Xiphopanzer (3.5e Monster)

Author: Eiji-kun (talk) Date Created: 5-9-21 Status: Complete Editing: Clarity edits only please

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	Xiphopanzer
Size/Type:	Medium Aberration (Aquatic, Bot)
Hit Dice:	7d8+28 (60 hp)
Initiative:	+1
Speed:	20 ft, burrow 5 ft, swim 30 ft
Armor Class:	22 (+1 dex, +11 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 22
Base Attack/Grapple:	+5/+10
Attack:	Blade Tail +10 melee (1d6+10 slashing plus 1d6 acid, 18-20/x2) or Melt Spines +8 ranged (1d6 piercing plus 7d6 acid, 20/x2)
Full Attack:	Blade Tail +10 melee (1d6+10 slashing plus 1d6 acid, 18-20/x2) or Melt Spines +8 ranged (1d6 piercing plus 7d6 acid, 20/x2)
Space/Reach:	5 ft/5 ft
Special Attacks:	Melt Spines
Special Qualities:	Bot Traits, Darkvision 60 ft, DR 5/-, Immunities, Kip Up, Programming, Radio Comm (1 mile), Resist Acid/Cold 5, Water Dependency
Saves:	Fort +6, Ref +3, Will +8
Abilities:	Str 21, Dex 13, Con 19, Int -, Wis 16, Cha 4
Skills:	Swim +13
Feats:	Improved Bull RushB, Whirlwind AttackB
Environment:	Aquatic
Organization:	Solitary, Pair, or Cast (3-12)
Challenge Rating:	7
Treasure:	None
Alignment:	Always True Neutral
Advancement:	8-14 HD (Medium), 15-21 HD (Large), 22-28 HD (Huge), 29-35 HD (Gargantuan), 36-42 HD (Colossal)
Level Adjustment:	—

Rising from the waters by shore, the size of a small pony or large dog, crawled an armored insectile bulkhead with a long bladed metallic tail and bristles along its back.

Closely resembling a giant horseshoe crab, the xiphopanzer is not a natural creature. Originally created by unknown alchemists, this organic machine seems to have been designed for offshore cleanup and repair as they are capable of ingesting and integrating inorganic or hazardous materials into their shells, body, and spines. Beyond combing the shoreline as scavengers and filter feeders, they possess a powerful tank-like shell armor, metallic sharp spine for a tail, and spidery underside. Like the horseshoe crabs they resemble, their blood is not red but is instead teal (instead of blue). It does not seem to hold the same medicinal properties as the crab.

Its large shovel-like head is good for both digging and pushing heavy loads. They are sometimes known as Shovelheads.

They are equipped with a potent defense. Beyond their bladed tail, the edge is lined with acid-producing hairs and needles. This acid also builds up in their spines which are capable of being launched like missiles as the chemicals bound in them are reactive. Particularly hazardous materials seem to build up in their spines as both a quarantine method, and weapon.

Combat

Xiphopanzers are normally passive, but when they need to defend themselves or an area they will spin in place with their bladed tails. If they can fight a target at range they will launch spines, then burrow and hide and let a second volley of xiphopanzers take a second, third, or other additional volley at their enemy. They are often paired with creatures acting as spotters so they can launch at extreme range.

Damage Reduction (Ex): The damage reduction of a xiphopanzer is negated whenever it is prone or otherwise creatures are able to attack its underbelly.

Kip Up (Ex): A xiphopanzer can stand from prone as a free action without provoking attacks of opportunity.

Immunities (Ex): Xiphopanzers are immune to disease, mind-affecting effects, paralysis, poison, polymorph, sleep, and stunning. They are immune to any effect that requires a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects, or is harmless) and are not at risk of death from massive damage.

Melt Spines (Ex): A xiphopanzer produces spines that they can launch like missiles, using chemical flight the entire way until they pierce and inject their target with noxious chemicals. It has 2 spines per day it can fire as a standard action, with a ranged attack that deals 1d6 piercing damage and 7d6 acid damage with a very long range increment of 1000 ft. It it fails to hit AC, but hits touch, it still deals half its acid damage. It regenerates new spines once each day. It may use its Wisdom in place of Dexterity for its ranged attacks with its spines.

If a xiphopanzer is being fed visual information via Radio Comm, it can treat the observer as its position for the purpose of range increment penalties.

Programming: The xiphopanzer possesses the following programs: Attack, Collect, Identify Creature, Identify Object, Reposition, and Search.

Radio Comm (Ex): Xiphopanzers "speak" in radio noise, and can hear and transmit radio frequencies. Designed to interact with less organic units, its able to speak to machines or machine-assisted creatures via radio and can even use visual information transmitted this way. While its own eyes are only functional enough, it is often in communication with observational bots which allow it to "see" and be aware of things far away. Its communication range spreads out to 1 mile.

Water Dependency (Ex): Xiphopanzers can survive out of the water for 1 hour per point of Constitution. Beyond this limit, a xiphopanzer runs the risk of suffocation, as if it were drowning.

Skills: Xiphopanzers have a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line.

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