Friday, February 17, 2017

Frightful Fridays! Bullet Squirrel

Hello, and welcome to this week's Frightful Fridays! My college-age child suggested a squirrel that moved around the battlefield like a bullet, and I happen to feature a lot of squirrels on the blog (I'm actually afraid to count the number of squirrel entries I have), so this was a no-brainer. This should go from, "oh, look at the cute little squirrel" to "why am I on the ground and my arm is broken" for your characters pretty quickly.

I hope you enjoy the bullet squirrel, and I'll see you next time with another monster. Thanks for reading!

Pew! Pew! Pew!

This minute gray squirrel zips about unpredictably, making a loud crack as it shoots from location to location.
Bullet Squirrel      CR 5
XP 1,600
N Tiny animal
Init +5; Senses low-light vision, tremorsense 60 ft.; Perception +8
DEFENSE
AC 18, touch 18, flat-footed 12 (+5 Dex, +1 dodge, +2 size)
hp 52 (7d8+21)
Fort +8, Ref +10, Will +4
Defenses hardheaded; Resist fire 10
OFFENSE
Speed 10 ft., burrow 30 ft., fly 90 ft. (perfect); bullet trajectory
Melee bite +12 (1d3–4), slam +12 (1d4–4)
Space 2½ ft.; Reach 0 ft.
Special Attacks gunshot slam
STATISTICS
Str 3, Dex 21, Con 16, Int 2, Wis 14, Cha 11
Base Atk +5; CMB +8 (+10 bull rush); CMD 15 (17 vs. bull rush, 19 vs. trip)
Feats Death from AboveUC, Dodge, Improved Bull RushB, Mobility, Weapon Finesse
Skills Acrobatics +15, Fly +17, Perception +8, Stealth +17; Racial Modifiers +4 Acrobatics
ECOLOGY
Environment temperate forests
Organization solitary, pair, magazine (3–20)
Treasure incidental
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Bullet Trajectory (Ex) A bullet squirrel can only burrow or fly in a straight line, and it must travel its full movement rate when it burrows or flies. If it flies into the ground, it reduces it burrow speed by 1/3 the  distance it flew. If it flies out of the ground, it reduces its fly speed by 3 times the distance it burrowed. If the squirrel strikes a solid object other than a creature, it takes damage as if it had fallen a distance equal to its remaining movement.
Gunshot Slam (Ex) When a bullet squirrel burrows or flies, it acts as if it is charging, with the applicable +2 bonus on its attack and a –2 penalty to its AC, its slam attack deals 2d4 points of damage plus 1d6 fire damage, and it adds its Dexterity modifier rather than its Strength modifier to damage from its slam. Additionally, the squirrel receives a free bull rush attempt against the target of its attack. If it exceeds the target’s CMD by 5 or more (or rolls a natural 20), it can opt to knock the target prone rather than push the target back.
Hardheaded (Ex) A bullet squirrel leads with its head when it attacks or faces a situation where it could take damage. When it falls or takes damage from its bullet trajectory ability, it can attempt a Reflex save (DC 10 + 5 for every 10 feet of the fall) to take half damage.

For whatever unfathomable reason, squirrels more than any mammals other than bats have received the gift of flight. The same is true of bullet squirrels which fly with incredible velocities, allowing them to shoot into soft ground as well. The animals use this incredible ability to store nuts deep in the ground, and away from carefully dug out warrens, where only they can reach. Their bulletlike flight allows them to defend themselves against predators or quickly escape in dire situations. This has made the miniscule creatures aggressive, and they often shoot right into creatures intruding on their territory. They also consume their weight in fruits and nuts every day to feed their fast metabolisms.

Bullet squirrels are nearly 1 foot in length and weigh 2 pounds. They live up to 10 years and, in the wild, produce a litter of 1d6 young twice a year.

Bullet Squirrel Companions
Starting Statistics: Size Tiny; Speed 10 ft., burrow 20 ft., fly 60 ft.; bullet trajectory; Attack bite (1d3), slam (1d4); Ability Scores Str 3, Dex 17, Con 12, Int 2, Wis 14, Cha 11; Special Qualities hardheaded, low-light vision, tremorsense 60 ft., Special Attacks gunshot slam (1d6 plus Dex modifier and 1d4 fire).

4th-Level Advancement: Ability Scores Dex +4, Con +4; Special Attacks gunshot slam (2d4 plus Dex modifier and 1d6 fire); Feats Improved Bull Rush.