Keen Smell. The aurumvorax has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell.
Relentless (1/Day). When the aurumvorax is reduced to 0 hit points but not killed outright, it drops to 1 hit point instead.
Surprise Attack. If the aurumvorax surprises a creature and hits it with an attack during the first round of combat, the target takes an extra (2d6) damage from the attack.
Multiattack. The aurumvorax makes five attacks: one with its bite and four with its claws.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: (1d6 + 3) piercing damage, and the target is grappled (escape DC 14) if it is a Large or smaller creature. Until the grapple ends, the aurumvorax can't use its bite attack on any other target but automatically succeeds when biting the grappled target.
Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: (1d4 + 3) slashing damage.
Unexpected Pounce (2/Day). When a creature moves toward the aurumvorax while it is eating gold or throws gold near the aurumvorax, the aurumvorax immediately takes its turn to either attack the creature that approached it or to run after the thrown gold, taking a dash if neccessary. It does not include the damage from its Surprise Attack trait in these attacks.
Description
Powerful muscles ripple beneath the golden fur of this small yet fearsome eight-legged beast.
Aurumvoraxes are very aggressive creatures, and lead solitary lives except when they mate. Adults typically claim the hunting area within a mile of their warrens, ruthlessly driving away other predators. In addition to fresh meat, aurumvoraxes are fond of gnawing on metals (particularly gold and copper), though whether they do this to sharpen their teeth or because of some nutritional need is unknown. Aurumvorax warrens can stretch for thousands of feet, often winding deep into the earth. The avaricious appetite of aurumvoraxes has earned them the appellation “golden gorger” among dwarves, who have lost more than a few miners to the dangerous beasts.
In battle, an aurumvorax latches onto its victim with its jaws and gouges savage wounds with its claws. It rarely looses its grip before it or its foe is dead. It typically attacks the nearest living creature regardless of size, and ignores any wounds it suffers at the hands of others until its prey is dead.
A typical aurumvorax is only 3 feet long but weighs more than 200 pounds, for it is densely packed with muscle and thick, sturdy bones. Its fur is golden, while its claws are black and sharp. Its weight relative to its body size makes it a poor swimmer, and most dislike crossing water, though they can trundle along the bottom of still or slow water if necessary.
Adult aurumvoraxes are impossible to train, but their offspring are valued for training as guard beasts. A healthy aurumvorax kit can be sold for 5,000 gp or more to a discerning buyer. Female aurumvoraxes rarely give birth to more than one offspring at a time, and are ferociously protective of their young.
An aurumvorax drags its prey back to its lair to consume at its leisure, and its bone-midden often contains valuable belongings from past kills. Uneaten precious metals, discarded gems, and well-chewed metal items can also be found in its warrens. Despite its metallic coloration, an aurumvorax is not vulnerable to attacks that target metal, such as heat metal or the touch of a rust monster—in fact, aurumvoraxes easily kill and eat rust monsters, and some dwarf clans use aurumvorax pets to protect their storehouses against them.
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