A collection of beasts

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Bahramsu


The battlefield lies still, the only sound is the last breaths of the dying. As the smoke settles many shapes comes into being, issuing deafening bleatings, sounding of a tortured man's last cry of pain. They approach the fallen, and start to graze...

Medium Outsider (Evil, Extraplanar, Neutral)
Hit Dice: 4d8 +28
Initiative: +3
Speed: 40 ft., 10 ft. (burrow)
AC: 20 (+2 dex, +8 natural)
BAB/Grapple: +4/+9
Attack: Bludgeon +4 melee (1d8+5)
Full attack: Bludgeon +4 melee (1d8+5), Bite +2 melee (1d6+5 plus infection)
Special Attacks: Infectious Bite, Stench
Special Qualities: Fiendish Traits, Damage Reduction 5/magic, Poison Immunity, Resistance to Cold and Fire/5, Spell Resistance/9
Saves: Fort +12, Ref +7, Will +5
Abilities: Str 20, Dex 14, Con 24, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 16
Skills: Knowledge (Religion) +8, Spot
Feats: Improved Bull Rush, Improved Overrun, Power Attack(B)
________________________
Environment: Any battlefield
Organization: Scouting (3-9), Flock (12-24), Herd (25-50)
CR: 7-8
Alignment: Neutral Evil
Treasure: -
Advancement: -

--

A bahramsu appears as a giant sheep with massive coiled horns inlayed with metal. In place of fur it has dirty fog billowing about it, resembling curling wool. Within the smokiness is hints of dark red specks. Its large, oval eyes are a brilliany ruby shade, with nictitating membranes flashing across them every few moments. Its muzzle is filled with inwardly curving teeth. Its wide, cloven hooves appear metalic and come to a sharp point.

COMBAT:
The bahramsu are also known as the 'Battlefield Grazers,, clearing areas of war of all dead, caring little if the dead were once friend or foe. Non-demons who remain alive, but unable to move themselves, have the most to fear from the bahramsu, for if found, these demons eat it alive. Once dead from pain or loss of a major organ, the soul is directed to the grey wastes of Hades from where the Bahramsu originate.

Even those whom are buried after a bttle are not safe, for a Bahramsu has no qualms about digging up its meals.

If their meal is disturbed they do not hesitate to charge those who interfere, knocking them down and trampling them to death.


Infectious Bite (Ex):
A Bahramsu's bite infects the wounds of its foe. If a DC 20 Fortitude check is not successful the victim is unable to fight off the infection, and loses 1d4 constitution points an hour till a score of 0 in which they die.

For every bite sustained the DC raises by 1.

Sense Death (Sp): A Bahramsu can sense death and negative energy within a 100-foot sphere.

Spell-Like Abilities: Caster level 6th. The save DCs are Charisma-based.
At will - Magic Circle Against Good, Plane Shift

Stench (Ex): A bahramsu's breath is curdled with the odor of its many past meals. Any living creature (except other demons) within 10 feet must succeed on a DC 22 Fortitude save or be nauseated for as long as it remains within the affected area and for 1d4 rounds afterward. Creatures that successfully save are sickened for as long as they remain in the area.

Rebuke Undead (Su): A bahramsu can rebuke or command undead as a 4th level cleric. This generally comes in the form of forcing them to lie still so as the Bahramsu may feast.

 

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Bandytwine

From within a tangle of vines, slowly, with more grace than an elf, and the fluid creeping of a shoot, a warped creature closely resembling the vines themselves descends from above. An arm seemingly of braided bark reaches out with lightening speed for your throat...

Size and type: Large Plant
Hit-dice: 4d8+12 (30 HP)
Initiative: +9
Speed: 20 ft., climb 40 ft.
Armor class: 20 (+9 dex, +2 natural, -1 size), flatfooted 11, touch 18
Base attack/grapple: +3/+11
Space/reach: 2 ft./15 ft.
Attack: slam +6 melee (1d6+4), bite +1 melee (1d4+2)
Full attack: 2 slam +6 melee (1d6+2), 1 bite +6 melee (1d4+1)
Special Attacks: Constrict, Trip
Special Qualities: Immunity to electricity, low-light vision, plant traits, resistance to cold +10 and fire +5
Saves: Fort +7 ,Ref +12, Will -4
Abilities: Str 19, Dex 28, Con 17, Int 3, Wis 1, Cha 1
Skills: Hide +10*, Move silently +11*, Spot +6
Feats: Lightening reflexes, Improved Trip
Enviroment: Warm or moderate forest and swamp
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 3-4
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always Neutral
Advancement: -
Level Adjustment: -

Description: A tall twisted monstrosity between eight and a half to nine feet tall yet only around fifteen centimeters thick. It has a highly flexible body-trunk with thin, smooth, barklike skin that appears to have been twisted around several times. The three gangling legs are slightly longer than the body, a little more than four and a half feet long and appear as thinner twisted cords ending in small round pads from which sprout dozens of long warped toes. The two wavy arms are slimmer yet and many thin, nearly tentacle-like fingers that do not seem to have been twisted, reach out as if questing. The head is a spherical thickened burl atop the body-trunk with two large black eyes with no lids. At the base of the burl is a tiny round mouth with miniscule tearing teeth. It has no nose and only a small sensitive membrane for hearing around the throat and base of the neck. Hanging off the shoulders are a type of spidery moss that forms a symbiotic relationship with the bandytwine and offers it additional camouflage.

A greatly mutated semi-intelligent vine. Similar to mangrove and
baobab trees and many others, bandytwines reproduce by lowering their hands to the ground and covering their fingers over with dirt. They have great patience and a couple or two weeks later a tiny bandytwine rootlet(s) sprout up. Once it has reached a safe size the bandytwine lifts its hand from the ground along with the rootlet. The rootlet latches to the mother's arm and stays interconnected until it reaches a certain size and then it detaches. The parent takes the tentacle clusters and twists them until they combine into legs and arms that are capable of supporting its weight. It is then abandoned and they go their separate ways (no pun intended). Only when food is readily available do they bud. The bandytwines prefer to lie in wait for their meals, blending in with their arms in the air, ideally with their fingers wrapped around a branch for maximum camouflage, and then reaching out quickly and strangling or crushing their prey if it comes
near. If it is a large animal that passes by they will often stay quiet in the hope the animal falls asleep so that it may approach safely.

A bandytwine can understand Sylvan but cannot speak it.

Combat:
Creatures of stealth and deviousness, the bandytwines prefer to lie in
wait for their meals, blending in with their arms in the air, ideally with their fingers wrapped around a branch for maximum camouflage, and then reaching out quickly and strangling or crushing their prey if it comes near. Others prefer to leap silently from their place within the trees and onto their foe.

Camouflage (Ex): Bandytwines look exactly like a twisted bunch of climbing vines even once it is seen while hiding and takes a DC 21 to spot checks to notice it before it attacks. Anyone with ranks in Knowledge (nature) can use its skills to notice the creature.

Improved Trip (Ex): Bandytwines are notorious for using one of their three legs to whip out and using its dextrous toes grab hold of the opponent's ankles and pull him off balance. Its unarmed slam attack will trigger this attack.

Constrict (Ex): A bandytwine deals 1d6+6 points of damage with a successful grapple check.

Immunities: Bandytwines are immune to electricity, able to direct it down to the ground with no hurt to themselves.

Skills: Bandytwines have a +10 racial bonus on hiding and sneaking checks.

 

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Burl Tortoise

The forest giants tower far above you, their twisted, age-hardened trunks covered with mosses. As you pass one by you hear a faint scraping and one of the infected burls that spot the trees deattaches on four scaley legs and hurls itself towards you...


Size and type: Medium Animal
Hit-dice: 8d8 +8
Initiative: +8
Speed: 45 ft., climb 20 ft.
Armor class: 20 (+2 dexterity, +8 natural), flat-footed +8
Base attack/grapple: +6/+7
Space/reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Attack: Claw +7 melee (1d4+1)
Full attack: 4 Claws +7 melee (1d4+1), 1 Bite +2 melee (1d6)
Special Attacks: Pounce, Rake
Special Qualities: Low-light vision
Saves: Fort +7, Ref +8, Will +5
Abilities: Str 12, Dex 15, Con 13, Int 2, Wis 17, Cha 6
Skills: Hide +14*, Listen +6, Spot +8*
Feats: Alertness, Scent, Stealthy
Enviroment: All Forest and Swamp
Organization: 1
Challenge Rating: 4
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always Neutral
Advancement: -
Level Adjustment: -

Description: Having adapted to the most hostile of jungles and woodlands they have evolved into the top of most foodchains. Quick, and agile, coupled with a protective shell and scaly skin, these creatures are able to survive and thrive. A burl tortoise appears as an unnaturally lithe, agile tortoise about four feet tall, around five and a half feet long including outstreched neck and tail and generally three and a half feet wide. The scaley legs are very long and look to be made for running and leaping. Each one ends in a four toed foot with long, curving, grasping claws. Covering all this is a large, irregularly shaped, mostly hollow shell with almost no undershell. Its upper shell however is arched and hard-plated, resembling old, gnarled bark. Moss, algae and occasionally small mushrooms grow upon the shell. The legs can be pulled partially within, as well as the head and neck. The head is round and stubby with a sharp, beak-like mouth at the end of a long, flexible neck.

Attack:
Fights between burl tortoises and other creatures are rumored to be phenomenal. The burl tortoise are generally found clutching trees with
their clawed paws that cannot be drawn into the shell. When they hear
or smell potential prey below they extend their head and legs and leap
down upon the creature.

Skills: Burl tortoises get a racial bonus of +14 to hide, and +6 to spot.

 

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Gamecock

Tiny Animal
HD: 1/2 d8 (2 hp)
Initiative: +3
Speed: 20 ft., fly 20 ft. (clumsy)
AC: 16(+3 dex,+1 natural, +2 size) Touch 16, flat-footed 13
Base Attack/Grapple: +0/-12
Attacks: Claw +5 melee (1d4 -4)
Damage: 2 Claw +5 melee (1d4 -4)
Face/Reach: 1 ft./1 ft.
Special Attacks: - Crow, Rake, Pounce
Special Qualities: - Ferocity, Limited Flight
Saves: Fort +1, Ref +5, Will +0
Abilities: Str 3, Dex 16, Con 8, Wis 11, Int 2, Cha 12
Skills: Balance +8, Bluff +4, Escape Artist, Intimidate +2, Listen +4, Spot +6, Survival 12
Feats: Weapon Finesse
________________
Climate/Terrain: Any temporate or warm land
Organization: Solitary, 2-4 Clutch, 5-20 Flock
Challenge Rating: 1/4
Alignment: Neutral
Treasure: None
Advancement: -


A gamecock is a lithe, agile fowl bred for their quickness and ornery temperment for use in fights. Their heads are small and narrow to a curved beak, and their wattles and combs are very unpronounced, having mostly been bred out of the stock as to remove an object for the rooster's opponent to grab onto. Its legs are thickly scaled, and its talons sharpened. From the inner sides of the leg grow two vicious, several inch long spurs that have had razor-sharp bits of metal fitted over to inflict more cruel damage.

Fighting Spurs; Tiny weapon; damage 1d4; Crit: 20/x3; Type: Slashing; Spec: Reduce Movement by 5 feet.

Pounce (Ex): When a creature with this special attack makes a charge, it can follow with a full attack. Including rake attacks if the creature also has the rake ability.

Crow (Ex): As a full-round action, a gamecock can utter a piercing crow that will awaken the sleeping and can be heard from a considerable distance.

Limited Flight (Ex): A chicken is a poor flyer and generally can "fly" for short distances. It can use its flight ability to prevent taking falling damage or to fly upwards 10 feet or cover 30 feet along the ground. The chicken must always land at the end of its flight each round.

Combat:
Gamecocks are naturally bluffers, pretending to peck the ground and search for food, sometimes even walking off, before suddenly flying into the air to strike its opponent with its spurs. They lift their feathers high and appear to increase in size to further intimidate.


Skills:
Gamecocks have a +2 racial bonus on intimidate and bluff checks, a +4 bonus to balance, escape artist, and spot checks, and a +12 bonus to survival checks.

---

Now no one laugh. These guys have killed their handlers before. I raise the very breed that were traditionally used to fight, which are simply Old English Game and they are the king's of the barnyard. None of the other breeds I raise can approach them in utter bull-dogged mean-ness.

Take a look at this link to see a new story of one such incident:
Fighting kills handler


Edit: Can someone do something about this censored censor? I'm not using foul language here

 

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Kelp Worm

A vast forest of thickly growing giant leaves and stalks sway in the glowing green current, off the coast, beyond the pounding breakers. Dazzling light from the sun above turns to shadow and back again, changing with the rythym of the swaying kelp. Suddenly one section of kelp seems to come loose from the rocks below, but quickly swings around, revealing a creature of scales and fins, with a very large mouth opened wide to engulf you...

Size and type: Gargantuan Aberation
Hit-dice: 12d8+84
Initiative: +4
Speed: 15 ft., (swim) 120 ft.
Armor class: 20 (-4 size, +14 natural)
Base attack/grapple: +9/+39
Space/reach: 20 ft./20 ft.
Attack: Bite +19 melee (4d6 +17),
Full attack: Bite +19 melee (4d6 +17)
Special Attacks: Capsize, Constriction, Swallow Whole
Special Qualities: Aquatic subtype, Camouflage, Darkvision 80 ft.
Saves: Fort +15, Ref +4, Will +10
Abilities: Str 35, Dex 11, Con 25, Int 3, Wis 14, Cha 6
Skills: Hide +20, Knowledge (nature) +2, Search +20, Sneak +15, Spot +20
Feats: Blind-Fight, Improved Grapple, Improved Initiative, Run
Enviroment: Temperate and Warm Aquatic
Organization: Solitary or pair
Challenge Rating: 13-14
Treasure: double standard goods, standard coins, standard items
Alignment: None
Advancement: -
Level Adjustment: -

--

Description: Kelp worms are sneaky and stealthy, with jagged, irregularly shaped scales of a murky dark green and grey color. They have no legs, but are covered with ripples of waving, flat fins grown at seemingly random all about its body and tail. The head is mishapen and hardly more than a thickening at one end, with a wide mouth filled with rings of inwardly curving teeth even within its throat. Four eyes like green mirrored domes ring around the head-area. Its two arms have several large scales overlapping one another, with four crooked looking, webbed fingers possessed of retractible claws. The tail is covered in an assorted array of fins of all types and shapes and ends in four, huge frond-like fins. All in all it appears not so much a worm as a small forest of soaring kelp. Full-grown kelp worms can measure up to 120 feet long, and 20-28 feet in circumphrence.

Kelp worms live solitary lives, generally in large kelp forests, where they hang by the claws to the rocky floor near underwater caves and position their tails upwards to wave in the current. More rarely they float about the open ocean, appearing as a wad of drifting seaweed, awaiting prey to come near. Most can understand Aquan, but cannot speak any but a crude body-language amongst their own kind.


Combat:
Kelp worms while in their kelp stance wait for a creature of sufficient size to come near them, and they then wrap their tales tightly about the creature, and bring it to their mouths. The prey is put inside, live, and tightly constricting muscles within its throat crush the creature within against the barb-like teeth. Kelp worms are notorious for taking advantage of ships that have tangled with the seaweed, leaping high out of the water, and onboard. If the vessle is smaller, it merely grasps the edges and pulls it over.

Capsize (Ex): A submerged kelp-worm that surfaces under or grabs hold of a boat or ship less than 25 feet long has a 90% chance of capsizing the vessel. It has a 45% to capsize a vessel from 25-60 feet long and a 15% chance to capsize one over 60 feet long.

Camouflage (Ex): A kelp worm has a +10 camouflage bonus on Sneak and Hide checks when submerged and a +20 while in forests of kelp. Once it has been noticed a DC 20 Knowledge(nature) check must be made to recognize it for what it is.

Swallow Whole (Ex): A kelp worm once succssfully grappling its prey or foe will attempt to swallow it whole if Large or smaller, using its inner teeth, if successful, to add a 4d6 additional hit points to its bite damage. It is impossible to climb out of the creature's mouth because of the constricted barrier of inner teeth, forcing a meal to cut its way out by dealing 3d8 points of damage.

Skills:
A kelp worm gains a +20 to search and spot checks, and +2 to Knowledge (nature) checks to track prey.

 

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Spirit of the Flame


Tiny fey (fire, incorporeal)
HD: 3d6
Init: +8
Speed: 30 ft, 30 ft (fly, good)
AC: 20 (+2 size, +7 deflect, +1 natural)
BAB/Grapple: +1/-7
Attack: Incorporeal touch +5 melee (1d6 +8 fire damage) or whip of flame (1d12 fire damage)
Full attack: Incorporeal touch +5 melee (1d6 +8 fire damage) or whip of flame (1d12 fire damage)
Special Attacks:
Special Qualities: Elemental Traits, Incorporeal Traits
Saves: Fort +1, Ref +9, Will +9
Abilities: Str -, Dex 18, Con -, Int 16, Wis 20, Cha 24
Skills: Bluff +20, Diplomacy +20, Intimidate +20, Knowledge (local) +16, Knowledge (history) +16, Knowledge (nature) +16, Sense Motive +31, Spot +23
Feats: Dodge(b), Improved Initiative, Lightening Reflexes
________________________
Environment: Candle holders
Organization: Solitary
CR: 5-6
Alignment: Neutral Good
Treasure: None
Advancement: -

A light dances and twinkles within and above an old iron candle holder, the wick aflame with a warm, comforting light. Occassionally the flame bends or shrinks or expands in a very unusual way when no one is looking upon it...

A spirit of the candle is a guardian fey of fire and light. They are known for falling in love with mortal women of unusual beauty and giving natures and coming into their homes to protect them and their family. They live within candle holders that are passed down generation by generation, the spirit bonding to the eldest daughter of each succeeding generation. The spirit speaks and gains the trust of their love, who normally do not speak of it to their families out of fear they will destroy the candle.


Combat:
Spirits of the Candle can be fierce combatants, taking the temporarily solid form of a human male, or streaming out of their candles to char those who will not be deterred.

Familial Connection (Su):
The spirit within the flame can speak mind to mind with any member of the family or a true and honest friend of the family. They only with the utmost need speak with any but the one they have bonded with, or their next generation equivalents.

Fiery Form (Su):
The spirit can stream from their holders to attack or scare their foes. Some prefer to shape their flame into that of a human or beastly form, though few bother with this

Love's Fury (Ex):
When his loved one is under attack a spirit of the candle flies into a rage. It gains a +2 bonus on Bluff, Listen, Sense Motive, Spot, and Survival checks when using these skills against her attackers. Likewise, he gets a +2 bonus on damage rolls against them.

Phylactery of Flame (Su):
A spirit of the candle can only be killed by the destruction of the candle holder in which it dwells. A Spirit reduced to 0 hit points merely goes out. Once the candle is lit again it is at full power. The candle holder is considered a magical item while the spirit inhabits it but cannot itself be detected as such.

Solid Form (Ex):
A spirit of the candle can take the form and solidity of a male human for up to five minutes a day and gains a strength and constitution score of 16. He can manifest a whip of fire or use his fists. If the spirit is killed his form streams back into the candle to await relighting.


Wooing Speech (Ex):
In reguards to those whom the spirit has bonded he gains the ability to read the mind of his beloved and he knows her well. This allows the spirit a +10 to Diplomacy checks with her, allowing him to calm and soothe her.

Skills:
A Spirit of the Candle gains +7 Bluff, Intimidate and Knowledge, +12 to spot checks, and a +20 to Sense Motive.

 

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Tangrill

The winds blow the loose sands and pebbles into the air, blocking out the blinding sunlight with even more blinding grit. You stumble about half-blindly when the hiss of something scraping against the ground sounds to both your sides. Suddenly several somethings rise into the air and lash out at you...

Huge Plant
Hit Dice: 10d8+50
Initiative: +0
Speed: -
AC: 18 (-2 size, +10 natural)
BAB/Grapple: +7/+28
Attack: Gore +16 melee (2d6+9 + paralyzation and bloodloss)
Full attack: 5 gore +16 melee
Space/Reach: 40 ft./40 ft.
Special Attacks: Blood sucking, Camouflage, Paralyzing Poison
Special Qualities: Detect Moisture, Immunity to electricity, Regeneration, Resistance to fire/10, Tremorsense 100ft.
Saves: Fort +16, Ref +5, Will +8
Abilities: Str 28, Dex 10, Con 21, Int -, Wis 16, Cha 8
Feats: Diehard(B), Improved Grapple(b)
________________________
Environment: Warm Desert
Organization: Solitary, Family (10-20)
CR: 9
Alignment: Always Neutral
Treasure: 1/10th coins; 50% goods; 50% items (will be under sand)
Advancement: 10-19 HD (Huge), 20-39 (Gargantuan), 40+ (colossal)

A tangrill's shape is quite simple, being tear-dropped shaped with the narrow part sticking down in the ground for nearly forty feet. From around the edge of the domed top (generally from 4-10 feet underground) grows thick vine-like roots lined with sharp, inwardly-curved thorns.

COMBAT:
This water-desperate plant is always on the look-out for sources of moisture and nutrients.
A tangrill's vines lie just under the surface of the sand, priming for grasping as it feels the vibrations of approaching creatures. If the vibrations close in it can sense the blood/ichor within the bodies if any, and will allow it to come even closer. Once within reach it will grab with five of its closest tentacles and if successful insert a venom from its fang-like thorns as well as drawing blood through the same method.

Blood Drain (Ex): A tangrill can suck blood from a living victim with its thorns by making a successful grapple check. If it pins the foe, it drains blood, dealing 1d4 points of Constitution drain each round the pin is maintained, as well as digging deeper with its thorns dealing attack damage.

Camouflage (Ex): A tangrill's limbs are always buried by a thin layer of sand, while its main body is several feet beneath. Even a spot check will not spot it buried, though a successful Knowledge (nature) check (DC 26) will allow the slight disturbances in the sand to be recognized.

Detect Moisture (Ex): A tangrill can sense the water within a living creature within 60 feet.

Diehard (Ex): A tangril reduced to -10 hit points has had its top-most layers and roots destroyed, but it does not die. Its lower extensions still live, but it is considered helpless. It cannot be completely destroyed unless dug up.

Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a tangrill must hit with its gore 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 inject its paralyzing poison and draw blood.

Paralyzing Poison (Ex):
The thorns of a tangrill secrete a paralyzing poison to calm its victims, numbing all sensation for an hour without a successful Fortitude save (DC 18). The soil surrounding its buried portion is moist with this poison, and those that try to dig it up or burrow through it must make the same save every other round they are in contact.

Regeneration (Ex):
Within two weeks a tangrill can regrow its tendrils and upper half.

 

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Torcrab

Huge Vermin (Aquatic)
Hit-dice: 12d8+108 (162 hp)
Initiative: -1
Speed: Swim 50 ft.
Armor class: 31 (-2 size, -1 dex, +24 natural)
Base attack/grapple: +9/+27
Attack: Claw +17 melee (4d4+10)
Full attack: 2 Claws +17 melee (4d4+10) and bite +15 melee (2d6+5)
Space/Reach: 15 ft./15ft.
Special Attacks: Swallow whole
Special Qualities: Amphibious, Aquatic subtype, Camouflaged, Darkvision 60 ft., Immunity to Poison, Tremorsense 120 ft, Vermin Traits
Saves: Fort +17, Ref +3, Will +5
Abilities: Str 30, Dex 8, Con 28, Int 0, Wis 13, Cha 7
Skills: Hide +15
Feats: Improved Grab (b), Multiattack (b)
Enviroment: Warm Marsh and Warm Ocean
Organization: Solitary or Pair
Challenge Rating: 15-16
Treasure: Double coins and items
Alignment: Always Neutral
Advancement: -
Level Adjustment: -

_________________

The murky water lies still amongst the great arching roots of the mangroves. Far in the distance the ocean crashes. The water ripples, and a claw the size of a half-orc erupts from a nearby hillock of swampgrass and thorny bushes. The entire hill then rises, and a crab of monstrous proportions stares out from two eyestalks.

DESCRIPTION: A monstrous crab-like crustacean with a massive, plant and mud covered shell that resembles in nearly every detail the other hillocks that appear all about the swamp it lives within. Small trees, vines, thickets, grass, or all may be presently growing in the soil accumulated upon the creature's shell. Six long, leathery, segmented tentacles grow out from within the shell, three on each side. Two other tentacles in the very back have greatly thickened to large oar-shaped paddles for swimming and maneuvering. Two long eyestalks and several feelers sprout from a gap in the front of the shell, near a large, sharp-looking set of mouthparts. To the sides of the shell are two monstrous, curving claws that come to a sharp point. A torcrab after it has covered itself in soil, and vegetation grown upon it, weighs in excess of 25,000 lbs.

Torcrabs are patient, slow swimming creatures that live within the deep saltwater swamps that border oceans or are connected via outlets. They lie in wait for prey large enough to warrant their attention, humans and those of equivalent size being of minimal requirements. Torcrabs generally stay strictly within their swamps, which they protect with ferocity, and solitarily. They almost never leave except if for some reason the swamp dries out, or to mate, where they swim to the open ocean, releasing powerful pheromones.


COMBAT:
A torcrab attacks by surprise, floating motionless until it feels the vibrations of the motions of a swimmer. It punches its claws forward, grabbing or puncturing its prey, and then wraps its six tentacles around to keep it still so that it might bring its meal to its mouth to feast with minimal struggling.

Once the soft parts of the victim have been digested, the bones and inedible parts (such as coins, weapons, and armor) are regurgitated and taken and buried on top of its shell as use as fertilizer and additional protection.

Camouflage (Ex):
A torcrab is heavily camouflaged and gets a +12 racial bonus to hide checks.

Immunity to Poison (Ex):
When a torcrab cannot gain live prey is quite content to eat upon the most rancid of corpses. Its digestive system is therefore accostumed to metabolise most anything brought within.

Improved grab (Ex):
When a torcrab tries to grab you with a claw it deals normal damage and tries to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity and brings the creature to its mouth.

Swallow whole (Ex):
A torcrab can try to swallow a grabbed opponent of Large or smaller size by making a successful grapple check. Once inside, the opponent takes 2d8 points of crushing damage. A swallowed creature can climb out of a torcrab's gut with a successful grapple check. This returns it to the torcrab's mandibles, where another successful grapple check is needed to get free. A swallowed creature can also cut its way out by using claws or a Small or Tiny slashing weapon to deal 30 points of damage to the inner lining and protective shell (AC 22). This will open a hole in its dirt-clear underside that is beneath the surface of the marsh. The wound is quickly covered over and blocked with mud. The torcrab's interior can hold 1 Large, 3 medium, 6 small, 10 tiny, 12 diminutive, or 24 Fine or smaller opponents.

 

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Treecer


Type: Tiny Animal
Hit-dice: 1d8 -1
Initiative: +6
Speed: 20 ft., fly 20 ft. (clumsy), climb 30 ft.
Armor class: 19 (+2 size, +6 dexterity, +1 natural)
Base attack/grapple: +0/-1*
Attack: Bite +8 melee (1d4-3)
Full attack: Bite +8 melee (1d4-3), Claw +6 melee (1d3-3), Gore (tongue) +6 melee (1d2-3)
Space/Reach: 2-1/2 ft./0 ft.
Special Attacks: -
Special Qualities: Low-light vision, Swarm Traits
Saves: Fort +0, Ref +7, Will +3
Abilities: Str 3, Dex 22, Con 8, Int 2, Wis 16, Cha 7
Skills: Balance +16, Climb +16, Listen +14, Spot +8
Feats: Improved Grab, Multi-attack(B), Weapon Finesse(B)
Enviroment: Temperate and Warm Forest
Organization: Family (3-24), Swarm (25-100), Colony (101-200)
Challenge Rating: 1/4 (individually)
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always Neutral
Advancement: -
Level Adjustment: -

* A treecer uses its dexterity modifier instead of its strength to grapple.

A keening warble sounds up high within the forest canopy, which is answered, once, twice, many times, till the air rings with the sound. Something soft slams into your neck and a terrible pain runs down your spine. Suddenly the air is filled with small, furry creatures, gliding down towards you...

A treecer is a fist-sized little nightmare with a loose skinned, flattened body covered in long, dense fur of dark browns, greys and mossy greens that trails behind it for several strides in the form of a bushy tail. The round, thin head is comparatively large and neckless, sporting a very wide, circular mouth rimmed with sharp, inwardly curving teeth and a wide tongue covered in tiny barbs. The slitted brown eyes are small and bright and located just above the mouth, permanently gazing upwards malevolently. Two flapping, wide membranous ears spread out from each side of the head, swiveling independently. It has two stubby forelegs and two hindlegs with large claws made for grasping and clinging. Stretched between the legs is a thin, flexible flap of skin that makes them expert gliders.

Treecers live in huge communities within the uppermost branches of forests, camouflaging themselves. Marsupial in nature, they can have up to half a dozen kits clinging to the females.

Combat: Treeces attack by the scores, to the hundreds, gliding down onto their unsuspecting foe and digging their claws into the flesh. They will then hook their mouths into the skin with voracious bites, jamming their tongue though the wound, even cleaning the bones. The pirhanas of the forest realm, a family of treeces can reduce a full-grown bear to a pile of bones in minutes.

If a treecer is killed or attempts to be removed while attached to its prey its jaws go into a deathlock, digging convulsively into the flesh causing 1 additional point of damage. To remove the creature the head must be cut off and the jaws pried out, causing an additional 1d4 points of damage.

Camouflaged (Ex):
A treecer's natural colorings make it very difficult to see in its natural enviroments, giving it a +8 racial bonus to hide checks.

Improved Grab (Ex):
A Treecer who hits with its bite attack automatically latches onto its victim without an attack of opportunity. While it remains attached it does 1 point of damage each round as it continues to feed.

Skills:
A treece gains a +10 racial bonus to climb and balance checks, and a +8 bonus to spot and listen. A treece uses its dexterity modifier for climb checks.

 

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Watchwakes or Trick-In-the-Hand

Colossal Construct (Extraplanar, Chaos)
Hit Dice: 32d10 +80
Initiative: +4
Speed: 80 ft., 80 ft. (climb)
Armor Class: 30 (-8 size, +8 natural, +22 density)
Base Attack/Grapple: +24/54
Attack: Bludgeoning +30 (2d4 +14)
Full Attack: 4-32 Bludgeoning or Claws +30 (2d4 +14)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./30 ft.
Special Attacks: Walled In
Special Qualities: Lawful immunity, Shape-Restructuring, Unbound Dimensions
Saves: Fort 10, Ref 12, Will 13
Abilities: Str 35, Dex 10, Con -, Int 20, Wis 16, Cha 10
Skills: Appraise +5, Bluff +15, Craft (Repair) +50, Disable Device +50, Intimidate +12, Jump +12, Knowledge (Architecture and engineering) +50, Knowledge (the planes) +50, Sleight of Hand +12, Use Magic Device +20
Feats: Combat Expertise, Craft Wonderous Item(B), Dodge, Improved Initiative, Lightening Reflexes, Mobility, Power Attack, Spring Attack, Stand Still, Whirlwind Attack
Enviroment: Any
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating:
Treasure: NIA
Alignment: Always chaotic neutral
Advancement: -
Level Adjustment: -


Description: A watchwaken its natural form resembles a large, simple sphere with large, multi-segmented and multi-jointed legs ending in four oppose claws. These legs extend all about it, allowing it to climb in all directions at will. It appears to be made of a deep, dark wood, with silvery designs imbedded about it and strengthening its structure. On closer inspection however its structure is constantly moving, shifting position and rearranging itself in the blink of an eye so smoothly its barely registers on your vision. Its surface is as of innumberable miniscule insects climbing over and under each other in a great, always moving mass.

Though made exclusively of darkwood and mithril a Trick-in-the-hand averages at a hundred tons in weight.

History: A watchwaken hails from Mecanus, and is a marvelous creature that almost approaches the complexity of the plane itself. Its original use was for dealing with and repairing critical malfunctions or imbalances in the rythem of the Great Order. Those from other planes with plans of their own however were becoming more common and attempts at sabotaging the working of Mechanus became more powerful and devious day by day.

In retaliation certain Watchwaken were given a keen, sentient intelligence and special abilities that would allow them to find the problem, capture the saboteurs, and repair the damage in mere moments. Their intricate innards were able to calculate probabilities and form strategies, their structure and thought pattens based off chaos theory, order within disorder.

They did their jobs well until few would dare attempt to continue in their schemes. The watchwaken became bored, and despite their orders left Mechanus to find ways to amuse themselves. They came to be called Trick-In-the-Hands and though persued by Inevitables day and night, they are eluded with much disdain by their brothers.

They now normally take the form of a four-armed humanoid of wood with large lacings of metal making its form appear scaled.

Personality: Trick-in-the-hands are flamboyant show-offs and are completely unpredictable. They love all sorts of difficult problems and puzzles and enjoy putting others into situations and watching what they do. They vary greatly however from one another in the degrees of this personality.

Combat:
A trick-in-the-hand is a devious foe by neccessity, and will try to lure others to enter within it while restructured, or wall them in and envelope.

Portals of Memory(Su):
A trick-in-the-hand can open a dimensional portal upon or within itself of nigh any size within its dimensions to any locale it has visited, or to any location within Mechanus. Its form turns itself inside out or outside in to go through its own portal, which it then closes on the other side. This is how they got from where they were to where they needed to be to repair within their plane.

Shape-Restructuring (Ex):
A trick-in-the-hand can reshape itself into nigh any form from medium to colossal dimensions, but always appears made of wood and metal. It often takes the form of houses to lure others within for fun. (See: Walled In)

Unbound Dimensions (Ex):
A trick-in-the-hand is far larger on the inside than on the outside, causing it to be given the colossal size. Its spatial parameters are such that it folds into itself, not completely existing in the dimensions of the plane it inhabits. The affect is like to that of a bag of holding, with its outer fabric surrounding a space all its own.

A trick-in-the-hand can unfold itself from within, becoming quite monstrous, or remaining the same size and reaching out with up to 32 limbs into the distance. This number is limited only by the trick-in-the-hand's mental ability to keep track of them, not physically, as it could extrude many more.


Walled In (Ex):
As a full round action Trick-in-the-hand can wrap itself around an area as large as a 40-foot circle, as far away as it can reach, and doming over to trap those inside. To escape the wall a successful DC 28 reflex save is required to leap in time and clear the wall before it domes over.

Once within the wall the players are reduced to miniscule proportions and are trapped within the everchanging dimensions of the inner Trick-in-the-hand. Immediately after doming it resumes its former shape.

It is fully aware of their presence at all times and enjoys confounding and confusing those within by shifting its perplexing innars. After much time it will generally open a portal through which those trapped may be returned to where they entered, which can be many miles or even a different plane than where the Trick-in-the-hand has ventured. If those trapped attempted to destroy the Trick-in-the-hand, or are known offenders of Mechanus, they are allowed to explore forever within its bowels.

Its insides consist of innumberable rooms, closets, spaces and hatches of all sizes and shapes that open into other locations (or sometimes right back into themselves), all the time gears and springs and other functions happening around them. Gravity in each of these rooms may change at a moment's notice. Many of these doors are portals into other rooms nowhere near one another (though sometimes leading back into the same room over and over). If the trick-in-the-hand has captured those within it for punishment these doors may open into deep depths, or into hostile planes it has visited.

Skills:
A watchwaken gets a +40 racial bonus to Craft (repair), Disable Device, Knowledge (Architecture and engineering), Knowledge (planes) and Search checks.