Tar Fiend

Description

Erupting out of the ground in a large circle is a ring of charred yellow bones, all covered in an oily-black goo. The structure begins to slowly advance in a chaotic mass, the bones grinding and scraping against each other.

The tar fiend are usually oily black in color, though red tar fiends have been known to exist. While the body of this ooze is amorphous, it is capable of amalgamating the skeletons of its prey and using the bones to provide a structure. The amalgamated skeletal structure of the tar fiend is either hidden directly under a thin blanket of sand or appears as a mound of dry burnt bones. The bulk of an older tar fiends' ever-growing body lies underground. The young lesser tar fiends wander aimlessly and can easily be mistaken for an undead creature.

The body of an adult tar fiend extends underground and spreads out sometimes covering a distance of one square acre. Without a skeletal structure the body is largely inactive. It can take eight hours for the tar fiend to move its skeleton to any one place in a body this large. Movement is very limited due to this factor.

Tar fiends are very sensitive to vibration, sound and heat. They lack eyes and a centralized nervous system. Incapable of thought, they operate purely on instinct. Hunger drives them as well as a need for more skeletal structure. Structure is required for successful asexual reproduction.

A mass of this monster found without a skeletal structure supporting it is called a tar pudding and is very close to harmless. Contact for 10 rounds causes 1d4 damage per round until removal or death, following a failed DC 12 Reflex save. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Once a tar fiend has surpassed the Colossal size and age it develops a kind of intelligence that can be communicated with through telepathy or other methods.

Combat

As with most puddings, the tar fiend primarily uses innate camouflage and surprise to overwhelm its victims. Laying in wait just under the surface of a dune, a tar fiend can launch an attack at just the moment a hapless desert wanderer unknowingly crosses into striking distance. Some tar fiends are known to use the lure of the remnants of a previous meal to draw starving scavengers within range.

Any party camping in one place just off of a major trade route through a desert may be surprised by a massive cage-like skeleton covered in black tar (read: tar fiend) suddenly emerging out of the sand surrounding the camp.

Once a creature is engaged, the tar fiend will try to ensnare it using its amalgamated skeletal structure as claws and clubs (or in some cases swords or wagon axles) to render the victim incapacitated and engulf it into the main body for digestion. If this strategy fails, the tar fiend will attempt to "lay an egg" on the combatant by spewing a bit of itself at the target. The sticky tar-like body of the projectile will adhere to any surface and begin slowly dissolving whatever it touches.

Tar fiends are susceptible to cold and water (against a Cold- or Water-based attack Fortitude save -4) and many chemical solvents. During freezing desert storms they withdraw deep under the dunes. Severe rainstorms and flooding will kill or damage a tar fiend. Exposure to a chemical solvent such as turpentine, in quantities that exceed the tar puddings mass in volume, will neutralize its digestive enzymes and render it disabled.

Fire has a marginal affect on a tar fiend. If the tar of its body is caught on fire it will continue to fight until such time as it feels in danger and it will withdraw under the sand just long enough to suffocate the blaze. This pudding is immune to all electricity-based attacks though the pieces of its assembled skeleton may not be.

Loss or damage to the tar body of this pudding is regenerated at a high rate. Damage to the skeleton can only be repaired by replacing broken pieces with new ones. Skeletal structures that have natural joints are preferred by the instinct of the tar fiend to those without, as the joints allow movement and articulation.

Regeneration (Ex): Cold- or water-based attacks deal normal damage to a tar fiend.

Breath weapon (Ex): The tar fiend may fire a warm ball of sticky tar twice per day. The projectile mass of tar is actually the spore of the tar fiend and is called a tar pudding. It has an accurate range increment of 30 ft. This attack requires the target to make a DC 16 Reflex save. Creatures failing their saves are hopelessly engulfed and considered helpless, and they are additionally subject to the dissolve flesh attack. Those that make their save are considered touched by the tar fiend and are subject to dissolve flesh. The save DC is Constitution-based.

If its target has no protective mouth covering, this breath weapon's critical hits on an unadjusted 20 result (with the failed Reflex save) in a head-shot threatening suffocation from a full mouth of warm tar. Lesser tar fiends and tar puddings do not have this attack.

Crushing Blow (Ex): Once per round the tar fiend may focus an attack on one broad area sweep. The full weight of the attack is brought to bear in this target area. If the sweep fails to hit, the tar fiend looses its action for the next combat round. The target area is based on maximum reach of the tar fiend in a 90-degree arc. Anything in the area that is hit receives 2d8+2 points of damage and is subject to the entrap foe attack.

Entrap Foe (Ex): This attack is the result of any physical contact with the body of the tar fiend. Any melee hits that successfully cause damage to the body of the tar fiend, or the subject of a successful tar fiends' attack, causes the sticky nature of the tar fiend's body to hold on to any weapons, armor or body that touched the surface during the attack.

The subject, after a scoring hit, must make a DC 16 Reflex save or become stuck by the weapon, armor and body that inflicted the hit. Those failing their Reflex save must make a DC 16 Strength check to break free. Creatures failing the Strength check are considered bound and become helpless defenders. These are subject to the dissolve flesh attack. The save DCs are Constitution-based.

Subjects of the entrap foe become used as a piece of the tar fiends structure and may be used as a club against other tar fiends foes. These entrapped characters are treated as having their own armor class and "hardness". Attempts to free those entrapped require a successful disarm attack. The subject of entrap foe is not able to physically assist in any rescue attempt.

Engulf (Ex): Once a target has been subdued and rendered helpless, the tar fiend draws the body into its mass and engulfs it as an ooze. Engulfed creatures are subject to the tar fiend's dissolve flesh, and are considered grappled and trapped within its body.

Dissolve Flesh (Ex): The main body of the tar fiend is composed of tar-based corrosive enzymes that actively dissolve any organic substance or tissues that it comes into contact with. Any exposed skin or material that comes into contact with the body of the tar fiend is dealt 1d4 points of damage per round after ten rounds of continuous contact. Complete immersion in water for ten rounds will kill a tar pudding and will immediately end its digestive damage. Removal of the inert tar mass requires either a remove disease spell or a long (eight hours) soaking bath in turpentine or alcohol.

Puppet Master (Ex): This attack is the manner in which the tar fiend manipulates the items that comprise its skeleton. Larger tar fiends use a fence-like attack, surrounding a party from under ground and then springing up on all sides. Smaller tar fiends use pieces as blunt instruments to render its food incapacitated. As a whole, the tar fiend uses the bodies and equipment of its food for the structure it needs to feed, grow, replicate itself and as weapons to catch its food. The assorted debris includes whole skeletons of animals and humanoids, suits of armor, wagon wheel and axles, and most anything else. This debris does not grant any armor to the body of the tar fiend.

If a particular item inside the tar fiend is recognized and a sunder attack is called upon it specifically, the item has its own Armor Class and hardness. (Ex. A colossal tar fiend wielding the remains of a wagon as a club. The "club" can be hit, but it has its own hardness of wood and metal to overcome before it can be broken.) Damage performed upon items used as structure and weapons does not translate into damage against the tar fiend. Hits to items not encased in tar do not allow the entrap foe attack.

Vulnerabilities: Tar fiends receive a -4 modifier to saves against cold- and water-based attacks.

Also in this section of the source

Orc

An orc’s hair usually is black. It has lupine ears and reddish eyes. Orcs prefer wearing vivid colors that many humans would consider unpleasant, such as blood red, mustard yellow, yellow-green, and deep purple. Their equipment is dirty and unkempt. An adult male orc is a little over 6 feet tall and weighs about 210 pounds. Females are slightly smaller.

The language an orc speaks varies slightly from tribe to tribe, but any orc is understandable by someone else who speaks Orc. Some orcs know Goblin or Giant as well.