Monster Encyclopaedia I: Ravagers of the Realms
| Author | August Hahn, Gareth Hanrahan, Lizard |
| Publisher | Mongoose Publishing |
| Publish date | 2004 |
| OGL Section 15 | me1 |
The material below is designated as Open Game Content
Monstrous Trilobite
Small Vermin (Aquatic)
Hit Dice: 4d8+8 (26 hp)
Initiative: +0
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares), swim 60 ft., climb 10 ft.
Armour Class: 17 (+1 size, +6 natural), touch 11, flatfooted 17
Base Attack/Grapple: +3/+0
Attack: Bite +5 melee (1d4+1)
Full Attack: Bite +5 melee (1d4+1)
Space/Reach: 5 ft. /5 ft.
Special Attacks: —
Special Qualities: Dissolve wood, glue
Saves: Fort +6, Ref +4, Will +4
Abilities: Str 12, Dex 10, Con 14, Int —, Wis 10, Cha 8
Skills: —
Feats: —
Environment: Warm aquatic, warm marshes
Organisation: Cluster (2–8), mob (9–15), swarm (16–40)
Challenge Rating: 3
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 5–6 HD (Small), 7–9 HD (Medium)
Level Adjustment: —
The creature is three feet long and very flat, with an armoured shell. Two antennae reach forward from the head and it glides along the muddy ground on countless tiny legs.
The monstrous trilobite is a survivor out of time, but it is has changed somewhat from its ancestral form. It is capable of venturing out of the water onto land, albeit briefly, and dwells primarily in muddy swamps and along shorelines. This has made it a threat to shipping, for the creature has a taste for wood and a swarm of monstrous trilobites attaching themselves to the bottom of a ship can cause it to sink when it is far from shore. Diving beneath the ship to remove the parasites is considered an onerous, but essential, duty.
Combat
Monstrous trilobites are fairly close to mindless. If they see something which they can eat, they will attack it. They are omnivores and devour anything which does not devour them first. They avoid targets larger than themselves, unless they are in a large group. With the strength of numbers to aid them, they will attack medium or large creatures. Their heavy shells are their primary means of defence.
Dissolve Wood (Ex): A monstrous trilobite can attach itself to any wooden surface and begin to gnaw into it. This will do 1d4+1 points of damage to the object, ignoring hardness. Magical wood is immune to this ability. Often, monstrous trilobites which have attached themselves to a ship will gnaw through it, then begin to attack the crew as the ship sinks.
Glue (Ex): Once a trilobite has crawled onto a surface, it can emit a powerful glue as a standard action. This glue has an effective Strength of 21 for purposes of removing the monstrous trilobite from the object to which it is attached. The trilobite can dissolve the glue with further secretions as a standard action, freeing it once more.
