Blue Crusty: Spell-Casting Crabs

[jkeown]

Here I've taken the Crab, Giant from the MRQSRD and altered it to fit a beast that my players fought on the way out of the Sea Caves area of Deep Aura. Deep Aura is a holy grail to my players, they hope to one day delve it and survive the experience. Meanwhile things from Down There keep coming Up Here and scaring the willies out of them.

The process was a simple one, I looked up things about crabs to provide a slightly humourous twist to the discription. Turns out a group of crabs is called a cast. You can probably see the obvious pun.

Blue Crusty

The giant crab, also called the Blue Crusty, is a beast altered by exposure to the Dream Energy of Deep Aura, the megadungeon beneath Chalasa. It is supposed that some route into that sunken city allows the energy to escape into the White Sea. Many very odd animals result from this venting of Dream Energy.

They resemble natural crabs, but often display corruptions from exposure to Chaos. They eat meat, but occasionally crave mineral wealth. These minerals collect on their carapace, just tempting adventures to try and pry them off for sale in the city.

Rangoon, the so-called Culinary Sage, suggests attacking with fire-based spells, and having onions, cream cheese and crepes ready for when the beast falls.

Characteristic Roll Average

STR 3D6+24 35

CON 3D6+6 17

SIZ 3D6+24 35

INT 2 2

POW 3D6 11

DEX 2D6 7

APP 2 2

Move: 5 (land) 6 (water)

Hit Points: 26

Damage Bonus: +2D6

Armor: Thick Carapace (AP 8)

Attacks: Claw 50%, 1D10+2D6

Skills: Sense 40%, Stealth 55%, Track 20%

Powers: Exposure to Deep Aura’s ambient Dream Energy has mutated the White Sea Crab into a beast out of legend.

Tactical Spellcasters Each Blue Crusty can cast 1D3 spells of the GMs choosing. When attacking in groups, a cast of Blue Crusties have been known to support each other, some staying back and casting Heal spells, while others stay at range and fire Blast. Some eschew spell casting and stay up front with the PCs and attack with their claws. It’s really quite disturbing. They do not possess the intelligence for such tactics. It’s assumed that the Dream Energy contains “instructions” for such behavior.

Touched Older Blue Crusties have up to 1D6 Chaotic Features. The more they accumulate, the older the creature is assumed to be, though this may not be the case.

Gem-encrusted Shells: Blue Crusties with one or more Chaotic Features will display 1d3 gems of random value on their carapace.

[frogspawner]

Turns out a group of crabs is called a cast. You can probably see the obvious pun.

"A Cast of Thousands", perhaps? That'd be very nasty...