Clockwork Brain Crabs

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Goofy and menacing at the same time, clockwork brain crabs are vile little constructs from another dimension, which drill into a person’s head, turning him into a slave for some far-off and hidden master. These minions, about the size of a man’s thumb, resemble hermit crabs made of polished brass.

Clockwork Brain Crab Level 2 Minion

Tiny natural animate (construct) XP 30

Initiative +4

Senses Perception +1; low-light vision; Tremor sense 12

HP 1; a missed attack never damages a minion.

AC 15; Fortitude 13, Reflex 15, Will 12

Speed 8, burrow 2 (tunneling), climb 8

Initiative +4

Standard Actions

[m] Claw Grab (weapon) • At Will

Requirement: The brain crab must not have a creature grabbed.

Attack: Melee 0 (one creature); +4 vs. Fortitude. This attack automatically hits a dazed or stunned target.

Hit: 4 damage, and the target is grabbed (escape ends) by the crab.

[m] Bore Into Brain (weapon) • At Will

Requirement: Grabbed or helpless targets only.

Attack: Melee 0 (one creature grabbed by the brain crab); +4 vs. Fortitude

Hit: 8 damage, and the target is stunned (save ends). If this power reduces the target to 0 hit points or fewer, the brain crab uses the following:

Create Clockwork Thrall (Charm): The target is dominated (no save) and has its hit points restored to its bloodied value. The target immediately gains the Clockwork Thrall template. If the controlling mastermind dies or the clockwork brain crab is removed, the target immediately is reduced to 0 hit points, is no longer dominated, and loses the Clockwork Thrall template.

Alignment Unaligned

Languages —

Skills Stealth +8

Str 13 (+1) Dex 16 (+3) Wis 10 (+0)

Con 13 (+1) Int 4 (-3) Cha 6 (-2)

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Clockwork Brain Crab Tactics

Clockwork Brain Crabs prefer to attack targets which are subdued or asleep. Failing that, they attack in swarms, attempting to overcome a target by force of numbers.

Clockwork Brain Crab Lore

A character knows the following information with a successful Arcana or Dungeoneering check.

• DC 18: A clockwork thrall to a clockwork brain crab appears to have a flashing gemstone in their forehead, which is the folded up brain crab. Removing the brain crab is possible, but may harm the victim (+8 vs. Fortitude; 6 damage).
• DC 22: The nasty little buggers bore into people’s skulls, but do not kill them. Instead they enslave their bodies and turn the victims into clockwork thralls.
• DC 26: Clockwork brain crabs, which are from another dimension, are not sentient. They allow a controlling mastermind to control the thralls across great distances. Destroying the controlling mastermind will kill the clockwork brain crabs and free the clockwork thralls as well.

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Clockwork Thrall (Skirmisher)

Beast or humanoid (construct)

Initiative Always acts last

Voice of Despair Clockwork thralls speak in monotone and perfect unison. Aura 1; Any enemy adjacent to the clockwork thrall suffers a -1 penalty to their Will defense.

Defenses +4 Will

Immune to psionics, charm

Edited by Charles Dickey