[A to Z April] P is for Pond Stalker (creature)

A spindly, spider-like creature scuttles toward you across the surface of the dark, still water. It looks very fragile and completely harmless, until its front two legs pierce your ankle....

Pond Stalker CR 5

N Medium Vermin
Init: +3; Senses: darkvision 60 ft.; Tremorsense 60 ft.; Listen +0; Search +0; Spot +0; vermin traits

DEFENSE

AC 17 (+3 Dex, +3 natural), touch 13, flat-footed 13
hp 52 (7d8+21)
Fort +8; Ref +4; Will +3

OFFENSE

Speed 40 ft.
Melee Sting +13 (1d6 plus poison) or Bite +6 (1d4)
Full attack: Sting (x2) +13 (1d6 plus poison) or Bite +6 (1d4)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft. (10 ft. with sting attack)
Special Attacks: web, poison

TACTICS

A pond stalker’s mouth parts are much too small to do any damage to anything larger than a medium-size creature; to a medium creature or smaller, its needle-sharp proboscis can do minimal damage. Instead it prefers to attack with its forelegs which extend out to give the stalker a ten-foot-reach. The forelegs have stingers at the ends which inject venom into its victims. Once the creature succumbs to the stalker’s poison, the stalker drinks the resultant fluids through its straw-like proboscis.

STATISTICS

Str 11, Dex 17, Con 14, Int 0, Wis 10, Chr 2
Base Attack 4 Grapple 10
Feats: Weapon Finesse
Skills: --
Languages: --

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Poison (Ex): Sting-injury; saveFortitude, DC 17; frequency 1/round for 3 rounds; effect 1d4 Str; cure 1 save

Water Skate (Ex): The oil secreted by the glands on the pond stalker’s legs allow it to stand, walk, run, and otherwise move on top of any still or slow-moving water. A pond stalker treats fast-moving water as difficult terrain.

If harvested from a living pond stalker, the oil secreted on its legs can be distilled into Potions of Water Walk, worth 650 gp per dose. A fully-grown pond stalker can generate one dose per leg.

ECOLOGY

Environment: Temperate
Organization: Solitary or colony (2-5)
Treasure: Standard
Advancement: 9-15 HD (Huge)
Level Adjustment: --

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Previous "P"s:
2012: P is for Pyramid of Swords (locale)
2011: P is for Poushif Bonereader (npc)