Fish, Giant Piranha
by Travis LaneyMedium Animal [Aquatic]
| Hit Dice: | 3d8 |
| Initiative: | +2 |
| Speed: | Swim 60' |
| Armor Class: | 14 (+2 Dex, +2 natural) |
| Base Attack/Grapple: | +2/+3 |
| Attack: | Bite +4 melee (1d6+1) |
| Full Attack: | Bite +4 melee (1d6+1) |
| Space/Reach: | 5 ft./5 ft. |
| Special Attacks: | Frenzy |
| Special Qualities: | Low-light vision, keen scent |
| Saves: | Fort +4, Ref +5, Will +2 |
| Abilities: | Str 12, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 8 |
| Skills: | Listen +6, Spot +6, Swim +9* |
| Feats: | Alertness, Weapon Finesse |
| Environment: | Warm lakes and rivers |
| Organization: | School (2-8) |
| Challenge Rating: | 1 |
| Treasure: | None |
| Alignment: | 4-6 HD (Medium) |
| Advancement: | -- |
| Level Adjustment: | -- |
These deadly fish are 5 feet long and have green and black scales. They attack anything that disturbs the water near them. Piranhas inhabit warm, fresh waters and prefer rivers to lakes.4
COMBAT
Piranhas are straightforward combatants, closing in and attacking with their sharp teeth at the slightest sign of disturbance.
Frenzy (Ex): Once a piranha draws blood, it goes into a feeding frenzy on its next turn, biting madly until either it or its opponent is dead. It gains +4 to Strength, +4 to Constitution, and -2 to Armor class. The piranha cannot end this frenzy voluntarily.
Keen Scent (Ex): a piranha can notice creatures by scent in a 180-foot radius and detect blood in the water at ranges of up to a mile.
*Skills: A piranha has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can always 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.
The giant piranha was first mentioned in Module X-5, "Temple of Death" by David Cook (1983). However, the complete description and statistics for the creature first appeared Module X-6, "Quagmire!" by Merle M. Rasmussen (1984).
This 3.5 Edition conversion is (c) 2007 by Travis Laney
1. Cook, D., 1983. Temple of Death. Random House, Inc.
2. Gygax, G. and Arneson, D., 1983. Dungeons & Dragons Expert Rulebook. Random House, Inc.
3. Allston, A. 1991. Rules Cyclopedia. Random House, Inc.
4. Rasmussen, M. 1983. Quagmire! Random House, Inc.