Skrolar
OK, to kick this thread off, here is a very low-level critter i wrote up last night just for fun. Inspired by the grannits of Fighting Fantasy fame.
Hope you like. Please inform me of any errors that may be there (John Cooper style
). other comments welcome.
Connors
SKROLAR
Diminutive Vermin
Hit Dice: ½ d8+2 (6hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 20 ft. (8 squares)
Armor Class: 19 (+4 size, +1 Dex, +4 natural), touch 15, flat-footed 18
Base Attack/Grapple: +0/-16
Attack: Bite +5 melee (1d4-3)
Full Attack: Bite +5 melee (1d4-3)
Space/Reach: 1 ft./0 ft.
Special Attacks: Attach
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60ft., scent,tremorsense 60ft., vermin traits
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +1, Will +0
Abilities: Str 5, Dex 13, Con 14, Int -, Wis 10, Cha 2
Skills: Hide +17*, Move Silently +3, Spot +4
Feats: Weapon Finesse B
Environment: Underground
Organisation: Clutch (3-18) or hive (10-100) or swarm (see
below)
Challenge rating: 1/3
Treasure: -
Advancement: 1-2 HD (Tiny); 3HD (Small)
Level Adjustment: -
Where a moment ago there was just a pile of small rocks there is now a small horde of critters scurrying in your direction. Small plates seem to have slid back to reveal dark eyes of intent, a sharp bony ridge of teeth clacks with hunger and eight hard, segmented legs have appeared from under their rough, stone-like carapace.
Scrolar are common pests in the recesses of the deep earth. Their exoskeletons appear to be part of the surrounding rocky terrain. Scrolar are from 6 inches to 1 foot in length and weigh from half to a full pound. They have dark, obsidian eyes and a row of exceptionally sharp teeth.
Whilst scrolar will eat algae and fungi if food is scarce their favoured prey is meat. The usual food is rats and lizards, but a colony does not hesitate to take down a large meal to share. If a meal stops moving the colony joins in the feast, often leaving other combatants alone to feast on the dead. Although scrolar can go for great lengths of time between meals they are very fierce and stop at nothing to feed, but they are patient enough to sit and wait, not moving until prey comes close enough to be attacked. This attack is often with surprise thanks to their rock-like exoskeleton that enables them to blend in to their surroundings.
Although they appear a little like scorpions, scrolar are in fact a type of crustacean, and are sometimes referred to as ‘cave crabs’ or even 'scorpion stones' for the stinger variety (see belwo). Dwarves consider the succulent meat under the exoskeleton a delicacy when boiled, though creatures such as orcs and troglodytes simply eat the meat raw. Drow refuse to eat scrolar and most surface dwellers compare the taste to muscles with an earthy flavour.
Combat
Attach (Ex): If a scrolar hits with a bite attack, it uses its powerful jaws to latch onto the opponent’s body and automatically deals bite damage each round it remains attached. An attached scrolar loses its Dexterity bonus to Armor Class and has an AC of 18. An attached scrolar can be struck with a weapon or grappled itself. To remove an attached scrolar through grappling, the opponent must achieve a pin against the creature.
Light Sensitivity (Ex): Scrolar are dazzled in bright sunlight or within the radius of a daylight spell.
Skills: Scrolar have a +4 racial bonus on Hide and Spot checks. *In rocky areas the Hide bonus improves by a further +8
SCROLAR SWARM
Diminutive Vermin (Swarm)
Hit Dice: 5d8+10 (32hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 20 ft. (8 squares)
Armor Class: 19 (+4 size, +1 Dex, +4 natural), touch 15, flat-footed 18
Base Attack/Grapple: +3/-
Attack: Swarm (2d6)
Full Attack: Swarm (2d6)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./0 ft.
Special Attacks: Attach
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60ft., immune to weapon damage, scent, swarm traits, tremorsense 60 ft., vermin traits
Saves: Fort +6, Ref +2, Will +1
Abilities: Str 5, Dex 13, Con 14, Int -, Wis 10, Cha 2
Skills: Hide +5*, Spot +8
Feats: Weapon Finesse B
Environment: Underground
Organisation: Single, tangle (2-4 swarms), or colony (7-12 swarms)
Challenge rating: 4
Treasure: -
Advancement: -
Level Adjustment: -
It appears as if a mass of loose stones is sliding down the passage towards you. This would not be so odd, if the passage floor here was not flat! As the ‘stones’ draw nearer, you can see they move on small scorpion-like legs and tiny dots of eyes and slavering mouths sit on the front of them. The swarm makes directly for your group.
Combat
Distraction (Ex): Any living creature that begins its turn with a swarm in its space must succeed on a DC 11 Fortitude save or be nauseated for 1 round. The save DC is Constitution-based.
Attach (Ex): As scrolar attach themselves, a creature leaving a swarm still will have several of the vermin attached to them if they leave the swarm before it is dispersed. A creature will have 1 scrolar for every 2 hp taken the last round a creature spent in the swarm when they leave. Treat as individual scrolar above.
Skills: Scrolar have a +4 racial bonus on Hide and Spot checks. *In rocky areas the Hide bonus improves by a further +8
Variations
There are rumours of surface dwelling scrolar around particular mountain ranges. Such scrolar do not suffer the light sensitivity detailed below, but their natural armor is not as tough either. Natural armor bonus for surface dwelling scrolar becomes +2.
Another variation is the stinger scrolar. This critter has a segmented tail that folds out at the rear of the creature like a scorpion’s. It operates similar to a scorpion’s stinger, though it more needle-like in shape. A stinger scrolar’s statistics are the same as for a normal scrolar except for the attacks listed below and increase the CR to ½.
Full Attack: Bite +5 melee (1d4-3), sting +3 melee (1d1-3 plus poison)
Poison: Fort DC 10, damage 1d2 Dex.
If using the “Book of Vile Darkness” Wizards of the Coast Publishing: Some say scrolar are the creation of some drow deity, possibly Llolth herself and that may be the reason why fully 20% of scrolar colonies with 50 individuals or more have a hivemind as described on page 34 of this book.
Well that took a lot more formating than I thought. Do we need a template?
Connors
