#reptiliomorpha

[a-dinosaur-a-day]

one second if we are not reptiles than are we at least Reptiliomorpha?

We are!

[thecreaturecodex]

Gouger

Image © Kenzer and Co., by William Hammock.

[Because of its combination of amphibian and reptilian characteristics, I like to think that gougers are highly derived seymouriamorphs ]

Gouger CR 2 N Animal This creature appears something like a hybrid of frog and snake. It has only two limbs, but they are muscular and clawed. It props itself up with a strong flexible tail. 

Gougers are odd arboreal predators that combine features of amphibians and reptiles. A gouger’s head is frog-like, but bears a row of sharp, needle-like teeth. Its torso is muscular, with two overlarge forelimbs ending in a pair of claws. Its hind legs have atrophied completely in females, but males bear flanges derived from their hips that are used in courtship and mating. Their tails are strong and prehensile, and a gouger moves by brachiating using its arms and tail as a third limb.

Gougers feed on creatures as small as mice and birds and as large as humans. They prefer to attack from ambush and from above, and instinctively target the eyes of their prey. They are relatively straightforward combatants otherwise, and are brave to the point of foolhardiness when fighting prey smaller than themselves. They are more likely to flee from Medium sized opponents, and rarely attack humanoids mounted on horseback.

Gougers are solitary for most of their lives, but come together to mate. The males compete for females by making sharp barking calls and clicking their talons together in a percussive rhythm. Females lay a handful of eggs inside a pouch, where they raise their young until they are large enough to fend for themselves. Male gougers are not involved in the raising of offspring. Juvenile gougers feed on their mother’s skin inside the pouch, which grows in thick sheets for them to scrape away during the first few weeks of their lives. The baby gougers are slowly “weaned” by the mother’s introducing them to scraps of meat, and eventually teaching them how to hunt and kill their own prey.

Variant Gougers Cave gougers are a subterranean variety of gouger that uses its vocal talents as a form of echolocation. Cave gougers are gougers with blindsense 30 ft. and light sensitivity. Fanged gougers are a larger and more robust species of gouger that secrete a numbing venom from their jaws. A fanged gouger has the advanced simple template and the poison special attack (bite, Con-based DC, 1/round for 4 rounds, 1d3 Str damage, cure 1 save). A fanged gouger is CR 3.

Gougers as Animal Companions Starting Statistics: Size Medium; Speed 20 ft., climb 30 ft. ; AC +1 natural armor; Attack bite (1d4), 2 claws (1d4); Ability Scores Str 12, Dex 15, Con 14, Int 2, Wis 14, Cha 6; Special Qualities low-light vision, scent

4th-Level Advancement: AC +2 natural armor Ability Scores Str +2, Con +2; Special Qualities blinding rend, Blinding Critical as a bonus feat

Gouger                  CR 2 XP 600 N Medium animal Init +6; Senses low-light vision, Perception +10, scent Defense AC 15, touch 12, flat-footed 13 (+2 Dex, +3 natural) hp 19 (3d8+6) Fort +6, Ref +6, Will +3 Offense Speed 20 ft., climb 30 ft. Melee 2 claws +3 (1d4+1), bite +3 (1d4+1) Special Attacks blinding rend (2 claws, 1d4+1 bleed) Statistics Str 12, Dex 15, Con 15, Int 2, Wis 14, Cha 6 Base Atk +2; CMB +3; CMD 15 (cannot be tripped) Feats Blinding Critical (B), Improved Initiative, Skill Focus (Perception) Skills Climb +13, Perception +10, Stealth +12; Racial Bonus +4 Stealth Ecology Environment warm and temperate forests Organization solitary or pair Treasure incidental Special Abilities Blinding Rend (Ex) If a gouger hits the same opponent with both of its claw attacks in a single round, it deals an extra 1d4+1 points of bleed damage. The opponent affected must succeed a DC 12 Reflex save or be blinded for 1 round. The save DC is Str based.