Greater Urchin Working Draft
Urchin, Greater
Black Urchin
Small Magical Beast (Aquatic)
Hit Dice: 1d10+1 (6 hp)
Initiative +1
Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares), swim 40 ft.
Armor Class: 16 (+1 size, +1 Dex, +4 natural), touch 12, flat-footed 14
Base Attack/Grapple: +1/–3
Attack: Spines +5 melee (1d6/19–20) or spine +6 ranged (1d6/19–20)
Full Attack: Spines +5 melee (1d6/19–20) or spine +6 ranged (1d6/19–20)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Spines
Special Qualities: All-around vision, blind, clairvoyance, blindsight 60 ft., water dependent
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +3, Will +0
Abilities: Str 11, Dex 12, Con 13, Int 2, Wis 11, Cha 6
Skills: Hide +9*, Search +4, Spot +4
Feats: Weapon Focus (spine)
Environment: Any aquatic
Organization: Solitary or group (2-6)
Challenge Rating: 1/2
Treasure: None (see below)
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 2-3 HD (Small)
Level Adjustment: —
Green Urchin
Small Magical Beast (Aquatic)
Hit Dice: 2d10+2 (13 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares), swim 50 ft.
Armor Class: 17 (+1 size, +1 Dex, +5 natural), touch 12, flat-footed 15
Base Attack/Grapple: +2/–1
Attack: Spines +7 melee (1d6+1/19–20) or spine +7 ranged (1d6+1/19–20)
Full Attack: Spines +7 melee (1d6+1/19–20) or 2 spines +7 ranged (1d6+1/19–20)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Spines
Special Qualities: All-around vision, blind, clairvoyance, blindsight 60 ft., water dependent
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +1
Abilities: Str 12, Dex 12, Con 13, Int 2, Wis 11, Cha 6
Skills: Hide +10*, Search +4, Spot +4
Feats: Weapon Focus (spine)
Environment: Any aquatic
Organization: Solitary or group (2-4)
Challenge Rating: 1
Treasure: None (see below)
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 3-4 HD (Small); 5-6 HD (Medium)
Level Adjustment: —
Red Urchin
Small Magical Beast (Aquatic)
Hit Dice: 3d10+3 (19 hp)
Initiative: +5
Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares), swim 50 ft.
Armor Class: 18 (+1 size, +1 Dex, +6 natural), touch 12, flat-footed 16
Base Attack/Grapple: +3/+0
Attack: Spines +9 melee (1d4+1/19–20) or spine +9 ranged (1d4+1/19–20)
Full Attack: Spines +9 melee (1d4+1/19–20) or 3 spines +9 ranged (1d4+1/19–20)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Poison, spines
Special Qualities: All-around vision, blind, clairvoyance, blindsight 60 ft., water dependent
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +1
Abilities: Str 12, Dex 12, Con 13, Int 2, Wis 11, Cha 6
Skills: Hide +11*, Search +4, Spot +4
Feats: Improved Initiative, Weapon Focus (spine)
Environment: Any aquatic
Organization: Solitary or group (2-4)
Challenge Rating: 2
Treasure: None (see below)
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 4-6 HD (Small); 7-9 HD (Medium)
Level Adjustment: —
Yellow Urchin
Small Magical Beast (Aquatic)
Hit Dice: 4d10+4 (26 hp)
Initiative: +5
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares), swim 50 ft.
Armor Class: 19 (+1 size, +1 Dex, +7 natural), touch 12, flat-footed 17
Base Attack/Grapple: +4/+0
Attack: Spines +10 melee (1d6 plus poison/19–20) or spine +11 ranged (1d6 plus poison/19–20)
Full Attack: Spines +10 melee (1d6 plus poison/19–20) or 4 spines +11 ranged (1d6 plus poison/19–20)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Poison, spines
Special Qualities: All-around vision, blind, clairvoyance, blindsight 60 ft., water dependent
Saves: Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +1
Abilities: Str 11, Dex 12, Con 13, Int 2, Wis 11, Cha 6
Skills: Hide +12*, Search +4, Spot +4
Feats: Improved Initiative, Weapon Focus (spine)
Environment: Any aquatic
Organization: Solitary or group (2-3)
Challenge Rating: 2
Treasure: None (see below)
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 5-6 HD (Small); 7-12 HD (Medium)
Level Adjustment: —
Silver Urchin
Small Magical Beast (Aquatic)
Hit Dice: 5d10+5 (32 hp)
Initiative: +5
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares), swim 50 ft.
Armor Class: 20 (+1 size, +1 Dex, +8 natural), touch 12, flat-footed 18
Base Attack/Grapple: +5/+2
Attack: Spines +13 melee (1d4+1 plus poison/19–20) or spine +13 ranged (1d4+1 plus poison/19–20)
Full Attack: Spines +13 melee (1d4+1 plus poison/19–20) or 5 spines +13 ranged (1d4+1 plus poison/19–20)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Poison, spines
Special Qualities: All-around vision, blind, clairvoyance, blindsight 60 ft., water dependent
Saves: Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +1
Abilities: Str 12, Dex 12, Con 13, Int 2, Wis 11, Cha 6
Skills: Hide +13*, Search +4, Spot +4
Feats: Improved Initiative, Weapon Focus (spine)
Environment: Any aquatic
Organization: Solitary or pair
Challenge Rating: 3
Treasure: None (see below)
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 6-7 HD (Small); 8-15 HD (Medium)
Level Adjustment: —
A colorful ball of spines about a yard across.
Greater urchins are creatures with limited intelligence that are somehow related to mundane sea urchins. They live in shallow coastal waters and on shoals. There are five known greater urchin species; black, green, red, yellow, and silver. A greater urchin is almost identical in appearance to normal sea urchins in that it has a round body protected by long spines. Greater urchins possess a limited form of clairvoyance, which assists them in the search for food. Greater urchins are usually encountered in the water, but do sometimes venture onto land when the tide is low.
A greater urchin has a small gland inside its body that crystallizes when exposed to air. These urchin stones are quite rare and valuable, and can be sold as gems in larger seaside towns. The value of the gem varies depending on the color and rarity of the greater urchin.
Greater urchins generally grow to be about 3 feet across and weigh from 50 to 100 pounds.
COMBAT
Greater urchins are primarily scavengers. While they occasionally hunt tiny marine animals for food, they only attack other creatures in self-defense. Unlike normal sea urchins, greater urchins can fire their spines at opponents. Despite being technically blind, greater urchins display an uncanny degree of accuracy with their spines. In close quarters, a greater urchin can simply roll into opponents.
All-Around Vision (Ex): A greater urchin's clairvoyance ability allow it to sense in any direction, providing a +4 racial bonus on Spot and Search checks. A greater urchin can't be flanked.
Blind (Ex): Greater urchins are immune to gaze attacks, visual effects, illusions, and other attack forms that rely on sight.
Clairvoyance (Su): A greater urchin continuously senses its surroundings as though it were using the clairaudience/clairvoyance spell as cast by a sorcerer with a level equal to its hit dice. It cannot see or hear, but it can sense whatever is taking place around its habitat (i.e. the water where it dwells as well as the shoreline and beach nearby). Greater urchins use this ability to detect food and danger. If its clairvoyance is interrupted, a greater urchin can restart it as a free action.
This ability is so accurate it grants an enhancement bonus to the urchin's attack rolls against a target it can sense with clairvoyance. The enhancement bonus varies according to the color of the urchin: +1 for black, +2 for green, +3 for red, +4 for yellow and +5 for silver.
Spines: A greater urchin can slam its body into an enemy to make a melee attack with its spines, but prefers shooting its spines as missile weapons with a range increment of 80 feet. Its spines have a critical threat range of 19–20. It has thousands of spines so is unlikely to run out of "ammunition".
Water Dependent (Ex): Greater urchins can survive out of the water for 1 hour per 2 points of Constitution (after that, refer to the drowning rules)
Skills: A greater urchin receives a +4 racial bonus to Hide checks while in the water.
Black Greater Urchins
Black urchins are by far the most common, and they most closely resemble their smaller, normal sea urchin cousins. Although they are called black urchins, their color is more of a smoky gray. The urchin stone of a black urchin is worth 1d10 x 10 gold pieces.
Green Greater Urchins
Green urchins are pale aquamarine in color, which helps them to blend in with their aquatic environment. The urchin stone of a green urchin is worth 1d10 x 40 gold pieces.
Red Greater Urchins
A red urchin is a dark blood red or ruby color, and the spines are tipped in black. A red urchin’s spines inject a paralytic poison. The urchin stone of a red urchin is worth 1d10 x 90 gold pieces.
Combat
Poison (Ex): A red urchin injects its poison with a successful slam or spine attack; Fortitude save (DC 12); initial damage paralyzed for 1 round; secondary damage paralyzed for 1d4 rounds.
Yellow Greater Urchins
A yellow urchin is sandy-colored, and like the green urchin is difficult to notice while in the water. The spines of a yellow urchin are tipped in light green. A yellow urchin’s spines inject a paralytic poison. The urchin stone of a yellow urchin is worth 1d10 x 160 gold pieces.
Combat
Poison (Ex): A yellow urchin injects its poison with a successful slam or spine attack; Fortitude save (DC 13); initial damage paralyzed for 10 minutes; secondary damage paralyzed for 1d4 x 10 minutes.
Silver Greater Urchins
The silver urchins are the most rare of all greater urchins. A silver urchin is metallic gray in color, with spines tipped in black. The poison of a silver urchin is highly toxic, and can put its opponents into a catatonic state for days. The urchin stone of a silver urchin is worth 1d10 x 250 gold pieces.
Combat
Poison (Ex): A silver urchin injects its poison with a successful slam or spine attack; Fortitude save (DC 13); initial damage catatonic for 1 day; secondary damage catatonic for 1d3 days. For rules purposes, a catatonic opponent is treated as being paralyzed.
Flying Greater Urchin
These rare relatives of the greater urchin fly in a similar manner to a beholder and are equally at home in air and water. They live in dark, damp and spacious areas such as "wet" cave systems, dungeons and subterranean oceans. Flying urchins are much more dangerous than their marine cousins. Not only will they actively hunt larger prey, they are intelligent enough to fly out of melee reach while shooting spines at their opponents.
A flying urchins has identical statistics to a greater urchin except for the following changes:
Speed: 30 ft., fly 50 ft. (good), swim 50 ft.
Special Qualities: Amphibious, all-around vision, blind, clairvoyance, blindsight 60 ft., flight
Challenge Rating: As greater urchin +1
Environment: Underground
Flight (Ex): A flying greater urchin’s body is naturally buoyant. This buoyancy allows it to fly at a speed of 50 feet. This buoyancy also grants it a permanent feather fall effect (as the spell) with personal range.
Originally appeared in Fiend Folio (1981).
