Dire Mole Rat

Large beast, unaligned

Armor Class 12 (natural armor)
Hit Points 37 (5d10 +10)
Speed 30 ft., burrow 15 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
14 (+2)	10 (+0)	15 (+2)	2 (-4)	10 (+0)	4 (-3)

Skills Perception +2
Damage Immunities poison
Damage Resistances piercing, slashing
Condition Immunities blinded, poisoned, exhaustion
Senses tremorsense 30 ft., passive Perception 12
Languages–
Proficiency Bonus +2
Challenge 1 (200 XP)

SPECIAL TRAITS

• Hold Breath. The dire mole rat can hold its breath for 15 minutes.
• Poor Vision. The dire mole rat has disadvantage on Perception (Wisdom) checks that rely on vision.
• Saddle. The mount carries a saddle on its back. Up to two Medium creatures can ride on the saddle without squeezing. To make a melee attack against a target within 5 feet of the mount, they must use spears or weapons with reach. If the mount dies, creatures on the saddle are placed in unoccupied spaces within 5 feet of the mount.

ACTIONS

• Multiattack. The dire mole rat makes two attacks: one with its tusks and one with its bite.
• Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) piercing damage.
• Tusks. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d10 + 2) piercing damage.

ABOUT

This enormous rat-like creature bristles with fur. Two sets of tusks grow out of its chin.

Dire mole rats take a role in dwarven society similar to pigs. They are frequently fattened and left to graze, which makes them an important source of protein as well as form of garbage recycling, as there’s little dire mole rats can’t consume, including their own waste. They also use remarkably little water, as their stomachs are highly efficient at extracting liquid from anything they consume.

With small eyes, dire mole rats have difficulty seeing. Conversely, they require little oxygen and have no pain receptors, and thus make particularly fearsome steeds. As mounts, dire mole rats are carefully bred so that their ever-growing teeth are not worn down. Dwarves cultivate the cheeks of the dire mole rat to ensure no infection occurs (which would normally kill a mole rat in the wild). These four teeth are then sharpened and reinforced to be used in battle.