Otters
These semi-aquatic creatures are known for their playful antics and slippery agility. With their thick, water proof coats and ability to hold their breath for long periods of time, otters are well suited to spending their
days in the water, and deep diving for food.
The otter's small, cute appearance belies its formidable hunting and foraging prowess. Though otters usually don't threaten humanoids, their speed,
intelligence, and powerful bite makes them more
dangerous than they would appear. With their keen
eyesight and aquatic agility, otters are deadly hunters,
and in some cases, even the apex predators of their environment.
River Otters
The majority of otters are fresh water dwellers. Equipped with long, slick bodies and powerful tails, river otters can be as small as 2 feet long and 2 pounds in weight to as large as 6 feet long and 100 pounds in weight. Though they are generally not aggressive towards humanoids, they can be ferocious if provoked or if they view someone, as prey.
River Otter
Tiny beast, unaligned
- Armor Class 12
- Hit Points 1 (1d4 - 1)
- Speed 20 ft., swim speed 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 3 (-4) 15 (+2) 8 (-1) 6 (-2) 12 (+1) 6 (-2)
- Skills Perception +3
- Senses Darkvision 30 Ft passive Perception 13
- Challenge 0 (10 XP)
Keen Sight. The otter has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight.
Hold Breath. The otter can hold its breath for 8 minutes.
Pack Tactics. The otter has advantage on attack rolls against a creature if at least one of the otter's allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn't incapacitated.
Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1 piercing damage.
Giant River Otter
Small beast, unaligned
- Armor Class 12
- Hit Points 4 (1d6 + 1)
- Speed 20 ft., swim speed 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 8 (-1) 14 (+2) 12 (+1) 6 (-2) 12 (+1) 6 (-2)
- Skills Perception +3
- Senses Darkvision 30 Ft passive Perception 13
- Challenge 1/8 (25 XP)
Keen Sight. The otter has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight.
Hold Breath. The otter can hold its breath for 8 minutes.
Pack Tactics. The otter has advantage on attack rolls against a creature if at least one of the otter's allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn't incapacitated.
Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4+2) piercing damage.
Pack Hunters. Although river otters can hunt for small creatures on their own, many have been known to coordinate their attacks in pairs or larger groups. Often times, this involves cooperative fishing efforts, as otters work together to direct fish towards their pack mates. Sometimes their pack hunting can also be used to bring down larger creatures that would otherwise be beyond the capabilities of a single river otter.
Giant River Otters. While most river otters are too small to be of much threat to larger, humanoid sized creatures, some reach much greater sizes and are capable of hunting larger prey. The largest of these river otters are the aptly named giant river otters. Individually, they may not seem formidable, but they are the apex predators of their environment, and when hunting as a pack, giant river otters are capable of bringing down fearsome creatures such as caimans and anacondas.
Wolf Otters. These ancient creatures are the largest otters to have ever lived. True to their name, wolf otters can grow to the size of a wolf. With a bite force equivalent to a bear, these primeval creatures have a wider range of prey options at their disposal.
While not commonly known to most folk, wolf otters make effective patrol and hunting animals when working with druids or other powerful beings of nature who live near remote riverways. A pack of aggressive wolf otters can easily spell doom for a group of inexperienced explorers trespassing through their territory.
Wolf Otter
Medium beast, unaligned
- Armor Class 13 (Natural Armor)
- Hit Points 17 (3d8+3)
- Speed 20 ft. swim 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 14 (+2) 15 (+2) 13 (+1) 6 (-2) 12 (+1) 6 (-2)
- Skills Perception +3
- Senses passive Perception 13
- Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)
Keen Sight. The otter has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight.
Hold Breath. The otter can hold its breath for 10 minutes.
Pack Tactics. The otter has advantage on an Attack roll against a creature if at least one of the it's allies is within 5 ft. of the creature and the ally isn't Incapacitated.
Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (2d4 + 2) piercing damage.
Sea Otters
By far the most divergent of all the otters, these creatures have adapted to living their lives almost entirely at sea. Unlike most other otters, sea otters are adapted to living in salt water environments near coastlines. They can reach lengths of nearly 5 feet and weigh up to 100 pounds, but they lack the long powerful tails of other otters. Despite their relatively large size and powerful bite, sea otters generally don't pose a threat to humanoids and other larger creatures unless severely provoked.
Awkward Walkers. Sea otters have adapted to spending nearly all of their lives out at sea, and don't move nearly as well over land as other otters. Rather than coming ashore to rest, sea otters spend their days resting on their backs. When they need to sleep, they will link arms with other sea otters to ensure they don't drift out to sea.
Tool Users. Sea otters don't hunt in aggressive packs for fast moving targets like other otters. Clams, crustaceans and other sea dwelling invertebrates make up the majority of their diet. In order to penetrate the tough shells many of these creatures possess, sea otters learn how to use stones bash through the hardened defenses of their prey. Sea otters can often be seen resting on their back at the ocean surface, with their latest catch perched on their stomach, bashing away at the soon-to-be meal.
Otters as Familiars
River Otters and Sea Otters may both be used as familiar options using the Find Familiar spell. If a Sea Otter is used this way, it may still use its Rock attack option against objects.
Sea Otter
Small beast, unaligned
- Armor Class 11
- Hit Points 4 (1d6 + 1)
- Speed 10 ft., swim speed 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 8 (-1) 12 (+1) 12 (+1) 6 (-2) 12 (+1) 6 (-2)
- Skills Perception +3
- Senses Darkvision 30 Ft passive Perception 13
- Challenge 0 (10 XP)
Keen Sight. The otter has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight.
Hold Breath. The otter can hold its breath for 5 minutes.
Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 3 (1d4+1) piercing damage.
Rock. Melee Weapon Attack : +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one tiny creature or object the otter is holding or grappling. Hit: 6 (2d4+1) bludgeoning damage.
Thieving Otter
These strange and often infuriating creatures look similar to ordinary otters, but the evidence of their fey origin is obvious at a glance. They are often exotic shades of blue, pink, or purple, and usually sport additional flair such as fins or feathery mohawks. There is also an unmistakable, mischievous intelligence that gleams in their eyes. Thieving otters earn their name from their notorious penchant for robbing other creatures blind, and they possess a number of magical abilities that allow them to do so with ease.
Rift Walkers. Not only do thieving otters possess the seemingly supernatural ability to avoid being grabbed or restrained, they are also able to create small, short range rifts that allow them to quickly teleport between locations.
This allows them to appear seemingly out of no where, grab their desired items, and disappear before anyone can respond. Only other otters can traverse these rifts, and an entire pack of otters can travel in and out of a rift in the blink of an eye, allowing them to go on high speed raids.
Fey Thieves For Hire. Thieving otters form packs that roam rivers running through the feywild and near fey crossings, always looking for their next big score. Though their behavior appears chaotic and impulsive, they are often acting on the behalf of equally chaotic and impulsive fey lords. Some thieving otter packs act as the feywild equivalent of thief's guilds, working as burglars for hire on behalf of other powerful and afluent fey nobles. Travelers are among their favorite targets, but a wily adventurer with something to offer may be able to bargan with or even hire a pack of thieving otters.
Thieving Otter
Small fey, chaotic neutral
- Armor Class 16 (Natural Armor)
- Hit Points 58 (13d6+13)
- Speed 20 ft. swim 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 10 (+0) 20 (+5) 12 (+1) 16 (+3) 16 (+3) 16 (+3)
- Saving Throws Dex + 8 Con + 4
- Skills Acrobatics +8, Sleight of Hand +8, Stealth +8, Perception +6, Investigation +6
- Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 16
- Languages Sylvan, Aquan
- Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)
Elusive. The otter can use 5 feet of movement to automatically escape from nonmagical restraints, such as manacles or a creature grappling it, and it can also spend 5 feet of movement when it is prone to stand up, rather than half its move speed.
Keen Sight. The otter has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight.
Pack Tactics. The otter has advantage on an Attack roll against a creature if at least one of the it's allies is within 5 ft. of the creature and the ally isn't Incapacitated.
Amphibious. The otter can breathe air and water.
Nimble Thief. The otter can take a disengage action, a hide action, a use an object action, or make a Dexterity (Slight of Hand) check as a bonus action on each of its turns.
Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (2d4 + 5) piercing damage. If it hits a creature, the otter may make a Dexterity (Slight of Hand) check contested by a Dexterity (Acrobatics) check from the target creature. If the creature fails the check, the otter may steal a small object of its choice that the target is holding or carrying on its person.
Aquatic Rift (Recharges after a short or long rest). The otter creates an invisible and immobile rift at an unoccupied point it can see within 5 feet of it that is submerged in water. The dimensional rift bridges the distance between that space and any point within 60 feet of it that the otter can see or specify by distance and direction (such as "60 feet straight up"). While next to the rift, the otter can see through it and is considered to be next to the destination as well, and anything the otter puts through the rift (including a portion of its body) emerges at the destination. Only otters can use the rift, and the rift lasts for 10 minutes, or until part of the rift is no longer submerged in water.
Art Credit
- Colour Splash - Johanna Tarkela
- Heads or Tails - Terry Isaac
- Sea Otter - Greg Halom
- Thieving Otter - Jakub Kasper,
Magic the Gathering
