Slaad, Red

The chaotic planes seethe and roil with random energy and bits of matter. Weaving their way amid this cacophony of light and sound are the slaadi.

Creatures of chaos, slaadi have been likened to humanoid toads, but that description belies their agility and fearsome fighting prowess.

All slaadi speak their own language, Slaad. Green, gray, and death slaadi also speak Common, and in addition death slaadi can communicate telepathically.

Weakest of the slaadi, the redskinander about individually, often establishing secret lairs on other planes. Most seek to escape from the other more powerful and sometimes cruel slaadi.

A red slaad is about 8 feet tall and weighs about 650 pounds. As its name suggests, a red slaad is mostly red, darker along the back and paler around the belly.

Red Slaadi are found in groups only when working for some greater power that somehow has mastered them. Even then, they don’t coordinate actions well.

Slaadi generally attack with their claws and bite. They relish melee combat but are savvy enough to use their summoning and other spell-like abilities to good effect. A slaad’s natural weapons, as well as any weapons it wields, are treated as chaotic-aligned for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.

All slaadi have resistance to acid 5, cold 5, electricity 5, and fire 5, and immunity to sonic damage.

Red Slaadi usually attack only when hungry or riled. Once aroused, however, a red slaad fights to the death.

Pounce (Ex): If a red slaad charges, it can make a full attack in the same round.

Implant (Ex): A red slaad that hits with a claw attack can inject an egg pellet into the opponent’s body. The affected creature must succeed on a DC 16 Fortitude save to avoid implantation. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Often the slaad implants an unconscious or otherwise helpless creature (which gets no saving throw). The egg gestates for one week before hatching into a blue slaad that eats its way out, killing the host. Twenty-four hours before the egg fully matures, the victim falls extremely ill (–10 to all ability scores, to a minimum of 1). A remove disease spell rids a victim of the pellet, as does a DC 25 Heal check. If the check fails, the healer can try again, but each attempt (successful or not) deals 1d4 points of damage to the patient.

If the host is an arcane spellcaster, the egg pellet instead hatches into a green slaad.

Stunning Croak (Su): Once per day a red slaad can emit a loud croak. Every creature (except slaadi) within 20 feet must succeed on a DC 16 Fortitude save or be stunned for 1d3 rounds. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Summon Slaad (Sp): Slaadi can summon other slaadi much as though casting a summon monster spell, but they have only a limited chance of success. Roll d%: On a failure, no slaadi answer the summons. Summoned creatures automatically return whence they came after 1 hour. A slaad that has just been summoned cannot use its own summon ability for 1 hour.

Most slaadi do not use this ability lightly, since they are generally distrustful and fearful of one another. In general, they use it only when necessary to save their own lives.

Once per day a red slaad can attempt to summon another red slaad with a 40% chance of success. This ability is the equivalent of a 3rd-level spell.