Lurking Ray, Lurker AboveLurker Above CR 7Source Bestiary 4 pg. 187, Misfit Monsters Redeemed pg. 50
XP 3,200
N Huge aberration
Init +5; Senses blindsense 10 ft., darkvision 60 ft., scent; Perception +5DefenseAC 19, touch 9, flat-footed 18 (+1 Dex, +10 natural, –2 size)
hp 85 (10d8+40)
Fort +7, Ref +4, Will +9
Defensive Abilities amorphous; DR 10/piercing or slashing; Resist cold 10, fire 10
Weaknesses light sensitivityOffenseSpeed 10 ft., climb 5 ft., fly 40 ft. (poor)
Melee slam +15 (3d6+15 plus grab)
Space 15 ft., Reach 10 ft.
Special Attacks constrict (3d6+15), smotherStatisticsStr 30, Dex 12, Con 19, Int 2, Wis 15, Cha 9
Base Atk +7; CMB +19 (+23 grapple); CMD 30 (can’t be tripped)
Feats Blind-Fight, Combat Reflexes, Improved Initiative, Skill Focus (Perception), Skill Focus (Stealth)
Skills Climb +18, Fly +1, Perception +5, Stealth +8 (+16 in rocky areas); Racial Modifiers +4 Stealth (+12 in rocky areas)EcologyEnvironment any underground
Organization solitary
Treasure standardSpecial AbilitiesSmother (Ex) When a lurker above grapples a target, it forms an airtight seal around its prey. A grappled target cannot speak or cast spells with verbal components, and must hold its breath (see Suffocation, Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook 445).DescriptionLurkers above are the nearly mindless males of the species, and follow much the same tactics as executioner’s hoods, save that they gain the ability to stretch themselves wide, glide with both speed and silence, and can even fly by awkwardly flapping their flesh. They typically hide on cavern ceilings, shifting their coloration and texture to match the surrounding terrain.
Like all lurking rays, lurkers above are carnivorous, preferring the tang of living flesh—though they can subsist for a time on the minerals they absorb from rocky surfaces through their tentacles. Males are less able to subsist on minerals, however, and hence hunt more actively. While lurkers above are poor fliers, they’re excellent gliders, able drop off a ceiling and silently float more than 100 feet horizontally over the course of a 5- or 6-foot drop.
Lurkers above can grow to be 15 feet from tip to tip, and weigh nearly 500 pounds when fully fed.Creatures in "Lurking Ray" CategorySource Bestiary 4 pg. 186
Lurking rays are a whole family of creatures that infest the dark corners of the world, feeding on the weak and unwary. The infant form, known as the executioner’s hood, is an unnerving but relatively mild threat for experienced adventurers, while its parents, the male lurker above and female trapper, are far more dangerous. All three types of lurking rays are ambush hunters with similar tactics, wrapping themselves thoroughly around their victims and choking the life from their prey before feeding.
Though somewhat similar in appearance to stingrays or manta rays, lurking rays in fact represent their own unique branch of subterranean evolution— or arcane experimentation. Executioner’s hoods are roughly a foot long and weigh 5 pounds, whereas adult lurkers above and trappers can grow to be 15 feet wide, with males weighing 500 pounds and females up to four times that.
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