"Conversion" templates

I've recently mentioned I'd post some of the stupid stuff I came up with, so let's see what we have here. First post for the basics, then a post per template.

"Conversion" Templates
"Conversion" templates are designed to quickly alter the appearance of a creature along with giving it appropriate abilities and pointers to the new appearance. While they are all designed to be relatively short and simple, they can change a few things that can be a bit complex (for example, a number of templates lower the creature's intelligence and may turn it into a vermin, or turn a vermin into an animal).
All conversion templates are inherited templates that can be applied to a corporeal creature that isn't already of the kind (or close to it) that the template would turn it to, and is of the types animal, dragon, fey, giant, humanoid, magical beast, monstrous humanoid, or vermin, or of the types aberration, elemental, outsider, or plant if that type closely resembles one of the other types.
Many conversion templates cause changes to the creature's natural attacks, and it is likely that its primary natural attack shifts to a new one. In general, a natural attack should be primary if it is granted by the template, causes the highest average damage, or delivers a special attack such as poison. If you shift the primary natural attack to a new one, the old attack becomes a secondary attack if the creature retained it at all.
Though few of the sample creatures do so, since the creature's anatomy can change greatly, it is entitled to exchange its feat and skill choices.

[sblock=No Natural Armor Bonus?]No Natural Armor Bonus?
Most conversion templates do not provide an increased or decreased natural armor bonus compared to the base creature. That is deliberate, as the conversion templates only aim to give the creatures the abilities necessary to emulate the target creature. A shelled creature like a snail or a crab does need a relatively high natural armor (and thus gains a bonus if the base creature did not have a shell), but others do not. A reptilian human would simply have very thin and tiny scales that do not impact attacks against it, while an avian triceratops would have a large amount of thick feathers that keep its body from harm.[/sblock]

[sblock=Hogrull and Snailfolk: Humanoid?]Hogrull and Snailfolk: Humanoid?
A number of the sample creatures provided for the conversion templates may look as if they have the wrong type. This goes especially for the humanoids. Most people would expect snailfolk to be at least a monstrous humanoid, if not an aberration. Similar, people would expect the hogrull to be a monstrous humanoid.
The lack of changing types away from humanoid is deliberate. Unlike the Animal to Vermin change, which is relatively easy, Humanoid to any other type faces a few problems if the creature has racial Hit Dice.
For one, saving throws are different for Humanoids and Monstrous Humanoids, and may differ between Humanoids and Aberrations. Changing these saves would either involve checking which saving throw is the good saving throw for the humanoid, or to recalculate all saves. Another wide-reaching difference between Humanoids and Monstrous Humanoids is the fact that their base attack bonus differs, spiraling to all attack rolls and to grapple checks.
Since conversion templates are meant to be comparably simple in their application, I accepted a few type oddities (such as dire vermin saves), as I felt their solution would make the templates more complex than necessary.[/sblock]

Avian Creature
Avian creatures are birds that share some features of a particular creature. Though they have wings, they do not necessarily fly - many are in fact flightless.

Creating an Avian Creature
An avian creature uses all the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here. Also, if the base creature did not have the ability to fly, you may choose to grant it a flight ability regardless, changing some of its abilities.
Size and Type: If the base creature was a vermin, its type changes to Animal. It does not gain the Augmented subtype.
Speed: If you chose to grant the avian creature a fly speed, it gains one equal to twice its base land speed (or 60 ft., if it does not have a base land speed). Its maneuverability is average.
Otherwise, its base land speed increases by 10 feet.
Attacks: If it has any limbs apart from fins, an avian creature gets two claw attacks with (one of) its pair of hind limbs (which become bird talons) if it does not have such attacks already. If it has natural attacks with its hands or front limbs, those become the talon attacks instead. A small or larger avian creature also gets a bite attack with its beak if it does not have one, already.
Damage: Natural weapons deal damage normally. Both bite and claw attacks deals damage depending on the avian creature's size (If the base creature already had bite and claw/talon attacks, use the avian creature damage only if it’s better).
Special Qualities: The avian creature gains low-light vision if the base creature did not already have it.
Saves: If the creature becomes an animal, its base Reflex save becomes 2 plus 1/2 of its Hit Dice.
Abilities: The avian creature gets -2 to Strength, +2 to Dexterity, and -2 to Constitution. If it received a fly speed, it gets another -2 to Strength and -2 to Constitution.
Skills: An avian creature receives a +4 circumstance bonus on Spot checks either in regions of shadowy illumination or bright illumination.
Feats: If the creature did not gain a fly speed, it receives Run as a bonus feat.
Challenge Rating: +0, or +1 if the creature gained a fly speed.
Level Adjustment: +0, or +2 if the creature gained a fly speed.

Combat
The tactics of a flightless avian typically do not change much, though its new speed definitely impacts its hunting ability However, as it also is more fragile, it will take some care on which creatures it will hunt.
The tactics of an avian capable of flight, however, change drastically as a whole new dimension opens up for it. It will typically employ hit and run tactics, utilizing diving charges to weaken its prey. Many flying avians will replace one of their feats for the Flyby Attack feat to further improve this tactic.

Anatomy and Ecology
As evidenced by its name, the avian template turns the base creature into a bird. That means that, typically, it becomes a warm-blooded creature that lays eggs. It has a bone skeleton even if the original creature didn't, and usually hollow bones. Most of the creature's body is covered in feathers with a coloration that is reminiscent of the coloration of the base creature. In those body regions where the base creature had large amounts of hair or fur (such as a lion's mane) or a crest (such as many lizards), the avian creature typically has a similar decoration of feathers, though combs like that of a chicken are possible as well. The new body structure and the hollow bones may affect the creature's weight and height. As a rule of thumb, an avian has probably a height of 2/3s the original length, and a weight of 9/10s the original weight.
An avian creature almost always has wings (the exception being certain flightless avians that may lose the limbs entirely). If the base creature already had wings, those simply become bird wings. If the base creature had arms or similar manipulators, one pair of those becomes the wing pair. If the creature had a rake attack or the ability to carry equipment in its hands, it retains fingers or claws on the folds or tips of the wings for that purpose. If the base creature only had legs or fins, the front leg or fin pair becomes the wing pair. Finally, if the base creature had no limbs at all, it grows a wing pair as its only usable limbs.
Any leg or fin pairs that did not become wings become bird legs. On most creatures, they become talons like those of a bird of prey, but if it doesn't gain a talon attack, they usually resemble duck legs (if you want to turn a different creature into a more duck-like creature, simply don't give it talon attacks). As most avian creatures will become bipedal, the placement of the limbs and center of gravity must shift, placing more weight directly above the legs.
The length of the neck as well as the shape of the beak strongly depend on the avian creature's diet and whether it is flightless or not. Flightless hunters typically have longer necks and stronger beaks than other avians. Fish-eating birds typically have longer beaks, and birds of prey have hooked beaks. An avian's dietary habits do not necessarily change (though this can provide interesting results), though they may be broader than those of the base creature.
If the base creature could handle equipment, the avian creature can hold equipment with its wing hands while on the ground, or in its talons while in flight. An avian creature cannot use bracers or gloves. It can only use armor, boots, and clothing specifically made for avians.

Avians as Characters
Flightless avians cause little problems as potential player characters, but they tend to be rather fragile. Though typically, their favored class should not change, they may find themselves less suited for that class. If their favored class was based strongly on Constitution and/or Strength (such as many fighting classes), you may consider changing it to a more Dexterity-based class.
Avians capable of flight, on the other hand, can cause more problems in a campaign, and their extreme frailty makes them easy to drop. They are most likely unsuited to any combat-related class, and make better scouts and spellcasters. The level adjustment of +2 is inflated to better account for unpredictable combinations, might be lowered for certain combinations.

[sblock=Sample Creatures]Sample Creature: Avicorn
Large Magical Beast
Hit Dice: 4d10+12 (34 hp)
Initiative: +4
Speed: 60 ft. (12 squares), fly 120 ft (average)
Armor Class: 19 (-1 size, +4 Dex, +6 natural), touch 12, flat-footed 15
Base Attack/Grapple: +4/+11
Attack: Horn +9 melee (1d8+6)
Full Attack: Horn +9 melee (1d8+6), bite +1 melee (1d8+1), and 2 talons +1 melee (1d8+1)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: -
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., magic circle against evil, spell-like abilities, immunity to poison, charm, and compulsion, low-light vision, scent, wild empathy
Saves: Fort +7, Ref +8, Will +6
Abilities: Str 16, Dex 19, Con 17, Int 10, Wis 21, Cha 24
Skills: Jump +19, Listen +11, Move Silently +10, Spot +11*, Survival +8**
Feats: Alertness, Skill Focus (Survival)
Environment: Temperate forests
Organization: Solitary, pair, or grace (3-6)
Challenge Rating: 4
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always chaotic good
Advancement: 5-8 HD (Large)
Level Adjustment: +6 (cohort)
A very large, probably man-high, parrot with bright white feathers sits among the branches, looking at you with fiery golden eyes. A golden horn spirals out of its forehead.
An avicorn has deep sea-blue, violet, brown, or fiery gold eyes. A typical adult avicorn grows to 6 feet in height, and weighs 1000 pounds. Females are slightly smaller and slimmer than males.
Avicorn speak Sylvan and Common.
Avicorns normally attack only when defending themselves or their forests. They either charge, impaling foes with their horns like lances, or strike with their talons. The horn is a +3 magic weapon, though its power fades if removed from the avicorn.
Magic Circle against Evil (Su): This ability continuously duplicates the effect of the spell. An avicorn cannot suppress this ability.
Spell-Like Abilities: Avicorns can use detect evil at will as a free action. Once per day an avicorn can use greater teleport to move anywhere within its home. It cannot teleport beyond the forest boundaries nor back from outside.
An avicorn can use cure light wounds three times per day and cure moderate wounds once per day (caster level 5th) by touching a wounded creature with its horn. Once per day it can use neutralize poison (DC 21, caster level 8th) with a touch of its horn. The save DC is Charisma-based.
Wild Empathy (Ex): This power works like the druid’s wild empathy class feature, except that an avicorn has a +6 racial bonus on the check.
Skills: Avicorns have a +4 racial bonus on Move Silently checks. *In areas of bright illumination, avicorns have a +4 competence bonus on Spot checks. **Avicorns have a +3 competence bonus on Survival checks within the boundaries of their forest.

Sample Creature: Leornis
Large Animal
Hit Dice: 5d8+5 (27 hp)
Initiative: +4
Speed: 50 ft. (10 squares)
Armor Class: 16 (-1 size, +4 Dex, +3 natural), touch 13, flat-footed 12
Base Attack/Grapple: +3/+11
Attack: Talon +6 melee (1d8+4)
Full Attack: 2 talons +6 melee (1d8+4) and bite +1 melee (1d8+2)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Pounce, improved grab, rake 1d4+2
Special Qualities: Low-light vision, scent
Saves: Fort +5, Ref +8, Will +2
Abilities: Str 19, Dex 19, Con 13, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 6
Skills: Balance +8, Hide +6*, Jump +12, Listen +5, Move Silently +14, Spot +5**
Feats: Alertness, Run^B, Stealthy
Environment: Warm plains
Organization: Solitary, pair, or flock (6-10)
Challenge Rating: 3
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 6-8 HD (Large)
Level Adjustment: -
The creature pouncing out of hiding is a large bird with pale yellow feathers and a wicked beak. Its wings are small and probably cannot carry it aloft, but they are topped with sharp claws, though these are dwarfed by the talons on the creature's powerful legs. The creature's head is framed with several rows of large feathers spread backwards.
Leornithes are large flightless birds that hunt other animals for food. They are about nine feet high, and live in small flocks. When hunting in a flock, they often attack animals much larger than themselves, but alone or in pairs, they only attack smaller creatures and occasionally resort to scaring away smaller predators from their prey, or eat carrion.
Pounce (Ex): If a leornis charges a foe, it can make a full attack, including two rake attacks.
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a leornis must hit with its bite attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can rake.
Rake (Ex): Attack bonus +7 melee, damage 1d4+2.
Skills: Leornithes have a +4 racial bonus on Balance, Hide, and Move Silently checks. *In areas of tall grass or heavy undergrowth, the Hide bonus improves to +12. **In areas of bright illumination, leornithes have a +4 circumstance bonus on Spot checks.

Sample Creature: Titan Gannet
Huge Animal
Hit Dice: 9d8+30 (70 hp)
Initiative: +3
Speed: Swim 50 ft. (10 squares), fly 60 ft. (average)
Armor Class: 17 (-2 size, +3 Dex, +6 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 14
Base Attack/Grapple: +6/+20
Attack: Bite +12 melee (2d6+9)
Full Attack: Bite +12 melee (2d6+9)
Space/Reach: 15 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks: -
Special Qualities: Blindsight 120 ft., hold breath, low-light vision
Saves: Fort +9, Ref +9, Will +5
Abilities: Str 23, Dex 17, Con 17, Int 2, Wis 14, Cha 6
Skills: Listen +14*, Spot +14*/**, Swim +16
Feats: Alertness, Endurance, Flyby Attack, Toughness
Environment: Cold aquatic
Organization: Solitary or pod (6-11)
Challenge Rating: 6
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 10-13 HD (Huge); 14-27 HD (Gargantuan)
Level Adjustment: -
A vast black-and-white shape rises from the waters, but if you expected it to drop down again, you find yourself disappointed, as its massive flippers turn out to be functional wings. From its long, black beak, a loud kaw-kaw sound is heard.
Titan gannets are ferocious creatures that are about 30 feet long. They eat fish, squid, seals, and whales.
Blindsight (Ex): Titan gannets can "see" by emitting high-frequency sounds, inaudible to most other creatures, that allow them to locate objects and creatures within 120 feet. A silence spell negates this and forces the titan gannet to rely on its vision, which is somewhat better than a human’s.
Hold Breath (Ex): A titan gannet can hold its breath for a number of rounds equal to 8 x its Constitution score before it risks drowning (136 rounds for a typical titan gannet, or almost 14 minutes).
Skills: A titan gannet has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line. *A titan gannet has a +4 racial bonus on Spot and Listen checks. These bonuses are lost if its blindsight is negated. **In areas of shadowy illumination, a titan gannet has a +4 circumstance bonus on Spot checks.

Sample Creature: Torostrich
Huge Animal
Hit Dice: 16d8+108 (180 hp)
Initiative: +0
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares)
Armor Class: 19 (-2 size, +11 natural), touch 8, flat-footed 19
Base Attack/Grapple: +12/+30
Attack: Gore +19 melee (2d8+9)
Full Attack: Gore +19 melee (2d8+9), bite +14 melee (2d6+4), 2 claws +14 melee (2d6+4)
Space/Reach: 15 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks: Powerful charge, trample 2d12+13
Special Qualities: Low-light vision, scent
Saves: Fort +18, Ref +10, Will +6
Abilities: Str 28, Dex 11, Con 23, Int 1, Wis 12, Cha 7
Skills: Listen +13, Spot +12*
Feats: Alertness, Great Fortitude, Run^B, Toughness (4)
Environment: Temperate plains
Organization: Solitary, pair, or flock (5-8)
Challenge Rating: 9
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 17-32 HD (Huge); 33-48 HD (Gargantuan)
Level Adjustment: -
An enormous wingless bird stands at the tree, eating off whole branches with its hooked beak. From that beak, a long, sharp horn juts out, and the long head is adorned two structures that make the bird look as if it had two more horns. Its gray-feathered body is held by two enormous feet with scythe-like talons. Suddenly, it raises its head and begins to sniff as it is has caught a scent, then looks into your direction.
A torostrich has a body about 25 feet long and weighs about 18,000 pounds. These creatures are likely to charge and skewer any creature of at least Large size that infringes on their territory. A torostrich uses its trample attack on smaller opponents.
Powerful Charge (Ex): When a torostrich charges, its gore attack deals 4d8+18 points of damage.
Trample (Ex): Reflex half DC 27. The save DC is Strength-based.
Skills: *In areas of bright illumination, torostriches have a +4 circumstance bonus on Spot checks.[/sblock]

Cephalopod Creature
Cephalopod creatures are squids, octopuses, and nautiluses that share some features with a particular creature. They may have a shell, and their number of tentacles may vary.

Creating a Cephalopod Creature
An cephalopod creature uses all the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here. Also, if the base creature did not have a shell, you may choose to grant it a shell regardless, changing some of its abilities. You may also choose to either give it no tentacles (octopus) or two tentacles (squid) in addition to its arms, or several small tentacles instead of arms (nautilus, smaller cephalopods).
Size and Type: The cephalopod creature gains the Aquatic subtype.
Speed: The creature's base land speed, its burrow speed and climb speed are reduced by 20 feet. Its fly speed is reduced by 40 feet, and its maneuverability is reduced by two steps (this may cause the creature to lose either or all those speeds). It gains a swim speed equal to its old base land speed, or keeps its old one, whichever is better.
Optionally, you may choose to have the base creature lose its entire base land speed, and give it a swim speed equal to its old base land speed plus 30.
Armor Class: If you chose to grant the cephalopod creature a shell, its natural armor bonus increases by +6.
Attacks: The cephalopod creature loses any attacks that originated from its limbs. If it does not already have one, it gets a bite attack. If you did choose to give it no tentacles or two tentacles, the cephalopod gains a number of arm attacks equal to its original number of limbs except wings plus four. If you chose to give it two tentacles, it also gains two tentacle rakes. If you chose to give it several small tentacles, the cephalopod creature gains a single tentacles attack.
Damage: Natural weapons that are not lost deal damage normally. The creature's new natural attacks deal damage depending on the cephalopod creature's size. A tentacles attack deals damage like an arm attack (If the base creature already had a those attacks, use the cephalopod damage only if it’s better).
Space/Reach: With its arm attacks, a cephalopod creature has double the base creature's reach (minimum 5 feet). With its rake attacks, a cephalopod creature has trice the base creature's reach (minimum 10 feet).
Special Attacks: The cephalopod creature gains the improved grab ability, and can constrict unless it has several smaller tentacles.
Constrict (Ex): The cephalopod deals damage equal to twice its bite damage plus its Strength modifier with a successful grapple check.
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a cephalopod must hit an opponent of any size with an arm or tentacles attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and automatically deals bite damage if it does not have the constrict ability. If it does have the constrict ability, instead it can constrict.
Special Qualities: The cephalopod creature gains lowlight vision if the base creature did not already have it. In addition, it gains the jet and ink cloud special qualities
Ink Cloud (Ex): A cephalopod can emit a cloud of jet-black ink in a cube of a side length equal to twice the cephalopod's space once per minute as a free action. The cloud provides total concealment, which the cephalopod normally uses to escape a losing fight. All vision within the cloud is obscured.
Jet (Ex): A cephalopod can jet backward once per round as a full-round action, at a speed of 180 feet plus its swim speed. It must move in a straight line, but does not provoke attacks of opportunity while jetting.
Abilities: The cephalopod creature gets +2 to Strength and +2 to Dexterity. If you chose to grant it a shell, the cephalopod instead gets +2 to Strength only.
Skills: A cephalopod without a shell also can squeeze and contort its body, giving it a +10 racial bonus on Escape Artist checks.
A cephalopod has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard if it gained a swim speed. It can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line.
Environment: Aquatic or marshes of the appropriate climate.
Challenge Rating: +1, with a further +1 if the creature gained either a shell or gained two tentacles, and a further -1 if the creature gained several small tentacles.
Level Adjustment: +2, with a further +1 if the creature gained either a shell or gained two tentacles, and a further -1 if the creature gained several small tentacles.

Combat
Most cephalopod creatures concentrate on grappling attacks to automatically deal damage to their opponents easily, aided by their improved Strength and Dexterity scores. However, their many other attacks are relatively weak, even if they can be used from a distance. Most cephalopods are smart enough to recognize a losing fight, and flee when circumstances allow, and their ink cloud and jet abilities almost make sure that the circumstances do allow.

Anatomy and Ecology
A cephalopod creature is a squid-, octopus-, or nautilus-like creature. As such, it has no skeleton, though it may have a shell surrounding its body or being embedded within its body, and lays eggs. Their main body is essentially their head, and sports large eyes. They have long arms capable of manipulation, and may have tentacles, which are longer than the arms and may be armed with teeth.
The cephalopod creature has a number of arms equal to the number of original limbs excluding wings plus four. This means that a typical cephalopod has eight arms. A cephalopod with many small tentacles (as many nautiloids) may have up to ten times that many tentacles. If the base creature had manipulators like a human, only one arm pair reaches the same level of dexterity, and usually grows from higher up in its body. The other limbs are only useful for locomotion. A few cephalopod creatures can detach their limbs to escape predators. They can easily regrow lost limbs given enough time.
The head of a cephalopod may be adorned with fins, especially among the larger specimen. If the base creature had wings, those always become fins (and may remain suitable for flight). Tails are usually lost unless they provided a natural attack. In those cases, the tail becomes a further, specialized tentacle, resulting in an uneven number of tentacles.
The natural coloration of a cephalopod creature is reminiscent of the base creature. However, many have the ability to change their coloration. Some species may use this for camouflage (you may want to grant those creatures a Hide bonus), while others might mimic the coloration of more dangerous creatures. The shells, if any, can be of any color.
Cephalopods without a shell, though primarily aquatic, can survive and function on land for some time, and a few might be entirely terrestrial or arboreal. The majority of many cephalopods' body lengths derive from their arms, and they are built light in other respects as well. As a rule of thumb, a cephalopod weighs about 1/2 to 3/4 of the base creature.
Cephalopods cannot use gloves, rings, or boots. They can only use armor and other clothing (including goggles) specifically made for them.

Cephalopods as Characters
Being mostly aquatic creatures, cephalopod creatures tend to make bad player characters, even those that somehow have a longer lifespan out of water, due to their relative slowness on land. Potentially having reach is a great advantage, however, as is the ability to make several melee attacks. The flip side is that those many attacks are hard to keep track of, and may be problematic with abilities like sneak attack.

[sblock=Sample Creatures]Sample creature: Minipus
Tiny Animal (Aquatic)
Hit Dice: 1d8 (4 hp)
Initiative: +4
Speed: Swim 20 ft. (4 squares), fly 20 ft. (clumsy)
Armor Class: 18 (+2 size, +4 Dex, +2 natural), touch 16, flat-footed 14
Base Attack/Grapple: +0/–9
Attack: Tentacles +6 melee (0)
Full Attack: Tentacles +6 melee (0) and bite +1 melee (1)
Space/Reach: 2-1/2 ft./0 ft.
Special Attacks: Improved grab
Special Qualities: Ink cloud, jet, low-light vision
Saves: Fort +2, Ref +6, Will +2
Abilities: Str 8, Dex 19, Con 10, Int 2, Wis 14, Cha 6
Skills: Escape Artist +14, Listen +4, Spot +16, Swim +7
Feats: Alertness, Weapon Finesse^B
Environment: Temperate aquatic and marshes
Organization: Solitary or pair
Challenge Rating: 1/3
Advancement: –
Level Adjustment: –
A tiny, long-headed octopus swims through the water. From its head, two winglike fins protrude.
The minipus is a very small octopus with the unusual ability to fly short distances. It is on rare occasions used as a familiar by aquatic races (being an equivalent to the hawk).
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a minipus must hit an opponent of any size with a tentacles attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and automatically deals bite damage.
Ink Cloud (Ex): A minipus can emit a cloud of jet-black ink in a cube of 5 feet side length once per minute as a free action. The cloud provides total concealment, which the minipus normally uses to escape a losing fight. All vision within the cloud is obscured.
Jet (Ex): A minipus can jet backward once per round as a full-round action, at a speed of 190 feet. It must move in a straight line, but does not provoke attacks of opportunity while jetting.
Skills: Minipuses have a +8 racial bonus on Spot checks. A minipus also can squeeze and contort its body, giving it a +10 racial bonus on Escape Artist checks.
A minipus has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line.
The minipus uses a hawk as the base creature.

Sample Creature: Muck Squid Swarm
Tiny Animal (Aquatic, Swarm)
Hit Dice: 4d8 (13 hp)
Initiative: +3
Speed: Swim 30 ft. (6 squares)
Armor Class: 15 (+2 size, +3 Dex), touch 15, flat-footed 12
Base Attack/Grapple: +3/–
Attack: Swarm (1d6 plus disease)
Full Attack: Swarm (1d6 plus disease)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./0 ft.
Special Attacks: Disease, distraction
Special Qualities: Half damage from slashing and piercing, ink cloud, jet, low-light vision, scent, swarm traits
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +7, Will +2
Abilities: Str 4, Dex 17, Con 10, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 2
Skills: Balance +11, Hide +17, Listen +6, Spot +7, Swim +11
Feats: Alertness, Stealthy, Weapon Finesse^B
Environment: Any marsh
Organization: Solitary, gathering (2–4 swarms), or disease (7–12 swarms)
Challenge Rating: 2
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: None
Level Adjustment: –
Several tiny squids whirl through the bog, dirty hooks on their arms.
A muck squid swarm seeks to surround and attack any warm-blooded prey it encounters. A swarm deals 1d6 points of damage to any creature whose space it occupies at the end of its move.
Disease (Ex): Filth fever - swarm attack, Fortitude DC 12, incubation period 1d3 days, damage 1d3 Dex and 1d3 Con. The save DC is Constitution-based.
Distraction (Ex): Any living creature that begins its turn with a swarm in its square must succeed on a DC 12 Fortitude save or be nauseated for 1 round. The save DC is Constitution-based.
Ink Cloud (Ex): A muck squid swarm can emit a cloud of jet-black ink in a cube of 20 feet side length once per minute as a free action. The cloud provides total concealment, which the muck squid swarm normally uses to escape a losing fight. All vision within the cloud is obscured.
Jet (Ex): A muck squid swarm can jet backward once per round as a full-round action, at a speed of 210 feet. It must move in a straight line, but does not provoke attacks of opportunity while jetting.
Skills: A muck squid swarm has a +4 racial bonus on Hide and Move Silently checks, and a +8 racial bonus on Balance and Swim checks.
A muck squid swarm uses its Dexterity modifier instead of its Strength modifier for Swim checks.
A muck squid swarm has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line.
The muck squid swarm uses a rat swarm as the base creature.

Sample Creature: Teratoteuthis
Medium Animal (Aquatic)
Hit Dice: 3d8+12 (25 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 20 ft. (48 squares), swim 40 ft.
Armor Class: 17 (+1 Dex, +6 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 16
Base Attack/Grapple: +2/+5
Attack: Gore +5 melee (1d8+3) or arm +5 melee (1d2+3)
Full Attack: Gore +5 melee (1d8+3) or 8 arms +5 melee (1d2+3) and bite +0 melee (1d3+1)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft. (10 ft. with arms)
Special Attacks: Constrict 2d3+6, ferocity, improved grab
Special Qualities: Ink cloud, jet, low-light vision, scent
Saves: Fort +6, Ref +4, Will +2
Abilities: Str 17, Dex 12, Con 17, Int 2, Wis 13, Cha 4
Skills: Listen +7, Spot +5
Feats: Alertness, Toughness
Environment: Temperate aquatic and marshes
Organization: Solitary or herd (5–8)
Challenge Rating: 3
Advancement: 4–5 HD (Medium)
Level Adjustment: –
A big gray-brown octopus glides through the waters. It actually seems to sport a ninth tentacle, but if so, it is enclosed in a short and pointed shell.
The somewhat misnamed teratoteuthis is a feral cephalopod with eight long arms, and a tentacle that is enclosed in a short pointed shell. The creature uses that shell to impale its prey with a charge, and then uses its other arms to scrape the prey off if that charge killed it. A teratoteuthis is so feral that it rarely flees, even in the face of death, and may even fight on after receiving wounds that would incapacitate other creatures.
Constrict (Ex): The teratoteuthis deals 2d3+6 points of damage with a successful grapple check.
Ferocity (Ex): A teratoteuthis is such a tenacious combatant that it continues to fight without penalty even while disabled or dying.
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a teratoteuthis must hit an opponent of any size with an arm attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can constrict.
Ink Cloud (Ex): A teratoteuthis can emit a cloud of jet-black ink in a cube of 10 feet side length once per minute as a free action. The cloud provides total concealment, which the teratoteuthis may use to escape a losing fight. All vision within the cloud is obscured.
Jet (Ex): A teratoteuthis can jet backward once per round as a full-round action, at a speed of 220 feet. It must move in a straight line, but does not provoke attacks of opportunity while jetting.
Skills: Teratoteuthides have a +8 racial bonus on Spot checks. A teratoteuthis also can squeeze and contort its body, giving it a +10 racial bonus on Escape Artist checks.
A teratoteuthis has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line.
The teratoteuthis uses a boar as the base creature.[/sblock]

Crustacean Creature
Crustacean creatures are crabs, lobsters, and similar crustaceans that share some features of a particular creature. They all have pincers and many sport a tough exoskeleton.

Creating a Crustacean Creature
A crustacean creature uses all the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here. You may choose to give the crustacean creature asymmetric claws, a big one, and a small one. Also, if the base creature did not have a shell or similar heavy protection, you may choose to grant it an exoskeleton regardless, changing some of its abilities.
Size and Type: If the base creature was an animal, its type changes to Vermin. It does not gain the Augmented subtype.
Speed: If the base creature could not already swim, it gains a swim speed equal to its base land speed plus 30 feet. If it has a fly speed, that speed is reduced by 40 feet, and its maneuverability reduced by two steps (this may cause the creature to lose its fly speed).
Armor Class: The crustacean creature's natural armor bonus increases by +2. If you chose to grant the crustacean creature an exoskeleton, its natural armor bonus increases by +6 instead.
Attacks: The crustacean creature gains two claw attacks if it did not already have them.
Damage: Natural weapons deal damage normally. The claw attacks deals damage depending on the crustacean creature's size (If the base creature already had claw attacks, use the crustacean creature damage only if it’s better). If you chose to give the creature asymmetric claws, the small claw deals damage as if the creature was one size category smaller (to a minimum of 1), and the large claw deals damage as if it was one size category larger (dealing 4d8 points of damage if it was Colossal).
Special Attacks: A crustacean creature gains constrict and improved grab as special attacks.
Constrict (Ex): The crustacean deals damage equal to its claw damage plus another die plus its Strength modifier with a successful grapple check. For example, if the creature would deal 2d6+5 points of damage, it deals 3d6+5 points of damage while constricting.
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a crustacean must hit an opponent of any size with a claw attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can constrict.
Special Qualities: The crustacean creature gains darkvision out to 60 feet if the base creature did not already have it.
Saves: If the creature becomes a vermin, its base Reflex save becomes 1/3 of its Hit Dice.
Abilities: The crustacean creature gets +2 to Strength, +2 to Constitution, and -2 to Intelligence. If this would reduce its Intelligence score below 1, it becomes mindless with an Intelligence nonability.
Skills: A crustacean has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line.
Feats: If the creature becomes mindless, it loses all feats except for bonus feats.
Environment: As the base creature and/or aquatic of the appropriate climate.
Challenge Rating: +1.
Level Adjustment: +1, or +2 if you chose to give it a tough shell.

Combat
Crustaceans are built for melee combat with their exoskeleton and their powerful claws. Aggressive crustaceans try to close in on the prey and squeeze it to death. They are hardy, and often stubbornly single-minded.

Anatomy and Ecology
Crustacean creatures are invertebrates, and rather than bones, they have an exoskeleton. In many crustaceans, this exoskeleton provides tough protection. Crustacean creatures sport five limb pairs (more if the base creature had more), one of which is modified into the pincers. If the base creature had limbs capable of manipulation, an equal number of limbs of the crustacean creature is modified for the same purpose. If the base creature had wings, and the crustacean retained the associated fly speed, an equal number of limbs is modified into clumsy bat-like wings. All other limb pairs become legs. In some crustaceans, the last limb pair may be hidden beneath the exoskeleton.
Like many arthropods, they have a head, a thorax (which may be fused with the head) from which some of the legs grow, and an abdomen, with a tail. The head features antennae pairs, one or more pairs of compound eyes, and the mandibles.
Crustacean creatures may be hermaphroditic. All crustaceans develop from a larval form called a nauplius, featuring only a head and a part of the tail, and motive limbs (which grow into the antennae and the mandibles). They are generally too small to be noticed, but if they aren't, they can swim slowly, at half the speed of the parent, and are four size categories smaller, with 1/16th the Hit Dice. They possess no attacks, but have the normal sensory abilities of their parent. Development from the nauplius onwards depends on the species.
Crustacean creatures cannot use boots. They can only use armor and other clothing specifically made for them.

Crustaceans as Characters
More powerful but less intelligent than their counterparts, crustacean creatures gravitate towards melee classes. If the player is willing to accept the level adjustment, a lightly-shelled crustacean creature can be a sensible choice of race. Their ability to survive well in both terrestrial and aquatic environments may be out of place in some campaigns, however, and their natural abilities often call for the use of the grapple rules, which can be unpopular.

Variants: Scorpions and Solifuges
Though biologically speaking, scorpions and solifuges (better known as camel spiders) are not related to crustaceans (they are arachnids, and thus related to spiders), the crustacean creature template can easily emulate these two types of creature with small changes.
Scorpions can be emulated as follows:

• A scorpion does not receive a swim speed.
• In addition to its claw attacks, the scorpion gets a sting attack. The sting deals the same damage as the claw attack, but is always a secondary weapon.
• If the base creature did not have a poison attack, the scorpion gains one, using the same rules as a vespid creature (see below). The poison is always delivered by the sting attack.
• The environment of the scorpion is always the same as that of the base creature, rather than adding aquatic.
• The challenge rating for a scorpion is 1 higher than for a crustacean creature.

Solifuges can be emulated as follows:

• A solifuge does not receive a swim speed.
• The base land speed of a solifuge is increased by 10 feet.
• Rather than gaining two claw attacks, a solifuge gains a single bite attack. The bite attack deals damage as a claw attack one size category larger, and the solifuge always adds one and a half times its Strength bonus to the damage of that attack, even if it isn't the only natural attack.
• A solifuge does not gain the improved grab and constrict abilities.
• The environment of the solifuge is always the same as that of the base creature, rather than adding aquatic.
• A solifuge has eight legs rather than ten, but it has two large feelers called pedipalps that look like a fifth leg pair.

[sblock=Sample Creatures]Sample Creature: Basilisk Crab
Large Magical Beast
Hit Dice: 8d10+48 (93 hp)
Initiative: +4
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares), swim 60 ft.
Armor Class: 22 (–1 size, +13 natural), touch 9, flat-footed 22
Base Attack/Grapple: +8/+17
Attack: Gore +13 melee (1d8+6), or claw +13 melee (1d8+6)
Full Attack: Gore +13 melee (1d8+6), or 2 claws +13 melee (1d8+6)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Breath weapon, constrict 2d8+6, improved grab, trample 1d8+9
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., lowlight vision, scent
Saves: Fort +12, Ref +6, Will +5
Abilities: Str 23, Dex 10, Con 23, Int –, Wis 12, Cha 9
Skills: Listen +1, Spot +1, Swim +14
Feats: –
Environment: Temperate plains or aquatic
Organization: Solitary, pair, cut (3–4), or clattering (5–13)
Challenge Rating: 9
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 9–15 HD (Large); 16–24 HD (Huge)
Level Adjustment: –
A large crab stands, rearing up as it sees you. Its blue-gray carapace appears almost rocky, and two sharp protrusions remind you of horns. A strange mist billows out of its mouth.
A typical basilisk crab stands over 6 feet tall at the carapace and measures 8 feet in diameter. It weighs about 4,000 pounds.
Basilisk crabs are nothing if not aggressive. They attack intruders on sight, attempting to trample, gore, or petrify them. There is no way to calm these furious creatures, and they are impossible to domesticate.
Whenever possible, a basilisk crab begins an encounter by charging at its opponents.
Breath Weapon (Su): 60-foot cone, once every 1d4 rounds (but no more than five times per day), turn to stone permanently, Fortitude DC 20 negates. The save DC is Constitution-based.
Constrict (Ex): The basilisk crab deals 2d8+6 points of damage with a successful grapple check.
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a basilisk crab must hit an opponent of any size with a claw attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can constrict.
Trample (Ex): Reflex DC 20 half. The save DC is Strength-based.
Skills: A basilisk crab has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line.
The basilisk crab uses a gorgon as the base creature.

Sample Creature: Horrid Crabfolk
Medium Monstrous Humanoid (Aquatic)
Hit Dice: 3d8+9 (22 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares), swim 60 ft.
Armor Class: 20 (+1 Dex, +9 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 19
Base Attack/Grapple: +3/+7
Attack: Claw +7 melee (1d6+5)
Full Attack: 2 claws +7 melee (1d6+5)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Constrict 2d6+5, evil eye, horrific appearance, improved grab
Special Qualities: Amphibious, darkvision 60 ft., spell resistance 14
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +4, Will +4
Abilities: Str 21, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 13, Cha 14
Skills: Hide +3, Listen +5, Spot +5, Swim +13
Feats: Alertness, Toughness
Environment: Temperate aquatic
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 5
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Usually chaotic evil
Advancement: By character class
Level Adjustment: –
The figure reminds of an upright crab, but it looks so horrid and discolored, it is painful to even look at it. Beneath its powerful claws, the creature appears to have an arm pair with opposable fingers.
The horrid crabfolk is found in the water of seas or overgrown lakes. A horrid crabfolk is about the same height and weight as a female human.
Horrid crabfolk are not subtle and prefer a direct approach to combat. They usually remain in hiding until they can affect as many foes as possible with their horrific appearance.
Constrict (Ex): The horrid crabfolk deals 2d6+5 points of damage with a successful grapple check.
Evil Eye (Su): Three times per day, a horrid crabfolk can cast its dire gaze upon any single creature within 30 feet. The target must succeed on a DC 13 Will save or be dazed for three days, although remove curse or dispel evil can restore sanity sooner. In addition, an affected creature must succeed on a DC 13 Fortitude save or die from fright. Creatures with immunity to fear effects are not affected by the sea hag’s evil eye. The save DCs are Charisma-based.
Horrific Appearance (Su): The sight of a horrid crabfolk is so revolting that anyone (other than a hag or another crabfolk) who sets eyes upon one must succeed on a DC 13 Fortitude save or instantly be weakened, taking 2d6 points of Strength damage. This damage cannot reduce a victim’s Strength score below 0, but anyone reduced to Strength 0 is helpless. Creatures that are affected by this power or that successfully save against it cannot be affected again by the same crabfolk’s horrific appearance for 24 hours. The save DC is Charisma-based.
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a horrid crabfolk must hit an opponent of any size with a claw attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can constrict.
Amphibious (Ex): Although horrid crabfolk are aquatic, they can survive indefinitely on land.
Skills: A horrid crabfolk has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line.
The horrid crabfolk uses a sea hag as the base creature.

Sample Creature: Spitting Crab
Medium Vermin
Hit Dice: 2d8+6 (15 hp)
Initiative: +0
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares), swim 60 ft.
Armor Class: 18 (+8 natural), touch 10, flat-footed 16
Base Attack/Grapple: +1/+3
Attack: Claw +3 melee (1d6+1)
Full Attack: 2 claws +3 melee (1d6+2) and bite -2 melee (1d4+1)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Acid spray, constrict 2d6+2, improved grab
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., vermin traits
Saves: Fort +6, Ref +0, Will +0
Abilities: Str 15, Dex 10, Con 16, Int –, Wis 10, Cha 9
Skills: Swim +10
Feats: –
Environment: Warm forests and aquatic
Organization: Cluster (2–5) or click (6–11)
Challenge Rating: 3
Advancement: 3–4 HD (Medium); 5–6 HD (Large)
Level Adjustment: –
Several big red and black crab hustle along, keeping good watch of you, and apparently ready to defend themselves.
These creatures feed primarily on carrion and offal, gathering heaps of the stuff in which to build nests and lay eggs. A spitting crab is about 6 feet long. Spitting crabs normally attack only to defend themselves, their nests, or their eggs.
Acid Spray (Ex): When attacked or disturbed, the creature can release a 10-foot cone of acidic vapor once per round. Those within the cone must succeed on a DC 14 Fortitude save or take 1d4+2 points of acid damage. The save DC is Constitution-based.
Constrict (Ex): The spitting crab deals 2d6+2 points of damage with a successful grapple check.
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a spitting crab must hit an opponent of any size with a claw attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can constrict.
Skills: A spitting crab has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line.
The spitting crab uses a giant bombardier beetle as the base creature.

Sample Creature: Storm Majid
Large Outsider (Air, Extraplanar)
Hit Dice: 7d8+21 (52 hp)
Initiative: +8
Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares), fly 20 ft. (average), swim 50 ft.
Armor Class: 22 (–1 size, +4 Dex, +9 natural), touch 13, flat-footed 18
Base Attack/Grapple: +7/+15
Attack: Slam +11 melee (1d8+5); or claw +11 melee (1d8+5)
Full Attack: 2 slams +11 melee (1d8+5); or 2 claws +11 melee (1d8+5)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks: Air mastery, constrict 2d8+5, improved grab, spell-like abilities, whirlwind
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., immunity to acid, plane shift, telepathy 100 ft.
Saves: Fort +8, Ref +9, Will +7
Abilities: Str 20, Dex 19, Con 16, Int 12, Wis 15, Cha 15
Skills: Appraise +12, Concentration +13, Diplomacy +4, Escape Artist +14, Knowledge (any one) +12, Listen +12, Move Silently +14, Sense Motive +12, Spellcraft +12, Spot +12, Swim +13, Use Rope +4 (+6 with bindings)
Feats: Combat Casting, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Improved Initiative^B
Environment: Elemental Plane of Air
Organization: Solitary, company (2–4), or band (6–15)
Challenge Rating: 6
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Always chaotic good
Advancement: 8–10 HD (Large); 11–21 (Huge)
Level Adjustment: +7
A halfling-sized azure and white crab-like creature seemingly hovers before you, suspended by six extraordinarily long and spidery legs. Two similar appendages end in hand-like claws, while the final two appendages sport large pincers.
The storm majids are near-genies from the Elemental Plane of Air. A storm majid is about 10-1/2 feet tall and weighs about 1,000 pounds.
Storm majids speak Auran, Celestial, Common, and Ignan.
Storm majids disdain physical combat, preferring to use their magical powers and aerial abilities against foes. A storm majid overmatched in combat usually takes flight and becomes a whirlwind to harass those who follow.
Air Mastery (Ex): Airborne creatures take a –1 penalty on attack and damage rolls against a storm majid.
Constrict (Ex): The storm majid deals 2d8+5 points of damage with a successful grapple check.
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a storm majid must hit an opponent of any size with a claw attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can constrict.
Spell-Like Abilities: Caster level 20th. The save DCs are Charisma-based.
At will—invisibility (self only); 1/day—create food and water, create wine (as create water, but wine instead), major creation (created vegetable matter is permanent), persistent image (DC 17), wind walk.
Once per day, a storm majid can assume gaseous form (as the spell) for up to 1 hour.
Whirlwind (Su): A storm majid can transform itself into a whirlwind once every 10 minutes and remain in that form for up to 7 rounds. In this form, it can move through the air or along a surface at its fly speed.
The whirlwind is 5 feet wide at the base, up to 30 feet wide at the top and up to 50 feet tall. The storm majid controls the exact height, but it must be at least 10 feet.
A storm majid’s movement while in whirlwind form does not provoke attacks of opportunity, even if the storm majid enters the space another creature occupies. Another creature might be caught in the whirlwind if it touches or enters the whirlwind, or if the storm majid moves into or through the creature’s space.
Creatures one or more size categories smaller than the storm majid might take damage when caught in the whirlwind and be lifted into the air. An affected creature must succeed on a DC 21 Reflex save when it comes into contact with the whirlwind or take 3d6 points of damage. It must also succeed on a second DC 21 Reflex save or be picked up bodily and held suspended in the powerful winds, automatically taking 1d8 points of damage each round. A creature with a fly speed is allowed a DC 21 Reflex save each round to escape the whirlwind. The creature still takes damage but can leave if the save is successful. The save DC is Strength-based and includes a +3 racial adjustment.
Creatures trapped in the whirlwind cannot move except to go where the storm majid carries them or to escape the whirlwind. Creatures caught in the whirlwind can otherwise act normally, but must make a Concentration check (DC 15 + spell level) to cast a spell. Creatures caught in the whirlwind take a –4 penalty to Dexterity and a –2 penalty on attack rolls. The storm majid can have only as many trapped inside a whirlwind at one time as will fit inside the whirlwind’s volume.
The storm majid can eject any carried creatures whenever it wishes, depositing them wherever the whirlwind happens to be.
If the whirlwind’s base touches the ground, it creates a swirling cloud of debris. This cloud is centered on the storm majid and has a diameter equal to half the whirlwind’s height. The cloud obscures all vision, including darkvision, beyond 5 feet. Creatures 5 feet away have concealment, while those farther away have total concealment. Those caught in the cloud must succeed on a Concentration check (DC 15 + spell level) to cast a spell.
A storm majid in whirlwind form cannot make melee attacks and does not threaten the area around it.
Plane Shift (Sp): A storm majid can enter any of the elemental planes, the Astral Plane, or the Material Plane. This ability transports the storm majid and up to eight other creatures, provided they all link hands with the storm majid. It is otherwise similar to the spell of the same name (caster level 13th).
Skills: A storm majid has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line.
The storm majid uses a djinni as the base creature.[/sblock]

Gastropod creature
Gastropod creatures are slugs or snails that share some features with a particular creature. They may have a shell or be aquatic in nature, even if the creature they are similar to is not.

Creating a Gastropod Creature
An gastropod creature uses all the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here. Also, if the base creature did not have a shell, you may choose to grant it a shell regardless, changing some of its abilities. You may also choose to make it an aquatic creature if it isn't already.
Size and Type: If the base creature was an animal, its type changes to Vermin. It does not gain the Augmented subtype. If you chose to make the gastropod creature an aquatic creature, it gains the Aquatic subtype.
Speed: The creature's base land speed, burrow speed, and climb speed are reduced by 20 feet, to a minimum of 5 feet. Its fly speed is reduced by 40 feet, and its maneuverability is reduced by two steps (this may cause the creature to lose its fly speed). It gains a climb speed equal to its new base land speed, or keeps its old one, whichever is better.
If you chose to make the gastropod creature an aquatic creature, instead of gaining a climb speed, it loses its base land speed and gains a swim speed equal to twice its that speed.
Armor Class: If you chose to grant the gastropod creature a shell, its natural armor bonus increases by +6.
Attacks: The gastropod creature loses any attacks that originated from its feet, fins and tail (such as most claw attacks). If it does not already have one, it gets a bite attack.
Damage: Natural weapons that are not lost deal damage normally. The creature's bite attack deals damage depending on the gastropod creature's size (If the base creature already had a bite attack, use the gastropod bite damage only if it’s better).
Special Attacks: The gastropod creature gains an engulf attack.
Engulf (Ex): A gastropod creature can simply mow down creatures smaller than itself by moving onto their squares as a full-round action. It may move up to its speed this way. Opponents can make attacks of opportunity against the creature, but if they do so they are not entitled to a saving throw and are engulfed automatically. Those who do not attempt attacks of opportunity must succeed on a DC Reflex save (DC 10 + 1/2 the creature's HD + its Strength modifier) or be engulfed; on a success, they are pushed back or aside (opponent’s choice) as the creature moves forward. Engulfed creatures are considered to be pinned and trapped under its body, taking automatic bite damage each round, and may suffer suffocation. If the base creature had a trample attack, the gastropod loses that ability and receives a +2 racial bonus to the save DC of its engulf ability. If the gastropod has an ability that affects creatures that touch, grapple, or attack it with natural weapons (such as an remohraz' heat or a babau's slime), that ability affects engulfed creatures as well.
Special Qualities: The gastropod creature gains damage reduction 2/slashing and tremorsense out to 60 feet if the base creature did not already have it. In addition, it gains the trail special quality and, if it has a shell, the retreat special quality.
Retreat (Ex): As a full-round action that provokes an attack of opportunity, a shelled gastropod can retreat into its shell and seal it. Doing so triples its natural armor bonus, but it is blind, cannot perform actions that require physical movement beyond those needed for somatic components and speaking, loses its Dexterity bonus to Armor Class (if any), and always fails Reflex saving throws. Exiting the shell again takes two full-round actions, which do not provoke an attack of opportunity.
Trail (Ex): All ground squares touched by the gastropod creature during the last two rounds are covered by a sticky slime. A square covered with this mucus costs 2 squares of movement to move into, and if the gastropod has an ability that affects creatures that touch, grapple, or attack it with natural weapons (such as an remohraz' heat or a babau's slime), or an aura ability, those abilities affect creatures entering the slimy squares as well.
Saves: If the creature becomes a vermin, its base Reflex save becomes 1/3 of its Hit Dice.
Abilities: The gastropod creature gets -4 to Dexterity, +4 to Constitution, and -2 to Intelligence. If this would reduce its Intelligence score below 1, it becomes mindless with an Intelligence nonability. If you chose to grant it a shell, the gastropod creature gets a further -2 to Dexterity.
Skills: A gastropod has a +8 racial bonus on Climb checks or Swim checks (depending on which speed it gained) and can always choose to take 10 on that check even if rushed or threatened. if it doesn't have that bonus already. If it gained a swim speed, it can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line.
The gastropod creature is incapable of jumping, and if it had a bonus on Jump checks, that bonus becomes one on Swim checks, instead (If it already has a bonus on Swim checks, the two bonuses stack). If the creature becomes mindless, it loses all skill ranks, but retains its racial skill bonuses.
Feats: The creature cannot gain the Run feat and must replace the feat if it has it. If the creature becomes mindless, it loses all feats except for bonus feats.
Environment: Aquatic of the appropriate climate, if the creature becomes aquatic.
Challenge Rating: +0, or +1 if the creature gained a shell.
Level Adjustment: +0, or +1 if the creature gained a shell.

Combat
The proverbial low speed of a gastropod creature makes it a necessity to adopt tactics different from those of the base creature. As they become more tenacious, gastropod hunters may adopt ambush tactics, waiting out for suitable prey, rather than going on a hunt, though if slower creatures (usually other gastropods or oozes) live in the area, those become prime targets.

Anatomy and Ecology
As shown by the template's name, it turns the base creature into a snail or slug – a gastropod. They have a head with a number of tentacles that act as sensory organs, their number depending on the number of eyes the base creature possessed. The base creature loses any feet, tails, and fins it may have possessed, but it retains wing, arms, and other limbs. A gastropod creature's wings look like fleshy muscle flaps that seem (and typically are) incapable of keeping the creature aloft, while other limbs look roughly the same. A gastropod creature has no skeleton, and depending on its nature, it has either gills or a lung.
A land-dwelling gastropod has a similar color as the base creature, while its shell, if it has one, can be of various colors. They continually exude certain sorts of mucus that allows them to move and climb most surfaces. A few gastropods can create a string of mucus that allows them to safely drop from heights (if you want to duplicate this, you may consider giving them abilities similar to a monk's slow fall or a spider's web). Aquatic gastropods on the other hand tend to be widely colorful, both shell and body. As they glide through the water, they do not need to exude any mucus to move over land.
A gastropod that gains a shell invariably weighs more. As a rule of thumb, assume that the shell weighs around 10% of the base creature.
Gastropod creatures cannot use boots or goggles. They can only use armor and other clothing specifically made for them. Due to their anatomy, they can only ride creatures at least two size categories larger than themselves. Their carrying capacity is calculated as if they were quadrupeds.

Gastropods as Characters
Gastropods, due to their low speed, make bad player characters, unless they have a means of speeding themselves up. A gastropod barbarian or low-level monk, for example, may have the ability to keep up with the slower members of an adventuring party. Also, the fact that they leave a trail of mucus can be a hindrance for the other characters and can also bring unwarranted attention to the party.
Due to its low Dexterity and Intelligence, a gastropod creature is ill-suited to follow classes utilizing those two ability scores, and the GM may choose to change the favored class of the base creature if it is such a class. Gastropod creatures are more adapt at becoming members of combat classes and divine caster classes.

[sblock=Sample Creatures]Sample Creature: Hornslug
Huge Vermin
Hit Dice: 11d8+77 (126 hp)
Initiative: -2
Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares), climb 20 ft.
Armor Class: 13 (–2 size, -2 Dex, +7 natural), touch 6, flat-footed 13
Base Attack/Grapple: +8/+26
Attack: Gore +16 melee (2d8+15)
Full Attack: Slam +16 melee (2d6+10) and bite +11 melee (2d6+5); or gore +16 melee (2d8+15)
Space/Reach: 15 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks: Engulf
Special Qualities: Damage reduction 2/slashing, low-light vision, scent, trail, tremorsense 60 ft.
Saves: Fort +14, Ref +1, Will +4
Abilities: Str 30, Dex 6, Con 25, Int –, Wis 13, Cha 7
Skills: Climb +18
Feats: –
Environment: Warm plains
Organization: Solitary or pod (6–30)
Challenge Rating: 7
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 12–22 HD (Huge)
Level Adjustment: –
A massive gray slug mows over the land, nibbling on trees as it slides along. Two feelers rise from its head, constantly looking around, and a third, muscular feeler searches around for other edibles. On the top of the creature sits a tiny shell of ivory color like a saddle, and from the sides of that saddle shell, two spearlike growths extend forward, possibly granting the creature a bit of a natural defense.
Massive herbivores of tropical lands, hornslugs are unpredictable creatures, but nevertheless are sometimes used as mounts or beasts of burden.
Hornslugs tend to charge at threatening creatures despite their low speed.
Engulf (Ex): A hornslug can simply mow down Large or smaller creatures by moving onto their squares as a full-round action. It may move up to its speed this way. Opponents can make attacks of opportunity against the hornslug, but if they do so they are not entitled to a saving throw and are engulfed automatically. Those who do not attempt attacks of opportunity must succeed on a DC Reflex save (DC 27) or be engulfed; on a success, they are pushed back or aside (opponent’s choice) as the creature moves forward. Engulfed creatures are considered to be pinned and trapped under its body, taking automatic bite damage each round, and may suffer suffocation. The save DC is Strength-based, and includes a +2 racial bonus.
Trail (Ex): All ground squares touched by the hornslug during the last two rounds are covered by a sticky slime. A square covered with this mucus costs 2 squares of movement to move into.
Skills: Hornslugs have a +8 racial bonus on Climb checks and can always choose to take 10 on Climb checks even if rushed or threatened. They cannot jump.
The hornslug uses an elephant as the base creature.

Sample Creature: Red Slugling
Medium Dragon (Fire)
Hit Dice: 7d12+28 (73 hp)
Initiative: -2
Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares), climb 20 ft.
Armor Class: 14 (-2 Dex, +6 natural), touch 8, flat-footed 14
Base Attack/Grapple: +7/+10
Attack: Bite +11 melee (1d8+3)
Full Attack: Bite +11 melee (1d8+3) and 2 slams (1d4+1)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Breath weapon, engulf
Special Qualities: Blindsense 60 ft., damage reduction 2/slashing, immunity to fire, sleep, and paralysis, keen senses, trail, tremorsense 60 ft., vulnerability to cold
Saves: Fort +9, Ref +3, Will +5
Abilities: Str 17, Dex 6, Con 19, Int 8, Wis 11, Cha 10
Skills: Appraise +9, Climb +11, Intimidate +10, Listen +12, Search +9, Spot +12
Feats: Alertness, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (bite)
Environment: Warm mountains
Organization: Solitary or pod (2–5)
Challenge Rating: 4
Treasure: Triple standard
Alignment: Always chaotic evil
Advancement: 8–9 HD (Medium)
Level Adjustment: –
A big, red slug sits at the caldera lake, its feelers topped with rubylike eyes. It has a tiny shell reminiscent of lizard scales in various shades of red, and two fleshy flaps drop down from beneath the shell, almost like useless wings. It seems to have built a small hoard of valuables, covered with red, glowing mucus.
Red sluglings are the young of a very rare branch of dragon, the so-called dracopodes. They are greedy and evil beasts, constantly on the hunt for new treasure.
Breath Weapon (Su): Once every 1d4 rounds, a red slugling can breathe a 30 foot cone of cackling flames dealing 2d6 points of fire damage. A successful Reflex save (DC 17) halves the damage.
Engulf (Ex): A red slugling can simply mow down Small or smaller creatures by moving onto their squares as a full-round action. It may move up to its speed this way. Opponents can make attacks of opportunity against the slugling, but if they do so they are not entitled to a saving throw and are engulfed automatically. Those who do not attempt attacks of opportunity must succeed on a DC Reflex save (DC 16) or be engulfed; on a success, they are pushed back or aside (opponent’s choice) as the creature moves forward. Engulfed creatures are considered to be pinned and trapped under its body, taking automatic bite damage each round, and may suffer suffocation.
Keen Senses (Ex): A red slugling sees four times as well a human in shadowy illumination and twice as well in normal light. It also has darkvision out to 120 feet.
Trail (Ex): All ground squares touched by the red slugling during the last two rounds are covered by a sticky slime. A square covered with this mucus costs 2 squares of movement to move into. The mucus is warm to the touch, but causes no burns.
Skills: Red sluglings have a +8 racial bonus on Climb checks and can always choose to take 10 on Climb checks even if rushed or threatened. They cannot jump.
The red slugling uses a red wyrmling as the base creature.

Sample Creature: Snailfolk
Medium Humanoid (Snailfolk)
Hit Dice: 1d8+2 (6 hp)
Initiative: -2
Speed: 10 ft. (2 squares), climb 10 ft.
Armor Class: 14 (-2 Dex, +6 natural), touch 8, flat-footed 14
Base Attack/Grapple: +1/+2
Attack: Longsword +3 melee (1d8+1/19-20); or bite +2 melee (1d6+1)
Full Attack: Longsword +3 melee (1d8+1/19-20); or bite +2 melee (1d6+1)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Engulf
Special Qualities: Damage reduction 2/slashing, lowlight vision, retreat, snailfolk traits, trail, tremorsense 60 ft.
Saves: Fort +4, Ref -2, Will -1*
Abilities: Str 13, Dex 7, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 9, Cha 8
Skills: Climb +9, Intimidate +3, Listen +1, Search +1, Spot +1
Feats: Weapon Focus (longsword)
Environment: Temperate forest
Organization: Squad (2–4), company (11–20 plus 2 3rd-level sergeants and 1 leader of 3rd–6th level), or band (30–100 plus 20% noncombatants plus 1 3rd-level sergeant per 10 adults, 5 5th-level lieutenants, and 3 7th-level captains)
Challenge Rating: 1
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Usually chaotic good
Advancement: By character class
Level Adjustment: +1
The creature is a pale, man-sized snail, carrying a large, greenish shell. However, Unlike typical snails, it has two apparently functional arms growing from just beneath its head, and most of its body that isn't within the shell is upright much like the body of a human.
Snailfolk speak Common and Snailfolk. Intelligent members also learn Draconic, Gnoll, Gnome, Goblin, Orc, or Sylvan. The favored class of snailfolk is druid.
Engulf (Ex): A snailfolk can simply mow down Small or smaller creatures by moving onto their squares as a full-round action. It may move up to its speed this way. Opponents can make attacks of opportunity against the snailfolk, but if they do so they are not entitled to a saving throw and are engulfed automatically. Those who do not attempt attacks of opportunity must succeed on a DC Reflex save (DC 11) or be engulfed; on a success, they are pushed back or aside (opponent’s choice) as the creature moves forward. Engulfed creatures are considered to be pinned and trapped under its body, taking automatic bite damage each round, and may suffer suffocation.
Retreat (Ex): As a full-round action that provokes an attack of opportunity, a snailfolk can retreat into its shell and seal it. Doing so increases its natural armor bonus to +18, but it is blind, cannot perform actions that require physical movement beyond those needed for somatic components and speaking, loses its Dexterity bonus to Armor Class (if any), and always fails Reflex saving throws. Exiting the shell again takes two full-round actions, which do not provoke an attack of opportunity.
Trail (Ex): All ground squares touched by the snailfolk during the last two rounds are covered by a sticky slime. A square covered with this mucus costs 2 squares of movement to move into.
Snailfolk Traits: Snailfolk are immune to sleep spells and effects, and have a +2 racial saving throw bonus against enchantment spells or effects, thanks to their vermin-like mind (Not reflected in the saving throw modifiers given here). They are automatically proficient with the longsword, rapier, longbow, composite longbow, shortbow, and composite shortbow.
Skills: Snailfolk get a+2 racial bonus on Listen, Search, and Spot checks. Thanks to its sensitive feelers, a snailfolk who merely passes within 5 feet of a secret or concealed door is entitled to a Search check to notice it as if she were actively looking for it. Snailfolk have a +8 racial bonus on Climb checks and can always choose to take 10 on Climb checks even if rushed or threatened. They cannot jump.
The snailfolk uses an elf warrior 1 as the base creature. Its statistics before the racial adjustments were Str 13, Dex 11, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 9, and Cha 8.

Sample Creature: Thornslug Devil
Medium Outsider (Evil, Extraplanar, Lawful)
Hit Dice: 12d8+96 (140 hp)
Initiative: +4
Speed: 10 ft. (6 squares), climb 10 ft.
Armor Class: 27 (+4 Dex, +13 natural) touch 14, flat-footed 23
Base Attack/Grapple: +12/+22
Attack: Claw +18 melee (2d8+6 plus fear)
Full Attack: 2 claws +18 melee (2d8+6 plus fear) and bite +13 melee (1d6+3 plus fear)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Engulf, fear, improved grab, impale 3d8+9, summon devil
Special Qualities: Barbed defense, damage reduction 10/good and 2/slashing, darkvision 60 ft., immunity to fire and poison, resistance to acid 10 and cold 10, see in darkness, spell resistance 23, spell-like abilities, telepathy 100 ft., thorn trail, tremorsense 60 ft.
Saves: Fort +16, Ref +12, Will +12
Abilities: Str 23, Dex 19, Con 27, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 18
Skills: Climb +14, Diplomacy +6, Hide +19, Intimidate +19, Knowledge (any one) +16, Listen +19, Move Silently +19, Search +16, Sense Motive +17, Spot +19, Survival +2 (+4 following tracks)
Feats: Alertness, Cleave, Improved Grapple, Iron Will, Power Attack
Environment: A lawful evil-aligned plane
Organization: Solitary, pair, team (3–5), or squad (6–10)
Challenge Rating: 11
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Always lawful evil
Advancement: 13–24 (Medium); 25–36 HD (Large)
Level Adjustment: –
A grayish-green slug moves about, covered in oddly-angled spikes, and leaving a trail of mucus behind that quickly solidifies into several bladelike spikes. From the sides of its body, two spiky growths seem to act like claws.
A thornslug devil is about 7 feet long and weighs about 300 pounds.
Thornslug devils eagerly fight with their claws, trying to impale their opponents. They use hold person to immobilize those who avoid their hug attacks.
A thornslug devil’s natural weapons, as well as any weapons it wields, are treated as evil-aligned and lawful-aligned for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
Engulf (Ex): A thornslug devil can simply mow down Small or smaller creatures by moving onto their squares as a full-round action. It may move up to its speed this way. Opponents can make attacks of opportunity against the thornslug devil, but if they do so they are not entitled to a saving throw and are engulfed automatically. Those who do not attempt attacks of opportunity must succeed on a DC Reflex save (DC 22) or be engulfed; on a success, they are pushed back or aside (opponent’s choice) as the creature moves forward. Engulfed creatures are considered to be pinned and trapped under its body, taking automatic bite and impale damage each round, and may suffer suffocation.
Fear (Su): A creature hit by a thornslug devil must succeed on a DC 20 Will save or be affected as though by fear (caster level 9th). Whether or not the save is successful, that creature cannot be affected by that same thornslug devil’s fear ability for 24 hours. The save DC is Charisma-based.
Impale (Ex): A barbed devil deals 3d8+9 points of piercing damage to a grabbed opponent with a successful grapple check.
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a barbed devil must hit with a claw attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can impale the opponent on its barbed body.
Summon Devil (Sp): Once per day a thornslug devil can attempt to summon 1d6 bearded devils or a single barbed devil with a 35% chance of success. This ability is the equivalent of a 4th-level spell.
Barbed Defense (Su): Any creature striking a barbed devil with handheld weapons or natural weapons takes 1d8+6 points of piercing and slashing damage from the devil’s barbs. Note that weapons with exceptional reach, such as longspears, do not endanger their users in this way.
Spell-Like Abilities: Caster level 12th. The save DCs are Charisma-based. At will—greater teleport (self plus 50 pounds of objects only), hold person (DC 16), major image (DC 17), scorching ray (2 rays only); 1/day—order’s wrath (DC 18), unholy blight (DC 18).
Trail (Ex): All ground squares touched by the thornslug devil during the last two rounds are covered by a sticky slime that randomly hardens into sharp spikes. A square covered with this mucus costs 2 squares of movement to move into, and anyone entering one takes d8+6 points of piercing and slashing damage from the spikes.
Skills: Thornslug devils have a +8 racial bonus on Climb checks and can always choose to take 10 on Climb checks even if rushed or threatened. They cannot jump.
The thornslug devil uses a barbed devil as the base creature.[/sblock]

Reptilian Creature
Reptilian creatures are lizards, dinosaurs, crocodiles and similar reptiles that share some features of a particular creature.

Creating a Reptilian Creature
A reptilian creature uses all the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here. In addition, if the base creature did not already have a tail attack, you may choose to give it a powerful tail. Finally, if it wasn't already aquatic or semi-aquatic, you may choose to make the reptilian creature semi-aquatic.
Size and Type: If the base creature was a vermin, its type changes to Animal. It does not gain the Augmented subtype. If it was humanoid, it gains the Reptilian subtype.
Speed: If the base did not have a base land speed, the reptilian creature has a base land speed of 5 feet.
Attacks: A reptilian creature gets a bite attack. Also, if the reptilian creature has any natural attacks with its limbs, those attacks become claw attacks dealing the same amount of damage. Finally, if you chose to give the creature a powerful tail
Damage: Natural weapons deal damage normally. Bite and tail slam attacks deals damage depending on the reptilian creature's size (If the base creature already had those attacks, use the reptilian creature damage only if it’s better).
Special Qualities: The reptilian creature gains low-light vision if the base creature did not already have it. If the base creature was aquatic, it gets the Amphibious special quality. If you chose to make the creature semi-aquatic, it gets the Hold Breath special quality.
Amphibious: An aquatic reptilian creature can remain out of water indefinitely, even if the base creature couldn't.
Hold Breath: A semi-aquatic reptilian creature can hold its breath for a number of rounds equal to four times its Constitution score before it risks drowning.
Saves: If the creature becomes an animal, its base Reflex save becomes 2 plus 1/2 of its Hit Dice.
Abilities: The reptilian creature gets +2 to Constitution and -4 to Charisma. If you chose to give it a powerful tail, it gets a further +2 to Strength.
Skills: A reptilian creature receives a total +8 racial bonus on checks for a number of Strength-, Dexterity-, or Wisdom-based skills, distributed as you choose (for example, you could choose to give it a +4 racial bonus on Climb checks, and a +2 racial bonus on Listen and Spot checks). If one of the chosen skills is Hide, double the bonus inside of the creature's normal habitat, to a maximum of +8. If you chose to make the creature semi-aquatic, it gets a +4 racial bonus on Swim checks.
Challenge Rating: +0, or +1 if you chose one or both of making the creature semi-aquatic or giving it a powerful tail.
Level Adjustment: +1, and a further +1 if you either chose to make the creature semi-aquatic or give it a powerful tail.

Combat
The tactics of a reptilian creature do not particularly change compared to the base creature. Usually, they will have more natural attacks, making them dangerous melee combatants, which is enhanced by their increased hit points (and possibly Strength). Semi-aquatic reptilian creatures usually become ambush predators similar to crocodiles, lying in wait for suitable prey to come to drink.

Anatomy and Ecology
Reptilian are usually cold-blooded, egg-laying creatures. They have a bone skeleton and a dry, scaly hide. They have a head with nostrils, small ears, and eyes, and many sport frills, crests, or horns. All reptilian creatures have tails, and a few reptilians that do not attack with their tails can lose them to escape predators.
The limbs of a reptilian are armed with non-retractable claws, but they are not necessarily suitable for attacking. Otherwise, the reptilian creature has the same number and configuration of limbs as the base creature. A reptilian creature's wings are bat-like in shape. In a few cases, you might decide that a normally quadrupedal creature would become a bipedal reptilian creature. In that case, its carrying capacity is still calculated as if it were a quadruped.
The scales of a reptilian creature are usually colored in a way similar to the base creature. Some reptilian creatures have a limited ability to change the color of their scales in reaction to environmental or emotional stimuli.

Reptilians as Characters
Reptilian creatures are perfectly suitable as player characters if the player is willing to accept the level adjustment. Their reduced Charisma score makes them bad sorcerers, bards, and paladins, but otherwise, few careers are barred to them.
Most reptilian races substitute Draconic for their standard language.

[sblock=Sample Creatures]Sample Creature: Bull Lizardfolk
Large Monstrous Humanoid
Hit Dice: 6d8+18 (45 hp)
Initiative: +0
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares)
Armor Class: 14 (–1 size, +5 natural), touch 9, flat-footed — (see text)
Base Attack/Grapple: +6/+14
Attack: Greataxe +9 melee (3d6+6/x3); or gore +9 melee (1d8+4); or bite +9 melee (1d8+4)
Full Attack: Greataxe +9/+4 melee (3d6+6/x3) and gore +4 melee (1d8+2) and bite +4 melee (1d8+2)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks: Powerful charge 4d6+6
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., hold breath, low-light vision, natural cunning, scent
Saves: Fort +7, Ref +5, Will +5
Abilities: Str 19, Dex 10, Con 17, Int 7, Wis 10, Cha 4
Skills: Balance +4, Intimidate +0, Jump +8, Listen +7, Search +2, Spot +7, Swim +8
Feats: Great Fortitude, Power Attack, Track
Environment: Underground
Organization: Solitary, pair, or gang (3–4)
Challenge Rating: 5
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Usually chaotic evil
Advancement: By character class
Level Adjustment: +4
A large reptilian humanoid with dark brown scales charges forwards, its hands gripping a huge axe. A colorful frill adorns its head and back, and two straight horns jut forwards from its head.
A bull lizardfolk stands more than 7 feet tall and weighs about 700 pounds. Bull lizardfolk speak Draconic. Bull lizardfolk prefer melee combat, where their great strength serves them well.
Powerful Charge (Ex): A bull lizardfolk typically begins a battle by charging at an opponent, lowering its head to bring its mighty horns into play. In addition to the normal benefits and hazards of a charge, this allows the beast to make a single gore attack with a +9 attack bonus that deals 4d6+6 points of damage.
Hold Breath: A bull lizardfolk can hold its breath for a number of rounds equal to four times its Constitution score (68 rounds, or almost 7 minutes, for a typical bull lizardfolk) before it risks drowning.
Natural Cunning (Ex): Although bull lizardfolk are not especially intelligent, they possess innate cunning and logical ability. This gives them immunity to maze spells, prevents them from ever becoming lost, and enables them to track enemies. Further, they are never caught flat-footed.
Skills: Bull lizardfolk have a +4 racial bonus on Balance, Jump, Listen, Search, Spot, and Swim checks.
The bull lizardfolk uses a minotaur as the base creature.

Sample Creature: Gluing Saurian
Huge Animal
Hit Dice: 8d8+24 (60 hp)
Initiative: +3
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares), climb 20 ft.
Armor Class: 16 (–2 size, +3 Dex, +5 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 13
Base Attack/Grapple: +6/+18
Attack: Bite +9 melee (2d6+6 plus poison)
Full Attack: Bite +9 melee (2d6+6 plus poison)
Space/Reach: 15 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks: Glue sheet, poison
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, tremorsense 60 ft., vermin traits
Saves: Fort +9, Ref +9, Will +2
Abilities: Str 19, Dex 17, Con 16, Int —, Wis 10, Cha 1
Skills: Balance +7, Climb +12, Hide –1*, Jump +8, Move Silently +3*, Spot +4
Feats: —
Environment: Temperate forests
Organization: Solitary or colony (2–5)
Challenge Rating: 5
Treasure: 1/10 coins; 50% goods; 50% items
Advancement: 9–15 HD (Huge)
Level Adjustment: —
A huge, black-scaled lizard is hanging overhead, suspended on eight long legs, with claws adapted for climbing. From its mouth, a viscous substance drops, solidifying quickly.
Gluing saurians are aggressive predators that use their poisonous bites to subdue or kill prey. They usually attempt to trap prey with their glue sheets.
Gluing saurians are almost entirely ruled by instinct, even more so than crocodiles. They have almost no capacity of learning, and act purely on outside stimuli.
Glue Sheet (Ex): Gluing saurians often wait in web-like sheets of glue or in trees, then lower themselves silently on glue strands and leap onto prey passing beneath. A single strand is strong enough to support the saurian and one creature of the same size. They can throw a glue sheet eight times per day. This is similar to an attack with a net but has a maximum range of 50 feet, with a range increment of 10 feet, and is effective against targets up to one size category larger than the saurian.
An entangled creature can escape with a successful Escape Artist check (DC 17) or burst it with a Strength check (DC 21), both as a standard action. The check DCs are Constitution-based, and the Strength check DC includes a +4 racial bonus.
Gluing saurians often create sheets of sticky, near-transparent glue from 5 to 60 feet square. They usually position these sheets to snare flying creatures but can also try to trap prey on the ground. Approaching creatures must succeed on a DC 20 Spot check to notice a sheet; otherwise they stumble into it and become trapped as though by a successful glue sheet attack. Attempts to escape or burst the webbing gain a +5 bonus if the trapped creature has something to walk on or grab while pulling free. Each 5-foot section has 14 hit points, and sheets have damage reduction 5/—.
A gluing saurian can move across its own glue sheet at its climb speed and can pinpoint the location of any creature touching its web.
Poison (Ex): A gluing saurian has a poisonous bite. Initial and secondary damage 1d8 Strength, Fortitude save DC 17. The save DC is Constitution-based.
Tremorsense (Ex): A gluing saurian can detect and pinpoint any creature or object within 60 feet in contact with the ground, or within any range in contact with its sheet.
Skills: Gluing have a +4 racial bonus on Balance, Hide, Jump and Spot checks and a +8 racial bonus on Climb checks. A monstrous spider can always choose to take 10 on Climb checks, even if rushed or threatened. Monstrous spiders use either their Strength or Dexterity modifier for Climb checks, whichever is higher. *Gluing saurians have a +8 racial bonus on Hide and Move Silently checks when using their glue sheets.
The gluing saurian uses a huge monstrous spider as the base creature.

Sample Creature: Riding Lizard
Large Animal
Hit Dice: 3d8+12 (25 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 60 ft. (12 squares)
Armor Class: 14 (–1 size, +1 Dex, +4 natural), touch 10, flat-footed 13
Base Attack/Grapple: +2/+9
Attack: Claw +4 melee (1d4+3)
Full Attack: 2 claws +4 melee (1d4+3) and bite –1 melee (1d8+1)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: —
Special Qualities: Low-light vision, scent
Saves: Fort +7, Ref +4, Will +2
Abilities: Str 16, Dex 13, Con 19, Int 2, Wis 13, Cha 2
Skills: Climb +7, Jump +19, Listen +4, Spot +4
Feats: Endurance, Run
Environment: Temperate plains
Organization: Domesticated
Challenge Rating: 1
Advancement: —
Level Adjustment: —
This large bipedal creature resembles a brown-scaled velociraptor, but its teeth seem more horselike.
These animals are similar to velociraptors, but are herbivores and are readily trained and ridden. A riding lizard can fight while carrying a rider, but the rider cannot also attack unless he or she succeeds on a Ride check.
Skills: Riding lizards have a+4 racial bonus on Climb and Jump checks.
Carrying Capacity: The carrying capacity of a riding lizard is determined as if it were a quadruped. A light load for a riding lizard is up to 230 pounds; a medium load, 231–460 pounds; and a heavy load, 461–690 pounds. A riding lizard can drag 3,450 pounds.
The riding lizard uses a light warhorse as the base creature

Sample Creature: Sea Monster
Gargantuan Magical Beast (Aquatic)
Hit Dice: 20d10+200 (310 hp)
Initiative: +4
Speed: 5 ft (1 square), Swim 20 ft.
Armor Class: 20 (–4 size, +14 natural), touch 6, flat-footed 20
Base Attack/Grapple: +20/+44
Attack: Tentacle +28 melee (2d8+12/19–20)
Full Attack: 2 tentacles +28 melee (2d8+12/19–20) and 6 claws +23 melee (1d6+6) and bite +23 melee (4d6+6)
Space/Reach: 20 ft./15 ft. (60 ft. with tentacle, 30 ft. with claw)
Special Attacks: Constrict 2d8+12 or 1d6+6, improved grab
Special Qualities: Amphibious, darkvision 60 ft., ink cloud, jet, low-light vision, spell-like abilities
Saves: Fort +22, Ref +12, Will +13
Abilities: Str 34, Dex 10, Con 31, Int 21, Wis 20, Cha 16
Skills: Concentration +22, Diplomacy +5, Hide +0, Intimidate +14, Knowledge (geography) +17, Knowledge (nature) +16, Listen +34, Search +28, Sense Motive +17, Spot +34, Survival +5 (+7 following tracks), Swim +20, Use Magic Device +14
Feats: Alertness, Blind-Fight, Combat Expertise, Improved Critical (tentacle), Improved Initiative, Improved Trip, Iron Will
Environment: Temperate aquatic
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 12
Treasure: Triple standard
Alignment: Usually neutral evil
Advancement: 21–32 HD (Gargantuan); 33–60 HD (Colossal)
Level Adjustment: —
A vast shape rises from the depths, pale scales glistening wet. An alligator head, flanked by two long and barbed tentacles begins crashing down towards you.
The beast has six arms about 30 feet long that end in claws; its head is flanked by two long, flexible tentacles that are nearly 60 feet long and covered with barbs. Sea monsters speak Common and Aquan.
Sea monsters strike their opponents with their barbed tentacles, then grab and crush with their claws or drag victims into their huge jaws. An opponent can make sunder attempts against a sea monster’s tentacles or arms as if they were weapons. A sea monster’s tentacles have 20 hit points, and its arms have 10 hit points. If a kraken is currently grappling a target with one tentacle or claw, it usually uses another limb to make its attack of opportunity against the sunder attempt. Severing a sea monster’s tentacle or arm deals damage to the kraken equal to half the limb’s full normal hit points. A sea monster usually withdraws from combat if it loses both tentacles or three of its claws. A sea monster regrows severed limbs in 1d10+10 days.
Constrict (Ex): A sea monster deals automatic claw or tentacle damage with a successful grapple check.
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, the sea monster must hit with a claw or tentacle attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can constrict.
Amphibious: A sea monster can remain out of water indefinitely, even though it rarely does.
Ink Cloud (Ex): A sea monster can emit a cloud of jet-black ink in an 80-foot spread once per minute as a free action. The cloud provides total concealment, which the sea monster normally uses to escape a fight that is going badly. Creatures within the cloud are considered to be in darkness.
Jet (Ex): A sea monster can jet backward once per round as a full-round action, at a speed of 280 feet. It must move in a straight line, but does not provoke attacks of opportunity while jetting.
Spell-Like Abilities: Caster level 9th. The save DC is Charisma-based.
1/day—control weather, control winds, dominate animal (DC 16), resist energy.
Skills: A sea monster has a +4 racial bonus on Listen and Spot checks. A sea monster has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line.
The sea monster uses a kraken as the base creature.[/sblock]

Vespid Creature
Vespid creatures are wasps or bees that share some features of a particular creature. They all can fly and have biting mandibles, and females have a poisonous stinger.

Creating a Vespid Creature
The vespid creature template is best applied to creatures of Tiny or larger size. A vespid creature uses all the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here.
Size and Type: If the base creature was an animal, its type changes to Vermin. It does not gain the Augmented subtype.
Speed: If the base creature could not already fly, it gains a fly speed equal to twice its base land speed with good maneuverability, and its base land speed is reduced by 10 feet (to a minimum of 5 feet).
Attacks: If the base creature had any attacks with its wings or tail, it loses those attacks. It gains a sting attack and a bite attack if it did not already have those.
Damage: Natural weapons that are not lost deal damage normally. Both bite and sting attacks deals damage depending on the vespid creature's size (If the base creature already had bite and sting attacks, use the vespid creature damage only if it’s better).
Special Attacks: A vespid creature gains a poison special attack, delivered by its sting attack. If the base creature already had a poison attack, that poison is delivered by the sting attack instead.
Poison (Ex): Injury, Fortitude save DC 10 + 1/2 racial HD + Constitution modifier, initial and secondary damage to a single ability score of your choice per the following table. If you choose Constitution as the ability score to be damaged, use the damage value of the next-smaller size.
Special Qualities: The vespid creature gains darkvision out to 60 feet if the base creature did not already have it.
Saves: If the creature becomes a vermin, its base Reflex save becomes 1/3 of its Hit Dice.
Abilities: The vespid creature gets +2 to Dexterity, -2 to Intelligence, and +2 to Wisdom. If this would reduce its Intelligence score below 1, it becomes mindless with an Intelligence nonability.
Skills: A vespid has a +8 racial bonus on Spot checks and a +4 racial bonus on Survival checks made to orient itself. If the creature becomes mindless, it loses all skill ranks, but retains its racial skill bonuses.
Feats: If the creature becomes mindless, it loses all feats except for bonus feats.
Challenge Rating: +1, or +0 if it gained neither a fly speed nor a poison ability.
Level Adjustment: +1, or +2 if the creature gained a fly speed.

Combat
With their ability of flight and their poison, the tactics of a vespid creature can differ greatly from those of the base creature. They typically try to poison and thus incapacitate their prey or foes before carrying them off to their nest. Vespids often take the Flyby Attack feat and other flying feats.

Anatomy and Ecology
Vespids are, anatomically speaking, wasps, bees, and similar creatures. Rather than having a bone skeleton, they have a chitinous exoskeleton, and their body is bisected at the waist into a thorax and an abdomen. The vespid creature has two membranous wing pairs, even if the base creature had no wings, and three limb pairs (more if the base creature had more than six limbs), all of which extend from the thorax.
Most real wasps are striped yellow and black, but other combinations and patterns are possible. Vespids follow the pattern in that most of them are striped black and a color of the base creature, with additional markings. Vespids typically have little to no hair.
If the base creature had hands capable of manipulation, the appropriate number of the vespid's forelimbs (usually two) are capable of doing so as well. The remaining limbs are legs. The abdomen holds the vespid's stinger. Normally, only female vespids have a stinger, as it is derived from an organ used to lay eggs, but in certain vespids (especially those where the base creature had a poison attack), both genders may sport a stinger.
The vespid's head is separate from the thorax, and sports two feelers, two small compound eyes, and a mandible. Unlike mammalian mouths, the mandibles open sideways.
Social vespids usually are divided into a number of separate castes, typically including drones (fertile males, usually without a stinger or other natural weapons), workers/soldiers (infertile females), and queens (fertile female required for the hive's survival, and usually singular in the hive). Occasionally, there are other castes which may have specific abilities needed for the hive. Vespids live through a larval stage during which they are mostly immobile and helpless.
Vespid creatures can can only use armor and other clothing specifically made for them.

Vespids as Characters
Just like avian characters, vespids can be problematic due to their ability to fly, so their level adjustment is likewise higher. Unlike avians, however, vespids are not more frail than their normal counterparts. Their reduced Intelligence makes them less suitable for the wizard class and similar Intelligence-based classes, however, and the GM may choose to change such favored classes to a stealth-based or divine caster class instead.

[sblock=Sample Creatures]Sample Creature: Greenjacket
Huge Vermin
Hit Dice: 6d8+6 (33 hp)
Initiative: +6
Speed: 10 ft. (2 squares), fly 40 ft. (good), climb 20 ft., swim 20 ft.
Armor Class: 16 (–2 size, +3 Dex, +5 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 13
Base Attack/Grapple: +4/+15
Attack: Sting +5 melee (1d6+3 plus poison)
Full Attack: Sting +5 melee (1d6+3 plus poison) and bite +0 (1d6+1)
Space/Reach: 15 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks: Poison
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., scent
Saves: Fort +6, Ref +6, Will +3
Abilities: Str 16, Dex 17, Con 13, Int –, Wis 14, Cha 2
Skills: Balance +11, Climb +11, Hide -1, Listen +6, Spot +10, Survival +2*, Swim +11
Feats: –
Environment: Temperate marshes
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 4
Advancement: 7–18 HD (Huge)
Level Adjustment: –
A thin but huge, bright green and black creature that resembles a mixture between a mosquito and a wasp flies through the mangroves.
The greenjacket is a frail vespid that more resembles a mosquito. It is striped green and black, with yellow dots on its forehead. Unlike many vespids, it is a solitary creature, and both the male and the female possess a stinger.
The greenjacket is well at home in the swamps, and even swims in the muddy waters in which it is born to ambush its prey.
Poison (Ex): Injury; Fortitude save DC 14; initial and secondary damage of 1d6 Con. The save DC is Constitution-based.
Skills: Greenjackets have a +4 racial bonus on Hide and Listen checks, and a +8 racial bonus on Balance, Climb, Spot, and Swim checks. A greenjacket can always choose to take 10 on a Climb check, even if rushed or threatened. It can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line.
The greenjacket uses a huge viper as the base creature.

Sample Creature: Dimension Wasp
Medium Magical Beast
Hit Dice: 4d10 (22 hp)
Initiative: +3
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares), fly 80 ft. (good)
Armor Class: 17 (+4 Dex, +3 natural), touch 14, flat-footed 13
Base Attack/Grapple: +4/+4
Attack: Bite +4 melee (1d6); or sting +4 melee (1d3 plus poison)
Full Attack: Bite +4 melee (1d6) and sting -1 melee (1d3 plus poison)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Poison
Special Qualities: Blink, darkvision 60 ft., dimension door, low-light vision, scent
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +8, Will +5
Abilities: Str 10, Dex 19, Con 10, Int 8, Wis 15, Cha 11
Skills: Hide +4, Listen +4, Sense Motive +4, Spot +12, Survival +3*
Feats: Iron Will, Run, Track^B
Environment: Temperate plains
Organization: Solitary, pair, or swarm (7–16)
Challenge Rating: 3
Treasure: None
Alignment: Usually lawful good
Advancement: 5–7 HD (Medium); 8–12 HD (Large)
Level Adjustment: +4 (cohort)
A dog-sized brown-black wasp hovers over the plains before seemingly blinking out of existence.
The dimension wasp is an intelligent vespid that has a limited teleportation ability.
Dimension wasps have their own language, a mixture of clicks, drones, dances, and hums that can transmit complex information. They nest underground in relatively small tunnels designed to be non-invasive on the surrounding terrain. The nest is often sealed shut so that only air can enter, allowing easy access only by teleportation.
Dimension wasps hunt in swarms, teleporting in a seemingly random fashion until they surround their prey, allowing some of them to take advantage of flanking. Each dimension wasp swarm has a single queen, a celestial dimension wasp advanced to 12 Hit Dice. The queen cannot fly, and usually remains in the underground nest.
Poison (Ex): Injury, Fortitude save DC 12, initial and secondary damage 1d4 Cha.
Blink (Su): A dimension wasp can use blink as the spell (caster level 8th), and can evoke or end the effect as a free action.
Dimension Door (Su): A dimension wasp can teleport, as dimension door (caster level 8th), once per round as a free action. The ability affects only the dimension wasp, which never appears within a solid object and can act immediately after teleporting.
Skills: A dimension wasp has a +8 racial bonus on Spot checks and a +4 racial bonus on Survival checks made to orient itself.
The dimension wasp uses a blink dog as the base creature.

Sample Creature: Hogrull
Medium Humanoid (Hogrull)
Hit Dice: 2d8+2 (11 hp)
Initiative: +0
Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares), fly 60 ft. (good)
Armor Class: 14 (+1 natural, +1 Dexterity, +2 heavy steel shield), touch 11, flat-footed 13
Base Attack/Grapple: +1/+3
Attack: Battleaxe +3 melee (1d8+2/x3); or shortbow +2 ranged (1d6/x3); or sting +3 melee (1d3+2 plus poison)
Full Attack: Battleaxe +3 melee (1d8+2/x3) and bite -2 melee (1d2+) and sting -2 melee (1d3+1 plus poison); or shortbow +2 ranged (1d6/x3); or sting +3 melee (1d3+2 plus poison) and bite (1d2+1)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Poison
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft.
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +1, Will +1
Abilities: Str 15, Dex 12, Con 13, Int 6, Wis 13, Cha 8
Skills: Listen +3, Spot +12
Feats: Power Attack
Environment: Warm plains
Organization: Solitary, pair, slaver party (2–5 and 1–2 giant wasps), swarm (10–100 plus 50% noncombatants plus 1 3rd-level sergeant per 20 adults and 1 leader of 4th–6th level and 5–8 giant wasps), or hive (20–200 plus 1 3rd-level sergeant per 20 adults, 1 or 2 lieutenants of 4th or 5th level, 1 leader of 6th–8th level, and 7–12 giant wasps)
Challenge Rating: 2
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Usually chaotic evil
Advancement: By character class
Level Adjustment: +3
A big, upright, white-brown wasp stands on four hind legs, while holding a large axe and a shield with its front legs. Its mandibles click menacingly.
Hogrulls are social, but extremely quarrelsome (and occasionally cannibalistic) vespids of some intelligence. They are capable of creating and using tools, but prefer to let slaves do that work. Female hogrulls form a soldier/slaver caste, tasked with the defense of the hive's nest and the abduction of new slaves. Each hive has a single queen, a hogrull with at least 9 class levels and the class abilities of a 4th level dwarven defender. A typical hogrull cannot fly ifit carries more than 99 lb of weight.
A hogrull is about 7-1/2 feet tall and weighs 300 pounds. They speak Hogrull, and occasionally learn Common, Draconic, Elven, Goblin, or Orc. The favored class of hogrulls is ranger.
Poison (Ex): Injury, Fortitude save DC 12, initial and secondary damage 1d4 Dex.
Skills: A hogrull has a +8 racial bonus on Spot checks and a +4 racial bonus on Survival checks made to orient itself.
The hogrull uses a gnoll as the base creature.[/sblock]

Weird, but awesome! There's definately some things I might want to turn into cephalopods...

Love the sample creatures, BTW. Especially the basilisk crab.

Demiurge out.

Thanks! The weirdness is something I was concerned about as well, which is part of the reason why I wrote up so many sample creatures - sort of a proof of concept, though the weirder sample creatures ended up with the reptilians (gluing saurian and sea monster).

This is a sweet idea, Knight Otu! I will have to look at these closely; I can think of several applications already.