Why, that's a Squiglet!

The final comments are in from last week's "Weekly What the Heck". The result is the squiglet, a creature created from squid/pig stock to tend aboleth eggs.

I'd like to thank greywulf, Viriatha and Ripper(with special thanks to greywulf for the name) for their ideas, all of which have been mashed together to create:

Squiglet

Squiglets are created by aboleths from squid/pig stock to tend their eggs. The tentacles help them turn the goo-soaked eggs around, and the cute piggy noises help soothe offspring of the Evil Watery Master Race.

Level 16 Soldier

Squiglet Caretaker

XP 1,400

Medium aberrant magical beast (aquatic)

Initiative +14 Senses Perception +13; darkvision
HP 160; Bloodied 80
AC 32 (34 while the squiglet has an enemy grabbed); Fortitude 30, Reflex 27, Will 28
Speed 4, swim 4

mTentacle Rake (standard; at-will)

Reach 2; +23 vs. AC; 3d8 + 7 damage.

MTentacle Grab (standard; at-will)

Reach 2; +23 vs. AC; 2d8 + 7 damage, and the target is grabbed (until escape). A target trying to escape the grab takes a –2 penalty to the check. The squiglet can grab only one creature at a time.

MSqueeze (standard; at-will)

Grabbed target only; +21 vs. Fortitude; 2d8 + 7 damage.

Alignment Unaligned Languages Deep Speech
Skills Insight +18
Str 24 (+15) Dex 19 (+12) Wis 21 (+13)
Con 24 (+15) Int 8 (+7) Cha 10 (+8)

Squiglet Caretaker Tactics

Squiglet caretakers defend the eggs and young they care for with fanatical devotion. They grab and squeeze whatever creature appears to be the greatest threat to their charges.

Level 18 Elite Brute

Kruthiguid

XP 4,000

Medium aberrant beast (aquatic)

Initiative +15 Senses Perception +10; darkvision
HP 430; Bloodied 215
AC 32 (34 while the kruthiguid has an enemy grabbed);
Fortitude 33, Reflex 32, Will 25
Saving Throws +2
Speed 4, swim 4
Action Points 1

mTentacle Rake (standard; at-will)

Reach 2; +21 vs. AC; 3d8 + 7 damage, and the target is pushed 1 square.

MTentacle Grab (standard; at-will)

Reach 2; +21 vs. AC; 2d8 + 7 damage, and the target is grabbed (until escape). A target trying to escape the grab takes a –2 penalty to the check. The kruthiguid can grab only one creature at a time.

MGrate (standard; at-will)

Grabbed target only; +19 vs. Fortitude; 2d8 + 7 damage.

MTail Slash (immediate reaction, when a melee attack misses the kruthiguid; at-will)

The kruthiguid uses its tail to attack the enemy that missed it: reach 2; +21 vs. AC; 3d8 + 7 damage, and the target is pushed 1 square.

CRake Frenzy (immediate reaction, when first bloodied; encounter)

Close burst 2; targets enemies; +21 vs. AC; 3d8 + 7 damage, and the target is pushed 1 square. Before attacking, the kruthiguid releases any creature it has grabbed.

Alignment Unaligned Languages -
Str 25 (+16) Dex 22 (+15) Wis 12 (+10)
Con 25 (+16) Int 2 (+5) Cha 8 (+8)

Kruthiguid Tactics

An kruthiguid attacks mindlessly, driven insane by the horrible stench of aboleth eggs.

Squiglet Lore

A character knows the following information with a successful Dungeoneering check.
DC 20: Squiglets are creatures that guard aboleth eggs and young. They attack any threats to their charges by grabbing the intruders with tentacles and squeezing them to death.
DC 25: Older squiglets get fed up with the constant stench of the aboleths and their mucus covered offspring. Enough of this stench transforms the squiglets into the extremely horny kruthiguid. No, not that kind of horny, you people with filthy minds, but spiky, hence kruthiguid (Kruthik + pig + squid). Their naturaly pointy ears harden to form horns/tusks. Their muscular abdomen froms into a chitinuous scaled back, with sharp ridges. Their tentacles sprout spikes, and the tail tentacle grows out.

Encounter Groups

Squiglets are encountered with aboleths and their minions.
Level 16 Encounter (XP 6,850)
* 3 squiglet caretakers (level 16 soldier)
* 1 aboleth lasher (level 17 brute)
* 3 aboleth servitors (level 16 minion)

As if a party of adventurers trying to kill an aboleth didn't have enough problems, now they have to deal with pig/squids and giant mutant aboleths that have eaten beholders.