Dolgaunt

A thin man stands in the rain without coat or cloak before you. From a distance, his ears would have made him as an elf, but his shoulders are too broad and his arms too long to support that theory. As lightning flashes, you catch the faint silhouette of what looks like two whips anchored to his shoulders, flailing about in the storm. And in the same moment as the lightning recedes, the thin man just vanished.

As you begin to panic, looking around for both safety and your would-be assailant, a slick, cold tentacle winds its way around your throat and another quickly wraps around your sword arm. As thousands of tiny cilia burrow their way into your arteries, you are picked up off of your feet and turned to face the thin man, his skin the color of a sun-bleached rose. In the glow of some distant candlelight, you can make out that both of his eyes, and all of his compassion, are gone... simply gone.

Dolgaunt

CR 2

XP: 600

LE Medium Aberration

Init: +3; Senses: blindsight 360'; Perception +8

DEFENSE:

AC: 16, Touch 13, Flat-Footed 13 (+3 Dex, +3 natural)

HP: 11 (2d8+2)

Fort: +1; Ref: +3; Will: +5

DR: 5 / byeshk or magic

OFFENSE:

Speed: 30 ft

Melee: 2 tentacles +3 (1d3+2 plus grab)

Space: 5 ft.; Reach: 10 ft.

STATISTICS:

Str 14, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 13, Wis 15, Chr 11

Base Atk: +1; CMB: +3; CMD: 16

Feats: Combat Reflexes

Skills: Acrobatics +12, Climb +11, Escape Artist +8, Perception +7, Stealth +8; dolgaunts have a +4 racial bonus to Acrobatic and Climb checks.

Languages: Common, Undercommon

SPECIAL ABILITIES:

Vitality Drain (Ex): Each round a Dolgaunt is involved in a grapple, either as attacker or defender, it deals 1 point of Constitution damage to each opponent involved in the grapple. If the Dolgaunt is injured, he heals back 2 hit points per point of Constitution damage done in this way. This ability does not apply to creatures that do not have a Constitution score. If the Dolgaunt drains Constitutuion from a poisoned or diseased opponent, then it too is also exposed to the poison or disease and needs to make the appropriate Fortitude save.

Tentacle Communication (Ex): Because Dolgaunts relied solely on their blindsight, they have developed a method of communication with other Dolgaunts that is completely silent. However, if two Dolgaunts wish to communicate in this manner, they must be within 30'. This does not impose any penalty on Stealth checks unless their opponents also have blindsight, in which case, it is clearly observed.

ECOLOGY:

Environment: Underground

Organization: Solitary or cell (2-12)

Treasure: Standard

Role: Combat or Skill

Source: ECB, pg. 281

When the forces of Xoriat were unleashed on the ancient hobgoblins of Khorvaire, many were taken and experimented on. The Dolgaunt is the final result of those experimentations. Completely hairless and blind, it is still easy to make out the hobgoblin jawline, ears and physical build. However, that is where the similarities end. A dolgaunt's skin is a dull pink and covered in tendrils that are constantly in motion; the source of the dolgaunt's blindsight. Two tentacles, each at least 10 feet long, are mounted to each of the shoulder blades. These tentacles are prehensile, but do not have enough fine control to wield objects effectively.

In the centuries that have passed since the forces of Xoriat retreated, the remaining dolgaunts have continued to live underground, forming cells that perfect a unique form of martial arts that concentrate on their tentacles and vitality drain. Many of them find themselves in service to Cults of the Dragon Below or the occasional daelkyr.