[Creature] Boiled Alive

[The Demented One]

Redclaw Steamling
Size/Type: Tiny Vermin (Fire)
Hit Dice: 2d8+2 (14 hp)
Initiative: +3
Speed: 10 ft. (2 squares), swim 40 ft.
Armor Class: 16 (+2 size, +3 Dex, +1 natural), touch 15, flatfooted 13
Base Attack/Grapple: +1/-8
Attack: Claw +6 melee (1d2-1 plus 1 heat)
Full Attack: 2 Claws +6 melee (1d2-1 plus 1 heat)
Space/Reach: 2 ½ ft./0 ft.
Special Attacks: Steaming
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., mindless, immunity to fire, vulnerability to cold, constant pain
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +3, Will +1
Abilities: Str 8, Dex 16, Con 12, Int –, Wis 12, Cha 1
Skills: Hide +13, Move Silently +2, Swim +10
Feats: Weapon Finesse (B), Dodge
Environment: Any Aquatic
Organization: Solitary, pair, or herd (5-10)
Challenge Rating: 1
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always True Neutral
Advancement: 3-5 HD (Tiny)
Level Adjustment: –

Redclaw Steamlings are pitiable creatures. Unique chemical reactions within their bodies cause them to constantly emit steam from minute pores in their soft shells. However, while their bodies have adapted to this reaction, proofing itself against damage from fire and steam, they have not become deadened to pain from heat–and every second, superheated steam blows through their skin, triggering every pain sensing nerve in their body. Redclaw Steamlings are, naturally, highly aggravated by this, and are highly aggressive towards anything they can see. A Redclaw Steaming resembles a lobster, but with a flamboyantly bright red shell emitting gouts of steam non-stop. The amount of steam produced is not sufficient to conceal the steamling. A swimming steamling is a laughable, and simultaneously pitiable sight: the steam serves to jet it along, making it look like a torpedo of writhing flesh.

Steaming (Ex)
A Redclaw Steamling’s body constantly emits steam. Any creature hit by the steamling’s claw attack or that hits the steamling with a natural attack, unarmed strike, or touch attack takes one point of heat damage.

Constant Pain (Ex)
High temperatures, even flame, hold no danger to a Redclaw Steamling–but they can still cause it pain. And, because the steamling constantly emits steam, it is constantly in pain. Each round, it must make a DC 13 Will save or be stricken with pain. It may take only a single action that round.

Skills
An Redclaw Steamling has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line.Because of the constant hissing sound made by the emission of steam from the Redclaw Steamling’s shell, it takes a -6 penalty on Move Silently checks.

[Fax Celestis]

Woo! More steaming vermin!

[Fizban]

I like it, but isn't that a little to far out of the realm of realism for vermin type? Oh what am I saying, who cares! (yay for the nitpick engine that drives me to post)

[martyboy74]

Ahh! Flaming Lobsters! Run for the hills!

[The Demented One]

I like it, but isn't that a little to far out of the realm of realism for vermin type? Oh what am I saying, who cares! (yay for the nitpick engine that drives me to post)

More far out than a spider the size of a great wyrm dragon?

[Evil_Pacifist]

More far out than a spider the size of a great wyrm dragon?

Well, since Colossal is the largest size, there's no reason for aforesaid spider not to be the size of the Earth.

Anyway... Nice monster, good to see someone making low CR creatures, the constant stream of CR 9+ critters gets irritating.

[martyboy74]

Well, since Colossal is the largest size, there's no reason for aforesaid spider not to be the size of the Earth.

Anyway... Nice monster, good to see someone making low CR creatures, the constant stream of CR 9+ critters gets irritating.

No, it's not. They added a colossal+ size.

[Lord Iames Osari]

MitP Vote: Yes.

[Fizban]

More far out than a spider the size of a great wyrm dragon?

Well, I meant more that vermin don't normally have special attacks besides webs and poison and stuff. But now that I think about it, there's an acid spraying one, and WOTC is getting a lot looser (sp?) with their type capability norms.

[The Demented One]

Well, I meant more that vermin don't normally have special attacks besides webs and poison and stuff. But now that I think about it, there's an acid spraying one, and WOTC is getting a lot looser (sp?) with their type capability norms.

Eh, I figure animals and vermin can get special abilities as long as they're only extraordinary.

[Leperflesh]

The idea that something could evolve to run hot and emit steam, yet be in constant agony over it their whole lives, is of course ludicrous.

Fortunately, this is D&D, where nothing has to make sense evolutionarily. Plus, they're fun. Probably tasty, too... after all, they're pre-cooked! I bet they'd make an expensive and popular delicacy in certain parts.

MitP Vote: Yes

-Lep

[storybookknight]

They probably qualify as Magical Beasts rather than Vermin. Theoretically, pain is a mind-affecting effect, therefore by RAW as a Vermin it should be immune.

Just sayin... if that steaminess isn't magical, I'd be darn surprised.

[Eighth_Seraph]

Theoretically, pain is a mind-affecting effect, therefore by RAW as a Vermin it should be immune.

Ever try lighting a spider on fire? Or its web, for that matter? I think that pain and fear are only mind-affecting if used as a spell, power, or SLA that fools the brain into feeling pain even though no physical harm is being done, that would justify it being mind-affecting. However, even the most basic multi-celled organisms have nerve endings, as far as I know.

I do agree with StoryBookKnight in the magical beast thing, though. How exactly would this continuous steaming process take place naturally? It should qualify as an elemental or a magical beast unless the steamling's own body heat is causing the steam, in which case it would subsequently from heat stroke. Or something. Even if a chemical reaction did cause the making of steam, it would only be by releasing heat as a byproduct of the atomic equation (or whatever it's called, my chemistry is rusty), so it'd still be taking damage.

The idea that something could evolve to run hot and emit steam, yet be in constant agony over it their whole lives, is of course ludicrous.

Fortunately, this is D&D, where nothing has to make sense evolutionarily. Plus, they're fun. Probably tasty, too... after all, they're pre-cooked! I bet they'd make an expensive and popular delicacy in certain parts.

It's equally ludicrous that such a creature would be created by means of intelligent design, as no deity would ever go through the trouble of making a creature for the sole reason of it being in pain.

[The Demented One]

It's equally ludicrous that such a creature would be created by means of intelligent design, as no deity would ever go through the trouble of making a creature for the sole reason of it being in pain.

I take it you've never heard of Loviatar, then?

[Eighth_Seraph]

*sigh*

Obscure sadistic NE/CE god, I presume?

[LordOfNarf]

A wizard did it.

Just like the owlbear and the ducksnake

Mitp vote: Ya