Lunger
Artist unknown. © Kenzer and Co.
[Another Hackmaster creature that doubles as a neat exercise in speculative evolution. A terrestrial lungfish convergent on constrictor snakes? Yes please!]
Lunger CR 5 N Animal This creature looks something like a fish and something like a snake. Its eyes are large and bulbous, its broad head bears fanged jaws, and mucus oozes from its scaled body.
Lungers are terrestrial descendants of lungfish that become powerful ambush predators. A lunger spends its days lurking by watering holes or trees in order to grab prey in search of shelter or refreshment. Their crushing coils are aided by their thick, sticky mucus, which slows and entangles even those victims that escape a lunger’s grasp.
Lungers breathe air and do not need to live in water, but their eggs have no shells and require water to develop safely. Juvenile lungers live underwater until they reach about half of their adult size—five feet or so. Lungers are not social except when mating, and adult lungers will raid nesting pools for food when times are lean.
Variant Lungers Sawback lungers are more adept underwater than their common lunger cousins. A sawback lunger is a lunger with a land speed of 15 feet, a swim speed of 30 feet, and the hold breath special quality. A sawback lunger is CR 5. Rafter lungers are smaller kin to lungers that have adapted to living in rocks, trees and the attics and roofs of buildings. A rafter lunger has the young simple template and a climb speed of 20 feet. A rafter lunger is CR 4.
Lungers as Animal Companions Starting Statistics: Size Medium; Speed 30 ft. ; AC +3 natural armor; Attack bite (1d8 plus grab); Ability Scores Str 15, Dex 15, Con 16, Int 1, Wis 12, Cha 4; Special Qualities low-light vision, scent; Skill Modifiers +4 Climb, +4 Swim
7th-Level Advancement: Size Large; AC +3 natural armor; Attack bite (2d6 plus grab); Ability Scores Str +8, Dex -2, Con +4; Special Attacks constrict (2d6), entangling slime
