The skull crab begins life as a tiny crustacean the size grain of rice and resemble large, bulky crabs when fully grown. They inhabit beaches, lakeshores, and other areas where land meets water. Skull crabs are voracious eaters and grow to full size in less than three weeks. Once at full size they look for sleeping prey and using their concealed stinger (it’s just underneath the back of their undershell) they anesthetize their prey from the neck down and either burrow a hole in their prey’s skulls to feast on the brain tissue (most times) or lay eggs (if during matting season which happens twice a year during the summer months). A single skull crab can eat an entire brain in an hour. If without a shell (i.e., a skull) it goes about its gruesome task of severing the head from the body and disappearing into the depths of the nearby water where it hides to digest its meal. Overall, skull crabs are not dangerous on their own, but large groups of them can easily disable even a fully-grown adult.
Any Campaign Setting…
ST: 4 HP: 4 Speed: 6.00
DX: 12 Will: 10 Move: 6
IQ: 4 Per: 12 Weight: 5 to 10 lbs.
HT: 12 FP: 12 SM: -6
Dodge: 10 Parry: N/A DR: 2 (or 4 if it has a shell)
Claw (12): 1d-1 cutting. Reach C.
Grapple (12): Reach C. No damage. Grapples as a SM -3 creature.
Stinger (12): 1d-1 impaling + follow-up. If DR is penetrated, the target must roll HT-4 or be paralyzed. This becomes HT-8 if the target’s skull was targeted.
Traits: 360° Vision (Easy to Hit); Amphibious; Combat Reflexes; Extra Legs (Six Legs; Cannot Kick); Horizontal; Injury Tolerance (No Neck); No Fine Manipulators; Resistant to Metabolic Hazards (+3); Unfazeable; Ultravision; Wild Animal.
Skills: Brawling-12; Stealth-12; Swimming-12; Wrestling-12.
Notes: If the GM is using Intrinsic Fright Check from GURPS Horror (p. 139), Skull Crabs have a modifier of +3 (without a skull), -2 (if it has one), -4 to -6 (if it has a fresh one). Targets who have eggs laid in them will lose 1d-2 HP per day until they are removed or they die. Those who die hatch a number of eggs equal to HP ¥ 2 (round up).
For Dungeon Fantasy…
ST: 4 HP: 4 Speed: 6.00
DX: 12 Will: 10 Move: 6
IQ: 4 Per: 12 Weight: 5 to 10 lbs.
HT: 12 FP: 12 SM: -6
Dodge: 10 Parry: N/A DR: 2 (or 4 if it has a shell)
Claw (12): 1d-1 cutting. Reach C.
Grapple (12): Reach C. No damage. Grapples as a SM -3 creature.
Stinger (12): 1d-1 impaling + follow-up. If DR is penetrated, the target must roll HT-4 or be paralyzed. This becomes HT-8 if the target’s skull was targeted.
Traits: 360° Vision (Easy to Hit); Amphibious; Combat Reflexes; Extra Legs (Six Legs; Cannot Kick); Horizontal; Injury Tolerance (No Neck); No Fine Manipulators; Resistant to Metabolic Hazards (+3); Unfazeable; Ultravision; Wild Animal.
Skills: Brawling-12; Stealth-12; Swimming-12; Wrestling-12.
Class: Dire Animal.
Notes: Prized by necromancers and death priests for their skulls. If used to make a Power Item it doubles the available points for FP for the purposes of death or necromantic magic. If bought figure the cost of the item normally and add 60% to determine the total final value. Targets who have eggs laid in them will lose 1d-2 HP per day until they are removed or they die. Those who die hatch a number of eggs equal to HP ¥ 2 (round up).
Monster Hunters…
ST: 6 HP: 8 Speed: 6.00
DX: 12 Will: 10 Move: 6
IQ: 4 Per: 12 Weight: 5 to 10 lbs.
HT: 12 FP: 12 SM: -6
Dodge: 10 Parry: N/A DR: 4 (or 6 if it has a shell)
Fright Check: +2 (-2 if wearing a skull or -6 if it’s a fresh head)
Claw (14): 1d cutting. Reach C.
Grapple (14): Reach C. No damage. Grapples as a SM -3 creature.
Stinger (14): 1d impaling + follow-up. If DR is penetrated, the target must roll HT-5 or be paralyzed. This becomes HT-10 if the target’s skull was targeted.
Traits: 360° Vision (Easy to Hit); Amphibious; Combat Reflexes; Extra Legs (Six Legs; Cannot Kick); Horizontal; Injury Tolerance (No Neck); No Fine Manipulators; Resistant to Metabolic Hazards (+3); Unfazeable; Ultravision; Wild Animal.
Skills: Brawling-14; Stealth-14; Swimming-14; Wrestling-14.
Notes: Use the skills listed under Cryptids in the Know Thy Enemy box in GURPS Monster Hunters 1: Champions (p. 16). Skulls that have been used by skull crabs have 7d energy for Path of Undead magic and are considered one source when tapped for spells if there are multiple skulls in a single pile. 11-15 skull crabs are appropriate fodder per champion. They may also be the cause a zombie plague! If so, the larvae are the ones that cause the dead to walk and when big enough burst from the skull splattering those around them. Make a DX-4 roll or risk becoming infected yourself.
Like this:
Like Loading...
The skull crab begins life as a tiny crustacean the size grain of rice and resemble large, bulky crabs when fully grown. They inhabit beaches, lakeshores, and other areas where land meets water. Skull crabs are voracious eaters and grow to full size in less than three weeks. Once at full size they look for sleeping prey and using their concealed stinger (it’s just underneath the back of their undershell) they anesthetize their prey from the neck down and either burrow a hole in their prey’s skulls to feast on the brain tissue (most times) or lay eggs (if during matting season which happens twice a year during the summer months). A single skull crab can eat an entire brain in an hour. If without a shell (i.e., a skull) it goes about its gruesome task of severing the head from the body and disappearing into the depths of the nearby water where it hides to digest its meal. Overall, skull crabs are not dangerous on their own, but large groups of them can easily disable even a fully-grown adult.