Creature: Caver

Caver

SIZE/TYPE: Medium monstrous humanoid
HIT DICE: 3D10+6 (22 hp)
INITIATIVE: +8
SPEED: 40 ft., climb 30 ft.
AC: 15, touch 14, flat-footed 11 (+4 Dex, +1 natural)
ATTACKS: Melee club +5 (1d6+2), bite +0 (1d4+1)
DAMAGE: Club 1d6+2, bite 1d4+1
FACE/REACH: 5ft by 5ft/5ft
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Leap (Ex), sneak attack (+1d6), swarming (Ex)
SPECIAL QUALITIES: Darkvision 120 ft. (Ex), scent (Ex); immune to disease, poison; expert climber; light blindness
SAVES: Fort +3, Ref +9, Will +5
ABILITIES: Str 14, Dex 19, Con 15, Int 5, Wis 14, Cha 6
SKILLS: Acrobatics +13, Climb +22, Stealth +8 (+12 in caverns); Racial Modifiers +4 Stealth in caverns, +8 Acrobatics, +16 Climb
FEATS: Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes
LANGUAGES: Terran
CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Any Underground
CHALLENGE RATING: 2
TREASURE: Standard
ALIGNMENT: Often Chaotic Evil
ADVANCEMENT: –

SPECIAL ABILITIES
Expert Climber (Ex)
A caver can cling to cave walls and even ceilings as long as the surface has hand- and footholds. In effect, a caver is treated as constantly being under a nonmagical version of the spell spider climb, save that it cannot cling to smooth surfaces. This ability doubles the normal +8 racial bonus to Climb checks normally afforded creatures with a climb speed to a +16 racial bonus.

Leap Attack (Ex)
As a standard action, a caver may make a single attack during a jump. It can make this attack at any point along the course of the leap—the start, the end, or while in mid-air. While jumping, a caver does not provoke attacks of opportunity for leaving a threatened square.

Swarming (Ex)
Cavers dwell and fight in cramped quarters every day of their lives, and as such are quite adept at swarming foes. Up to two cavers can share the same square at the same time. If two cavers in the same square attack the same foe, they are considered to be flanking that foe as if they were in two opposite squares.

Degenerate humans long lost from the world of light, cavers have regressed through years of subterranean dwelling into ravenous, barely thinking beasts of the endless night. They no longer remember the civilized lives their ancestors led, although many caver tribes still dwell in the shattered ruins of their ancient homes. Ironically, in many cases cavers worship the statues left behind by these ancestors as their gods. A typical caver stands just over 5 feet tall and weighs roughly 150 pounds. When discovered, cavers can be solitary, a pair, aband (3–6), or a tribe (7–18)

Cavers move about on two legs at times, but often drop down to a creepy four-limbed shuffle when speed or stealth is necessary. Their wiry, often emaciated frames mask the strength of their limbs and their swift reactions.

Cavers typically give birth to broods of three to four babies at a time, ravenous creatures born with a full set of teeth and a cannibalistic predisposition. The first few weeks of a brood’s life must be carefully mothered to prevent attrition—it usually takes that long for the caver young to overcome their natural inclination to feed on whatever is closest. Cavers mature quickly, achieving adulthood after only 5 years of life. A typical caver can live to a ripe old age of 60, although the majority of their kind die far sooner than that due to violence.

(Yes, shamelessly stolen from Morlocks)