| Azothath |
Spider-rat (Longlegged rat) (rattus araneus)
NN Sml anml (rodent octapod) CR 2 XP 600
Init +4; Senses darkvision 60ft, low-light vision, tremorsense(web only) 30ft; Perception +7
DEFENSE
AC 18, touch 16, flat-footed 13 (+4 Dex, +1 size, +2 natl, +1 dodg)
HP 13 (2d8+4)
Fort +5, & +4 [dis, poi], Ref +7, Will +2
OFFENSE
Speed 40 ft, Climb 40 ft.
Melee Natl: (2)talon +6, +6 (1d3+1 c20 *2 S) {primary, AoO}, bite +6 (1+1 c20*2 BPS plus poi) {primary, AoO}.
Spcl Rng: thrown web +6 (entangle DC 13+4, Hrd:0, HP:2, DR:5/S) Incr 10 ft, Max 50ft.
Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft. rodent octapod Ht 36” at knee, 44-52” wide standing, Wt 30-35 lbs with males at 85-90% of the average.
Poison - Red Tears (Ex): Vector: injury/injection; Onset: immediate; Cure: 1 or immune to bleed or poison; Frequency: 1 per rnd for 6(=2*Con mod) rnds; Effect: 1 bleed[poi], Fort 13(=10 +HD/2 +Con mod) else (1d4) bleed dmg{from orifices} and [dazzled](-1 atk, Prcp) for 2 rnd; Uses: 5(=3 +Con mod), generates 2(=Con mod) use per day. Mfg: harvest 1 gland Dex Chk 13, then 2 glands Crft alchemy 15 creates use[1] Red Tears (injury, Fort 15 else (1d6)[bleed] 1/r for 10 rnd, Price 50gp).
STATISTICS
Str 12(+1), Dex 18(+4), Con 15(+2), Int 2(-4), Wis 12(+1), Cha 10(+0)
BAB(0.75) +1, Str +1, sz +1/-1; CMB +1; CMD +6(+18 vs trip) {8 legs}
Feats: Dodge(Cmbt), WpnFnssᴮ, Precise Shotᴮ with thrown web.
Skills(4): Acroᶜ +11(1){+6}, Climbᶜ +13(1){+8}, Prcpᶜ +7(1){+2}, Stlthᶜ +12(1){+4}, Srvlᶜ +6(2ᴮ).
Tricks(6): Atk/Atk, Build smpl structure, Cocoon, Hunt, Nest.
Languages: n/a.
Mag Item Body Slots(MIBS): Unusual Octapod: armor, belt(saddle), chest, eyes, head, neck, wrist.
Racial Modifiers: +6 Acro{8 legs}, +2 Prcp{4 eyes}, +2 natl AC, Climb speed {Climb skill +8}, +4 vs disease and poisons.
Armor/Weapon Proficiency: n/a.
Familiar: A master of (casting class) Lvl ≥3 must perform the binding ritual in a secure location with the targeted trained animal (40gp) with an additional 600gp in materials (as re-binding at 3rd level, personally I use (100*CstrLvl) gp for any familiar binding). The master is treated as webs for the spider-rat’s movement & senses. The spider-rat can grip/carry one tiny object but does not have the digits for spell casting and gains a ring magic item slot.
Sp Abil: Master gains Acro +2 comp, Esc Art +4 comp vs webs. At higher familiar granting class levels it confers more; learn & scribe spiderclimb spell (for free) at the appropriate level; 6th +2 comp saves vs poisons; 11th Acro +4 comp, Esc Art +6 comp vs webs; 16th total +4 comp saves vs a poison after the first save. Good masters usually provide a 5 ft cube area for nesting and weekly treats (toad, mouse, or crickets). The poison scales with the Master’s HD-2 or the creatures HD.
Web (Ex): has spinnerets to create sticky or strong webbing to create a vertical sheet of webbing 10*10 ft {about 6*size diameter} or throw a web up to 8/day. Web has Hrd:0, HP:2(=HD), DR:5/S {RAW lists DR 5/-} and can support a creature of +1 sz catg or 4 of this sz otherwise it encases and entangles the crtr as thrown web but crtr is not stuck to a specific square. Creature with Web can move across any web at its climb speed and can pinpoint creatures touching its web {tremorsense}. New webbing hardens (losing stickyness/entangle) and burns on second rnd of applied fire while day old webbing burns immediately doing 1d6 [fire] dmg in a square that round with Rflx 13 for dmg/2. The fire has a 50% chance of spreading into an adjacent square of webbing next round. Entangle = -2 Atk, -4 Dex, immobile. Until free of entangling material with save Spd/2 & Fly/2, cannot run or charge, Conc Chk 15 +SplLvl or lose spell. Usually it takes 2 rounds to wash off with soap and water, or wash with wine, or scrape off webbing, or use prestidigitation. Creatures greased before exposure escape the webbing with their save.
A vertical web to catch flying prey, Prcp 20 to notice else (entangle sz ≤Med (=+1 sz atkr), Esc Art or Str Chk 13(=10 +HD/2 +Con mod), -4 crcm if hit/walked into by web, +5 crcm if on surface/support).
A thrown web to hit and entangle prey to its square, (entangle sz ≤Med, Esc Art or Str Chk 17, +5 crcm if on ground/on support(tree limb)) rng incr 10 ft, max rng 50 ft.
Web Tremorsense (Ex): creature has tremorsense 30ft in webbing. This ability is considered tremorsense for spells and feats.
Equipment & Gear: n/a.
ECOLOGY
Environment: near swamps, rivers, underground.
Organization: solitary, group (1d4+2), litter (1 adult, (2d3+2) young(young template and 1 HD)}.
Treasure: none or possibly 100gp in collectible/semiprecious unpolished gems.
Description: Spider-rats are a nightmarish amalgam of a four eyed dire rat (rodent) lacking a tail with chitin armor and the long legs of a spider(arachnid). The creatures are trap predators/scavengers with venomous fangs in a rat’s mouth but don’t attract disease. Like rats, spider-rats are curious, clever, and driven to gnaw. Their lifespan in captivity is about 15 yrs, 30 as a familiar, compared to a rat's 4-5. In the wild predation halves their expected lifespan.
Luckily they are not prolific and can breed but once per 2 years if they find a mate. The female gives live birth to a litter of 4-8 and has been abandoned by the male (as the larger females prove cannibalistic during gestation). Only a few reach adulthood as weaklings and the injured may be consumed by litter-mates.
While they can be raised in captivity and fed diminutive vermin, a weekly Handle Animal check is needed for 3 months lest it escape and revert to its natural behavior. Many owners use 5ft wire cages for their captive spider-rat where it has room to nest and move. Training takes twice the time and costs twice as much but the end result is a startling pet or familiar with a good sale price to certain buyers at 40gp.
Tactics: typical ambush predator tactics.
by Azothath
= = =
this is an example of a higher CR animal familiar rather than an Improved Familiar (which should have some SLAs and/or magic item use and possibly casting ability).
I add HD rank in survival to animals as it seems unfair as that's what they do...
I add scaling familiar abilities as the RAW ones are sub-par.
If you notice I get a bit more detailed and specific with the abilities. I think this is helpful for GMs and curbs a lot of questions due to the generic briefness in most descriptions.
| Azothath |
Azothath's Homebrew
Familiars
→ Flamingo CR:0.33 (Familiar)
PC Races
→ PC species: Yatagarasu, 3-legged crow human (shapechanger) CR:1
Creatures
→ Drop-bear Med MagBst CR3 {humorous take on aussie myth}
→ Therndentro Lignum (aka whompa) Huge Mon Humnd (giant, plant) CR:16
→ Giant Foaming Grasshopper Med vermin CR2
→ Barkgator Med animal(reptile) CR:1
→ Grave Sedge Mother Med plant CR:3 & link to regular grave-sedge CR:0.25
→ Helminth Swarm Fine vermin(swarm) CR:3
→ Purchased Mounts and in particular horses with scaling Hit Die & Prices {a bit rough}
→ Worm Acolyte Template (CR +1) to Worm that Walks into Worm that Inhabits/Infests CR15