Bluum
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Size/Type | Large Plant (Aquatic) |
| Hit Dice | 4d8+4 (22 hp) |
| Initiative | +2 |
| Speed | Swim 20 ft. (4 squares) |
| Armor Class | 14 (-1 size, +2 Dex, +3 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 12 |
| Base Attack/Grapple | +3/+11 |
| Attack | Strand +7 melee (1d4 acid plus paralyzing sting ) |
| Full Attack | 9 strands +7 melee (1d4 adic plus paralyzing sting) |
| Space/Reach | 10 ft./10 ft. |
| Special Attacks | Low-light vision, paralyzing sting, improved grab, digest |
| Special Qualities | Plant traits |
| Saves | Fort +5, Ref +3, Will -1 |
| Abilities | Str 19, Dex 15, Con 12, Int 4, Wis 6, Cha 10 |
| Skills | Listen +2, Spot +2, Swim +7 |
| Feats | Alertness, Weapon Focus (strand) |
| Environment | Cold aquatic |
| Organization | Solitary or pair |
| Challenge Rating | 3 |
| Treasure | None |
| Alignment | Always neutral |
| Advancement | 5–7 HD (Large), 8–11 (Huge) |
| Level Adjustment | ― |
Description
This bizarre aquatic creature has long, flexible tendrils on the lower part of its body and a head covered by a matt of smaller tendrils. The body is a pale white hue that becomes darker toward the tips, with a colorful head cap. It has no distinctive sensory organs of any kind.
With a lower body resembling a squid and an upper half having the form of a sea anemone, this bizarre, carnivorous plant is a loathsome mass of quivering, stinging tentacles and hair-like strands. Its outer body is a pale white coloration that turns a deeper shade near the waving tips. It has neither a front nor a back, and no visible sensory organs. But tendrils mixed among the waving cap provide crude visual and auditory senses. The three separate genders of bluum have caps with a bright red, golden yellow, and dark blue hues respectively.
Each of the bluum genders is capable of laying its own eggs or fertilizing the eggs of the other two genders. Each gender is optimized to function during a specific portion of an alien daylight cycle that lasts a total of 129 terrestrial days. A bluum is alert and predatory for a period lasting 57 days, then hibernates for the remainder of the cycle.
Mating occurs during the two-week periods when the cycles overlap, with the gender that emerges from hibernation laying the seed pods that the already active mate then fertilizes. The pods hatch during the active cycle of the third gender. (Thus if red and yellow bluum mate, their offspring hatch during the blue bluum's activity cycle.)
Combat
The bluum tries to immobilize prey with the long coat of stinging strands, then grab the target with its powerful, flexible tentacles. It wraps around the body of the prey then digests the body with potent acids. While it is consuming prey the bluum forms a tight, rubbery sphere.
Paralyzing Sting (Ex): A bluum strand attack deals acid damage. Those hit by a bluum's strand attack must succeed on a DC 13 Fortitude save or be paralyzed for 1d4 rounds. This paralysis effect is cumulative. The save DC is Constitution-based.
Creatures hitting a bluum with natural weapons or unarmed attacks take acid damage as though hit by the bluum's attack, and also become paralyzed unless they succeed on a Fortitude save.
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, the bluum must hit with at least three arm attacks. It can then attempt to 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 attempt to digest the foe the following round.
Digest (Ex): A bluum deals 2d6 points of acid damage with a successful grapple check. While digesting all strands of the bluum are wrapped tightly around the target, and it can not attack another opponent.