Good day, eh? Here's a new addition to Novalia's encounter tables. An ACKS II conversion and re-imagining of the AD&D Giant Beaver.
Edit: several updates have been made following bro and ACKSpert review.
- Castor sacs added to spoils (thanks Matt)
- Treasure type amended (thanks Arbrethil)
- Structural damage note added
Beaver, Giant
Giant beavers are large, sapient herbivores who inhabit the lakes they create through massive dams. When giant beavers have created such a lake, they will invariably build a massive, artificial island with a castle-sized mound of mud and logs in the center of the lake.
Combat:
Giant beavers will normally never seek confrontation with humans, but will defend their dam or burrow to the death. They use no tools or armor, preferring their own paws and sharp teeth, but they will hoard whatever valuables they find around their burrow, and will despoil the bodies of any trespassers or attackers they kill.
If encountered away from their lair, they will attempt to escape from armed foes, normally by submerging in a river or lake. They are especially wary of humans.
However, when defending their dam or lodge, giant beavers are ferocious and clever. They are extremely numerous, and not averse to certain siege tactics, despite their preference against weapons and armor. Stones will rain down on attackers who reach the lodge, boats and swimming men will be pulled under by swarms of beavers if they attempt to cross the lake, and their spoils will be added to the hoard of the lodge.
Equal in size to brown bears, giant beavers are very strong and quick. Their large front teeth can pierce chainmail, and they can fight effectively while swimming, even underwater.
Instead of making a normal bite attack, a giant beaver may gnaw on wooden structures, causing 1d4 structural damage.
Ecology:
Giant beavers are sapient creatures, and speak their own language of grunts and whines. They generally do not speak vulgar auran (common) or any language of men.
Giant beaver lodges have long been a tempting target for the greedy, not only because of the high value of giant beaver pelts, but also because of the beavers’ relentless hoarding. They scour the waterways and forests surrounding their lairs and carry away valuables, and they seem to have a knack for digging up magical artifacts. For this reason, giant beaver lairs have a hoarder treasure type, similar to that of dragons.
Male and female giant beavers are difficult to distinguish, and work crews generally include both. A giant beaver lodge will include 1 adolescent kit per adult. These will only fight if the lodge is about to be overrun. Adolescents have 2 HD, an attack throw of 9+ and deal 2d4 damage. There will also be an equal number of juvenile or ancient beavers who cannot fight.
Each giant beaver work crew is lead by a boss beaver with 5 HD, AC 4 and +2 damage on his bite.
Each lodge is ruled by a king or queen, and this royal beaver alone may wield weapons. The monarch has 7 HD, AC 6 and +4 damage on his bite. He may also make use of magic items included in the hoard of the lodge, including magic weapons, at the judge's discretion. Since giant beavers lack any spellcasters, they can normally only use those magic items usable by fighters. They cannot wear humanoid armor.
Spoils:
A slain giant beaver can be harvested with
Animal Husbandry, Labor (Butchery) or Trapping for the following
components useful in magic research:
Tail (4/6 stone, 40 gp, battering ram, ice floe)
Teeth (2/6 stone, 20 gp, sharpness, slicing blow)
Castor sacs (2/6 stone, 20 gp, beguile humanoid)
A giant beaver’s pelt fetches 160 gp and weighs 2 stone.
Encounter notes:
Giant beaver lairs only appear in freshwater lakes. If a giant beaver lair encounter is rolled in an area with no freshwater access, treat it as a non-lair or re roll as appropriate.
The Judge should note that giant beavers typically do not range far from their lodges. If giant beavers are encountered outside their lair, the judge may abduce that a lodge has been established nearby.
