General Rules: Monsters - Ratman, Foamer

Ratman, Foamer (adapted from the Creature Collection)
Medium Monstrous Humanoid (Slytheen)

Hit Dice: 2d8+6 (15 hit points)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 30 feet, climb 15 feet, swim 40 feet
Armor Class: 15 (+2 Dexterity, +1 natural, +2 leather armor); touch AC 12, flat-footed AC 13
BAB/Grapple: +2/+4

Attack: Bite +4 melee (1d3+2, bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing, 20 x2) or greataxe +4 melee (1d12+3, slashing, 20 x3) or throwing spear +4 ranged (1d8+2, piercing, 20 x3, 30 feet x5)

Full Attack: Bite +2 melee (1d3, bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing, 20 x2) and 2 claws -1 melee (1d4+1, slashing, 20 x2) or greataxe +4 melee (1d12+3, slashing, 20 x3) or throwing spear +4 ranged (1d8+2, piercing, 20 x3, 30 feet x5)

Space/Reach: 5 feet by 5 feet/5 feet
Special Attacks: None
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 feet, speak with rats
Saves: Fortitude +6, Reflex +5, Will -1
Abilities: Str 14, Int 9, Wis 8, Dex 15, Con 16, Cha 8

Skills: Escape Artist +3, Jump +3, Swim +5

Feats: Power Attack
Environment: Any except arctic

Organization: Warband (15 - 120 ratmen, plus one leader of 4^th - 7^th level per 30 warriors), nest (120 - 1,200 ratmen with leaders as above, plus one 8^th - 10^th level cleric per 100 warriors and 10-24 dire rats)

Challenge Rating: 1
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Usually neutral evil
Advancement: By character class

Foamers are the largest of the Slytheen - seven feet tall at the shoulders, with black oily fur and short, slightly flattened prehensile tails. They are the most barbaric of the ratmen, if that's possible,, and are the bane of the seas. These ratmen live only for war and slaughter. Semi-aquatic by nature, they churn out of the water, surrounded by packs of dire rats to rend and tear life from the unprepared. Instead of living in tunnels, the foamers reside on bloodstained and half-sunken boats and ships they have captured, sometimes lashing them together as floating bases. Not possessing sailing skills, they rely on captured slaves to propel these makeshift craft, either by sail or oar. In addition to propelling their ships, foamers' slaves are used to perform any task that is not combat-related as the ratmen consider such chores to e beneath true warriors.

Ratmen speak Slytheen, a language of chittering and sibilant hisses similar to that of rodents, and they can also communicate with rats and dire rats.

Combat
Foamers revel in combat, disdaining the use of shields and blunt weapons, preferring the freedom of light armor and the satisfaction of hacking ans slashing weapons. If missiles are used, they favor throwing spears, although siege weaponry is popular for the mayhem it causes. In many cases, a foamer will carry a tail knife, tail axe, or rarely, a tail mace or other smell weapon on its tail to serve as a deadly distraction for its foes.

Speak with Rats (Su): Foamer ratmen have the ability to speak with rats and dire rats as if they were using the spell speak with animals.

Home     Three Worlds     Monsters