Palanan
2013-09-05, 10:00 PM
"...jetting animals are just hearts set free...."
Ron O'Dor and D.M. Webber
"Invertebrate Athletes"
Cuttlefish (Sepia apama)
Small Animal (Aquatic)
Hit Dice: 1d8+1 (5 hp)
Initiative: +8
Speed: Swim 5 ft., jet 30 ft.
Armor Class: 15 (+1 size, +4 Dex), touch 15, flat-footed 11
Base Attack/Grapple: +1/+1
Attack: hunting tentacles +5 melee (0)
Full Attack: hunting tentacles +5 melee (0) and bite +0 melee (1d3-1)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Hypnotic strobe, improved grab
Special Qualities: Ink decoy, jet set, polarized sight, low-light vision
Saves: Fort +1, Ref +7, Will +1
Abilities: Str 10, Dex 19, Con 12, Int 5, Wis 12, Cha 12
Skills: Escape Artist +8, Hide +20, Spot +10, Swim +8
Feats: Improved Initiative, Weapon Finesse (B)
Environment: warm oceanic (depths from surface to 1000 ft.)
Organization: Solitary or mating aggregation (annual only)
Challenge Rating: 1
Treasure: none
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: None
Level Adjustment: -
Cuttlefish are secretive, solitary hunters, slow swimmers but peerless artists of disguise. Like their kindred the octopi, cuttlefish can change colors at will, and even adjust the texture of their skin, but their abilities far surpass mere camouflage.
Cuttlefish can alter their skin pigmentation at a cellular level, cycling through dozens of complex patterns with an instant's thought. A cuttlefish can devise a palette of natural hues to perfectly match its background, or garish colors to express strong emotions--or a strobing pattern to entrance a hapless target.
There are over a hundred species of cuttlefish, most of which are only a few inches long. The giant cuttlefish is a behemoth among its kind; its head and mantle are over a foot long, and it reaches three feet with its hunting tentacles at full extent. A resident of shallow reefs and grassy seabeds, the giant cuttlefish preys on crabs, shrimp, and small fish, patiently stalking and then dazzling them with an eerie display before it strikes.
Giant cuttlefish have the highest brain-to-body-mass ratio of any known invertebrate; they are quick to make associations and handily learn basic tricks. Like most cephalopods, cuttlefish live only a year or two, reproducing once at the end of their lives and then quickly dying. Despite their brief lives, cuttlefish are inquisitive and often fearless creatures, relying on their speed and camouflage to keep them safe.
A druid starting in an aquatic environment may choose a giant cuttlefish as an animal companion.
Hypnotic Strobe (Ex): As a free action, a cuttlefish may sheathe its body in a rapidly strobing pattern of colors, oscillating wildly as it manipulates its own chromatophores. Any creature within 10 ft. must succeed on a DC 12 Will save or be fascinated for as long as the cuttlefish is within 10 ft. and maintaining the strobe effect. The save is Charisma-based.
While strobing, the cuttlefish loses its racial bonus to the Hide skill, and instead incurs a -20 penalty on all Hide checks. The strobing may be extinguished as a free action.
Improved Grab (Ex): A cuttlefish strikes with its two hunting arms, which are held poised until its target is within range. If they connect, the cuttlefish may attempt a grapple with its eight shorter tentacles as a free action, without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, the cuttlefish draws its target back to its head and automatically deals bite damage.
Ink Decoy (Ex): Once per minute, a cuttlefish may produce a spurt of dark ink the length of its body, which lingers in the water as the cuttlefish jets away, changing color to match the distant seawater. The ink decoy remains for five rounds or until it is dispersed by strong currents or other disruption, such as an attack. The ink decoy is meant to confuse rather than conceal, and provides no concealment to anything larger than zooplankton.
Jet Set (Ex): As a move action, a cuttlefish may jet at a speed of 30 ft. for up to three rounds every minute. Each subsequent round of jetting requires a DC 14 Fort save. If the cuttlefish fails to make the save, it is briefly exhausted and must rest for one minute before it is able to jet again.
Polarized Sight (Ex): Cuttlefish are capable of seeing polarized light, granting them a predatory advantage. A cuttlefish gains a +4 racial bonus to Spot checks and a +2 bonus on Will saves to detect illusions.
Skills: A cuttlefish has direct neural control over its skin color at the cellular level, granting it a +16 racial bonus to Hide checks.
A cuttlefish can shape and compress its body to a limited degree, granting a +4 racial bonus to Escape Artist checks.
In addition, as an oceanic creature, a cuttlefish has a +8 racial bonus on Swim checks; it can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered.
Notes:
First, my standard disclaimer: I don't follow the SRD's extremely limited concept of animal intelligence, so I've given an Int score which I believe more accurately reflects the talents of the cuttlefish.
They really are impressive creatures, and I only wish I could convey their beauty and complexity with more finesse. One aspect I wanted to include is their use of rapid, rippling hues to communicate among themselves, including the use of polarized light, but I couldn't come up with a meaningful game mechanic. Ideas on this are welcome, as well as general comments, criticisms, and statblock edits.
Sources:
Anonymous. Sepia apama, Australian Giant Cuttlefish. Encyclopedia of Life (http://eol.org/pages/593213/details).
Chatfield, J. E. 1985. Mollusks. In: Encyclopedia of Aquatic Life, K. Banister and A. Campbell (Eds.), pp. 124-127. Facts on File Publications, New York.
Kaufmann, G. et al. 2007. Kings of Camouflage (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/nature/kings-of-camouflage.html). PBS NOVA/WGBH Educational Foundation.
O'Dor, R. K. and D. M. Webber. 1991. Invertebrate athletes: Trade-offs between transport efficiency and power density in cephalopod evolution. Journal of Experimental Biology 160: 93-112.
Payne, N. L., Snelling, E. P., Semmens, J. M. and B. M. Gillanders. 2013. Mechanisms of population structuring in Giant Australian Cuttlefish Sepia apama. PLoS ONE 8(3): 1-7.
.
Ron O'Dor and D.M. Webber
"Invertebrate Athletes"
Cuttlefish (Sepia apama)
Small Animal (Aquatic)
Hit Dice: 1d8+1 (5 hp)
Initiative: +8
Speed: Swim 5 ft., jet 30 ft.
Armor Class: 15 (+1 size, +4 Dex), touch 15, flat-footed 11
Base Attack/Grapple: +1/+1
Attack: hunting tentacles +5 melee (0)
Full Attack: hunting tentacles +5 melee (0) and bite +0 melee (1d3-1)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Hypnotic strobe, improved grab
Special Qualities: Ink decoy, jet set, polarized sight, low-light vision
Saves: Fort +1, Ref +7, Will +1
Abilities: Str 10, Dex 19, Con 12, Int 5, Wis 12, Cha 12
Skills: Escape Artist +8, Hide +20, Spot +10, Swim +8
Feats: Improved Initiative, Weapon Finesse (B)
Environment: warm oceanic (depths from surface to 1000 ft.)
Organization: Solitary or mating aggregation (annual only)
Challenge Rating: 1
Treasure: none
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: None
Level Adjustment: -
Cuttlefish are secretive, solitary hunters, slow swimmers but peerless artists of disguise. Like their kindred the octopi, cuttlefish can change colors at will, and even adjust the texture of their skin, but their abilities far surpass mere camouflage.
Cuttlefish can alter their skin pigmentation at a cellular level, cycling through dozens of complex patterns with an instant's thought. A cuttlefish can devise a palette of natural hues to perfectly match its background, or garish colors to express strong emotions--or a strobing pattern to entrance a hapless target.
There are over a hundred species of cuttlefish, most of which are only a few inches long. The giant cuttlefish is a behemoth among its kind; its head and mantle are over a foot long, and it reaches three feet with its hunting tentacles at full extent. A resident of shallow reefs and grassy seabeds, the giant cuttlefish preys on crabs, shrimp, and small fish, patiently stalking and then dazzling them with an eerie display before it strikes.
Giant cuttlefish have the highest brain-to-body-mass ratio of any known invertebrate; they are quick to make associations and handily learn basic tricks. Like most cephalopods, cuttlefish live only a year or two, reproducing once at the end of their lives and then quickly dying. Despite their brief lives, cuttlefish are inquisitive and often fearless creatures, relying on their speed and camouflage to keep them safe.
A druid starting in an aquatic environment may choose a giant cuttlefish as an animal companion.
Hypnotic Strobe (Ex): As a free action, a cuttlefish may sheathe its body in a rapidly strobing pattern of colors, oscillating wildly as it manipulates its own chromatophores. Any creature within 10 ft. must succeed on a DC 12 Will save or be fascinated for as long as the cuttlefish is within 10 ft. and maintaining the strobe effect. The save is Charisma-based.
While strobing, the cuttlefish loses its racial bonus to the Hide skill, and instead incurs a -20 penalty on all Hide checks. The strobing may be extinguished as a free action.
Improved Grab (Ex): A cuttlefish strikes with its two hunting arms, which are held poised until its target is within range. If they connect, the cuttlefish may attempt a grapple with its eight shorter tentacles as a free action, without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, the cuttlefish draws its target back to its head and automatically deals bite damage.
Ink Decoy (Ex): Once per minute, a cuttlefish may produce a spurt of dark ink the length of its body, which lingers in the water as the cuttlefish jets away, changing color to match the distant seawater. The ink decoy remains for five rounds or until it is dispersed by strong currents or other disruption, such as an attack. The ink decoy is meant to confuse rather than conceal, and provides no concealment to anything larger than zooplankton.
Jet Set (Ex): As a move action, a cuttlefish may jet at a speed of 30 ft. for up to three rounds every minute. Each subsequent round of jetting requires a DC 14 Fort save. If the cuttlefish fails to make the save, it is briefly exhausted and must rest for one minute before it is able to jet again.
Polarized Sight (Ex): Cuttlefish are capable of seeing polarized light, granting them a predatory advantage. A cuttlefish gains a +4 racial bonus to Spot checks and a +2 bonus on Will saves to detect illusions.
Skills: A cuttlefish has direct neural control over its skin color at the cellular level, granting it a +16 racial bonus to Hide checks.
A cuttlefish can shape and compress its body to a limited degree, granting a +4 racial bonus to Escape Artist checks.
In addition, as an oceanic creature, a cuttlefish has a +8 racial bonus on Swim checks; it can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered.
Notes:
First, my standard disclaimer: I don't follow the SRD's extremely limited concept of animal intelligence, so I've given an Int score which I believe more accurately reflects the talents of the cuttlefish.
They really are impressive creatures, and I only wish I could convey their beauty and complexity with more finesse. One aspect I wanted to include is their use of rapid, rippling hues to communicate among themselves, including the use of polarized light, but I couldn't come up with a meaningful game mechanic. Ideas on this are welcome, as well as general comments, criticisms, and statblock edits.
Sources:
Anonymous. Sepia apama, Australian Giant Cuttlefish. Encyclopedia of Life (http://eol.org/pages/593213/details).
Chatfield, J. E. 1985. Mollusks. In: Encyclopedia of Aquatic Life, K. Banister and A. Campbell (Eds.), pp. 124-127. Facts on File Publications, New York.
Kaufmann, G. et al. 2007. Kings of Camouflage (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/nature/kings-of-camouflage.html). PBS NOVA/WGBH Educational Foundation.
O'Dor, R. K. and D. M. Webber. 1991. Invertebrate athletes: Trade-offs between transport efficiency and power density in cephalopod evolution. Journal of Experimental Biology 160: 93-112.
Payne, N. L., Snelling, E. P., Semmens, J. M. and B. M. Gillanders. 2013. Mechanisms of population structuring in Giant Australian Cuttlefish Sepia apama. PLoS ONE 8(3): 1-7.
.