Art by Mike Corriero

Sarloth

A sarloth’s skin is thick and leathery, naturally matching the stone and moss of a cavern’s walls. As such, they blend in and can easily be mistaken for stalactites. They grow four dexterous tentacles with tiny barbs along their interior that hook into the flesh of their prey, using these to grapple and strangle their prey. Those that escape a sarloth’s grasp are typically marked with scars from these barbs. Their tentacles are incredibly strong due to their choice of prey, even being able to lift a fully grown Greatling clad in armour with ease. Aside from their tentacles, a sarloth’s other method of attack is biting with their central maw, ringed with teeth. Sarloths are masters of patience and stealth. Using their thick, greyish-green skin as natural camouflage, they hang from the ceilings of caverns for weeks on end in wait for prey to travel beneath them. Once something desirable passes under, they lash out with tentacles to ensnare and strangle their quarry before swallowing it whole. Should strangulation fail to subdue the victim, they’ll use their maw of sharp teeth to instead bite off and consume them piece by piece.

While the sarloth may look like it is planted into the stone from which it hangs, it does actually have a pedal disc which allows it to move, albeit rather slowly. However, they are rarely seen travelling and are largely immobile when in active combat, relying heavily on their natural aptitude for stealth. Typically, sarloths make their home in smaller caverns with high ceilings, allowing them to easily grab their prey from out of sight and hoist them high into the air. These are ancient creatures, often reaching centuries in age, but not staying conscious for all of it: sarloths tend to go for larger, meatier prey, and as such is not freely available in many caverns, they sporadically fall into periods of hibernation to conserve energy. For this reason, many explorers report seeing entire hives of dormant sarloths lining the roofs of millennia-old caves, simply asleep as they await a worthy meal.

Written by NOS, Waffleheart, and electric

DM Guide

The information below is almost exclusively intended for DMs: an explanation of the creature's behaviour, weaknesses, its unique abilities, and a full statblock to aid in rolling checks and contests where applicable. Characters may reasonably have the knowledge of the information in the above post. The information below is more OOC-facing and can be learned in detail via IC research (a research ticket or event) or known in vague, broad strokes where applicable: common sense applies! A Falstoner may have a vague idea of a Faded Steppe creature's abilities, but not specifics. For example: "the creature spews blood, but I don't know how, when, and what that looks like."

Not every spell, feat, or ability interaction is defined for beasts. DMs are expected to use their discretion when adjudicating interactions that are not explicitly covered. Additionally, the mechanics of bestiary creatures are set in stone and not open for adjustment unless specific issues are noted through DMed encounters.

Spoilers ahead... proceed with caution! Here be dragons!

Statblock

Boons

[Natural Camouflage] INT: Perception checks to spot a sarloth are made with an added -2 modifier. 

[Tangling Tentacles] Even when high above its victims on a cavern ceiling, the sarloth’s tentacles can easily reach down toward them, focusing their attention on the largest targets first. However, these count as Melee attacks, not Ranged or Skirmishing attacks. As other targets make themselves known as a danger to the sarloth’s safety, they will also earn its attention.

• Grappling: These tentacles function as appendages, capable of Grappling players. The mechanics (action cost, rolls, etc.) are the same as normal Grappling mechanics, with the exception dealing 2 AP damage on successful grapples. The player may be hoisted up 4 blocks each round, including on the turn to Grapple. [Grappling Mechanics]
  • Disarming: After successfully Grappling a target, a sarloth may also use the Disarm maneuver if it has a tentacle free. This does not immediately end the Grapple. [Disarming Mechanics]
  • Ending the Grapple: As a free action, the sarloth may immediately end the Grapple. Should this result in falling further than 4 blocks, the player takes fall damage accordingly. [Fall Damage mechanics]
• Strangulation: After successfully Grappling a target, the sarloth may expend an action each turn to try and strangle them. Attempts to strangle cannot be Blocked or Evaded and prompt a STR: Fortitude roll from the player; upon failing (not a success or mixed success), they are subdued to some extent (unconsciousness up to DM/player discretion). In a subdued state, they cannot take actions unless roused by other players. Rousing can be done in many ways, but will typically have an action cost (casting a spell, throwing a rock, pulling on their leg, etc.).

[Final Garotte] Over the course of the encounter, attacks on the sarloth will wear down its tentacles. As a means of survival, it will sever lame tentacles and fling them at targets, ensnaring them from a distance as though in a loop of barbed wire. This may happen periodically through the encounter, for example: a 100 HP sarloth may fling each of its four tentacles over time upon reaching 80, 60, 40, and then 20 HP. 

• Ranged Attack: This attack takes one action and is rolled with a /roll attack 3 5-6. It does 5-6 damage, can be Blocked and Evaded, but does not trigger Quickfooted. 
• Ensnared: Should the target be struck, they are considered grappled by the stray tentacle. On their turn, they may expend an action to break free; each turn they spend ensnared, they take 2 AP damage.
• Four, Three, Two…: As the sarloth loses tentacles, it must be noted that they do not regrow. With four tentacles, they are capable of grappling up to four people, but by the time they’ve discarded three, they’ll only be able to grapple one person with the singular remaining tentacle.

Banes

[Sluggish Speed] The sarloth only has 1m (1 block) of movement; this extends to both free movement and dashes. As their tentacles generally only reach directly below them, making distance from a sarloth is an effective strategy to minimize harm. 

[Sensitive Teeth] Tough surrounded by tough skin, the sarloth’s mouth itself is, as expected, soft and fleshy tissue. Exception strikes to this area (DC 18) deal double damage.

Mechanics Guidance

• Medium Armour
• 70-100 HP
• 2 actions per turn
• Movement
  • 1m (1 block) per turn
• Attack rolls and damage - general guidance:
  • Tentacle attacks
    • /roll attack 3 3-4
    • 3-4 damage
    • 1 action
    • Skirmishing or Ranged (if on the ceiling) distance
  • Maw bite
    • /roll attack 2 5-6
    • 5-6 damage
    • 2 actions
    • Melee distance
  • Grappling
    • /roll attack 2 2 AP
    • 2 AP damage
    • 1 action
    • Skirmishing or Ranged (if on the ceiling) distance
• For the purposes of contesting spells or making otherwise necessary checks, the following stats are provided: