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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Cleon" data-source="post: 5596022" data-attributes="member: 57383">Death Minnow Working DraftDeath MinnowDeath Minnow, Minnow FormFine Magical Beast (Aquatic)Hit Dice: 6d10+12 (45 hp)Initiative: +11Speed: Swim 40 ft. (8 squares)Armor Class: 25 (+8 size, +7 Dex), touch 25, flat-footed 18Base Attack/Grapple: +6/-15* (+15 with swallow whole)Attack: Bite +15 melee (improved grab)Full Attack: Bite +15 melee (improved grab)Space/Reach: 1/2 ft./0 ft.Special Attacks: Improved grab, size-switching, swallow whole Special Qualities: Blindsight 30 ft., darkvision 60 ft., low-light visionSaves: Fort +7, Ref +12, Will +5Abilities: Str 1, Dex 24, Con 15, Int 1, Wis 12, Cha 10Skills: Hide +23, Listen +11*, Move Silently +8, Spot +11*, Swim +15Feats: Alertness, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Weapon Finesse (B)Environment: Any aquaticOrganization: Solitary or pairChallenge Rating: 4Treasure: NoneAlignment: Always neutralAdvancement: 7-12 HD (Fine); 13-24 HD (Diminutive)Level Adjustment: —Death Minnow, Monster FormLarge Magical Beast (Aquatic)Hit Dice: 6d10+12 (45 hp)Initiative: +6Speed: Swim 40 ft. (8 squares)Armor Class: 12 (-1 size, +2 Dex, +1 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 11Base Attack/Grapple: +6/+15Attack: Bite +10 melee (1d8+7 plus improved grab)Full Attack: Bite +10 melee (1d8+7 plus improved grab)Space/Reach: 10 ft./5 ft.Special Attacks: Improved grab, size-switching, swallow wholeSpecial Qualities: Blindsight 30 ft., darkvision 60 ft., low-light visionSaves: Fort +7, Ref +7, Will +5Abilities: Str 20, Dex 14, Con 15, Int 1, Wis 12, Cha 10Skills: Hide -2, Listen +11*, Move Silently +3, Spot +11*, Swim +13Feats: Alertness, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Weapon Finesse (B) Environment: Any aquaticOrganization: Solitary or pairChallenge Rating: 4Treasure: NoneAlignment: Always neutralAdvancement: 7-12 HD (Large); 13-24 HD (Huge)Level Adjustment: —A bright orange fish the size of a human's little finger.Death minnows are an artificial creature, fashioned by unknown undersea  spellcasters to guard their wealth and secrets. There are no "wild" populations of death minnows, they are only ever encountered guarding a site or object. Death minnows are living fish but do  not (or cannot) breed. They are created magically instead. Indeed, it is uncertain  whether they even have male and female sexes. Death minnows will attack any dangerous intruder who enters an area  they're set to guard, whether animal predator or adventurers. They can  go for extraordinary lengths of time between meals, since they can have  the appetite of a minnow and the stomach capacity of a giant angler  fish. This magical beast has the supernatural ability to shrink to the size of  a minnow, together with anything it has swallowed. Its natural size is a  monstrous fish resembling a giant grouper, with the ugly head and  protruding lips of an angler fish; this monster form is typically 8 feet  long and weighs about 500 pounds. In minnow form it averages 2 inches  long and weighs a fraction of an ounce.     COMBATA death minnow masquerades as innocuous looking little fish, switching to monstrous size for the split-second it needs to attack, then instantly shrinking again. A death minnow seek to gulp down intruders one by one; trying to swim up behind an victim and swallow them when none of their allies are watching. If a death minnow fails to swallow a victim it will usually release them and shrink to Fine-size rather than remain in monster form and make another attempt the next round, since this reduces its exposure to attack.Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a death minnow 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 immediately attempt to swallow the foe as a free action.Size-Switching (Su): A death minnow can instantaneously switch its size as often and whenever it desires, switching between a Fine-sized minnow and a Large-sized monstrous fish. Anything the death minnow swallows in monster form will be reduced in size when the fish shrinks to Fine size.The Large-sized form is the death minnow's natural size; thus, a true seeing spell will reveal the minnow in its Large monster form. If a death minnow is slain while in minnow form it reverts to its natural size, together with anything it had swallowed. A swallowed opponent interacts with the death minnow as if both are their natural sizes. Further, a victim who escapes being swallowed instantanly reverts to natural size.If a dispel magic or break enchantment spell is targeted at a death minnow, it must succeed at a Will save or be forced to assume its monster form for 2d6 rounds. A death minnow within an anti-magic area is similarly forced to take its monster form.Swallow Whole (Ex): A death minnow can try to swallow a grabbed opponent of a smaller size than its monster form by making a successful grapple check. A death minnow always uses its monster form's grapple modifier to make swallow whole checks, since it switches to its larger size for the brief moment it makes the swallowing attempt. This attack is so sudden the victim just seems to vanish. Any creature able to see the victim must succeed at a Spot check against a DC of 30 to notice the death minnow appear and swallow its opponent (DC 10 if the observer is closely watching the victim during the swallowing); those who fail this Spot check did not see why the minnow's victim just vanished.Once swallowed, the opponent takes  2d6+7 points of crushing damage plus 6 points of acid damage per round from the minnow's gizzard. A swallowed creature can cut its way out by using a light slashing or piercing weapon to deal 15 points of damage to the gizzard (AC 10). Once the creature exits, muscular action closes the hole; another swallowed opponent must cut its own way out. A Large death minnow's interior can hold 2 Medium, 8 Small, 32 Tiny, 128 Diminutive, or 512 Fine opponents.Skills: A death minnow 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. Death minnows use either their Dexterity or Strength modifier for Swim checks, whichever is better.*A death minnow has pressure-sensitive lateral lines that grant it a +4 racial bonus on Spot and Listen checks. These bonuses are lost if its blindsight is negated.</blockquote>

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