Neh-Thalggu

Neh-Thalggu (Brain Collector)

This horrific creature looks like an enormous, deformed head walking on a dozen crab-like legs. Above its eyes, ten waving tentacles protrude from between thirteen melon-sized lumps.

Neh-Thalggu CR 26
XP 2,457,600
NE Huge aberration (extraplanar, incorporeal)
Init +12; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +40
Defense
AC 36, touch 36, flat-footed 32 (+4 Dex, +3 deflection, +1 dodge, +20 insight, -2 size)
hp 366 (32d8+222)
Fort +16, Ref +14, Will +23
DR 10/epic; Immune critical hits, death from massive damage, sneak attacks, coup de grace; SR 30
Offense
Speed 60 ft. or via dimension door
Melee bite +26 (4d10+12 plus poison), 10 head-tentacles +24 touch (2d10 plus ability drain)
Space 15 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
Special Attacks extract brains, spells
Statistics
Str --, Dex 19, Con 22, Int 20, Wis 20, Cha 17
Base Atk +24; CMB +30; CMD 40 (60 vs. trip)
Feats Blind-Fight, Combat Casting, Combat Expertise, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Eschew Materials, Improved Initative, Leadership, Maximize Spell, Mobility, Multiattack, Power Attack, Spring Attack; Epic Feats Epic Toughness, Improved Combat Casting, Superior Initiative
Skills Bluff +35, Diplomacy +35, Intimidate +38, Knowledge (arcana) +37, Knowledge (planes) +40, Perception +40, Sense Motive +37, Spellcraft +40, Stealth +39
Languages Neh-Thalggu (sign language "spoken" with head-tentacles), telepathy 100 ft.
SQ amorphous physiology, dimensional travel, manifest maw
Ecology
Environment any
Organization solitary
Treasure triple standard
Special Abilities
Poison (Ex): Bite-injury; save Fort DC 32, frequency 1/minute for 1 minute, effect lose half current Constitution, cure 1 save
Head-Tentacles (Ex): The long, whiplike tentacles that frame either side of a brain collector’s face can deliver a dangerous touch attack that, if successful, causes the target to dehydrate and wither (2d10 points of desiccation Damage). In addition, each successful tentacle attack drains 1 point of Strength, 1 point of Dexterity, and 1 point of Constitution. This is permanent ability drain and may only be reversed by spells such as restoration and greater restoration. It can bring all ten tentacles to bear on a single target facing it or divide its attacks against up to ten targets that it threatens.
Extract Brains (Sp): Once every 1d4 rounds, as a full-round action, a brain collector can attempt to extract the brain from a target creature in line of sight. This attack is psionic in nature and can be blocked by a dimensional anchor currently in force on the target. The target takes 18d6 points of damage and is stunned for 1d4+1 rounds; a successful Will save (DC 31) halves the damage. (The save DC is Intelligence-based.) If this reduces the target to 0 or fewer hit points, his or her brain is drawn out intact through the skull by extradimensional means and sucked up by the brain collector, lodging in an unused storage sac above and behind its eyes.
A brain collector prefers to absorb brains of high-level arcane spellcasters but is fully capable of extracting those of other foes as a highly effective attack. When encountered, assume a neh-thalggu has a full retinue of thirteen stolen brains. Each brain less than the full thirteen bestows one negative level on the neh-thalggu (though these never convert to actual level loss), which is a powerful incentive for the creature to always keep its brain-sacs filled. A neh-thalggu is free to draw on all the Knowledge skills of each brain it currently stores, using the base ranks in a skill possessed by each brain, and adjusted by the neh-thalggu’s own skill modifiers for the Knowledge skill in question (or its Intelligence modifier, for a skill it has no ranks in).
A creature whose brain has been harvested by a brain collector cannot be raised, reincarnated, or resurrected while the brain is in the creature, because the collector preserves and draws upon the soul and basic personality of the creature for as long as it retains the brain.
Dimensional Travel (Sp): A brain collector’s preferred method of locomotion is via dimension door, which it can do as a swift action. It can also use teleport without error or plane shift at will as a move-equivalent action.
Spells: A fully stocked brain collector can cast arcane spells as a 13th-level sorcerer (one level of spell-casting ability per brain).
Incorporeal: A neh-thalggu is not wholly in our reality but always remains partially extradimensional. (See the incorporeal special quality.)
Amorphous Physiology (Ex): A brain collector does not have fixed organs. As such, it is immune to critical hits, death from massive Damage, sneak attacks, and coup de grace.
Manifest Maw: Though it is an incorporeal creature, a neh-thalggu can manifest its mouth in corporeal form as a standard action. While so manifested, the mouth can deliver bite attacks against corporeal creatures or pick up objects. The mouth bites as if it had Str 35.
Feats: A neh-thalggu has the Power Attack feat, even though it has no Strength score.

Neh-Thalggu (commonly refered to as Brain Collectors) are alien beings from an unknown plane of existance. The occasionally make their way to the Material Plane to harvest humanoid brains, which they require to power their spellcasting abilities. They are drawn to the brains of powerful individuals, whether that power comes from magical ability, political influence, special skill or great knowledge. While they have no regard for humanoid life (or, even, that of any creature), they are highly intelligent and select their victims carefully, to ensure they don't expose themselves.