Elite Giant Rat Working Draft
Ratbear
Medium Magical Beast
Hit Dice: 3d10+6 (22 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares), swim 20 ft.
Armor Class: 14 (+1 Dex, +3 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 13
Base Attack/Grapple: +3/+7
Attack: Bite+7 melee (1d6+4 plus disease)
Full Attack: Bite +7 melee (1d6+4 plus disease) and 2 claws +2 melee (1d4+2)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Disease, improved grab
Special Qualities: Dire, low-light vision, ratbeast, scent
Saves: Fort +5, Ref +4, Will +4
Abilities: Str 18, Dex 13, Con 15, Int 3, Wis 12, Cha 4
Skills: Climb +8, Hide +3, Listen +4, Move Silently +3, Spot +4, Swim +12
Feats: Alertness, Endurance
Environment: Any land
Organization: Solitary or pair or pack (3-18)
Challenge Rating: 2
Treasure: 1/10 coins; 50% goods; 50% items
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 4-6 HD (Medium)
Level Adjustment: —
A burly rat-creature at least as big as a human. It has long claws and fangs like a bear instead of a rat's hand-like forepaws and gnawing incisors.
Ratbears are a magical hybrid of dire rat and brown bear. They are adaptable creatures who can live in almost any terrain, but favor swamps, forests and sewers. Ratbears instinctively collect shiny objects, so their lairs often have some treasure.
A typical ratbear is about 6 feet long, not including a yard or more of naked tail, and weighs about 300 pounds. They can rear up on their hind legs like a bear, standing up to 6 feet tall.
Combat
Ratbears rip prey with their claws and disease-carrying teeth. They usually stand on their hind legs to fight, to free their fore-claws for combat. Ratbears have no fear of normal fire.
Dire: A ratbear is considered to be a dire animal and has all good saves.
Disease (Ex): Filth fever—bite, Fortitude DC 13, incubation period 1d3 days, damage 1d3 Dex and 1d3 Con. The save DC is Constitution-based.
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a ratbear must hit with a claw attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity.
Ratbeast (Ex): A ratbear is considered a dire rat for all abilities that have a special effect against rats, such as a wererat's rat empathy.
Skills
Ratbears have a +4 racial bonus on Climb checks. A ratbear 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.
Ratbears can use their Dexterity modifier instead of their Strength modifier for Climb and Swim checks if this is advantageous.