Animal

Animals are creatures with four limbs of some kind and sometimes a tail. They employ natural weaponry and usually walk on four legs, fly, or swim. An animal s size has no effect on its type.

Avian

The creature has two forelimbs adapted for flying (sometimes for swimming) and two hind limbs for walking or roosting: birds, bats, rocs, and perytons are examples of avian type creatures.

Critical Hits: Use the animal charts; treat foreleg hits as wing hits.

Combat: Avians tend to swoop to the attack, then break away, just as humanoid flyers do. Avians attacking from a dive are considered to be charging and inflict double damage with their claws.

Quadruped

This is the most common animal type; examples range from house cats to elephants.

Critical Hits: Use the animal charts. If the animal has no tail, reroll any tail hit.

Combat: Large quadrupeds frequently charge and overrun their opponents. Smaller quadrupeds prefer to attack from surprise.

Serpent

The creature has a head and a long, legless body. Snakes, nagas, and eels are examples of serpent type creatures.

Critical Hits: Use the animal chart; most leg hits are treated as tail hits.

Combat: Many serpents can employ a constriction attack. Treat constriction attacks as wrestling attacks, except that there is no attack of opportunity and the attack must hit the opponent’s normal Armor Class. A creature trapped in the serpent s coils is considered grappled and locked (see
Chapter Five) and can use the normal wrestling procedure to get free.

Fish/Whale

The creature has a long, streamlined body with flippers or fins for direction control.

Critical Hits: Use the animal charts. Foreleg hits (location rolls of 1 or 2) can affect pectoral fins or flippers. Rolls of 3–5 affect the tail. Movement penalties from fin or flipper hits apply only if the animal changes direction or makes a melee attack during the round. The animal relies on its tail for movement and suffers movement penalties from tail criticals with severities of 9 or more.

Combat: These creatures often employ avian tactics, using their superior swimming speed to deliver quick attacks and then move out of reach.

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