GIBBERING MOUTHER

The gibbering mouther is an amoeboid-like form of life, composed of all mouths and eyes. Its only motive is to eat whatever is edible and within reach, regardless of whether the food is animal, vegetable, or mineral. Because of the creature's excessive hunger, the mouther's lair and the surrounding area will be stripped bare. Gibbering mouthers prefer to inhabit cold and underground regions.

Its favorite tactic is to lie in wait with its eyes and mouths shut so it appears to be a lump of earthy material. Thus it surprises a party stumbling across it.

When any edible object is sighted by a mouther, it may begin an incoherent gibbering that causes confusion in all characters within a 6" radius unless a save vs. spells is made. For each round that the gibbering is heard, characters within range must roll another save.

If a character becomes confused, roll a 1d8 to see what action he or she will take: 1 = wander for 1 round; 2-5 = stand stunned for 1 round; 6-7 = attack the nearest living creature for 1 round; 8 = treat as a fear spell (save at +2) and run a way for 2 rounds.

The mouther attacks in more than one way. 

The spittle of a mouther will burst into a bright flare if it strikes any hard, cold, surface. The resulting flash will blind for 1 round those characters looking at the flash if they fail to save vs. petrification.

A mouther attacks by extending and biting with 6 mouths per round. Each mouth which hits will fasten on and drain an additional 1 point of damage per round attached.

When 3 or more mouths are attached to a single character, that person must check each round thereafter for slipping. A roll of 4 or less on 2d6 indicates the character has fallen (+1 if Dexterity is 15+). If the character falls, the gibbering mouther will flow over the victim and bite with 12 more mouths. 

Given the opportunity, once it has pulled down 1 victim, a mouther will trap other prey.

The creature propels itself by oozing forward, fastening several mouths to the ground, and pulling itself along. A mouther may move faster over fluid, viscous terrains, such as mud and quicksand, by a series of muscular contractions. Given a chance it will alter the ground (see below) with its special talent to allow this faster form of movement.

A mouther always warms the ground and stone within a 5-foot radius of itself and can control the consistency of this material by changing it to doughish, tarry quicksand or concrete. It requires 5 segments to alter earth and 1 full round to shift stone to its next nearest form.

The brain of a mouther is located in its mid-portion, and its gelatinous-like body makes it difficult to strike this one vital spot; thus its armor class 1.