Hungry Mist

Hungry Mist
Large Undead
Hit Dice: 10d12 (65 hp)
Initiative: +3
Speed: Fly 20 ft. (average)
Armor Class: 12 (-1 size, +3 Dex), touch 12, flat-footed 9
Base Attack/Grapple: +8/— (+13)
Attack: Touch +8 melee (1d4)
Full Attack: 4 touches +8 melee (1d4)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks: Blood drain, engulf
Special Qualities: Absorb blood, bloodsense, DR 10/magic and blessed, immaterial, undead traits
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +6, Will +7
Abilities: Str -, Dex 16, Con -, Int -, Wis 10, Cha 1
Skills: Stealth +8*
Feats: Weapon FinesseB
Environment: Any ruins
Organization: Solitary
ECL: 7
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral (evil)
Advancement: 11-20 HD (Large)

Scholars are not entirely sure how hungry mists came about; some argue that they are undead spirits of blood creatures, while others contend that they are some lost spell that that somehow gained sentience. In any case, hungry mists are feared by all living beings, and even by undead like vampires; they do not distinguish between living and undead, as long as the prey has blood in its veins. They have even been known to hunt down and destroy blood elementals and other blood creatures. Some few enterprising necromancers and blood mages have managed to get a hungry mist to serve them for limited periods by providing a steady supply of blood and using undead-controlling spells, but in the end, the mist usually ended up turning on its owner.

A hungry mist looks like nothing more than a cloud of seemingly innocent fog cloud roughly 10 feet across, or possibly a creature or vampire in gaseous form. While non-intelligent, the hungry mist does have an animal cunning that enables it to seek out sources of blood. Hungry mists have been known to hide in fog banks or pose as fog themselves (gathering in hollows, or drifting aimlessly near bodies of water) so as to waylay unwary victims. A hungry mist that has just fed is easy to spot, for those who know what to look for – the cloud has a slight reddish tinge to it.

Hungry mists actively shun sunlight or its equivalent, though it does not harm them. They typically retreat underground or someplace dark during the daylight hours, then emerge at night to continue the hunt.

A hungry mist that does not drain at least 5 Con points' worth of blood in a month's period loses 1 HD. It immediately regains the lost Hit Die when it drains 5 points of blood, however. A hungry mist reduced to 0 HD in this manner dissipates and is forever destroyed.

Combat

A hungry mist uses its bloodsense ability to find sources of blood, which it attempts to grapple and engulf so as to drain their blood. If the hungry mist has engulfed a creature, it loses the immaterial property, though it can still attack other creatures. Despite being mindless, a hungry mist will retreat if near death, or if confronted with holy symbols/items, unless it is starving.

Absorb Blood (Ex): A hungry mist can absorb liquid blood at the rate of 1d4 Con points per round (a good rule of thumb is 1 pint of blood = 1 Con point).

Blood Drain (Ex): A hungry mist can drain blood from an engulfed victim at the rate of 1d4 Con points each round. There is no save to avoid this damage. A hungry mist can hold up to 4 Con points per Hit Die; it can "digest" up to 4 Con points per day, regaining 5 hit points per Con point.

Bloodsense (Ex): A hungry mist can sense the presence of blood - even a few drops - within 100 feet. While the hungry mist is not sentient, it can sense general amounts of blood as well as freshness - it will choose a large pool of fresh blood over a handful of tacky blood that's closer.

Engulf (Ex): If a hungry mist has successfully grappled a creature of its size or smaller, it can engulf that creature on the round as a standard action, thickening to the equivalent of a solid fog spell in order to hold it (in game terms, this gives the hungry mist a an effective Strength of 19 and it has a grapple bonus of +13). A hungry mist can engulf two Medium creatures or their equivalent (four Small, eight Tiny, etc.). It then automatically drains blood.

Immaterial (Ex): Can be harmed only by incorporeal or immaterial creatures, +1 or better magic weapons, or magic. Always moves silently.

Immunities (Ex): Hungry mists are immune to blood magic, as well as acid, electricity, and cold-based attacks.

Improved Grab (Ex): If a hungry mist hits with one of its pseudopods, it can attempt a grapple as a free action by thickening to the equivalent of a solid fog spell (in this case, its effective Strength score becomes 19 and it has a grapple bonus of +13).

Skills: A hungry mist has a +8 racial bonus to Stealth checks to hide in a cloud of fog or smoke (this decreases to +4 for a mist that has just fed).

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