The Terror of Blacklight Swamp
Welcome again to Masters and Minions, where I strive to give you interesting NPCs and encounters that can be placed easily into your game. This week’s encounter is with a giant fiendish chuul that has been terrorizing travelers in the Blacklight Swamp. The Blacklight Swamp gets its name from how dark it gets deep in the swamp, and from its abundant population of will-o'-wisps.
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Rogue Talents
Bleeding Attack (Ex): A rogue with this ability can cause living opponents to bleed by hitting them with a sneak attack. This attack causes the target to take 1 additional point of damage each round for each die of the rogue's sneak attack (e.g., 4d6 equals 4 points of bleed). Bleeding creatures take that amount of damage every round at the start of each of their turns. The bleeding can be stopped by a DC 15 Heal check or the application of any effect that heals hit point damage. Bleeding damage from this ability does not stack with itself. Bleeding damage bypasses any damage reduction the creature might possess.
Camouflage (Ex): Once per day, a rogue with this talent can craft simple but effective camouflage from the surrounding foliage. The rogue needs 1 minute to prepare the camouflage, but once she does, it is good for the rest of the day or until the rogue fails a saving throw against an area effect spell that deals fire, cold, or acid damage, whichever comes first. The rogue gains a +4 bonus on Stealth checks while within terrain that matches the foliage used to make the camouflage. This ability cannot be used in areas without natural foliage.
Paralytic Tentacles (Ex)
A chuul can transfer a grappled victim from a claw to its tentacles as a move action. The tentacles grapple with the same strength as the claw but deal no damage, instead exuding a paralytic secretion. Anyone held in the tentacles must succeed on a DC 24 Fortitude save each round on the chuul's turn or be paralyzed for 6 rounds. The save DC is Constitution-based. While held in the tentacles, paralyzed or not, a victim automatically takes 2d6+15 points of damage each round from the creature's mandibles.
Tactics
The Blacklight Terror attacks from the water’s edge, attempting to drag unsuspecting victims into the water. If it suspects an opponent is good-aligned, it uses its smite good or its unholy blight spell-like ability. If it is brought to under a quarter of its hit points, it attempts to flee by using its darkness spell-like ability.