The Skittersnap is a monster designed by Neal Pass Erickson.
Its central body is brain-like and semi-telepathic. It can understand the speech of any creature near it, even if the language is unknown. Each snake-like head is a semi-independent creature with an Int of 3 and a Wil of 5. The core brain can dictate actions to the snake heads if it has something specific in mind for them, but usually it just leaves them to devour, which is their primary motivation.
To reproduce, a Skittersnap will disable a creature by pinning it to the ground with its sharp legs and sitting on its core. Then, from the bottom of the Skittersnap, a stinger emerges and plunges into the abdomen of the creature, injecting five larva. The creature is now a host/incubator for the larva which grow quickly by eating the creature from the inside out. In order to keep the incubator alive, one of the snake like heads will attach to the incubator’s face, and a smaller head/neck snake thing will force its way down the incubator’s throat and vomit nutrients and water into the host. After seven days of incubation, the larva emerge through the belly and feast on the host.
Habitat/Society
The Skittersnap is currently believed to be an artificially created species. It is unknown how multiple of the creatures would interact.
Ecology
Skittersnap prefer to attack their prey from ambush. They will lie in wait and strike when the moment is right and do not show impatience. They show a level of cunning where they will misdirect prey into being ambushed.
Combat
5e Combat Stats:
- HD: 4d8+4 (body) | 2d8 (necks/heads)
- AC: 16 (neck), 13 (body / legs)
- Atk: +7, 1d6+1 x 5 (bites) | +9, 1d20+2 (leap and skewer with legs)
- Movement: 45 (short bursts of chasing, but would be outrun by a horse in the open)
Can leap up to 45’ and land on their enemies with their legs, dealing massive amounts of damage (legs are pointy and sharp).
Each head can retract and coil up, giving the Skittersnap a potentially very low profile. The legs can burrow into soft earth to make a nest or to set up an ambush - with just one of the snake like heads above ground to spot their prey.
Spider climb walking abilities on walls and ceilings (but not webs)
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