A pile of red, gooey flesh slurps along the ground. The meat climbs upon itself, squishing as it creates a formidable, hungry wall.
Malleables are malevolent, formless piles of flesh that absorb psychic energy and grow smarter and stronger when combined together.
Consumers of Psychic Power. Creatures that consume psychic energy can become so infused with it that their bodies implode. The power lingers in the grotesque mass of flesh, warping the creature’s mind even more than its body and creating a hunter that hungers to consume and grow. Malleables do not remember their personal lives before implosion, but they do retain facts and lore. They think themselves superior to all other creatures, which are simply prey. Their goals are simple: drain every creature they can of psychic energy and rule the world as a massive, roiling meat puddle. Malleables have infinite patience and can wait centuries until they feel the time is right to go on a psychic energy binge.
Many Shapes. Malleables have no set form, but they can stretch and alter their forms easily, moving on appendages or flowing like an ooze. They might form a face (or many faces at once) if they wish to convey an emotion to another creature, or take the shape of a truly terrifying beast (like a giant spider) if they wish to create panic. No matter the shape they take, malleables always appear to be a fleshy creature turned inside out.
Our Powers Combined. Malleables can join together, creating a larger, more powerful creature that shares the intellect of all the combined intelligences. These bigger malleables can separate into smaller aberrations when it suits them.
Ancient Knowledge Hoarders. It is said that malleables have perfect memories and the oldest of these creatures remember ancient lore other creatures have long forgotten. Many sages have tried and failed to capture malleables to prod their minds for secrets, but the creatures almost always find a way to escape. Adventurers are often given the dangerous tasks of capturing, guarding, or questioning a malleable.
Major Malleable
Huge aberration, chaotic evilArmor Class 13 (natural armor)
Hit Points 218 (23d12 + 69)
Speed 40 ft., climb 40 ft.
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 (+6) | 8 (–1) | 17 (+3) | 19 (+4) | 16 (+3) | 10 (+0) |
Saving Throws Int +8, Wis +7, Cha +4
Damage Immunities psychic
Condition Immunities blinded, prone
Senses blindsight 90 ft. (blind beyond this radius), passive Perception 13
Languages all, telepathy 120 ft.
Challenge 10 (5,900 XP)
Absorb Malleable. As a bonus action, the major malleable absorbs one minor or moderate malleable within 5 feet of it into its body, regaining a number of hp equal to the absorbed malleable’s remaining hp. The major malleable is affected by any conditions, spells, and other magical effects that were affecting the absorbed malleable.
Amorphous. The malleable can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch wide without squeezing.
Controlled Mutability. Any spell or effect that would alter the malleable’s form only alters it until the end of the malleable’s next turn. Afterwards, the malleable returns to its amorphous form. In addition, the malleable can use its action to change itself into any shape, but it always looks like an inside-out fleshy creature no matter the shape it takes. If it changes into the shape of a creature, it doesn’t gain any statistics or special abilities of that creature; it only takes on the creature’s basic shape and general appearance.
Psychic Absorption. Whenever the malleable is subjected to psychic damage, it takes no damage and instead regains a number of hp equal to the psychic damage dealt.
Spider Climb. The malleable can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.
Actions
Multiattack. The malleable makes three flesh tendril attacks.
Flesh Tendril. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 20 (4d6 + 6) bludgeoning damage. If the target is a Huge or smaller creature, it is grappled (escape DC 16).
Psychic Drain. One creature grappled by the malleable must make a DC 16 Intelligence saving throw, taking 45 (10d8) psychic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. The target’s hp maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the damage taken. This reduction lasts until the target finishes a long rest. The target dies and becomes a minor malleable if this effect reduces its hp maximum to 0.
Join Malleables. As long as the malleable is within 10 feet of one other major malleable, both malleables can use this action option at the same time to join together to create a massive malleable. The new malleable’s hp total is equal to the combined hp total of both major malleables, and it is affected by any conditions, spells, and other magical effects currently affecting either of the major malleables. The new malleable acts on the same initiative count as the malleables that formed it and occupies any unoccupied space that previously contained at least one of the malleables that formed it.
Separate Malleables. The major malleable can split into eight minor malleables or two moderate malleables. The new malleables’ hp totals are equal to the major malleable’s hp total divided by the number of malleables created (rounded down) and are affected by any conditions, spells, and other magical effects that affected the major malleable. The new malleables act on the same initiative count as the major malleable and occupy any unoccupied space that previously contained the major malleable.
Reactions
Sudden Separation. When the major malleable takes 20 damage or more from a single attack, it can choose to immediately use Separate Malleables. If it does so, the damage is divided evenly among the separate malleables it becomes.