Mimic

Mimics were bred by wizards as guardians, and they are big: a common mimic fills about 150 cubic feet, roughly a 3-by-6-by-8-foot chest or a large doorframe, while the killer mimic takes up about 200. A tough, rocky shell encloses soft organs. Their natural color is a granite-like speckled gray, but in one round they can shift to mimic marble and other stone, wood grain, or metals such as gold, silver and copper. They cannot shrink, but they can rearrange their dimensions dramatically, posing as chests most often and also as doors, statues, stairs or stonework.

Common mimics speak a garbled descendant of their makers' language and can learn the common tongue and others. Killer mimics, larger and dimmer, cannot speak at all.

Victims suffer -4 on surprise rolls against a mimic. Anything that touches it is lashed by a pseudopod for 3d4 and stuck fast to the adhesive coating its body. Alcohol loosens the glue in three rounds; otherwise a character gets one open doors roll to tear free and can do nothing else that round. The mimic can dissolve its glue whenever it likes, and the glue lets go five rounds after it dies. Acid, molds, green slime and puddings do not affect it.

Mimics live underground away from sunlight, each alone so it has plenty of hunting ground. They care only for food and survival and have no morals, culture or faith. Common mimics are clever and will gladly trade information for a meal, but killer mimics attack whatever anyone says. Wizards who still post them as guards find them reluctant to follow orders.

One or two humans can feed a mimic for weeks. They reproduce by splitting and reach full size within a few years. Their skin is dotted with sensors that read heat and light within 90 feet even in total darkness, though a bright light or direct sunlight easily blinds them. Besides glue they can ooze a rotting-meat stink that draws rats and other small prey.

Mimic ichor helps in brewing potions of polymorph self, alchemists pay for the glue and solvent glands, other organs go into perfumes, and in some places mimic innards are a delicacy.