War Beast. The Kruthik follows the orders of its Master to the best of its' capabilities. Ordering the Kruthik costs 1 bonus action and can only be done if the Master can see the Kruthik. If not given an order, the Kruthik will defend itself and its Master until death, with priority to itself. Out of combat, the Kruthik follows its Master and is friendly to its Master's companions, unless attacked. The Kruthik understands simple orders such as "Guard a passage/door" but cannot follow complicated tasks.
Captivity. The Kruthik will not follow any orders that would result in certain death or meaningless self-harm (Such as "Jump from this tower" or "Cut your own leg") and will instead fight its Master to try and become the Hive Lord. The Kruthik will not follow the orders of a Master whose level is less than 4 times the CR of the Kruthik.
Evolution. The Kruthik will form a cocoon and evolve into a Veteran War Kruthik once its Master reaches level 12.
Keen Smell. The kruthik has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell.
Pack Tactics. The kruthik has advantage on an attack roll against a creature if at least one of the kruthik’s allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn’t incapacitated.
Tunneler. The kruthik can burrow through solid rock at half its burrowing speed and leaves a 10-foot-diameter tunnel in its wake.
Multiattack. The kruthik makes two stab attacks or two spike attacks.
Stab. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) piercing damage.
Spike. Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) piercing damage.
Description
Kruthiks communicate with one another through a series of hisses and chittering noises. These sounds can often be heard in advance of a kruthik attack. Whenever their lair is invaded, kruthik guards send out an alarm by rapidly tapping the stone floor with their sharp legs.
Imprinting. Sometimes Kruthiks' eggs are found by humanoids that decide to keep them rather than destroy them. A Kruthik imprints with the first creature it sees once it hatches, meaning that they will regard the creature as their Hive Lord, for the rest of their lives. A Kruthik would die to save the Hive Lord, but it is not a dumb creature; if treated poorly or not fed, a Kruthik will try to stand its ground and become the new Hive Lord, fighting to the death.
Sharp Senses. In addition to having an acute sense of smell, kruthiks can see in the dark and can detect vibrations in the earth around them. They take the scent of their own dead as a warning and avoid areas where many other kruthiks have died. Slaying a sufficient number of kruthiks in one area might cause the remaining hive members to move elsewhere.
Sharper Weapons. Although they can feed on carrion, kruthiks prefer live prey. They kill enemies by impaling them on their spiked limbs, then grind up the flesh and bones with mandibles strong enough to chew rock. When several kruthiks gang up on a single foe, they become frenzied and even more lethal.
Shared Lair. Kruthiks abide the presence of constructs, elementals, oozes, and undead, and use such creatures to help guard their hive. Kruthiks are smart enough to barricade some tunnels and dig new ones that keep their neighbors away from their eggs.
Adult War Kruthik
It takes six months of steady eating for a young kruthik to reach adult size. The natural life span of an adult kruthik is roughly seven years. Adult kruthiks grow spiky protrusions on their legs and can fling these dagger-sized spikes at enemies beyond the reach of their claws. Those trained by Humanoid masters can become menacing war beasts; their natural resilience makes them a monstrous companion capable of handling lesser foes on its own. It has to be remembered that they are not the smartest creature, and will follow just simple orders. This adults are nonetheless bigger than their wild counterpart, which allows a humanoid master to ride them into battle.
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