| Hit Dice: | 25d8+200 (312 hp) |
| Initiative: | +2 |
| Speed: | 20 ft. (4 squares) |
| Armor Class: | 28 (−4 size, −2 Dex, +24 natural), touch 4, flat-footed 28 |
| Base Attack/Grapple: | +18/+40 |
| Attack: | Tentacle rake +24 melee (2d6+10/19–20) |
| Full Attack: | 4 tentacle rakes +24 melee (2d6+10/19–20) |
| Space/Reach: | 30 ft./30 ft. |
| Special Attacks: | Breath weapon, improved grab, psi-like abilities, swallow whole |
| Special Qualities: | Blindsight 100 ft., damage reduction 5/—, power resistance 25 |
| Saves: | Fort +16, Ref +6, Will +16 |
| Abilities: | Str 30, Dex 7, Con 27, Int 16, Wis 15, Cha 20 |
| Skills: | Climb +38, Knowledge (psionics) +31, Listen +30, Psicraft +31, Spot +30 |
| Feats: | Cleave, Improved Critical (tentacle rake), Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Psionic Endowment, Psionic Fist, Psionic Meditation, Speed of Thought, Wild Talent |
| Environment: | Underground |
| Organization: | Solitary |
| Challenge Rating: | 15 |
| Treasure: | Standard |
| Alignment: | Always lawful evil |
| Advancement: | 26–45 HD (Colossal) ♊ |
| Level Adjustment: | — |
This creature is a slime-covered, tentacled worm of dragonlike proportions. Four 25-foot-long tentacles sprout from its eyeless head, writhing around a lampreylike mouth of nightmarish size. A revolting mucus trail marks the wake of the horror.
A mature neothelid is a gigantic worm scores of feet long and weighing tens of thousands of pounds. Only slightly less terrible than being dissolved by the creature’s acid breath is being pulled whole into its ravenous maw.
Neothelids are a rare result of the mind flayer reproductive cycle gone horribly wrong. (See Larval Flayer.) Their very existence is a taboo topic among illithids. For their part, neothelids brood in darkness, minds abubble with desires too insane to record. Although they understand Undercommon, they rarely communicate in a meaningful way.
In battle, a neothelid forms its body into a coil 30 feet across. Its favored tactic is liquefying foes with its breath weapon. Against more distant opponents it may use psionics, while its tentacles make short work of closer ones.
Breath Weapon (Su): Cone of acid 50 feet long, once every 1d4 rounds; damage 14d10 acid, Reflex half DC 30.
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a neothelid must hit a creature with two tentacles during the same attack. If it gets a hold, it automatically deals tentacle damage and can attempt to swallow the foe.
Psi-Like Abilities: At will—body equilibrium, psionic charm (all targets, duration 15 days, DC 21*), clairvoyant sense, psionic levitate, read thoughts (DC 17*), psionic suggestion (seven targets, DC 17*), telekinetic force (500 lb., DC 18*), telekinetic maneuver (+4 bonus, DC 19*), telekinetic thrust (500 lb., DC 18*), psionic teleport, trace teleport, truevenom (DC 19); 3/day—mind thrust (15d10, DC 23*), psychic thrust (6d6, DC 16**). Manifester level 15th. The save DCs are Charisma-based.
Swallow Whole (Ex): A neothelid can try to swallow a grabbed opponent of a smaller size than itself by making a successful grapple check. Once inside, the opponent takes 2d8+15 points of crushing damage plus 2d6 points of acid damage per round from stomach secretions. See Swallow Whole for methods by which a swallowed creature may escape. A Gargantuan neothelid’s stomach has an AC of 22 and 25 hp and can hold 1 Huge, 2 Large, 8 Medium, 32 Small, 128 Tiny, or 512 Diminutive or smaller opponents.
Source: Expanded Psionics Handbook, page 204.