“If you lack sharp eyes, these nuisances of an arthropod will scavenge through your entire camp in an hour, leaving nothing edible in their wake.”

Hovel Crab

The hovel crab is a large, terrestrial arthropod closely resembling a coconut crab, often found in forgotten parts of the world, abandoned settlements, and underground dwellings. As opportunistic scavengers, these crabs will will often ransack even briefly abandoned camps to find leftover food. However, when particularly hungry, they are adapted to even hunt live prey: typically small-to-medium rodents and mammals, but for larger, more insatiable hovel crabs, even unlucky mortals. Often, they seem to simply appear out of nowhere. Some tell tale of these creatures having a habit of hiding in boxes and crates, while others even say they were the box itself.

Large and bulky, these crabs are quite hefty with appetite to match. Their carapace is sturdy and often coloured to their environment, from deep, vibrant hues to dusty stone. Like hermit crabs, they have a set of modified back limbs which are used to carry a home that helps them blend in. This "home" is what makes them unique: while resting, hiding, or lying in wait for prey, they will retreat into this object, providing a hard to detect disguise. Large enough hovel crabs will make chests, crates, and other storage containers their home, while smaller ones may choose pots and bags. Two large, powerful pincers make up their primary weapons, which they'll use to grab at and tear apart prey, even snapping through steel itself. 

Hovel crabs are solitary creatures, often only converging for shell swapping or reproduction. Being primary scavengers they will prefer to pick through refuse or decaying matter, but should a bout of hunger go too long, they will resort to hunting for live food. Utilizing random objects as shells makes them rather adapt at blending into the environment, and they may wait for weeks in the same spot, hidden, waiting for something suitable to pass by. They can be surprisingly swift when something edible is found, or the need to relocate occurs.

Written by Ropefish and electric

DM Guide

The information below is almost exclusively intended for DMs: an explanation of the creature's behavior, weaknesses, its unique abilities, and a full statblock to aid in rolling checks and contests where applicable. Characters may reasonably have the knowledge of the information in the above post. The information below is more OOC-facing and can be learned in detail via IC research (a research ticket or event) or known in vague, broad strokes where applicable: common sense applies! A Falstoner may have a vague idea of a Faded Steppe creature's abilities, but not specifics. For example: "the creature spews blood, but I don't know how, when, and what that looks like."

Not every spell, feat, or ability interaction is defined for beasts. DMs are expected to use their discretion when adjudicating interactions that are not explicitly covered. Additionally, the mechanics of bestiary creatures are set in stone and not open for adjustment unless specific issues are noted through DMed encounters.

Spoilers ahead... proceed with caution! Here be dragons!

Weaknesses

Their eyes and undersides are particularly sensitive locations to aim for, though well guarded. Once one is dragged out of its 'shell' they become easier to damage if not more brazen; additionally, this shell itself is of course attached to the crab. This means particularly hefty attacks on the shell will disorient the grab itself.

Statblock

Boons

[Mimic Home] If disguised within its "home" (crate, chest, container, bag, etc.), before combat begins, players may make an INT: Perception check with a -3 modifier to detect the hovel crab. To successfully catch a glimpse, they must meet or beat a DEX: Stealth check made by the hovel crab. This check may only be made once per player. Should the party fail to detect the hovel crab, it is considered Hidden, its attacks in the first turn Sneak Attacks. 

[First Strike] The hovel crab rolls initiative with a +5 and takes 3 actions in its first turn.

[Stronghold] When carrying its "home," the crab acts as if it has Heavy Armour, including taking a -1 to all forms of movement.

[Claw Disarm] Intelligent enough to recognize threats, the hovel crab will often try to specifically grab onto and pull away an attacker's weapon or shield. Unlike a typical Disarm scenario, this attack takes 1 action. It otherwise functions like a typical Disarm action: dealing 0 damage, requiring an /roll attack 2 0 roll to initiate, and requiring a roll contest (DM rolls STR: Athletics) to complete. Upon successfully disarming the item, it is immediately discarded up to Skirmishing distance away. Unless the player consents, this cannot be used to permanently steal or discard weapons (e.g. cannot be thrown off a cliff or somewhere unrecoverable). Like a typical Disarm, the target must expend one action to then recover the item when near it.

Banes

[Shattered Shell] Upon reaching half-health, or when struck by a critical hit, the hovel crab's shell will crack and shatter, leading the creature to shed it entirely. Without its shell, the crab acts as if Unarmoured.

[Reverberation] Particularly hefty strikes reverberate through the hovel crab’s shell home, disorienting it. For each AP attack the crab takes in a round, it loses 1m (1 block) of movement on its next turn.

Mechanics Guidance

• Heavy Armour with Home, Unarmoured without
• 20-40 HP
  • Encountered in groups of 2-3
• 2 actions per turn
• Movement
  • 6m (6 blocks) per turn
• Attacks rolls and damage - general guidance: 
  • Snap Attack, Claw Attack
    • /roll attack 2 4 GP
    • 4 GP damage
    • 1 action
    • Melee distance
  • [Claw Disarm] See Boons.
    • /roll attack 2 0
    • 0 damage
    • 1 action
    • Melee distance
• For the purposes of contesting spells or making otherwise necessary checks, the following stats are provided: