Eurypterid, Spiny

Two large pincers grasp at the air before this crablike creature, its carapace covered with thousands of razor-sharp spines. Its finned tail ends in a thin stinger.

Spiny Eurypterid CR 9

XP 6,400
N Huge vermin (aquatic)
Init +3; Senses low-light vision, tremorsense 30 ft.; Perception +1

DEFENSE

AC 22, touch 7, flat-footed 22 (–1 Dex, +15 natural, –2 size)
hp 114 (12d8+60)
Fort +13, Ref +3, Will +5
Immune mind-affecting effects
Defensive Abilities spiny carapace

OFFENSE

Speed 10 ft., swim 40 ft.
Melee 2 claws +15 (1d8+8/19–20), sting +15 (1d6+8 plus poison)
Space 15 ft.; Reach 15 ft. (20 ft. with sting)
Special Attacks rend (2 claws, 1d6+12)

STATISTICS

Str 26, Dex 9, Con 20, Int —, Wis 13, Cha 2
Base Atk +9; CMB +19; CMD 28
Feats Improved Critical (claw)B, Improved InitiativeB
Skills Swim +16
SQ amphibious

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Poison (Ex)

Sting—injury; save Fort DC 21; frequency 1/round for 6 rounds; effect 1d4 Con and 1d2 Dex; cure 2 consecutive saves.

Spiny Carapace (Ex)

The spiny eurypterid’s carapace is covered with thousands of razor-sharp spines. Any creature that attacks a spiny eurypterid with a light weapon, unarmed strike, or natural attack takes 1d6 points of piercing damage. Any creature that grapples or is grappled by a spiny eurypterid automatically takes 2d6 points of piercing damage per round the grapple is maintained.

ECOLOGY

Environment temperate or warm ocean
Organization solitary
Treasure none

Known to some as sea scorpions, eurypterids are aquatic crustaceans that blur the line between their terrestrial cousins and lobsters. Primeval and voracious, these vermin range in size from relatively harmless ochre eurypterids the size of a dog up to the truly immense spitting eurypterids. There are even rumors of yet larger beasts, called whale eating eurypterids by sailors. Regardless of their size, all share one thing in common—an aggressive attitude. Eurypterids lash out at anything that might be food, and once they’ve tasted prey, are single-minded in their pursuit. Although quite at home in the open sea, most eurypterids are capable of scuttling around on land and can exist out of water indefinitely. Unlike rats, eurypterids don’t spread disease or cause much damage to most cargos—traits that have led some captains to experiment with seeding colonies of ochre eurypterids in their holds to keep rodent populations under control. Alas, one can often tell the ships that use this tactic by the unusually high number of crewmen with missing fingers.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Pathfinder Adventure Path #37: Souls for Smuggler’s Shiv. © 2010, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Author: James Jacobs.

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