Tortoise (3.5e Monster)
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Tortoise
| N Tiny Animal | |
| Init/Senses | -1/low-light vision; Listen +4, Spot +4 |
| AC | 13, touch 11, flat-footed 13 (+2 size, +2 natural, -1 Dex) |
| hp | 5 (1d8+1 HD); DR 1/- |
| Fort/Ref/Will | +3/-1/+3 |
| Speed | 10 ft., burrow 5 ft. |
| Melee | Bite +1 melee (1d2-1) |
| Space/Reach | 2-1/2 ft./0 ft. |
| Base Atk/Grp | +0/-9 |
| Abilities | Str 9, Dex 8, Con 12, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 8 |
| SQ | Retract |
| Feats | Alertness |
| Skills | Hide +9 (+13 in sand or brush), Listen +4, Spot +4 |
| Advancement | 2-3 (tiny) |
| Retract | As a standard action, a tortoise can retract its head and limbs. It cannot attack or move, but its damage reduction increases to DR 3/-. |
A small brown-yellow tortoise looks warily at you from a nearby bush
Most tortoises are small, harmless reptiles, almost all of which are strict herbivores. Sometimes tortoises are kept as pets, and can reach ages well over a century or more. Tortoises are also considered good eating by many creatures, although the effort involved in cracking the poor creature's shell is usually far more bother than the subsequent meal is worth. Tortoiseshell from certain species is also valued for items.
Strategies and Tactics
Tortoises prefer to flee or hide from attackers; given their slow movement, hiding tends to be more effective. They will burrow for protection, but only through soil and sand, not stone. If given no option, a tortoise will bite or retract into its shell for protection.
Sample Encounters
ELC 1/2: One of the party has been captured by a goblin tribe and is sentenced to be torn to pieces by 4 enraged wild tortoises.
ELC 1/4: One of the party is badly concussed by a falling tortoise. The eagle which dropped it tries to recover its meal.
Ecology
Environment: Arid environments, deserts, rainforests, warm plains.
Typical Physical Characteristics: Tortoise shells range from 8-12 inches in length, and 6-8 inches in breadth. They weigh between 3-4 pounds as adults. They are usually a sandy or khaki color, although their shells can often be patterned with black, green, yellow, and red-brown. They have a beak with no teeth and stubby legs with stubby claws.
Alignment: As animals, tortoises are incapable of ethical or moral decisions and are always neutral.
Lore
Tortoises are seen as symbols of endurance and patience in many cultures.
Society
Eating plants, making eggs, avoiding eagles.
Sample Lair
Some tortoises will burrow into soil
Typical Treasure
The shell, provided it is intact, can be worth 100 gp; any attack which deals more than 10 points of damage (not including damage reduction) splits the shell and ruins it.
For Player Characters
Tortoises can be taken as familiars. They give a +2 bonus to Fortitude saves.
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