Bearmit Crab

What at first looks like an innocent pile of rocks on the shore turns out to be the shell of a bear-like creature brandishing two giant crab claws at the end of its powerful arms.

Large monstrosity, unaligned

Armor Class 14 (natural armor)
Hit Points 59 (7d10 + 21)
Speed 30 ft., swim 20 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
18 (+4) 13 (+1) 16 (+3) 4 (-3) 13 (+1) 6 (-2)

Skills Perception +3
Damage Resistances bludgeoning
Senses Passive Perception 13
Languages
Challenge 2 (450 XP)

Special Traits

  • Bearmit Crab Viscid Shell. When a creature hits the bearmit crab with a slashing or piercing melee weapon, the creature must succeed on a DC 13 Strength saving throw, or its weapon becomes stuck to the bearmit crab’s shell. While the weapon is stuck, it can’t be used. A creature can pull the weapon free by taking an action to make a DC 13 Strength check and succeeding.
  • Keen Smell. The bearmit crab has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell.
  • False Appearance. While the bearmit crab remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from a normal pile of rocks.

Actions

  • Multiattack. The bearmit crab makes two attacks: one claw attack and one bite attack or two claw attacks.
  • Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d6 + 4) bludgeoning damage and the target is grappled (escape DC 13) if it is a Medium or smaller creature. Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained. The bearmit crab has two claws, each of which can grapple only one target.
  • Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d8 + 4) piercing damage.

About

These dangerous monstrosities can turn seemingly harmless beaches and shallows into treacherous stretches of feeding grounds. Only the occasional scattered bones or stuck weapon give any clue as to the true nature of these creatures.

Coastal Guardians. Created by a great wizard to guard her coastal keep in years long past, these monstrosities now roam the rocky coastlines, indiscriminately preying on unfortunate victims near the shore and in shallow waters. Sometimes, those particularly adept at taming and training wild beasts may keep small groups of bearmit crabs as guardians.

Crafted Homes. Driven by the scarcity of shells large enough to accommodate their size, bearmit crabs have adapted by crafting their own shells, using rocks glued together with sticky propolis. More commonly known as bee glue, propolis is harvested by bearmit crabs from the hives they find near the coastline.

Viscid Shells. Many adventurers get a nasty surprise when they try to stab or slash at the shell. Intuitively, the attackers aim for the crevices between the rocks, only to find their weapons hopelessly stuck fast in the shell’s binding agent. To further complicate matters, bashing on the shell with blunter weapons doesn’t prove particularly effective. Often, weapons of past victims are compelling lures, for few can resist a seemingly unattended sword sticking out of a pile of rocks.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Creature Codex. © 2018 Open Design LLC; Authors Wolfgang Baur, Dan Dillon, Richard Green, James Haeck, Chris Harris, Jeremy Hochhalter, James Introcaso, Chris Lockey, Shawn Merwin, and Jon Sawatsky.

This is not the complete license attribution - see the full license for this page