Tomb Guardians...! (Part Two)

Further to my previous post, here is another tomb guardian...

TREACHEROUS PILLAR

FREQUENCY: Very Rare

NO. APPEARING: 1-4
 
ARMOR CLASS: 3

MOVE: 8"

HIT DICE: 5

% IN LAIR: 0%

TREASURE TYPE: Nil

NO. OF ATTACKS: 6

DAMAGE/ATTACK: 2-12 (per tentacle), 3-18 (bite)

SPECIAL ATTACKS: bite, venomous tentacle

SPECIAL DEFENSES: None

MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard

INTELLIGENCE: Non

ALIGNMENT: Neutral

SIZE: L (10' tall in pillar form, 6' tall and 4' feet wide in amorphous form)

PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil

       Attack/Defense Modes: Nil

Treacherous Pillars are perhaps the most dangerous of creatures tasked with defending tombs. In their dormant form they resemble a pillar of various designs, but this this is merely the shell worn by the bizarre amorphous creature that resides within. Some are decorated with what appears to be gold, fine paintwork, and jewels (although these precious elements are artificial). Others will appear to be much more ordinary or roughly hewn. Any support they appear to provide to any given location is counterfeit, as it has been fashioned in such a way that the area around the pillar bears no load.

 

The pillar will remain dormant until something or someone triggers some preset condition decided upon by the Dungeon Master to suit their particular adventure or situation. So, for example, this guardian might only be activated when a tomb is opened in some way, or if anything passes within a certain distance of the creature, or if something (i.e. treasure etc) is touched or removed from a tomb.

 

When activated, the pillar will break apart into numerous pieces that will cover the surface of a large amorphous mass, and glowing eye-like objects and fanged mouths will appear all over the creature. It will attack by striking with its tentacles, and a successful attack with a roll of 18 or more will mean that a victim is dragged to one of its mouths, which in turn inflicts 3-18 points of damage per round. One tentacle is venomous and those struck by it must make a saving throw versus poison or die immediately.

 

It will pursue intruders until that they are killed, or if they pass beyond some point specified when the guardian was first placed within the tomb. If killed, the decorated parts of the pillar might possess will crumble into dust. Otherwise, once its task is complete it will return to its original position and assume its dormant form.