I hope you've enjoyed the monsters so far. I'm having a lot of fun with this mini-marathon.
Mud and wet grass
stick to what appears to be a baby crocodile. The gleam in its eyes belies the
intelligence possessed by the creature.
Lake Kaida CR 3
XP 800
NG Tiny dragon
Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light
vision; Perception +10
DEFENSE
AC 16, touch 14,
flat-footed 14 (+2 Dex, +2 natural, +2 size)
hp 37 (5d12+5)
Fort +7, Ref +6, Will +6
Defensive Abilities
ferocity; Immune paralysis, sleep; Resist cold 5, fire 5
OFFENSE
Speed 20 ft.,
climb 20 ft., swim 50 ft.
Melee bite +6
(2d6–2
plus attach), 2 claws +5 (2d4–2)
Space 2–1/2 ft.; Reach 0 ft.
Special Attacks
attach, breath weapon (30-ft. cone, 4d6 bludgeoning damage, Reflex DC 13 for
half, usable every 1d4 rounds), rake (2 claws +5, 2d4–2)
Spell-Like Abilities
(CL 5th; concentration +7)
3/day—create water, hydraulic push[APG], summon
nature's ally III (water elementals and animals with swim speeds only)
1/day—soften earth and stone
STATISTICS
Str 6, Dex 15, Con 12, Int 11, Wis 15, Cha 14
Base Atk +5; CMB +5 (+9 grapple); CMD 13 (17 vs. trip)
Feats Agile
Maneuvers, Great Fortitude, Weapon Focus (bite)
Skills Appraise
+8, Climb +14, Intimidate +10, Knowledge (nature) +8, Perception +10,
Spellcraft +8, Stealth +16, Swim +14
Languages Common,
Draconic; speak with animals
SQ change shape (crocodile,
beast shape II), emergency summon
ECOLOGY
Environment lakes
Organization
solitary, pair, preserve (3–6)
Treasure standard
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Breath Weapon (Su)
A creature that fails its Reflex save against a lake kaida’s breath weapon is
knocked prone.
Emergency Summon (Su)
A lake kaida can spend two uses of summon
nature’s ally III to use the spell-like ability as a standard action.
Lake kaidas are dragons sworn to protect lakes, ponds, and
other small bodies of water. They typically do this by attempting to frighten
away trespassers with their breath weapon and spell-like abilities. They prefer
to summon water elementals but will summon animals such as crabs and crocodiles
to handle foes in and out of the water. As a last resort or against
particularly foul despoilers, lake kaidas transform themselves into crocodiles,
usually after grabbing hold of an opponent with their less-powerful bites.
Lake kaidas befriend druids and nixies who also have a
vested interest in protecting hidden waterways. When they aren’t actively
defending their homes, they take an interest in managing the lives of animals
where they live. They ensure overpopulation doesn’t occur, allowing natural
predation to take its course, and, on the other side of the coin, cultivate
animals with declining populations.
Lake kaidas typically measure 1 foot in length and weigh 25
pounds.
A neutral spellcaster with the Improved Familiar feat and
animal companion class feature can gain a lake kaida as a familiar at 7th
level. The lake kaida will leave the spellcaster if it is does not visit a
natural waterway at least once a week (the spellcaster can attempt to negotiate
with the kaida in extreme circumstances such as planar travel).
