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Sarlu CR 8

The anemic, segmented body of this enormous white worm swims in a baroquely decorated aquarium, its mouth nothing more than a tubelike opening frilled with dozens of writhing feelers.

XP 4,800
NE Large aberration (aquatic)
Init +4; Senses blindsense (vibration) 60 ft., darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +2


EAC 19; KAC 20
Fort +7, Ref +7, Will +13
Immunities acid, cold; Resistances fire 10
Weaknesses vulnerable to electricity and poison


Speed 50 ft., swim 40 ft.
Melee tentacle +13 (1d12+9 B plus grab)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Offensive Abilities alchemical juices (9d6 A & C, DC 19, usable every 1d4+1 rounds), constrict (1d12+9 B)
Sarlu Spell-Like Abilities (CL 8th)

1/dayinflict pain (DC 20), synaptic pulse (DC 21)
3/dayhypnotize (DC 20), suggestion (DC 21), wisp ally
At willdaze (DC 18), command (DC 19)
Constantdetect thoughts (DC 19)


Str +1, Dex +4, Con +1, Int +5, Wis +2, Cha +3
Skills Athletics +16, Bluff +21, Culture +16, Diplomacy +16, Mysticism +16, Sense Motive +21
Languages telepathy 50 ft.
Other Abilities alien mind, amphibious, inscrutable, water breathing


Alchemical Juices (Ex)

As a standard action, a sarlu can spew a jet of internally chilled, caustic mucus as a ranged attack against a target within 30 feet. The mucus deals 9d6 acid and cold damage (Reflex DC 17 half), and unless the targeted creature spends a full action removing this substance (using water or scraping it off), it takes an additional 2d6 acid damage on the following round (or 1d6 if it succeeded at the initial Reflex save). The sarlu can’t use this ability in an aquatic environment, but otherwise it may employ this weapon every 1d4+1 rounds.

Alien Mind (Ex)

Any creature that attempts to interact directly with a sarlu’s thoughts (such as via detect thoughts, limited telepathy, or telepathy) must succeed at a DC 17 Will save or be dazed for 1 round. A sarlu using its enhanced telepathy to communicate doesn’t activate this ability unless it spends a standard action to focus its mind on one opponent. This is a mind-affecting effect.

Amphibious (Ex)

Though it has the aquatic subtype, a sarlu can survive indefinitely on land.

Constrict (Ex)

Each time a sarlu succeeds at a grapple combat maneuver with its tentacle (including with the grab ability), it can deal an additional 1d12+9 bludgeoning damage.

Enhanced Telepathy (Su)

A sarlu communicates via telepathy, as the spell, with a range of 50 feet. A sarlu also “listens” via this ability so that it perceives and comprehends all spoken language within telepathic range as the spell tongues—this includes things clandestinely whispered by creatures who speak within that range. A sarlu is essentially deaf to all sounds more than 50 feet away. Furthermore, sarlu spell-like abilities are connected to its telepathic power, and so their maximum range is also limited to 50 feet.

Grab (Ex)

If a sarlu’s tentacle attack hits the target’s KAC + 4, the sarlu also automatically grapples the foe as a free action in addition to dealing damage normally. (If it hits the target’s KAC + 13, it instead pins the target and deals damage normally.) The sarlu can maintain the grab either with another successful bite attack or by performing a grapple combat maneuver normally.

Hypnotize (Sp)

As a standard action, a sarlu can drone and weave hypnotically. Each creature within 30 feet must succeed at a DC 20 Will save or gain the fascinated condition for 2d4 rounds (or until an outside stimulus interrupts the condition). This is a mind-affecting effect.

Inscrutable (Ex)

Sarlu minds and motivations are often strange and indecipherable to creatures not from their homeworld. A creature attempting a Sense Motive check against a sarlu takes a penalty equal to half the alien creature’s CR (–4 for most sarlu). Sarlu are treated as rare creatures for the purpose of skill checks to identify creatures.

Water Breathing (Ex)

A sarlu can breathe underwater indefinitely, and it can use verbal and other breath-related abilities underwater normally.


Sarlu have insinuated themselves throughout the multiverse in order to expand their criminal empires. Originally hailing from an oceanic world, they have adapted quite well to dry land and can move about more quickly than native landwalkers due to their sinuous undulations. However, Sarlu actually prefer the comfort of their mobile aquariums (see below) from which they direct their mental attacks and conduct business via telepathic conversations. Foolhardy adventures have often assumed these aquariums represent a sign of weakness or limitation, only to swiftly learn to their detriment (or demise) that a sarlu can perfectly move beyond its aquarium.

Sarlu can read the minds of virtually all beings they converse with, and secretly use this advantage to negotiate deals in their favor. Their unreadable expressions also allow them to pretend they’re making unwanted concessions without fear of being called on their claims. They delight in the unease they bring out in opponents (as sarlu never think of others as their equals or partners), especially when such individuals attempt to read their minds, as well. Sarlu have gained a frightful reputation throughout the worlds in which they operate, and often that reputation makes it unnecessary to engage in their typical means of intimidation. Ultimately, sarlu wish to sink their tendrils into all underworld activity, but they occasionally participate in legitimate businesses, usually in an attempt to corner the market on a certain commodity so they can demand incredible prices for their services.

Itinerant beings, sarlu rarely return to their own homeworld after leaving it behind, and only roughly do so once every decade to spawn.

This asexual process produces a dozen or more mindless offspring, which fight each other until a lone survivor remains. The juvenile sarlu then consumes its spawn-mates and grows prodigiously larger in size and mental acuity over the course of the following year. When it finally reaches maturity, the progeny then seeks out its parent for assistance in mentoring its first profitable scheme, after which it sets off on its own. Sarlu bear no familial obligation beyond this period of induction and often compete with one another thereafter.

Sarlu are roughly eight inches in diameter from end to end and about 20 feet in length, though this is disguised by the fact that the creatures tend to coil themselves into irregular corkscrews. They only weigh 100 pounds.

Sarlu Aquariums

While sarlu are fully capable of ambulating in a snake-like fashion upon dry land, they prefer to travel in specially manufactured aquariums filled with the waters of their native world. The specifications of these devices vary from sarlu to sarlu. A sarlu’s aquarium almost always increases its CR, but it varies depending on the encasement’s design.

Some aquariums, for instance, include shielding or mounted beam weapons for ranged combat. Many aquariums also have a grounding mechanism to disperse electricity (which can more easily overcome a sarlu’s resistances and harm them). Most also include a means of propulsion, but some sarlu prefer a stationary aquarium or one which its underlings must manually carry about at its telepathic direction. Some less well-made aquariums can limit or interfere with an occupant’s telepathic abilities, and more expensive ones can extend or enhance the sarlu’s telepathic abilities.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Alien Bestiary (Starfinder) © 2018, Legendary Games; Lead Designer: Jason Nelson. Authors: Anthony Adam, Kate Baker, John Bennet, Eytan Bernstein, Robert Brookes, Russ Brown, Duan Byrd, Jeff Dahl, Robyn Fields, Joel Flank, Matt Goodall, Robert J. Grady, Jim Groves, Steven T. Helt, Thurston Hillman, Tim Hitchcock, Nick Hite, Daniel Hunt, Mike Kimmel Marshall, Isabelle Lee, Jeff Lee, Lyz Liddell, Jason Nelson, Richard Pett, Tom Phillips, Alistair J. Rigg, Alex Riggs, Wendall Roy, Mike Shel, Neil Spicer, Todd Stewart, Russ Taylor, Rachel Ventura, Mike Welham, George Loki Williams, Scott Young.