Common Eurypterid

Two large pincers grasp at the air before this sleek creature, while a finned tail bristling with a long, thin stinger rises from behind.

Common Eurypterid (CR 1)

Medium Vermin (Aquatic)
Alignment: Neutral
Initiative: +4
Senses: Low-Light Vision, Tremorsense 30 feet; Perception +1

Speed: 20 feet, Swim 40 feet
Space: 5 feet

Defense

Armor Class: 14, touch 10, flat-footed 14 (+4 natural)
Hit Points: 11 (2d8+2)
Saving Throws: Fort +4, Ref +0, Will +1
Immunity: mind-affecting effects

Offense

Melee: 2 claws +1 (1d3), sting +1 (1d3 plus poison)
Reach: 5 feet (10 feet with sting)

Statistics

Str	Dex	Con	Int	Wis	Cha
10 (+0)	11 (+0)	12 (+1)	-	13 (+1)	2 (-4)

Base Attack Bonus: +1
CMB +1
CMD 11

Feats: Improved Initiative

Skills: Swim +8

Languages:

Special Qualities: Amphibious

Special Abilities

Poison (Ex)

Sting-injury; save Fort DC 12; frequency 1/round for 4 rounds; effect 1d2 Con; cure 1 save.

Ecology

Environment: Temperate or Warm Ocean
Organization: solitary, pair, or swarm (3-12)
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 whaleeating 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.