This dog-sized tick has a grotesquely bulbous body and a thin head equipped with hooked mandibles.
Giant Tick CR 1
XP 400
N Small vermin
Init +0; Senses darkvision 60 ft., scent; Perception +0
Defense
AC 16, touch 11, flat-footed 16 (+5 natural, +1 size)
hp 13 (2d8+4)
Fort +5, Ref +0, Will +0
Immune mind-affecting effects
Offense
Speed 20 ft., climb 20 ft.
Melee bite +2 (1d4 plus grab, attach, and disease)
Special Attacks blood drain (1 Constitution)
Statistics
Str 11, Dex 10, Con 15, Int —, Wis 11, Cha 2
Base Atk +1; CMB +0 (+8 grapple); CMD 10 (22 vs. trip)
Skills Climb +8, Stealth +8; Racial Modifiers +4 Stealth
Ecology
Environment temperate forests
Organization solitary, pair, cluster (3–6), or nest (7–12)
Treasure none
Special Abilities
Grab (Ex) A giant tick can grab targets of any size, and has a +8 racial bonus on grapple checks rather than the normal +4 bonus most creatures with grab possess.
Disease (Ex) Red ache: Bite—injury; save Fort DC 13; onset 1d3 days; frequency 1/day; effect 1d6 Str damage; cure 2 consecutive saves. The DC is Constitution-based.
In areas where large creatures like megafauna or dinosaurs dwell, the giant tick behaves much like its smaller kin—it lies in wait in the undergrowth, and when a suitable host passes by, it drops onto the body to feed. In other areas, these vermin are much more aggressive, and actively hunt smaller prey like dogs, livestock, or even humanoids. A giant tick drains blood quickly, but once it has caused 6 points of Constitution damage, it drops off, sated, to crawl away to digest. A giant tick is 3 feet long and weighs 50 pounds.
The rasping legs of this hideous, shining carpet of fist-sized ticks rattle ominously as the swarm skitters forward.
Tick Swarm CR 9
XP 6,400
N Fine vermin (swarm)
Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft., scent; Perception +0
Defense
AC 23, touch 20, flat-footed 21 (+2 Dex, +3 natural, +8 size)
hp 120 (16d8+48)
Fort +13, Ref +7, Will +5
Defensive Abilities swarm traits
Immune mind-affecting effects, weapon damage
Offense
Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft.
Melee swarm (4d6 plus disease, distraction, and blood drain)
Special Attacks blood drain (1d4 Con), cling, distraction (DC 21)
Statistics
Str 1, Dex 14, Con 16, Int —, Wis 11, Cha 1
Base Atk +12; CMB —; CMD —
Skills Climb +10; Racial Modifiers uses Dex on Climb checks
Ecology
Environment temperate forests
Organization solitary, pair, or colony (3–6)
Treasure none
Special Abilities
Cling (Ex) If a creature leaves a tick swarm's square, the swarm takes 1d6 points of damage to reflect the loss of its numbers as several ticks cling to the victim. A creature with ticks clinging to it takes swarm damage at the end of its turn each round. As a full round action, the creature can remove the ticks with a DC 20 Reflex save. At least 10 points of damage from any area effect destroys all clinging ticks. The save DC is Dexterity-based.
Disease (Ex) Bubonic Plague: Bite—injury; save Fort DC 21; onset 1 day; frequency 1/day; effect 1d4 Con damage, 1 Cha damage, fatigue; cure 2 consecutive saves. The DC is Con-based.
Tick swarms are merciless blights, able to quickly reduce the larger animal life of a region they infest to blood-drained, diseased husks.
