ᚾᛖᛁᚾᚾ ᛒᛖᛁᚾ

The River Cherwell runs north-south past the city of Oxnaford (modern-day Oxford). Along the shoreline of the river and in the remoter rural pathways along the river, 10-20 miles to the north of the city, lie noisome masses of soft, wet, dead-white flesh, 14-17 feet in diameter. They lie (and float, when they’re in the river) like massive jellyfish and are known to the locals as “Boneless,” which is also the name that the locals have attached to a larger, intelligent mass of flesh that they believe lives at the bottom of the river.

Each Boneless lies in wait for a human and then gives chase, usually catching, engulfing, and devouring them.

Large monstrosity, amoral, intelligent, and self-centered

Armor Class 12 
Hit Points 94 (11d10+33)
Speed 50 ft, swim 50 ft

Str 16 (+3) Dex 14 (+2) Con 16 (+3)
Int 12 (+1) Wis 12 (+1) Cha 10 (+0)

Saving Throws CON +6
Skills Perception +4. Stealth +5, Survival (tracking) +4
Senses blindsight 60 ft (blind beyond this radius), passive Perception 14
Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deafened, distracted, dreamy, exhaustion, frightened, prone, woozy
Damage Immunities slashing damage from nonmagical attacks; acid, cold, lightning
Languages understands Old English but cannot speak 
Reaction to fear and revulsion, as if seeing something unnatural
Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)

Amorphous. A Boneless can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch wide without squeezing. 

Charge. If a Boneless moves at least 10 feet straight toward a target and then hits it with a pseudopod on the same turn, the target takes an extra 9 (2d8) bludgeoning damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 14 STR saving throw or be knocked prone. 

Corrosive Form. A creature that touches a Boneless or hits it with a melee attack while within 5 feet of it takes 5 (1d8) acid damage as the corrosive blood of the Boneless spurts onto the attacker. Any nonmagical weapon made of metal or wood that hits Boneless corrodes. After dealing damage, the weapon takes a permanent and cumulative -1 penalty to damage rolls. If its penalty drops to -5, the weapon is destroyed. 

Nonmagical ammunition made of metal or wood that hits Boneless is destroyed after dealing damage. 

Boneless can eat through 2-inch-thick, nonmagical wood or metal in 1 round. 

Spider Climb. A Boneless can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings or tree branches, without needing to make an ability check. 

ACTIONS

Multiattack. Boneless can make two pseudopod attacks per round. 

Pseudopod. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft, one target. Hit: 7 (1d6+3) bludgeoning damage plus 18 (4d8) acid damage. If the target is wearing nonmagical armor, it is partially dissolved and takes a permanent and cumulative -1 penalty to the AC it offers. The armor is destroyed if the penalty reduces its AC to 10.

MOTIVES

Boneless are surprisingly intelligent, but their intelligence is alien to human ways of thought, and their primary motive seems to be to eat humans and animals. But a creature as intelligent as the Boneless cannot help but have other motives, as alien and strange as they may seem to ordinary humans. 

ALLIES

Boneless works alone or with its siblings.