Cavern Lizard

A 10-foot long gray lizard with large wide feet and sapphire-gold bulging eyes stares. Balanced upon thick and muscled, its feet cling to surfaces upon small suction cup-like pads. Its head is angular and somewhat flat and its mouth sports a row of long, serrated teeth.

Cavern Lizard (CR 4)

Large Magical Beast
Alignment: Neutral
Initiative: +2
Senses: Darkvision 60 feet, Low-Light Vision, Scent; Perception +9

Speed: 30 feet, Climb 20 feet
Space: 10 feet

Defense

Armor Class: 16, touch 11, flat-footed 14 (+2 Dex, +5 natural, -1 size)
Hit Points: 42 (5d10+15)
Saving Throws: Fort +7, Ref +6, Will +4

Offense

Melee: bite +10 (2d6+7 plus Grab)
Reach: 5 feet

Statistics

Str	Dex	Con	Int	Wis	Cha
20 (+5)	15 (+2)	17 (+3)	3 (-4)	12 (+1)	2 (-4)

Base Attack Bonus: +5
CMB +11
CMD 23 (27 vs. Trip)

Feats: Iron Will, Skill Focus (Perception), Weapon Focus (bite)

Skills: Climb +22, Perception +9, Stealth +10 (+14 in areas of natural stone or rock)

• Racial Modifiers: +4 Climb, +4 Stealth (+8 in areas of natural stone or rock)

Languages:

Special Abilities

NONE

Ecology

Environment: Underground
Organization: solitary
Treasure: 50% standard


These large magical lizards, readily identified by large bulging sapphire-colored eyes, are found only in the darkest underground places and never venture to the surface world. A cavern lizard is typically very aggressive and often travels far away from its lair in order to hunt. While not territorial, a cavern lizard is rarely encountered with others of its kind. Each cavern lizard often has a hunting ground covering up to 2 miles in the Under Realms. A cavern lizard's lair is a large expanse of interconnected caves littered with the bones and scattered remains of its victims (including treasure). Hunting cavern lizards usually drag their kill back to their lair before devouring it. If young are present in the lair, the kill is divided between them.

Young cavern lizards resemble their adult counterparts in all respects, save their eyes are a dull blue. During mating season (late summer, early fall) 1d6 eggs may be found in the lair. Eggs are round in shape, leathery to the touch, and gray in color. Cavern lizards are aggressive ambush hunters. They prefer to scale the walls and wait for prey to pass underneath them where they drop down on their unsuspecting meal. In most battles, once a cavern lizard bites, it hangs on until its opponent is dead.

If facing more than one foe, it won't employ this tactic so as not to leave itself defenseless against other aggressors. If cornered or extremely hungry, a cavern lizard fights to the death; otherwise it retreats if it is facing a particularly powerful opponent.

Copyright Notice Author Scott Greene.