., climb 15 ft.

Melee 8 tentacles +3 (paralysis), bite +3 (1d4+1)

Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft.

Statistics

Str 14, Dex 15, Con 14, Int 1, Wis 15, Cha 6

Base Atk +2; CMB +5; CMD 17

Feats Combat Reflexes, Skill Focus (Perception)

Skills Climb +14, Perception +9

Morale fearless (n/a)

Ecology

Environment underground

Organization solitary, pair, or cluster (1d3+2)

Special Abilities

Paralysis (Ex)

Those hit by a carrion crawler’s tentacle attack must succeed on a DC 13 Fortitude save or be paralyzed for 2d4 rounds. The save DC is Constitution-based.