Thask

Thask CR 3

This dark-skinned humanoid is covered with pale pigmented stripes and an array of barbed spines running the length of its body.

XP 800
CN Medium monstrous humanoid
Init +1; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +13

DEFENSE HP 40

EAC 14; KAC 16
Fort +7, Ref +5, Will +4
Defensive Abilities defensive spines

OFFENSE

Speed 30 ft., climb 10 ft.
Melee claw +12 (1d6+7 S plus thask neurotoxin) or bite +12 (1d6+7 P)
Offensive Abilities spiny grapple, thask neurotoxin

STATISTICS

Str +4, Dex +1, Con +2, Int +0, Wis +0, Cha –1
Skills Intimidate +8, Survival +8
Languages Common, Thask

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Defensive Spines (Ex)

The needle-like spines covering a thask’s body contain a mild neurotoxin and provide it with protection against attacks. A creature that strikes the thask with an unarmed strike or natural attack or grapples a thask takes 1d4 piercing damage and is exposed to thask neurotoxin.

Spiny Grapple (Ex)

Each round a thask grapples its opponents, it can writhe and twist to pierce its foes with its toxic spines, exposing them to thask neurotoxin.

Thask Neurotoxin (Ex)

A creature exposed to the mild neurotoxin from a thask’s spines must succeed at a DC 12 Fortitude save or gain the sickened condition for 1 round. Repeated exposure does not worsen this effect.

Thasks are a generally primitive species that has only recently become integrated into interplanetary society, commerce, and travel, having been primarily boreal hunters and gatherers on their homeworld, spreading gradually into vast fungal forests of the endless caverns beneath that world’s surface. They are omnivorous but prefer blood and meat, and they tend to mark each clan’s territory with trophies and fetishes, responding with threats and violence if their territory is disturbed. Clans that grow beyond 50 members split up and form new bands and clans to seek new territory and avoid overhunting the available game and other resources.

While outwardly crude and savage in appearance, thasks are no less intelligent than typical representatives of more advanced races and are willing to adapt their fighting style and tactics to incorporate new technology. However, the spines growing from every part of their body make it difficult for them to wear most types of clothing and armor. They often seek work in gladiatorial arenas and other areas where they can test their mettle against wild beasts and so-called modern weapons and tactics. They are wild and unpredictable fighters and often become crowd favorites with their bloody battles. While some thasks on their homeworld eschew contact with more advanced civilizations and retreat deeper into the trees and caves, others have embraced this new world fully and seek to experience every pleasure it offers.