Gambado

A dull white humanoid skull lies on the ground in a tangle of sticks, leaves, and twigs.

Gambado (CR 3)

Medium Aberration
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Initiative: +1
Senses: Darkvision 60 feet; Perception +8

Speed: 40 feet
Space: 5 feet

Defense

Armor Class: 14, touch 11, flat-footed 13 (+1 Dex, +3 natural)
Hit Points: 26 (4d8+8)
Saving Throws: Fort +3, Ref +2, Will +5

Offense

Melee: bite +5 (1d8+2), 2 claws +5 (1d4+2)
Reach: 5 feet

Statistics

Str	Dex	Con	Int	Wis	Cha
14 (+2)	12 (+1)	14 (+2)	6 (-2)	12 (+1)	8 (-1)

Base Attack Bonus: +3
CMB +5
CMD 16

Feats: Alertness, Skill Focus (Stealth)

Skills: Acrobatics +6 (+14 jump), Perception +8, Sense Motive +5, Stealth +9

• Racial Modifiers: +4 Acrobatics (jump)

Languages:

Special Abilities

NONE

Ecology

Environment: Temperate Plains
Organization: solitary or gang (2-5)
Treasure: standard coins or goods; no items


A gambado makes its lair in a 6-foot deep pit. It hides its body with rocks, leaves, and anything else in the surrounding area, allowing only its head to be seen. Thus, when viewing a hidden gambado, it appears to be nothing more than a humanoid skull resting on the ground. When living creatures approach the gambado, it strikes.

The gambado is a human-sized creature with a cylindrical torso topped by a humanoid skull-like head. Two long arms ending in razor-sharp claws protrude from the body. Its torso ends in three long, single-toed feet. Its body is gray in color and leathery and can be compressed like a spring. This is its primary means of locomotion. By compressing its body, the gambado can spring up or forward.

Gambado are solitary creatures by nature, and on the rare occasion that more than one is encountered, each will have its own lair and pit from which it attacks. The pits are usually close together to maximize their attacks on creatures within the area. Any treasure collected by a gambado is stored on its pit floor or in a small and well-hidden hole (DC 18 Perception to find) in the side of its pit.

Gambados speak no known languages, and it is unknown how they communicate among themselves. A gambado springs to attack any time a living creature comes within 2 feet of its lair. It attacks relentlessly with its bite and claws, but does not fight to the death. If combat goes against it, it seeks the quickest possible means of escape.

Credit The Gambado originally appeared in the First Edition Fiend Folio (© TSR/Wizards of the Coast, 1981) and is used by permission.

Copyright Notice Author Scott Greene, based on original material by Simon Shaw.