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)

Small Vermin (Extraplanar, Fire)
Alignment: Neutral
Initiative: +2
Senses: Darkvision 60 feet, Tremorsense 60feet; Perception +4

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

Defense

Armor Class: 14, touch 13, flat-footed 12 (+2 Dex, +1 natural, +1 size)
Hit Points: 4 (1d8)
Saving Throws: Fort +3, Ref +2, Will +0
Immunity: fire, vermin traits Vulnerabilities cold

Offense

Melee: 2 claws +3 (1d2 plus 1d4 fire plus Grab)
Reach: 5 feet

Special Attacks: Constrict (1d2 plus 1d4 fire), Heat

Statistics

Str	Dex	Con	Int	Wis	Cha
10 (+0)	14 (+2)	12 (+1)	-	10 (+0)	2 (-4)

Base Attack Bonus: +0
CMB -1
CMD 11

Feats: Weapon Finesse

Skills: Perception +4, Stealth +10, Swim +12

• Racial Modifiers: +4 Perception, +4 Stealth

Languages:

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: Any, Great Conflagration
Organization: solitary, cluster (4-7), or colony (11-20)
Treasure: none


Fire crabs are invertebrates found roaming the fiery shores of the Elemental Plane 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 abovementioned 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. 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.

Copyright Notice Author Scott Greene.