Qomok (CR 14/MR 5)

A slight tremor in the man’s face heralds the arrival of a ghastly horror. What was a man moments ago suddenly rips itself apart: its flesh bursts open, blood and viscera spray in all directions, and its internal organs liquefy and ooze to the floor. As the man-thing contorts and expands in impossible directions, great multi-jointed insectoid legs and a sickening array of clawed limbs, oily tentacles, and sucking mouths sprout from its ruined torso and its face ruptures to form an awful split-faced maw of jagged teeth.

Qomok (CR 14/MR 5)
XP 38,400
CE Large aberration (alien, mythic, shapechanger)
Init +11; Senses all-around vision, blindsight 60 ft., scent; Perception +23
Aura frightful presence (30 ft., DC 22), unnatural aura (30 ft.)

Defense

AC 25, touch 11, flat-footed 23 (+2 Dex, +14 natural, -1 size)
hp 264 (16d8+152); regeneration 10 (acid, electricity, or fire; ceases during hibernation)
Fort +19, Ref +14, Will +18
Defensive Abilities hard to killMA, split (acid, electricity, or fire; 10 hp); DR 10/epic; Immune ability damage, ability drain, bleed, cold, death effects, disease, mind-affecting effects, ooze traits, petrification, sonic attacks
Weaknesses vulnerable to acid, electricity, and fire

Offense

Speed 40 ft.
Melee 2 extremities +20 (1d8+7/19-20/×3 plus grab), bite +19 (2d6+10) or feeding tendril +14 (1d3 plus attach, blood drain, and infection)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft. (20 ft. with feeding tendril)
Special Attacks blood drain (1d3 Con), infectionMA (DC 25), mythic power (5/day, surge +1d8)

Statistics

Str 25, Dex 14, Con 24, Int 24, Wis 18, Cha 18
Base Atk +12; CMB +20; CMD 32 (can’t be tripped)
Feats CleaveMF, Great Fortitude, Improved Critical (extremities)MF, Improved InitiativeMF, Lightning Reflexes, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (extremities)
Skills Acrobatics +21, Bluff +28, Climb +17, Diplomacy +20, Disguise +28, Intimidate +23, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +31, Knowledge (nature) +31, Perception +23, Sense Motive +20, Stealth +29, Swim +26; Racial Modifiers +8 Bluff, +8 Disguise, +8 Stealth, +16 all Knowledge skills
Languages Elder Thing (can’t speak); telepathy (only with other qomoks, 100 ft.)
SQ alter shapeMA, assimiliateMA, assimilated knowledge, compression, hibernation, no breath

Ecology

Environment warm and temperate land
Organization solitary or invasion (2–5)
Treasure none

Special Abilities

Alter Shape (Ex) When a qomok attacks, its body bursts open to display a variety of strange and terrifying body parts and portions of anatomy—claws, tentacles, insectoid limbs, eyes, teeth, horns, partially- or fully-formed animal heads, humanoid faces—from creatures it has assimilated and replicated. This ghastly transformation immediately triggers its frightful presence ability. A qomok can alter its shape in the following ways:

As a full-round action, during which it is completely helpless, a qomok can perfectly mimic the last creature it assimilated. A qomok can use this ability to assume the appearance of specific individuals, much like a doppelganger’s perfect copy ability.

None of the qomok’s ability scores are adjusted when it mimics a victim’s form. While it mimics a victim’s form, a qomok knows (and can speak) the languages known by the victim, and gains the use of all of the victim’s defensive and offensive abilities, but not feats, traits, supernatural abilities, spellcasting, spell-like abilities, or extraordinary abilities, and cannot gain immunity or resistance to acid, electricity, or fire through this ability. A qomok uses its victim’s bonuses and DCs when it uses an ability it does not already possess. A qomok also gains any weaknesses, such as light blindness or light sensitivity, and vulnerabilities of the creature for as long as it continues to mimic it. A qomok also replicates the appearance of any physical wounds (though it does not suffer damage itself ), illnesses or diseases possessed by a victim (though it does not suffer any ill effects), as well as any physical deformities, such as missing eyes or limbs. A qomok can only replicate living, organic material.

As a swift action, a qomok can extend the reach of one of its extremities’ or its bite attack by 10 feet until the beginning of its next turn. A qomok can also expend one use of mythic power as a swift action to extend all of its melee attacks by 10 feet until the beginning of its next turn.

As a move action, a qomok can generate body parts that provide it with one of the following additional forms of movement: burrow 20 ft., climb 40 ft., fly 60 ft. (poor), or swim 40 ft. It can only maintain body parts for one of these four forms of movement at a time.

As a swift action, a qomok can gain one of the following special attack forms: attach (bite), constrict (1d8+7), distraction (DC 25), engulf (DC 25, 1d6 acid), fast swallow (1d6 acid, AC 17, 26 hp), grab, pounce, pull (feeding tendril or tentacle, 10 ft.), push (slam, 10 feet), rake (2 claws +20, 1d8+7), rend (2 natural attacks, 1d8+10), smother, stench (DC 25, 2d6 rounds), strangle, trample (1d8+10, DC 25), trip.

A qomok can maintain up to 6 of these replicated special attack forms at one time, and it can end any number of them as a free action. Additionally, if any of the special attacks require a saving throw, a qomok can expend one use of mythic power as a free action to force its target to roll two saves and keep the lower result.

Assimilate (Ex) When a qomok slays a Small, Medium, Large, or Huge living creature (excluding non-native outsiders, oozes, plants, and creatures that do not have blood) with its blood drain attack, it reduces its victim to a gelatinous sludge that the qomok can absorb as a full-round action to assimilate that creature. An assimilated creature does not contract the qomok’s alien infection (see below) and transform into a qomok. Instead, an assimilated creature’s body is completely annihilated and can only be restored to life using miracle, true resurrection, or wish.

However, if a qomok kills a creature with its feeding tendril and is prevented from—or chooses not to—assimilate its victim’s body, the victim’s remains automatically contract the qomok’s alien infection. After it assimilates a creature, a qomok has detailed information about the victim’s identity and personality and has access to all of the victim’s memories. A qomok does not gain access to a victim’s abilities unless it uses its alter shape ability to mimic its victim’s form.

Assimilated Knowledge (Ex) A qomok absorbs an incredible amount of knowledge from its assimilated victims over its long existence. It adds its HD on all Knowledge checks and can make all Knowledge checks untrained.

Extremities (Ex) When a qomok attacks, it generates various extremities that end in claws, pincers, bludgeoning protrusions, spikes, tentacles, or talons as a free action. Regardless of which attack form a qomok generates or what size a qomok assumes, the base damage for its extremities natural attack is 1d8.

Feeding Tendril (Ex) A qomok generates a long, ropey feeding tendril that it uses to drain blood and assimilate other creatures by pumping them full of the qomok’s alien genetic material. A feeding tendril has a reach of 20 feet, strikes as a melee attack, and uses the qomok’s Dexterity modifier on its attack roll instead of its Strength modfier. A qomok’s feeding tendril attack automatically succeeds if the qomok successfully pins its target or its target is paralyzed, stunned, or otherwise helpless. A feeding tendril has 10 hit points, DR 5/slashing, a Break DC of 18, an effective Strength of 13, CMB +13, and CMD 25. If a feeding tendril is destroyed, a qomok can generate a replacement as a swift action.

Frightful Presence (Ex) A qomok’s frightful presence ability is triggered when it uses its alter shape ability to adopt a strange and terrifying form.

Hard to Kill (Ex) A qomok does not age, nor does it need to eat, breathe, or sleep. Only violence can bring about the death of one of these creatures. A qomok is incredibly hard to kill, for each individual cell is effectively a separate living organism, and if the creature is not killed by acid, electricity, or fire damage it will eventually fully heal. A qomok reduced to negative hit points by acid, electricity, or fire damage does not gain the dying condition but enters a state of hibernation (as described below). A qomok is only truly destroyed when its hit points are reduced to its negative Constitution score times its mythic tier (–24 x 5 = –120 hp) by acid, electricity, or fire damage.

Hibernation (Ex) If a qomok is reduced to negative hit points by acid, electricity, or fire, or if it becomes trapped in an extremely cold environment (trapped under solid ice, sub-freezing liquid, or ejected into the vacuum of deep space) for more than 5 minutes, it enters a state of involuntary hibernation. While in this state, it can take no actions, is helpless, and its regeneration ability ceases to function. The qomok also appears dead to most observers, though a successful DC 44 Heal check detects faint signs of life. A qomok forced into hibernation after taking acid, electricity, or fire damage awakens in 4d6 hours (after its charred remains cool). A qomok forced into hibernation due to extreme cold remains in hibernation until it enters a warmer environment, whereupon it awakens in 1d4 days. Once a qomok awakens it’s regeneration ability begins functioning again.

Infection (Ex) When a creature takes Con damage from a qomok’s blood drain attack (and does not die) or a creature makes a successful bite attack against a qomok, it must succeed on a DC 25 Fortitude save or contract an exceptionally virulent alien infection that eventually transforms the creature into a qomok. This is a disease effect. After an infected creature transforms into a qomok, it can only be restored to life using miracle, true resurrection, or wish. A qomok can also expend two uses of mythic power as a free action to expose a creature to its alien infection with a mere touch (delivered either as part of a natural attack, as a separate melee attack using the qomok’s highest base attack bonus, or as an out-of-combat action to touch an unsuspecting creature).

Alien Infection: Blood drain, successful bite attack against the qomok, or qomok’s touch—injury or contact; save Fortitude DC 25; onset immediate; frequency 1/minute; effect victim transforms into a qomok after failing 3 Fortitude saves; cure 3 consecutive saves. The save DC is Constitution-based.

The alien infection works insidiously, with the victim often feeling and showing no signs of discomfort. Anyone who examines the victim and succeeds on a DC 44 Heal check identifies the alien infection. When the infection transforms a creature into a qomok, the transformation is extremely subtle as well. Creatures observing the victim as he or she transforms must succeed on a DC 30 Sense Motive check to notice something is amiss. Infected creatures that die before transforming into a qomok rise as a qomok 1d6 minutes after death. Creatures killed and reduced to sludge by a qomok’s blood drain attack—even those normally immune to diseases—are automatically infected and transform into a qomok 2d6 rounds after death if the qomok does not assimilate the creature’s body before that time elapses.

Split (Ex) A qomok splits into two identical copies of itself when it suffers acid, electricity, or fire damage that reduces it to less than half of its current hit points. If a qomok is taking continuous acid or fire damage when it splits only one of the copies continues to suffer the continuous damage. Each copy has half of the original’s remaining hit points (rounded down) and each time a qomok splits it decreases one size category, though it cannot decrease below Diminutive. This decrease in size changes the qomok’s statistics as the reduce person spell. A Tiny or Diminutive qomok ‘s Intelligence score drops to 2, and it can only attack with its feeding tendril. A Tiny or Diminutive qomok becomes focused on self-preservation and generally avoids combat unless it can attack without endangering itself. A qomok reduced to less than 10 hit points cannot split itself further. Two or more copies of the same qomok can merge as a move action, and the copies that merge combine their total remaining hit points. A qomok increases one size category for each copy that merges.


The remote reaches of the universe are home to bizarre phenomena and horrific alien life forms beyond normal comprehension, most of which pale in comparison to the unspeakable and utterly alien horror epitomized by the qomok. Known by many names throughout the universe, but most often as “Things,” qomoks are shape-shifting parasitic organisms with the ability to absorb, assimilate, and then perfectly mimic the bodies of other living creatures. A qomok’s original form resembles a fleshy mass of oozing viscera, covered with ropelike tendrils and undulating sucker-mouths that slithers and shambles with surprising agility. In this form, a qomok is roughly 12 feet in diameter and weighs 2,000 pounds. However, most qomoks haven’t assumed this shape since the first qomok left its distant homeworld billions of years ago, for the creatures are driven by an irresistible drive to absorb and assume their victims’ forms.

Extremely paranoid, and with an unrivaled instinct for self-preservation and survival, qomoks prefer to attack lone targets so they do not needlessly endanger themselves. When attacking, a qomok shifts its body asunder in a spectacle of gore and violence, generating various extremities and toothy maws, in an attempt to surprise its prey. It then ensnares its victim with its feeding tendril so it can be absorbed and assimilated. When a qomok’s true nature is exposed, the creature will react depending on its current size, health, and the nature of the threat. Smaller copies of a qomok will usually attempt to flee, whereas a full-sized and healthy qomok will often attack multiple creatures head on in an attempt to quickly overwhelm and neutralize them. However, true to its self-preserving nature, a qomok will almost always prefer to flee if its cover is not completely lost.

Ecology
A qomok has only assimilation and self-preservation in mind. It will selfishly save itself or even attack other qomoks or other copies of itself in order to avert attention and suspicion. A qomok’s level of intelligence is determined by its size. Larger qomoks are extremely intelligent; it is theorized that full-sized qomoks have the combined intelligences of all the organisms they have ever assimilated. Smaller copies are much less intelligent, and often show little creativity or goals other than survival.

Qomoks have little regard for organic life, seeing living creatures merely as prey and conveniences by which they can gain newer, more versatile forms. They care nothing for emotions, and have no need for personal relationships, religion, or mercy. Due to their intense paranoia and overriding instinct for self-preservation, as well as their callous indifference for “lesser” life forms, qomoks rarely communicate with sentient prey. When they do converse, they do so only to maintain their cover, avert attention away from themselves, or confuse their prey. Qomoks have only slightly more regard for their own kind, including their own infection-spawned offspring. Although they will cooperate with one another when they share a common enemy or goal, qomoks only do so if the association serves their personal need for assimilation and survival.

Though highly intelligent and able to use most technology and magic items, qomoks are not adept at spellcasting. Whether due to their alien physiology or some other psychological barrier, qomoks cannot cast spells or mimic the supernatural or spell-like abilities of other beings. While their natural forms are decidedly alien, they can spontaneously generate limbs and other body parts that allow them to use tools and magical items as easily as a humanoid. Though they are able to wield weapons with as much skill as an assimilated creature, qomoks prefer to use their natural weapons in combat.

Habitat and Society
Qomoks originated on a tiny, swamp-covered moon orbiting a gas giant world in a remote corner of the universe. They began as microscopic clusters of semi-sentient cells that took a bizarre turn on the evolutionary path and developed the ability to assimilate and mimic other organic cells. After a few billion years, the qomoks grew prodigiously and became the dominant species on their homeworld. The immortal qomoks then spent eons slithering about their muddy little world, occasionally absorbing and assimilating one another. Though highly intelligent, these qomoks were unfathomably savage; they formed no society, no religion, and were content to focus their attentions on the swampy surface of their world, remaining completely unaware of the stars above and any worlds beyond their own.

That changed when an elder thing explorer happened upon the qomok homeworld. Having visited scores of inhabited worlds in its own long lifetime, the elder thing immediately recognized the qomoks’ physical resemblance to the bio-engineered shoggoths—a powerful slave race created by the elder things. Insatiably curious, the elder thing began a long-term study of the qomoks with the goal of eventually collecting a live specimen and weaponizing it. Unfortunately for the elder thing, and for many future denizens of the universe, this ill-planned scheme was a disaster. One day, after several years of safely studying the qomoks from the air, the elder thing landed on an outcroping of rock that was too close to one of the creatures. The qomok ensnared the elder thing with its feeding tendril and swiftly absorbed and assimilated the overmatched explorer.

In that instant, as the qomok absorbed the elder thing’s body and mind, its own consciousness expanded a millionfold. The qomok’s thoughts flooded with the memories, knowledge, and experiences of the elder thing, and it suddenly became cognizant of the existence of other living creatures and other worlds. Led by an insatiable drive to assimilate other life forms, the qomok assumed the elder thing’s winged form and immediately launched itself into the sky. Mimicking the elder thing’s ability to travel between the stars, the qomok hurled itself through interstellar space and slipped into hibernation. Eventually, untold eons later, the sleeping qomok fell to the surface of an inhabited world. Since that time, this single qomok has seeded its kind on many worlds as it slowly and inexorably spreads its race across the universe.

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