Giant Centipede

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Giant Centipede (CR 1)

Neutral - Medium - Vermin
Lore: Know (Nature)
2 17
Basic DC Full DC
Initiative
Initiative Icon 2.png
5
Perception:
13 +3
Passive Active
Ambush:
10+
on a d20

Senses:

Movement Types:

Defense

AC
Shield Icon 3.png
14
Man Def
Shield Icon 3.png
15
Monster Health
31 15 2
Hit Points Bloodied Hit Dice
Saving Throws
Fort: +5
Refl: +0
Will: +0

Strong Against:

  • (Mindless) Immune (no effect): all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, fear, morale effects, patterns, and phantasms)
Weak Against:

Offense

Size: Medium
5 ft. 5 ft.
Space Reach
To-Hit
+3
Sword Icon 3.png
Man Off
+3
Sword Icon 3.png
Action
0
Points

Standard Attack (Melee):

  • 1x Chitinous Bite +3 (1d4/19-20 x2)
    as bludgeoning (physical, common)
    plus Poison

Full Attack (Melee):

  • 3x Chitinous Bite +3 (1d4/19-20 x2)
    as bludgeoning (physical, common)
    plus Poison

Standard Attack (Ranged):

  • 1x Venomous Spit +3 (1d4/19-20 x2)
    as poison (physical, uncommon)
    (Increment: 20 ft.; Max Range: 100 ft.)

Full Attack (Ranged):

Siege Damage: Not siege capable

Statistics

9
STR
15
DEX
12
CON
INT
10
WIS
2
CHA

Skills:

Languages:

Feats:

Special Abilities

Poison (Ex) Automatic

Each time the giant centipede successfully bites a creature, there is also a chance that the target is affected by a weak poison:

Caustic Poison    (Injury vector; Tainted intensity)
Save: Fort DC 14;     Frequency: 1/round for 3 rounds
Effect: 1d2 DEX Dilution and 1d4 points of poison (physical, uncommon) per interval
Fruition: -
Fruition Duration: -
Giant Centipede

Giant Centipede

This vile bug features a long segmented body with a pair of legs on each body segment and a pincer-like jaw that can inject venom into its prey. Giant centipedes are quick, dangerous vermin that can lurk anywhere damp and dark.

Their coloration is wildly variable, with dull brown, dull tan, black, and dark green being most common, while they can be found in pale blue variants in watery settings, white variations in snowy settings, bright red variations in lava or blood settings, and a nigh-infinite array of markings, in nearly any color. Very high level Giant Centipedes may even seem translucent, or full of stars, or filled with glowing energies from beyond the veil of time and the vault of heavens. Powerful Centipedes and get...wild.

Giant Centipedes are the 'quintessential' paradigm of 'vermin', and as such, they can grow to power levels unimaginable, if given the environment to stimulate their growth and the time and space needed to reach their potential. No matter how high or low, adventurer's are always advised to be wary of vermin, and especially, of centipedes.

Combat Tactics

They rely on their high speed and maneuverability to keep their prey off-balance, and prefer charge attacks. Their climb speed allows them to easily navigate around rough terrain and attack from unexpected angles. While they are very, very dumb, their hunting instincts are sharp enough to use their speed to their best advantage.

When they encounter multiple foes, they will try to spread their bite attacks around to keep every target poisoned, in hopes at least one will die and become a tasty meal. More powerful Giant Centipedes will happily spit for a round or two with their powerful ranged attacks, before their instincts force them to rush in for a meal.

Giant Centipedes do have a dim self preservation instinct. The last one alive, if given the chance, will almost always flee, spitting behind it as it goes. Their high speed and ability to skitter over walls at will often means they even get away with it.

Out of Combat

Giant centipedes nest in areas with good cover (leaves, rubble, garbage), and can be found almost anywhere. Caves, woodlands, brushy hills, deep forests, meadows, swamps, deserts, glaciers, you name it, they thrive. They take to ruins and dungeons like they are custom-designed habitat, and they can be found under docks, in warehouses, skittering greasily through sewers and middens, lurking in basements, nearly any abandoned or desolate place. They have been known to infest even occupied buildings in cities, and finding one of these coiled up in a water barrel is much worse than finding a scorpion in your boot!

Like many monsters, Giant Centipedes often find themselves being used by other monsters as cheap fodder, and goblins, orcs, kobolds, gnolls, hobgoblins, even giants and crool, will often have a nest of these things they feed with their scraps and encourage to nest in places where invaders are likely to stumble across them, to 'soften up' any invaders.

Special note must be made of formians: These tiny monstrosities seem to consider Giant Centipedes nearly ideal mounts, and it is not at all unusual to find large numbers of them in such service. A Giant Centipede is scary, but not much danger to a veteran adventurer. A Giant Centipede being ridden by a Formian Commando? That's an entirely different matter, and a massive danger.

Rewards

XP: 400

Treasure: Sellable Goods worth 219 gp.

Weight: 10 lbs.     Volume: 0.4 cu. ft.

Optional Treasure Rules: Roll a d20 on Table 1 below once per encounter (NOT per creature). Any items discovered are in addition to the normal treasure for the encounter.

Table 1: Remnant(s) Found
1 - 10 Nothing Found
11 - 14 1 Languid Remnant (tier 1)
15 - 17 1 Pale Remnant (tier 2)
18 - 19 1 Bright Remnant (tier 3)
20 Roll on Table 2
### Nothing to see here!
### Or here. Move along.
Table 2: Remnant(s) Found
1 - 5 3 Languid Remnants (tier 1)
6 - 10 3 Pale Remnants (tier 2)
11 - 14 1 Intense Remnant (tier 4)
15 - 17 1 Blazing Remnant (tier 5)
18 - 19 1 Vital Remnant (tier 6)
20 Roll on Table 3
### Or here. Move along.
Table 3: Remnant(s) Found
1 - 5 3 Bright Remnants (tier 3)
6 - 8 3 Intense Remnants (tier 4)
9 - 11 3 Blazing Remnants (tier 5)
12 - 14 3 Vital Remnants (tier 6)
15 - 17 1 Prime Remnant (tier 7)
18 - 19 1 Mythic Remnant (tier 8)
20 1 Empyrean Remnant (tier 9)