Fire Crab, Lesser

A dog-sized crab with a square-shaped reddish-brown carapace covered with dark red and yellow markings scuttles forth, pincers raised. Tiny flames lick its body, erupting at irregular intervals from its underbelly. Its eyes are perched on the end of two large eyestalks that protrude from the center of the carapace.

Fire Crab, Lesser CR 1/2

XP 200
N Small vermin (extraplanar, fire)
Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft., tremorsense 60 ft.; Perception +4

DEFENSE

AC 14, touch 13, flat-footed 12 (+2 Dex, +1 natural, +1 size)
hp 4 (1d8)
Fort +3; Ref +2; Will +0
Immune fire, vermin traits
Vulnerabilities cold

OFFENSE

Speed 20 ft., swim 20 ft.
Melee 2 claws +3 (1d2 plus 1d4 fire plus grab)
Special Attacks constrict (1d2 plus 1d4 fire), heat

TACTICS

Fire crabs are highly territorial and defend their lair with great ferocity. Normally non-aggressive creatures, if their lair is threatened, they fight to the death. Against weaker prey, fire crabs usually just slash with their claws. Stronger foes are grabbed and squeezed by the fire crab. Once they grab an opponent, they hold on, allowing their fires to engulf the foe.

STATISTICS

Str 10, Dex 14, Con 12, Int -, Wis 10, Cha 2
Base Atk +0; CMB –1; CMD 11
Feats Weapon FinesseB
Skills Perception +4, Stealth +10, Swim +12; Racial Modifiers +4 Perception, +4 Stealth

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Heat (Ex)

The body of a lesser fire crab generates intense heat, dealing 1d4 points of fire damage with its touch. Creatures attacking a fire crab unarmed or with natural weapons take fire damage each time their attacks hit. Any melee hit by a fire crab deals fire damage.

ECOLOGY

Environment Plane of Molten Skies or Elemental Planes of Fire
Organization solitary, cluster (4-7), or colony (11-20)
Treasure none

Fire crabs are invertebrates found roaming the fiery shores of the Elemental Planes of Fire and the Plane of Molten Skies (see the City of Brass by Necromancer Games ).

Fire crabs can be found crawling the shores or swimming in pools and lakes of liquid flame. They are generally non-aggressive creatures and spend their time eating the heated rocks and plants found in the above-mentioned planes. Food not eaten is carried and stored in their lair, which takes the form of a large burrow under the fiery waters or on the shores near their “water source.” Such burrows are sometimes very large and can contain up to 20 of these creatures. On the Material Plane, fire crabs lair in volcanoes and near hot springs.

Fire crabs have large claws and in males, one claw is always larger (at least three times larger) than the other. Fire crabs have six segmented and spindly legs, blackish-red in color.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Fire Crab, Lesser from the Tome of Horrors Complete, Copyright 2011, Necromancer Games, Inc., published and distributed by Frog God Games; Author Scott Greene.

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