Rat, Large

(Sumatran Rat)

Neutral (Evil) Small Animal (mammal)

Surprise normal; Senses night vision

Armor Class 7

Hit Points 2 (HD ½; 1d4)

Move 12”; swim 6" (burrow, climb vertically)

Poison 16, Petrify 17, Wand 18, Breath 20, Spell 19

Special Defenses none

Magic Resistance standard

To Hit AC 1: 20

Melee bite (1d3 plus disease)

Special Attacks disease; Hits As normal

Base Morale 40%

Intelligence semi- (2-4)

Languages none

Level I

Disease. Any creature bitten by a giant rat has a 5% chance per wound inflicted of contacting a serious blood disease unless a save vs. Poison is successful.

Rats of all sorts are common, and the giant Sumatran sort are an evil plague in many places such as crypts and dungeons. Their burrows honeycomb many graveyards, where they seek to cheat ghouls of their prizes by tunneling to newly interred corpses.

Giant rats are long-tailed rodents with a body 12-24 inches long and almost double the length with tail. They are aggressive, omnivorous, and adaptable, and they often carry diseases.

Giant rats are brown/black in color with white underbellies, and are related to the brown rat, with fatter bodies and shorter tails. Giant rats avoid attacking strong parties unless driven by hunger or commanded by creatures such as vampires and wererats. Giant rats are fearful of fire and flee from it except if driven by hunger or magic. They are excellent swimmers and can attack in water as well as on land.

Rats normally flee anything bigger than themselves, but a trapped rat will do anything to survive and a pack of starving rats will attack anything in order to feed.

Rat Swarms. Rarely normal rats (hundreds) or giant rats (at least 50) will swarm attacking as a carpet of biting rats doing 2d4 (or 2d6 in the case of giant rats) damage per round to all in the area (no "to hit" rolls necessary). Melee or missile attacks are ineffective but area attacks (oil, spells) and fire attacks (torches) will damage the swarm (2 HD for normal rats or 4 HD if made of giant rats). Creatures damaged by a rat swarm will have a 15% of contracting a serious blood disease unless they save vs. Poison.

ENCOUNTERS

Level I.

Frequency. Common; In Lair 10%

Number Appearing. 5-50 (Level I. 5d4; III. 6d4)

Environment. Sub-arctic (forest, rough, marsh); Temperate/sub-tropical, inhabited and/or patrolled areas (plain, scrub, forest, rough, hills, marsh); Underground

Treasure Type. C

Experience. Giant rat. XP 9 (or 7+1 per h.p.)

Bite-Melee-Speed-1/emas The huge rat attacks hitting an AC[[21-1d20+((?{Armor Rating Modifier|0})*-1)]] for [[1d3]] damage with its bite!/w gm The victim contacts a severe blood disease if this result is 5% or less: [[1d100]]%; This disease is acute (1-3) or chronic (4-8): [[1d8]]; The severity level is [[1d3+1]] with a +1 if chronic. e.g. 2 to 5.Blood Disease/w gm Causes a loss of 1 point each of Strength and Constitution per week until totally cured. Severity (2 to 5) is modified by Constitution: Under 3: (+2); 3-5: (+1); 10-12 (-1); 13-15 (-2); 16-17 (-3); 18 (-4); A severity of -2 or under means the disease does not take hold. A severity of -1 to 0 means the disease is actually mild. A severity of 1 to 3 means the disease is severe. Over 3 means the disease is terminal./w gm MILD: During the period of affliction the character is unable to perform strenuous activities and must rest. Some treatment must be determined by the DM to allow a shortening of the period of illness. A normal period is 1-3 weeks./w gm SEVERE: A severe blood disease will lower the character’s hit points to 50% of normal and make him or her totally disabled for 1-2 weeks, plus a further 1-2 weeks of time during which the malady is in the mild state as the character recovers./w gm TERMINAL: The blood disease will cause death in 1-12 weeks unless cured./w gm While ability loss is usually permanent, a recovery rate of 1 point each per week per ability is suggested. A restoration spell should cure the damage as well.