Gray slaad

Gray slaadi were powerful slaad shapechangers and spellcasters.

Description
Compared to the common slaadi, gray slaads were relatively small and lean, appearing as frog-like humanoids that stood tall. They seemed swifter as well as skinnier and had long, clawed fingers. Some said their gray complexion was spotted while earlier it was claimed to be even and light.

Personality
Gray slaads shared the same power-hungry obsession with magic that their former selves did, but to an even greater degree. They were so fascinated by magic that they no longer cared about the activities of the lesser red, blue and green varieties, devoting all their attention to their studies. Some trained as sorcerers to bring out their inherent magical ability while others enjoyed augmenting their power by crafting magical items, but most sought the virtually immortal might of the death slaads.

Abilities
Gray slaadi were no less physically dangerous for their increased magical power, possessing most of the abilities of their prior forms as well as additional powers. They could skillfully craft illusions, imbue items with magic, perform flame strikes, walk on wind, magically fly, speak and create various power words and symbols and plane shift on top of their green slaadi abilities, although like the green slaads, no individual possessed all of such powers. They could polymorph into humanoid forms, often those of their original hosts, and could summon other gray slaads, as well as the common types. Other rumored abilities included immunities to the cold, disintegration and non-enchanted weapons, along with the more esoteric powers to teleport and disrupt planar stability.

Combat
Despite preferring ranged combat using their magical abilities, gray slaadi weren't adverse to entering melee, fighting with tooth and claw in their slaad forms and training to wield greatswords, often magical blades, when in their human forms. They were intelligent enough flank and use their abilities based on current circumstances, although their ability to teleport sometimes manifested when they were seriously injured, resulting in them losing their grasp on physical reality and temporarily becoming insubstantial.

Society
Aside from the death slaadi, gray slaads were the most dreaded of the slaads, sent to the Prime Material Plane to act on their behalf. They disguised themselves as somewhat charismatic humanoids, typically wearing light clothing and in possession of one or two powerful magical items, as well as a pouch of gold or platinum. They were known to operate in pairs and in groups of three or four

Ecology
Gray slaadi were the result of a [green slaad having learned a magical procedure to transform permanently into a stronger form, while retaining all their memories from their previous forms. If a gray slaad devoured the corpse of a death slaad it would become a death slaad itself.

Appearances

 * Dark Pyramid of Sorcerer's Isle