Crystal Abomination (3.5e Creature)
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Crystal Abomination
| Always Neutral Medium Aberration | |
| Init/Senses | +2/Listen +13 (crystal), Spot +13 (crystal) |
| AC | 29, touch 12, flat-footed 27 (+9 natural, +4 armor, +4 shield, +2 dexterity) |
| hp | 51 (6 HD) |
| Fort/Ref/Will | +9/+4/+8 |
| Speed | 30 ft |
| Melee | 2 slams +9 (2d6+4) |
| Space/Reach | 5 ft/10 ft |
| Base Atk/Grp | +4/+8 |
| Abilities | Str 18, Dex 14, Con 18, Int -, Wis -, Cha - |
| Feats | Improved Natural Attack (Slam), Stand still, Combat Reflexes |
| Advancement | — |
| Deep Crystal Charging | As a free action, Crystal Abominations can spend 2 power points to deals 2d6 extra damage with their slams for one round. |
| Hardness 10 | Crystal Abominations have the equivalent of 10 hardness due to their crystalline shell. |
Crystal Abominations are normally psionic, ooze like aberrations who consume their victims by dissolving them. However, being the intelligent creatures they are, they found that psionic Deep Crystals make both excellent armor and can be used to empower their strikes, while also giving their bodies structure as to allow faster movement and more precise motions. As such, they now reproduce exclusively upon finding patches of Deep Crystal, and have evolved to use it most effectively in hunting.
Interestingly enough, Crystal Abominations have also evolved to no longer require any level of perception or identification of their prey. When adopting a new patch of Deep Crystal, they embed their consciousness into the crystal, making it a sort of detached mind, which process information for the Abomination. In this fashion, they can control the crystals themselves, at very little cost as there is always prey that comes looking for the Deep Crystal. Additionally, the Deep Crystal enhances their psionic powers and can use them while the Abomination fights physically, making it an even tougher opponent. Due to this connection, any effects requiring Will saves effect only the crystal, though the crystal controls the Abomination and as such passes on any effects such as Confusion or Fear.
The crystal that contains the Abomination's consciousness is considered to have Int 20, Wis 16 and Cha 14. It has 120 hit points, hardness 10, AC 22, 50 power points and can manifest the following powers with manifester level 6:
- 1st level: Charm (Psionic), Mindlink, Crystal Shard, Inertial Armor, Force Screen, Entangling Ectoplasm, Grease (Psionic)
- 2nd level: Aversion, Brain Lock, Read Thoughts, Suggestion (Psionic), Energy Stun, Energy Push, Swarm of Crystals, Share Pain
- 3rd level: Crisis of Breath, False Sensory Input, Hostile Empathic Transfer, Energy Bolt, Psionic Blast, Mental Barrier, Telekinetic Thrust
The Abomination is immune to all of these abilities and shares the benefit of any powers that specify "self". The crystal has a Concentration bonus of +13 and is continuously psionically focused, allowing it to "take 15" on any Concentration checks.
Strategies and Tactics
Generally, the Abomination will hide beneath the crystal, waiting for appropriate prey to come closer. At that moment, the crystal will let out a Psionic Blast, stunning as many as possible, and the Abomination will rise up and start mutilating those that are still capable of moving. The crystal will then continue attempting to prevent movement while the Abomination continues to crush enemies, usually using Stand Still to prevent anyone from escaping. The pair continue locking enemies down and blasting them until either all enemies die, they die, or an enemy begins to get away. At that point, the crystal will either use single-target damage powers such as Energy Bolt to finish a heavily weakened enemy, or attempt to use powers such as Telekinetic Thrust (often flinging nearby crystals as well to deal additional damage) to bring them closer.
If the Abomination is destroyed or the Crystal reaches half hit points, it uses Suggestion, asking the largest source of damage to stop attacking and allow a Mindlink, as the Crystal wishes to surrender and is willing to help the assailants. Upon establishing a Mindlink, the Crystal will then use that party member to speak, using Charm Person if necessary to convince the party to stop attacking (and use it as a sentient item).
Sample Lair
Generally, Crystal Abominations live wherever their crystal started, and in addition to whatever tunnel they corroded or dug to find the crystal, they also dig one leading to an area with some sort of life. Then, they simply wait for prey. They dissolve essentially all nonmagical matter, but often have piles of uneaten magical treasure in addition to their crystals.
In terms of monetary worth, the crystals of a Crystal Abomination are extremely valuable. Generally, a single lair will have several thousand gold worth of Deep Crystal (1d4+1 thousand), a sizeable amount of mundane crystal (generally worth a tenth of the Deep Crystal), and if subdued but not destroyed, the sentient Deep Crystal. The sentient crystal can be made into a +1 weapon with a craft check (DC masterwork weapon of the same kind +10), and can be coerced into helping those that uprooted it with a DC 25 Diplomacy check. If it chooses to help, it keeps it's manifesting powers, but has only 10 power points per day, and can share powers with the holder rather than the Abomination.
