Giant Rat King
Sometimes rodents display a disturbing mutualistic happening. A rat king is a form of intraspecific interaction that happens when the tails of several rats glue together because of substances like sap, sweat, blood or other bodily fluids, and while they grow they start fusing their bodies, tail bones, nerves and skin merging between the rats. It only stands to reason that this display happens to Giant Rats too, turning this often easily slain beast can became quite a ferocious beast when fused together into one gross monster.
Multiple beings in one
The largest rat king registered contained 32 rats, although already dead (live specimens are rare), they were literally inseparable, their tails fused so much that if you were to remove a single one the other two would die, hemorrhaging, since their blood vessels already grew into each other, if not that, the filthy glue that kept them together would be their downfall, the wound would fester from the microbes and they'd die soon.
This disturbing fact of nature makes for a gross encounter for your low level parties. They'd undoubtedly be used to killing giant rats, and a GM wanting to put up a bit of the gruesome factor in their game can use this opportunity to describe the fetid smell and bizarre appearance of this beast. While also making the challenge of it quite adjustable, just raise the amount of rats!
Great Rat King
Large, unaligned
- Armor Class 14
- Hit Points 24 - 96 (8d6 - 32d6)
- Speed 20 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 7 (-2) 12 (+1) 16 (+3) 2 (-4) 10 (+0) 4 (-3)
- Senses darkvision (60ft.), passive perception 12
- Languages —
- Challenge 1 - 4 (200 - 1,100 XP)
Symbiosis: The standard rat king has 8 giant rats fused together and is CR 1, for ever 8 rats you add into it, raise the CR by 1, the HP by 24 (8d6), the Filth and Foul Smell trait's DC by 1, its hit modifier by +2, and its number of bite attacks by 2. If there are 24 or more rats, Foul Smell changes to (recharge 5-6).
Keen Smell: The Giant Rat King has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell.
Clumsy: Even though they are together, they don't think together, the Giant Rat King has disadvantage on Dexterity saving throws.
Filth: The Giant Rat King is full of bacteria, larvae and other disease borne beings. Any creature that HP is less than its max HP value grapples or comes into direct contact with this creature must succeed on a DC 11 (+CR) Constitution saving throw or else become infected by Sewer Plague
Actions
Multiattack. The Giant Rat King makes number of bite attacks equal to the numbers of rats divided by 4 or a single Foul Smell attack
Bite. Melee weapon: + nº of Rats/8 , Reach 5ft., one target. 4 (1d4+2) piercing damage
Foul Smell (recharge 6). The Giant Rat King rubs all of its bodies together, farts, pisses, and any other option it can do when scared. Every creature within 10ft. must succeed on a DC 11 (+CR) Constitution saving throw or become blinded for 1 turn.
Creatures with any features that betters their olfactory sense has disadvantage on this saving throw
