View source for Elder Thing (3.5e Monster)

=== Combat ===

An elder thing usually shuns combat, leaving its creations or slaves to do that task for it.  When forced into combat it uses its mobility, toughness, and spell-like abilities to sling attacks from afar and keep out of danger. 

'''Alien Biology {{Ex}}:'''  Elder things possess a most unusual biology which differs from their xenotheric and outsider traits.  They do not need to breath, but do eat and sleep.  However they can survive for months without food, and longer when hibernating.  Their bizarre anatomy gives them 50% fortification against attacks.  Their blindsight and blindsense functions like ''[[SRD:Touchsight|touchsight]]'' and does not require hearing.  They can survive the rigors of space and deep ocean and never take radiation or pressure damage.  Their radial bodies provide a +8 racial bonus on balance checks.  Finally they can fly as an extraordinary effect, even if the atmosphere lacks air.  They seem to swim through the currents of space itself.

'''All-Around Vision {{Ex}}:'''  An elder thing sees in all directions and cannot be flanked, but it takes a -4 penalty to gaze attacks.

'''Bio-Energy {{Ex}}:'''  As xenotheric creatures, elder things have a bio-energy pool equal to 3 + their [[constitution]] modifier.  They can use this bio-energy on their genetic engineering ability and various xenotheric feats.  It recharges at a rate of 1 point per minute, unless it is bio-energy burn.  Bio-energy burn is restored after 8 hours of rest.

'''Enemy of the Far {{Ex}}:'''  Elder things have had several incidents and intimate  knowledge of beings from the Far Realm.  They receive a +4 dodge bonus and +1 to attack and damage against creatures hailing from the Far Realm, aboleths, illithids, beholders, gricks, neogi, and tsochari and related species.

'''Genetic Engineering {{Su}}:'''  Elder things excel at genetic engineering and can do so with a touch.  Genetic engineering comes in two forms, the quick way and the long way.

The quick function allows an elder thing to temporary apply the effects of a template to a pre-existing creature.  For 4 bio-energy points, an elder thing can make a touch attack as a full-round action and provide the effects of an valid LA 1 template.  For each additional 4 bio-energy points it can make another LA of adjustment.  The effects last for 1 minute/level before the biological changes rot away.  The creature is left sickened for 1 hour afterward.

The long function allows the elder thing to take a piece of living tissue from a creature and encase it in an ectoplasmic egg.  Then they may grow a newborn creature over the course of 1 month.  To grow a creature, they take bio-energy burn equal to the CR of the creature being produced every day for 1 month.  If they do not apply the required bioenergy to the egg for 1 week, the tissue sample and creature inside dies.

Typically pre-existing creatures are created, but with sufficient time and research new species may be generated.  Newborn creatures typically are friendly to their creators but are not necessarily under mind control.  It is believed several species were generated through this method, one which is known as a "shoggoth".

'''Hibernation {{Ex}}:'''  As a full-round action an elder thing can enter a state of hibernation.  When in this state it cannot move or act, does not need to eat, and only retains a dim awareness of its surroundings.  In this state it gains hardness 20, is immune to cold and fire damage, and is immune to spells which do not function on objects.  It can awaken from its stupor over the course of 1 minute.  Typically during long space flights, they accelerate, then hibernate until they approach the system in question.  An elder thing can hibernate forever if it so chose.

'''Spell-Like Abilities {{Sp}}:'''  At will- ''[[SRD:Arcane Mark|arcane mark]]'', ''[[SRD:Continual Flame|continual flame]]'', ''[[SRD:Detect Magic|detect magic]]'', ''[[SRD:Detect Thoughts|detect thoughts]]'', ''[[SRD:Dream|dream]]'', ''[[SRD:Hypnotic Pattern|hypnotic pattern]]'', ''[[SRD:Identify|identify]]'', ''[[SRD:Magic Missile|magic missile]]'', ''[[SRD:Major Creation|major creation]]'', ''[[SRD:Move Earth|move earth]]''; 3/day- ''[[SRD:Animal Growth|animal growth]]'', ''[[SRD:Baleful Polymorph|baleful polymorph]]'', ''[[SRD:Charm Monster|charm monster]]'', ''[[SRD:Feeblemind|feeblemind]]'', ''[[SRD:Flesh to Stone|flesh to stone]]'', ''[[SRD:Greater Dispel Magic|greater dispel magic]]'', ''[[SRD:Stone to Flesh|stone to flesh]]'', ''[[SRD:Suggestion|suggestion]]''; 1/day-''[[SRD:Antipathy|antipathy]]'', ''[[SRD:Banishment|banishment]]'', ''[[SRD:Blink|blink]]'', ''[[SRD:Detect Scrying|detect scrying]]'', ''[[SRD:Dimensional Lock|dimensional lock]]'', ''[[SRD:Explosive Runes|explosive runes]]'', ''[[SRD:Hold Monster|hold monster]]'', ''[[SRD:Phase Door|phase door]]'', ''[[SRD:Plane Shift|plane shift]]'', ''[[SRD:Scrying|scrying]]'', ''[[SRD:Symbol of Insanity|symbol of insanity]]'', ''[[SRD:Symbol of Persuasion|symbol of persuasion]]'', ''[[SRD:Sympathy|sympathy]]''; 1/month- ''[[SRD:Binding|binding]]'', ''[[SRD:Contact Other Plane|contact other plane]]'', ''[[SRD:Clone|clone]]'', ''[[SRD:Guards and Wards|guards and wards]]''.  Unlike most spell-like abilities, the save DC is [[Intelligence]] based.

'''Star Flight {{Ex}}:'''  Elder things do not require an atmosphere to fly.  When flying in a vacuum, its speed is potentially unlimited, up to just under the speed of light.  Each round it accelerates it continues moving at the speed it was moving last round allowing it to move 60 feet, then 120 feet, then 180 feet, and so on until it reaches the desires speed.  Slowing down is just moving in the opposite direction.



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[[Category:3.5e]]
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[[Category:Monster]]

{{Navboxes}}
Alignment	Usually Neutral +
Author	Eiji-kun +
Challenge Rating	10 +
Environment	Any +
Identifier	3.5e Monster +
Level Adjustment	— +
Rating	Undiscussed +
Size	Large +
Subtype	Aquatic + and Xenotheric +
Title	Elder Thing +
Type	Outsider +