Hello and welcome to a new edition of Frightful Fridays! This week's monster is courtesy of Owen K.C. Stephens who posted a link to a "vampire" squirrel on his Facebook page, and then Craig Johnston alerted me to it. Since I've done a couple of vampire creatures recently, but I really wanted to do something with this squirrel, I decided to make it an insanely effective assassin instead. It might be fun to have your low-level characters stroll through a park and witness an ostensibly harmless squirrel leap up and rip out an NPC's throat before scampering off with the victim's necklace.
I hope you enjoy the assassin squirrel, and I will try to have a monster ready to go for next Friday while I'm at GenCon. Thanks for reading!
“I say, is that
squirrel carrying a crossbACK!”
Assassin
Squirrel CR 15
XP 51,200
NE Tiny magical beast
Init +13; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light
vision; Perception +26
DEFENSE
AC 32, touch 32,
flat-footed 22 (+9 Dex, +1 dodge, +10 insight, +2 size)
hp 171 (18d10+72)
Fort +15, Ref +20, Will +11
Defensive Abilities
defensive roll, improved evasion, improved uncanny dodge; Immune poison
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft.,
climb 40 ft.
Melee bite +29
(1d6+9), 2 claws +29 (1d4+9)
Ranged +3 stalking light crossbow +28
(1d4+3/19–20)
Space 2½ ft.; Reach 0 ft.
Special Attacks
death attack, dexterous killer, poisonous blood, sneak attack +9d6
STATISTICS
Str 2, Dex 29, Con 18, Int 23, Wis 21, Cha 12
Base Atk +18; CMB +25 (+27 steal); CMD 42 (44 vs. steal, 46 vs. trip)
Feats Combat
Expertise, Deadly Aim, Deceitful, Dodge, Improved Feint, Improved Initiative,
Improved Steal, Mobility, Weapon Finesse
Skills Acrobatics
+25, Bluff +31, Climb +19, Disable Device +20, Disguise +23, Escape Artist +25,
Knowledge (local) +24, Perception +26, Sleight of Hand +20, Stealth +29; Racial Modifiers +8 Bluff
Languages Common,
Elven, Gnome, Halfling, Undercommon (can’t speak)
SQ fast stealth,
fast tumble, hide in plain sight
Gear +3 stalking light crossbow, crossbow
bolts (20), bag of holding (type I)
ECOLOGY
Environment any
land
Organization
solitary
Treasure double
(gear plus gems and jewels)
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Death Attack (Ex)
An assassin squirrel must study a potential victim for 3 rounds (spending a
standard action each round). If it then makes a sneak attack with a melee
weapon that successfully deals damage, the sneak attack reduces the victim to
–1 hp, if it fails a DC 25 Fortitude. If the saving throw succeeds, the attack
still deals normal sneak attack damage. The squirrel must make the death attack
within 3 rounds of completing its 3 rounds of study. The save DC is
Intelligence-based.
Defensive Roll (Ex)
Once per day, when an assassin squirrel would be reduced to 0 or fewer hit
points by damage in combat, it can attempt to roll with the damage. If it
succeeds at a Reflex save (DC equals damage dealt), it only takes half damage
from the strike; otherwise, it takes full damage. It must be aware of the
attack to use this ability, and it cannot use the ability if it is denied its
Dexterity bonus to AC.
Dexterous Killer (Ex)
An assassin squirrel adds its Dexterity modifier to damage done by its natural
weapons.
Fast Stealth (Ex)
An assassin squirrel can move at full speed using the Stealth skill without
penalty.
Fast Tumble (Ex) An
assassin squirrel does not add 10 to the DC of an Acrobatics check when using
the skill at full speed to move through a threated square without provoking an
attack of opportunity.
Hide in Plain Sight (Ex)
An assassin squirrel can use the Stealth skill even while being observed. As
long as it is within 10 feet of some sort of shadow, it can hide itself from
view in the open without having anything to actually hide behind. However, it
cannot hide in its own shadow.
Poisonous Blood (Ex)
An assassin squirrel’s blood is toxic sludge. A creature that successfully
bites the squirrel poisons itself. As a full round action, the squirrel can
deal 1 point of damage to itself to create enough poison to coat its claws (or
10 crossbow bolts), requiring an additional standard action to apply. The
poison persists for 1 hour before becoming useless, and it is only good for one
successful attack.
Assassin Squirrel
Poison—injury or ingested; save
Fort DC 23; frequency 1/round for 6
rounds; effect 1d4 Con; cure 2 consecutive saves.
Unassuming killers, assassin squirrels have cultivated their
inconspicuousness as they find a suitable victim. They have razor-sharp teeth
and claws that inflict grievous wounds, and they add the devastating ability to
find vital organs to rend when they strike. Finally, their blood is naturally
toxic, allowing them to bleed themselves to coat their weapons with poison.
Assassin squirrels are thankfully rare, and only go on their
hunts once a year. They always take a trophy from their victims, typically a
small, shiny item, but they have been known to take ears or fingers from
difficult-to-kill prey. The most common theory about these squirrels is that
fey nobles employ them to assassinate dangerous mortals, or other fey as part
of their internecine squabbles. This would explain the equipment possessed by the
squirrels, since they do not seem to have any other means of producing it.
Other beings can employ the assassins, but the price is steep, usually no less
than 10,000 gp for a target.
Assassin squirrels have very short lifespans, with most
specimens living no more than twenty years. However, they are potent killers
from a month after they are born until they die. Infant assassin squirrels are
left to their own devices shortly after their births and must learn to kill to
survive. Often, a young assassin squirrel’s first target is one of its parents.
