Monster of the Week: Oasis-of-Lies
The desert wastes contain worse than mirages...
Scholars describe the oasis-of-lies as a creature from a distant world, thought to be the same as that which spawned the dire white ape and the vespine horror.
This ambush predator typically lairs in a shallow cavern within the underlying bedrock of a dry sea bottom or sandy desert. It uses camouflage and surprise to capture prey on the surface.
The oasis-of-lies has a massive, ellipsoid body, 50 feet across. Twelve thick tentacles, 70 feet long, are evenly spaced around the circumference of the body. Nine white blisters, six feet wide and nine feet long, ring a terrifying red mouth filled concentric rows of razor sharp teeth, which in turn surround a dark, gaping gullet. Sages suspect the blisters are some sort of sense organs, but whether of sight, sound, or something as-yet-unimagined, they do not know. A tubular siphon 125 feet long is located on the beast’s underside. Tough blue scales cover the body, the tentacles, and the siphon.
For its lair, this creature chooses a cavern directly above a subterranean water source. No one knows how it locates water—perhaps the white sense organs play a role. The oasis-of-lies creates a hole in the bedrock above its new lair, using its tentacles to pull down the soil, rock, sand, etc. between it and the surface. This creates a depression on the surface above, and a large pile of debris in the chamber below. The creature then mounts the pile, and secretes a fluid from its tentacles, which it uses to cover the hole directly above with a strong membrane. This skin-like creation includes twelve sphincters, through which the beast can extend its tentacles into the depression.
Next, the oasis-of-lies uses its tough siphon to dig down through the pile of debris, and then through the bedrock below, to the water source under its lair. It draws water into its body through the sphincter, and expels it from the tips of its tentacles into the depression on the surface. The sphincters seal around the tentacles, preventing the water from flowing back down into the chamber.
The creature continues filling the depression with water until it is full, then adds more from time-to-time, to offset losses due to evaporation and other causes.
When all is ready, the oasis-of-lies simply waits for creatures to approach the pool. It can sense any movement in the water, or within 10 feet of the pool’s surface or edge.
The creature attacks with all its tentacles at once. Upon a successful hit, each tentacle grapples its target and does 1d2 points of damage. A grappled target is immobilized, and takes 1d2 points of damage each round until it dies, is released, or escapes. Any single blow doing 6 or more points of damage to a tentacle grappling a target will cause the tentacle to release it. A grappled target escapes on a successful save vs. Paralyzation.
Once each round, the oasis-of-lies can draw one grappled target to its mouth and attempt to bite it. If a successful to-hit roll is 18 or higher, the creature also swallows the target, if it is human size or smaller. Swallowed targets take 2d12 points of damage per round until the target or the creature is dead. Swallowed targets must also roll save vs. Paralysis. Any target that succeeds may attack the oasis-of-lies from the inside, at a penalty of -4.
This creature moves (slowly!) by lifting itself on its dozen tentacles and using them as legs. Instinctively, it knows it cannot escape attackers, so it always fights to the death. Because of its manner of hunting, and its slow movement rate, an oasis-of-lies will never be found outside its lair, unless it is seeking a new one.
The lair of this creature is filled with the bones of its prey. Among the discarded skeletons (or within the creature itself!), adventurers may find non-digestible treasure formerly carried by its victims.
An oasis-of-lies may remain in the same lair for many years, while trees, grass, and other vegetation grow up around its pool, making the location seem inviting indeed!
Armor Class: 6
Hit Dice: 15
Move: 30’ (10’)
Attack(s): 12 tentacles + 1 bite + swallow
Damage: 1d2 x12 + 1d20 + special
No. Appearing: 1 (1)
Save As: Fighter 8
Morale: 12
Treasure Type: Nil (D)
Alignment: Neutral
XP: 2300
N.B. The oasis-of-lies is inspired by an unnamed monster appearing in the comic John Carter: Warlord of Mars, issue 13.
Removed the word "things" from subtitle.