Astral dreadnought

The gods alone know what these things are or where they come from, bot one thing is certain: Where the astral dreadnought goes, even the most powerful fiends know fear. The astral dreadnought's a gigantic creature the size of a storm giant, with gaping jaws; huge, pincer-like claws; a reddish, armored carapace; and a single, black, malevolent eye. The dreadnought's lower quarters are serpentine or worm-like, but some cutters who've seen one claim that its "tail" has no end, stretching off into an infinitely long silver cord as thick as a stout barrel. If this is true, it'd imply that the astral dreadnought is not a native of the Astral Plane and is projecting its spirit into the silver void from some prime-material world.

The dreadnought's sole interest appears to be feeding on any astral traveler unlucky enough to cross its path. No one has managed to communicate with the dreadnought and lived to tell the tale.

The astral dreadnought's an absolute terror in combat. Its massive claws are lined with sharp, serrated edges that can easily catch and crush a human. The dreadnought's gaping maw is capable of crunching through even the toughest armor or shield. The dreadnought can also sever a victim's silver cord with its bite if it aims for it.

To make matters worse, the astral dreadnought has several magical powers as well. Its gaze creates an area of anti-magic; no spell or magical item can function in this area, and can cause fear in any creature who meets its gaze. The dreadnought has only two weaknesses: its single eye and its silver cord.

Fortunately, astral dreadnoughts're exceedingly rare. In fact, some sages argue that only one of the creatures can exist at any given time. The dreadnought roams the Astral Plane without cease, searching for prey. The creature appears to be joined with the plane on a level not fully understood by other beings -- sages have theorized that the dreadnought is of the Astral, not on it. This property allows it to avoid or ignore phenomena such as shifting conduits, ether cyclones, and similar hazards.

The dreadnought has a very unusual and specific diet: It devours astral bodies. The monster is uninterested in creatures who are physically present in the Silver Void, so characters who are plane shifted, probability traveling, or present in the Astral by means of a magical device are beneath the notice of the dreadnought. On the other hand, characters who are astrally projecting form the basis of the monster's diet. The astral dreadnought usually destroys and then devours the astral body, but doesn't strike at the silver cord except as it may be incidental to the process of devouring the astral character.

Note: Astral dreadnoughts originally appeared in this form in the Planescape Monstrous Compendium Appendix II for the AD&D game from TSR. Their use here is for the purposes of providing context for the campaign only.