Womb Leech
From Monsterbook
This creature is humanoid, but with decaying flesh pulled over its emaciated body. It has red glowing points of light in hollow eye sockets. From the sides of its neck six long, pink tendrils hang limply all the way to the ground, where they squirm away from its body.
WOMB LEECH (CR 9)
- Always E Medium undead
- Init +2; Senses darkvision 90 ft., scent; Listen +11, Spot +9
- Languages: common
- Weakness: daylight sensitivity
- AC 18, touch 12, flat-footed 16
- (+2 Dex, +6 natural)
- hp 52 (8 HD); fast-healing 3, DR 10/silver
- Immune: undead immunities
- Resist cold 20
- Fort +2, Ref +4, Will +9
- Speed 40 ft., climb 20 ft.
- Melee 2 claws +10 (1d4+6) and bite +8 (1d6+3, plus energy drain)
- Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
- Base Atk +4; Grp +9
- Atk Options combat expertise
- Special Actions numbing gaze
- Spell-Like Abilities (CL 8)
- At will--cause fear, detect thoughts
- 1/day--charm person, dispel magic, obscuring mist, protection from good, suggestion
- Abilities Str 23, Dex 14, Con --, Int 13, Wis 17, Cha 15
- SQ undead traits, turn resistance +2
- Feats alertness, combat expertise, multiattack
- Skills hide 6(+8), jump 4(+10), listen 6(+11), move silently 6(+8), spot 4(+9), survival 4(+7), swim 1(+7)
- Advancement9-16 HD (Medium)
Daylight Sensitivity: Womb leeches are dazzled in bright sunlight or within the radius of a daylight spell.
Numbing Gaze (Su): Range 30 feet. 1d4 points of Strength damage, Fortitude negates (DC 16). The save DC is Charisma-based.
Energy Drain (Su): Living creatures hit by a womb leech’s bite attack gain 1 negative level. The Fortitude save to remove the negative level has a DC of 20. The save DC is Strength-based.
In appearance, the womb leech is similar to a ghoul. These undead creatures are greatly feared because of the loathsome method in which they feed. A womb leech draws the life essence out of unborn children.
Strategies and Tactics
Intelligent and patient, the womb leech will hunt its prey relentlessly, using detect thoughts from a distance, waiting for an opportune moment to strike. It will try to use its charm person or suggestion abilities to separate his target from any protectors. If possible it will pre-cast protection from good.
Medium to Long range: Cast obscuring mist to thwart ranged opponents. It will close slowly, using a ready action to counter any spells cast with dispel magic. Once it has used its dispel magic though, it will try to close on its prey quickly.
Close range: cause fear against strong-looking fighters.
Melee: Focus all its melee attacks against a single opponent (usually starting with the cleric) until it is dead. If greatly outnumbered attempt to cause fear against the heaviest armored opponent and/or those with silver weapons. It will attempt to flee if reduced below 20 hit points, preferably in the direction of its obscuring mist. Once it has healed, it will press the attack only if its enemies appear to be depleted somewhat, otherwise it will wait a day until it regains its spell-like abilities.
Adventure Hooks
A woman in town has been visited by the womb leech, and has fled from the townsfolk so that they will not destroy her child.
A male succubus has been kidnapping and impregnating women from a nearby town and dropping them in the swamp where several womb leeches live. Half-fiendish womb leeches now roam the swamp.
A skilled adventuress has survived spawning a womb leech and in a fit of madness has become the protector for the creature. She still recognizes it as her child, going so far as to help it find pregnant women to feed on.
Ecology and Society
Womb leeches have a very specialized diet, feeding solely on the life essence of unborn children. A womb leech can detect the scent of a pregnant female of nearly any living species up to a mile away. They will approach the female while she is sleeping, then tentacles unravel from the sides of its neck. These tendrils have a reach of 20 feet and can pass through very small openings. While they have no practical use in combat, they allow the womb leech to reach its prey from a discreet distance, usually from the roof of its victim’s home. Once they reach the victim, the tendrils will enter her body and drain the life out of the fetus. Within a month, a new womb leech will spawn as it tears its way out of its host mother, usually killing her in the process (the victim takes 4d6 points of damage and must make a Fortitude Save with a DC equal to 10 + the damage taken otherwise she is killed).
Groups of womb leeches are nearly unheard of, unless they have an abundant supply of pregnant females to feed on. Otherwise they are solitary hunters
Womb Leech Lore
Knowledge (Religion)
DC 15: This creature has the stench of undeath upon it. This result reveals all undead traits.
DC 18: It feeds on the life essence of unborn children.
DC 23: Its gaze saps the strength from the living, and its arcane abilities confuse the thoughts.
DC 28: It is vulnerable to silver and has an aversion to sunlight.
