Burrowing Stalker Scorpion
Large Beast, Unaligned
- Armor Class 17 (natural armor)
- Hit Points 95 (10d10 + 40)
- Speed 40 ft., burrow 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 18 (+4) 14 (+2) 18 (+4) 3 (-4) 11 (+0) 4 (-3)
- Skills Perception +3, Stealth +5
- Damage Immunities poison
- Condition Immunities poisoned
- Senses blindsight 60 ft., tremorsense 30 ft., passive Perception 13
- Languages —
- Challenge 6 (2,300 XP)
Proficiency Bonus +3
Ambusher. The scorpion has advantage on attack rolls against creatures surprised by it.
Hidden Burrows. When the scorpion burrows through sand, it leaves no trace of its presence.
Sand Trap. The scorpion ignores nonmagical difficult terrain caused by sand, and has advantage on attack rolls while it and the target of its attacks are in nonmagical difficult terrain caused by sand.
Actions
Multiattack. The scorpion makes three attacks: two with its claws and one with its sting.
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d10 + 4) bludgeoning damage. The target is grappled (escape DC 15) The scorpion has two claws, each of which can grapple only one target.
Sting. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (1d12 + 4) piercing damage. The target must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw, taking 32 (5d12) poison damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
Burrowing Stalker Scorpion
Deserts are filled with dangers, from the burning sun to the droughted sands to the deadly creatures that reside there. One such danger is the burrowing stalker scorpion, the giant scorpion’s more dangerous cousin, which lies in wait ready to ambush any potential prey that strays too close to its burrow.
They grow to a size that rivals that of large horses, with two sizable claws that they use to hold their prey still while they repeatedly sting them until the venom takes hold. After the prey stops moving from the venom, whether they die or not, the scorpion will begin to eat them. Their venom has been known to be collected by certain desert dwellers to coat their weapons, and the scorpion’s exoskeleton plates are also often taken to construct armor.
These scorpions are almost always solitary, often staying in the same territory their entire lives, except when males leave their territories to mate. When food is scarce, these deadly beasts have been known to wander into savannahs and other regions that surround the desert, forced to leave their homes in search of food. And in rare situations, typically when food is plentiful, multiple burrowing stalker scorpions may reside in the same territory.
If travelers are especially unlucky, they might come upon a brood of young burrowing stalker scorpions, just reaching the age to set out from their mother. A dozen or so usually make it to adulthood from the brood, and all disperse from the nest at the same time, hungry and willing to work together for their next meals. The times when the broods are striking out on their own are also dangerous as the
younger scorpions may try to claim territory from
older scorpions, during these clashes
both scorpions are extremely
aggressive and attack all
creatures that get close.
