Spiny 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.

Spiny Eurypterid (CR 9)

Huge Vermin (Aquatic)
Alignment: Neutral
Initiative: +3
Senses: Low-Light Vision, Tremorsense 30 feet; Perception +1

Speed: 10 feet, Swim 40 feet
Space: 15 feet

Defense

Armor Class: 22, touch 7, flat-footed 22 (-1 Dex, +15 natural, -2 size)
Hit Points: 114 (12d8+60)
Saving Throws: Fort +13, Ref +3, Will +5
Immunity: mind-affecting effects Defensive Abilities spiny carapace

Offense

Melee: 2 claws +15 (1d8+8/19-20), sting +15 (1d6+8 plus poison)
Reach: 15 feet (20 feet with sting)

Special Attacks: Rend (2 claws, 1d6+12)

Statistics

Str	Dex	Con	Int	Wis	Cha
26 (+8)	9 (-1)	20 (+5)	-	13 (+1)	2 (-4)

Base Attack Bonus: +9
CMB +19
CMD 28

Feats: Improved Critical (claw), Improved Initiative

Skills: Swim +16

Languages:

Special Qualities: Amphibious

Special Abilities

Poison (Ex)

Sting-injury; save Fort DC 21; frequency 1/round for 6 rounds; effect 1d4 Con and 1d2 Dex; cure 2 consecutive saves.

Spiny Carapace (Ex)

The spiny eurypterid's carapace is covered with thousands of razor-sharp spines. Any creature that attacks a spiny eurypterid with a light weapon, unarmed strike, or natural attack takes 1d6 points of piercing damage. Any creature that grapples or is grappled by a spiny eurypterid automatically takes 2d6 points of piercing damage per round the grapple is maintained.

Ecology

Environment: Warm Ocean
Organization: solitary
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.