The shrieking mouther is a grotesque fusion of aberration and plant life. It possesses a bulbous, fleshy mushroom cap dripping with caustic green slime. The main stalk is riddled with multiple glaring red eyes and several drooling, distorted mouths filled with sharp teeth. Leafy appendages and thick, creeping roots allow it to slowly drag itself across cavern floors.
The Shrieking Mouther
Medium aberration, neutral evil
Armor Class: 10
Hit Points: 52 (8d8 + 16)
Speed: 10 ft.
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 (+0) | 8 (-1) | 14 (+2) | 3 (-4) | 10 (+0) | 6 (-2) |
Condition Immunities: prone
Senses: darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10
Languages: none
Challenge: 3 (700 XP)
Traits
- Aberrant Root System: The ground in a 10 foot radius around the shrieking mouther is doughy and covered in acidic slime. This area is difficult terrain.
- False Appearance: While the creature remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from an ordinary, albeit deeply unsettling, giant mushroom.
- Gibbering Shriek: When a bright light or a creature is within 30 feet of it, the creature begins to wail, shriek, and babble incoherently from its many mouths. The noise can be heard up to 300 feet away. Each creature that starts its turn within 20 feet of the mouther and can hear it must succeed on a DC 10 Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, the creature cannot take reactions until the start of its next turn and rolls a d8 to determine what it does during its turn. On a 1 to 4, the creature does nothing. On a 5 or 6, the creature takes no action or bonus action and uses all its movement to move in a randomly determined direction. On a 7 or 8, the creature makes a melee attack against a randomly determined creature within its reach or does nothing if it cannot make such an attack.
Actions
- Multiattack: The shrieking mouther makes two Bite attacks.
- Bite: Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (3d6) piercing damage. If the target is Medium or smaller, it must succeed on a DC 10 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.
- Acidic Spore Spit: Ranged Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, range 15 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (2d6) acid damage.
It ambushes prey by masquerading as a common subterranean fungus before erupting into a maddening chorus of screams, blinding its victims with noise before biting anything that comes too close.