Salt Susceptibility. For every 5 feet the slug moves across salt, or for every pound of salt thrown onto it, it takes 3 (1d6) necrotic damage.
Slime Trail. If the slug walks or climbs across a surface on its turn, it leaves slime on the surface in its path that lasts until the end of its next turn. The path of slime is as wide as the slug's space. When a creature enters the area for the first time on a turn or starts its turn within the area, it must succeed on a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw or fall prone. Slugs and snails automatically succeed on this saving throw. Any non-aberration creature that falls prone in the area also takes 4 (1d8) psychic damage and 5 (2d4) force damage.
Spider Climb. The slug can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.
Starry Stalks. Whenever a non-aberration that can see the slug starts its turn within 120 feet of the slug, it must succeed on a DC 12 Wisdom saving throw or be charmed by the slug until the end of that turn. A charmed creature must spend all its movement to get as close to the slug as possible, potentially moving into hazardous terrain if necessary.
Weirdness Aura. Any non-aberration creature within 60 feet of the slug has disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks and can't benefit from damage resistance.
Bestial Subtype. This creature is bestial, meaning the spells animal messenger, beast bond, beast sense, locate animals or plants, and speak with animals affect the creature as if it were a beast.
Radula. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) slashing damage plus 9 (2d8) acid damage and 7 (3d4) force damage. If the target is a non-aberration creature, it must succeed on a DC 12 Constitution saving throw or be infected with star slug larva. An infected creature repeats the saving throw against this disease every 24 hours, ending the disease on a success. If the disease remains for more than 3 days, the creature dies and its head (or its entire body, if it has no head) is transformed into a newborn star slug.
Description
The alien beasts known as star slugs are thought to be originally native to the Far Realm, but they can be found lurking in the darkest caverns, the foulest swamps, and forgotten oceanic depths. Some scholars think that star slugs were once mind flayer tadpoles that were long ago abandoned and forced to survive on their own, mutating into the modern star slug over many eons. Others claim star slugs are unrelated to illithids. One popular theory is that star slugs are parasites that live upon the eldritch bodies of the otherworldly stars living in the Far Realm.
Mind-Control Lights. The strange stalks that grow from the top of a star slug's head are sensory organs that it uses to perceive the world without sight. These stalks are also known for the eerie lights that flicker and flash within, which some claim is the same starlight that the great stars of the Far Realm emanate. This light can enchant and enthrall any creature that isn't native to the Far Realm, compelling them to approach the star slug and, in some rare cases, even fulfill the slug's desires.
Reality Alteration. Star slugs do not belong in this universe; their very presence in any plane other than the alien Far Realm causes reality to begin to unravel. The laws of the universe, of fate and fortune, of magic and alchemy, all begin to warp and shift like molded clay in the presence of star slugs. The slime trail left by a star slug can warp physical matter even more severely. A star slug's trail can turn stone into gray oozes and turn organic matter into congealed madness.
Brain-Lurking Larva. Star slugs reproduce using larva that must be implanted in the bloodstream or body of creatures that they eat — or that eat them. The larva makes its way to the victim's brain and infests it, settling into the folds of brain tissue and beginning to grow. As the larva matures, it begins to control more and more of the host's behavior, compelling the host to find the most populous location that it can. Eventually the host's head bursts open and is consumed by a newborn star slug.
Aberrant Nature. A star slug doesn't require air or sleep.
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