Monster Geographica - Marsh & Aquatic.pdf - The Secrets of the ...

7
Iron Crab
Medium Magical Beast (Aquatic)
Hit Dice: 6d10+24 (57 hp)
Initiative: +0
Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares), swim 20 ft. (4
squares)
Armor Class: 20 (+10 natural), touch 10,
flat-footed 20
Base Attack/Grapple: +6/+10
Attack: Claw +10 melee (1d6+4 plus poison)
Full Attack: 2 claws +10 melee (1d6+4 plus
poison)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Poison
Special Qualities: Damage reduction 5/ nonmetal
weapons, darkvision 60 ft., immunity to
poison, low-light vision, metal and gem sense,
pressure immunity, resistance to cold 10, spell-
Found on the ocean floor near hydrothermal
vents, these creatures resemble large crabs with a
thick coat of metal over their shell. The shell is built
up of armor plating shaped from minerals collected
around hydrothermal vents. Iron crabs look like a
drunken metal smith made them. Ungainly, nonsymmetrical,
and badly balanced, they appear more
humorous than threatening—but they are far more
dangerous than their appearance suggests.
Iron crabs are the preeminent metallurgists of
the seas. They are intelligent creatures, well versed
in gems, precious metals, jewelry and similar items.
They spend their days scouring the ocean floor for
minerals and gemstones, hiding away their findings
in their cave lairs until they have a vast horde of
unworked metal and gemstones. Iron crabs then go
on a crafting spree, transforming their hoard into
fine pieces of art.
Once the horde is all finished goods, the crabs
seal up their cave and go looking for a new one,
starting the cycle of gathering and crafting all over
again. It usually takes a century to build up a hoard
of sufficient size and craft it all into jewelry. The act
of hunting for gems and minerals sustains iron crabs,
which require little meat to survive. They assume
other races are fed by questing as they do; they just
quest after different things.
The shell of an iron crab can be used to create
a masterwork suit of bone armor (page 12) that has
a +1 armor bonus due to the hardness of the iron
crab shell. A single iron crab has enough shell to
create one suit of armor. Iron crabs speak Aquan
and Elven; exceptional individuals speak Orcam or
Sahuagin as well.
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like abilities, spell resistance 16
Saves: Fort +9, Ref +5, Will +1
Abilities: Str 19, Dex 10, Con 19, Int 14, Wis
9, Cha 4
Skills: Appraise +10 (+12 jewelery and metal
items), Craft (jewelery) +7, Craft (metallurgy)
+11, Search +9, Spot +6, Survival -1 (+1
following tracks), Swim +12
Feats: Improved Natural Attack, Improved
Sunder, Power Attack
Environment: Any aquatic
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 7
Treasure: Double standard but only precious
metals and gems
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 7-12 HD (Large); 13-18
(Huge)
Level Adjustment: –
Combat
These creatures engage in combat only when
fighting defensively, when hunting for food, or
when trying to appropriate mineral wealth claimed
by someone else. Targets struck by an iron crab’s
claws can be injected with a metal-based poison
formed by glands within the claws. They prefer to
avoid killing and are content instead to break their
opponent’s weapons and leave their foes debilitated
with poison. Iron crabs do not eat hurnanoids and
only attack them if mineral wealth is at stake. They
do not typically flee danger, since their speed is so
poor, preferring to chase their enemies off instead.
Iron crabs only use their iron body ability when it is
the last resort that can save them from death.
Poison (Ex): Injury, Fortitude DC 17, initial
damage 1d4 Con, secondary damage 1 Con. The
save DC is Constitution-based.
Immunity to Poison (Su): Due to their
unusual, mineral-heavy metabolism, iron crabs are
immune to all poison.
Metal and Gem Sense (Su): Iron crabs can
sense gems and precious metals when they are close
by. The creature has a +8 racial bonus to Search and
Spot checks when looking for gems or precious
metals.
Pressure Immunity (Ex): Iron crabs are
immune to the effects of pressure at great depths.
They can function at lesser depths without problem.
Spell-Like Abilities: 1/day–iron body. Caster
level 6th.
Skills: An iron 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.