Tick, Giant

This dog-sized tick has a grotesquely bulbous body and a thin head equipped with hooked mandibles.

Tick, Giant (CR 1)

Small Vermin
Alignment: Neutral
Initiative: +0
Senses: Darkvision 60 feet, Scent; Perception +0

Speed: 20 feet, Climb 20 feet
Space: 5 feet

Defense

Armor Class: 16, touch 11, flat-footed 16 (+5 natural, +1 size)
Hit Points: 13 (2d8+4)
Saving Throws: Fort +5, Ref +0, Will +0
Immunity: mind-affecting effects

Offense

Melee: bite +2 (1d4 plus Grab, attach, and disease)
Reach: 5 feet

Special Attacks: Blood Drain (1 Constitution)

Statistics

Str	Dex	Con	Int	Wis	Cha
11 (+0)	10 (+0)	15 (+2)	-	11 (+0)	2 (-4)

Base Attack Bonus: +1
CMB +0 (+8 Grapple)
CMD 10 (22 vs. Trip)

Feats:

Skills: Climb +8, Stealth +8

• Racial Modifiers: +4 Stealth

Languages:

Special Abilities

Grab (Ex)

A giant tick can grab targets of any size, and has a +8 racial bonus on grapple checks rather than the normal +4 bonus most creatures with grab possess.

Disease (Ex)

Red ache: Bite-injury; save Fort DC 13; onset 1d3 days; frequency 1/day; effect 1d6 Str damage; cure 2 consecutive saves. The DC is Constitution-based.

Ecology

Environment: Temperate Forests
Organization: solitary, pair, cluster (3-6), or nest (7-12)
Treasure: none


In areas where large creatures like megafauna or dinosaurs dwell, the giant tick behaves much like its smaller kin-it lies in wait in the undergrowth, and when a suitable host passes by, it drops onto the body to feed.

In other areas, these vermin are much more aggressive, and actively hunt smaller prey like dogs, livestock, or even humanoids. A giant tick drains blood quickly, but once it has caused 6 points of Constitution damage, it drops off, sated, to crawl away to digest.

A giant tick is 3 feet long and weighs 50 pounds.