Clawback Crawlers

Rolling plains and prairies may look like pleasant green seas, but the head-high grass hides deadly creatures such as Clawback Crawlers. These stealthy, serpentine creatures attack from hiding and can bring down large antelope and buffalo.

Pleasant prairie sunset, or deadly grassland?

Clawback Crawlers look and act like snakes, but they're actually giant lizards with limbs adapted to hunting instead of movement. They have flattened, armored bodies and their six legs have additional joints that allow them to strike prey that passes over them as they lie hidden in the grass. Each limb is equipped with long, curved claws that inflict grievous wounds, and, once prey is secured, the creature can bring its powerful jaws to bear. Crawlers live in groups in shallow burrows. Typical specimens are 25 feet long, The largest recorded specimen measured 42 feet from nose to tail. Here's a stat block in Labyrinth Lord format. Some stats include values for small/medium/large specimens.

Clawback Crawler

• Number Appearing: 2d8
• Alignment: Neutral
• Movement: 120' (40')
• Armor Class: 5/4/4
• Hit Dice: 2/5/7
• Damage: 6x1d4, 1d6/6x1d6, 1d8/6x1d8, 1d12 (claws, bite)
• Save: 2nd/5th/7th fighter
• Morale: 8
• Hoard Class: VI
• XP: 40/500/1050

Because of their flexible form and multi-jointed limbs, Clawback Crawlers can use all six of their claw attacks on a single target, or split them between two foes that are within range. If a Crawler scores two claw hits on a single foe in a round, it has latched onto its victim. Successful claw hits automatically hit in subsequent rounds, and the creature gains a +2 attack bonus with bite attacks. Clawback Crawlers are stealthy and surprise foes on 1-4 on a d6.

Crawlers drag their victims back to their burrows, where they can be consumed at leisure. Any valuables carried by past victims will be found here.

Image by Flickr user: The Knowles Gallery