{table=head]Dire Carp |
Size/Type: | Small Animal (Aquatic)
Hit Dice: | 8d8+16 (44 HP)
Initiative: | +2
Speed: | 5 ft. (1 square), swim 40 ft.
Armor Class: | 17 (+1 size, +2 Dex, +4 natural), touch 13, flat-footed 15
Base Attack/Grapple: | +6/+3
Attack: | Bite +8 melee (1d6+1)
Full Attack: | Bite +8 melee (1d6+1) and tail slap +3 melee (1d2+1)
Space/Reach: | 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: | Deadly Bite, Dismember, Frightful Presence, Improved Grab
Special Qualities: | -
Saves: | Fort +6, Ref +6, Will +2
Abilities: | Str 12, Dex 15, Con 15, Int 1, Wis 12, Cha 10
Skills: | Listen +7, Spot +7, Jump -3 (+13 underwater), Swim +9
Feats: | Dodge, Mobility, Spring Attack
Environment: | Temperate aquatic (sheer-walled rivers and lakes)
Organization: | School (5-10)
Challenge Rating: | 8
Advancement: | 9-12 HD (Small), 13-18 HD (Medium)
Level Adjustment: | - [/table]Dire Carp, often referred to simply as "carp," are vicious aquatic predators, despite their benign appearance. They will gladly kill and devour any being that wanders too close to their territory. They are particularly fond of dwarves.
Deadly Bite (Ex)
Unlike most natural weapons, a Dire Carp's bite has a threat range of 17-20. However, Dire Carp cannot gain the Improved Critical (Bite) and Improved Natural Weapon (Bite) feats unless it is at least Medium sized.
Dismember (Ex)Spoiler
Show
When a Dire Carp scores a critical hit, it may attempt to dismember its victim as a free action. Roll d% according to the following table:{table=head]Roll | Result
1-50 | No effect
51-60 | Left leg severed
61-70 | Right leg severed
71-80 | Left arm severed
81-90 | Right arm severed
91-95 | Victim decapitated
96-99 | Reroll once
100 | Reroll twice and use either result[/table]Severing a limb results in 2 points of Constution damage. In addition, the victim may lose its Dexerity bonus to AC (either leg), fall prone (either leg), have its movement speed reduced to 5 ft./round (either leg), take a cumulative -4 penalty to Swim, Climb, Concentration, Ride, Tumble, Disguise, Jump, and Balance checks (any limb), take a cumulative -4 penalty to Perform, Disable Device, Use Magic Device, Craft, Open Lock, Sleight of Hand, and Forgery checks (either arm), lose the ability to equip shields or weapons in its "off" hand (usually left arm), lose the ability to wield weapons in its "main" hand (usually right arm), lose the benefits of foot, arm, head, and/or hands-slot magic items (as appropriate), be forced to drop an equipped two-handed weapon or wield it one-handed (either arm), lose the ability to cast spells with a somatic and/or material component (either arm), or even die outright (head). Creatures that do not require their head to survive, such as golems and undead, may avoid this final effect. All of these effects (except death, falling prone, and the Concentration penalty) are permanent unless and until the victim gains (or uses) the "regeneration" special ability, whether from a spell effect or its own powers.
If the carp attempts to remove an already-missing limb, reroll once. Any reroll that attempts to trigger a second reroll causes the attempt to fail outright.
If the victim is attempting to cast a spell when the carp makes a successful dismember attempt, the Concentration check to avoid losing the spell (due to the damage of the initial bite attack) has its DC increased by 10. The victim of a successful dismember attempt must make Concentration checks to cast any and all future spells until it receives at least 1 point of healing from any source, which also negates the Concentration penalty for having a limb removed by the dismember attempt.
If the victim has a nonhumanoid anatomy, the DM creates and uses a table similar to the one presented here at his discretion, with similar probabilities of losing important limbs. The carp cannot use its Dismember ability on an opponent with no discernible anatomy (such as an ooze).
For each HD the carp has, there is a cumulative 5% chance that an initial roll of 1-50 (that is, a failure) is instead treated as a roll of 100 (that is, "reroll twice and use either result").
A dire carp can unsettle foes with its mere presence. The ability takes effect automatically whenever the carp attacks or jumps out of the water. Creatures within a radius of 30 feet are subject to the effect if they have fewer HD than the carp, or if the carp is at least Medium sized. A potentially affected creature that succeeds on a Will save (DC 10 + ½ carp’s HD + carp’s Cha modifier) remains immune to that carp's frightful presence for 24 hours. On a failure, creatures with 4 or less HD become panicked for 4d6 rounds and those with 5 or more HD become shaken for 4d6 rounds. Dire Carp ignore the frightful presence of other carp.
Improved Grab (Ex)
To use this ability, a dire carp 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, the victim is pulled into the water adjacent to the carp. If the carp uses its Spring Attack feat during the initial bite attack, the victim travels with the carp, ending in the water adjacent to the square that the carp ends its move in. Because of the sort of rivers and lakes dire carp generally live in, getting out of the river or lake will generally require a DC 20 Climb check.
A dire carp may use its Dismember and Improved Grab abilities simultaneously, provided that the initial bite attack is a critical hit. If the carp uses its Spring Attack feat concurrently with both of these abilities, the appropriate limb is not severed until after the carp has finished its move action.
Skills
A carp has a racial +8 bonus on any Swim check to perform a special action or avoid a hazard. It can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. A carp can also run underwater, provided it runs in a straight line.
The carp also has a +8 racial bonus to Jump checks, and may jump out of the water while swimming in the same manner as a humanoid creature can make a running jump while on land. On land, a carp has a -12 speed penalty to Jump checks. While swimming, the carp instead has a +4 speed bonus to Jump checks, and uses its swim speed to determine the maximum distance it can jump in a single round. The carp may also attack (and take advantage of its feats) while jumping.
Feats
Carp with higher HD will generally acquire Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus (Bite), Combat Reflexes, Iron Will, and/or Ability Focus (Frightful Presence), though not necessarily in that order. Carp will generally retrain Weapon Finesse to Improved Natural Attack (Bite) or Improved Critical (Bite) if/when they grow to Medium size.
