Arcane Sense. The grell is aware of any spell or magical effect or object within 100ft of it.
Multiattack. The grell makes two attacks: one with its tentacles and one with its beak.
Tentacles. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 10 ft., one creature. Hit: 7 (1d10 + 2) piercing damage, and the target must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned for 1 minute. The poisoned target is paralysed, and it can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on a success.
The target is also grappled (escape DC 15). If the target is Medium or smaller, it is restrained until this grapple ends. While grappling the target, the grell has advantage on attack rolls against it and can’t use this attack against other targets. When the grell moves, any Medium or smaller target it is grappling moves with it.
Beak. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (2d4+2) piercing damage.
Hunger Arcane. The altered grell can as a bonus action drain one lesser magical object, creature or effect it can sense in an attempt to fortify itself. Any targeted spell effect of 4th level or lower ends and the grell gains temporary hit points equal to 1d6 per spell level. If the effect of a cantrip is targeted it is ended, however no hitpoints are gained.
If a magic item is targeted, it ceases to be magical for as long as the grell maintains its concentration (DC 13). While it does, the grell gains 1d6 temporary hit points at the beginning of each of its turns. The altered grell may only have a maximum of 30 temporary hit points which fade after an hour.
Description
A grell resembles a bulbous floating brain with a wide, sharp beak. Its ten long tentacles are made of hundreds of ring-shaped muscles sheathed in tough fibrous hide. Sharp barbs line the tip each tentacle and inject paralytic venom. The grell can partially retract its barbs into its tentacles to handle or manipulate objects it doesn’t want to pierce or tear.
Grells have no eyes and float by means of a sort of levitation. They have keen hearing, however, and their skin is sensitive to vibrations and electrical fields, allowing them to detect the presence of creatures and objects in their immediate vicinity. The creature’s ability to manipulate electricity to sense and move also allow it to absorb lightning without harm. Although solitary by nature, grell sometimes gather in small groups called covens.
Floating Ambushers. A grell prefers to ambush lone creatures or stragglers, hovering silently near the ceiling of a passage or cavern until a suitable target passes below, whereupon it descends quickly and wraps its tentacles around its prey. It then floats away to its lair with the paralysed creature in its clutches.
Alien Devourers. Grell are alien predators that group other creatures into three categories: edibles, inedibles, and Great Eaters (those rare creatures that might prey on a grell). Grells have no compunction about attacking creatures they classify as edible, including humanoids. They tend to avoid bigger creatures that they have little hope of carrying away.
Altered. Some grell have been known to expand there consumption to be fueled by the weave itself. Whether due to arcane experimentation by mad mages, or perhaps natural evolution in an environment in which sources of mana are plentiful, the altered enjoy a range of advantages over their un-evolved brethren. These creatures have developed such sensitive sensory tools they can detect the presence of spells, magic objects or other sources of raw magical material. With this newfound ability, the grell may consume the very essence of a spell or enchantment, in order to draw sustenance.
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