Animals

 Large rats can achieve the size of a small cat or dog, and their bites can occasionally transmit disease.  Individually they are not terribly dangerous, but in big enough swarms, they can be quite a problem.  They are considered a class 0 encounter. 

      Fire Beetles are enormous insects, with bodies 3 to 4 feet long even without the legs.  They are not inherently dangerous, as they feed primarily on mosses and lichens that grow in damp areas and particularly undergrounds.  If disturbed, however, they can "shoot" blobs of a highly caustic liquid from their abdomen which is said to burn like fire and gives the creature its name.  The substance will do substantial damage to flesh and acts like an acid on certain organic materials, particularly leather.  

     Fire Beetles are not particularly robust, but when their carapace is broken, more of the burning liquid tends to spray out, and killing blows against these creatures are usually rewarded with a retaliatory final dose of the stuff.  

     The Adventurer's Guild rates Fire Beetles as a class 2 encounter, primarily because killing them is a messy process.    

      Large scorpions can reach lengths of 4 to 5 feet, they have a deadly neurotoxin poison that can induce death in even very large creatures. They are not inherently aggressive, but they can be problematic.  A scorpion normally feeds on prey smaller than itself, and it will not seek to attack larger creatures (like humans) unless they feel threatened. However, they are naturally attracted to body heat, particularly at night, like that of a sleeping human.  It's hard not to react violently when awakened by a scorpion crawling over one’s body, but it’s that exact reaction that probably prompts more scorpion attacks than anything else. 

     Scorpions are surprisingly tough and much harder to kill than spiders. This, plus their particularly toxic venom, makes them a rank  2 or 3 encounters in the Guild rating system.

      There are quite a number of species of carnivorous lizards in the Blackmoor area, differentiated by size and habitat, but all fairly similar from the adventurer's point of view.  The largest reach lengths of 12 to 15 feet long, including tail, and are big enough to be dangerous to humans.  All tend to be carrion eaters, but they will attack live prey.  They also will tend to retreat from anything that demonstrates itself dangerous.  They can move quickly in a short "pounce", but cannot chase for long distances, and are generally slow-moving creatures.  Most lizards have either a septic or a mildly poisonous bite which poses their primary threat. 

     Unless you are already incapacitated, Blackmoor's giant lizards are not terribly dangerous, but they are fairly tough, and most are rated class 3 or 4.  The exception is the Blackmoor Monitor (rated 5), a large and particularly robust lizard with a nose for fresh meat.  This creature's saliva is particularly virulent, and its bite is guaranteed to cause a potentially life-threatening infection requiring immediate treatment.  

      Giant snakes are a common encounter in any of Blackmoor's wilderness areas, except perhaps high mountain snowfields.  Although there are a number of different species, they can be groups into two general categories: constrictors, and poison-users.  

     Constrictors are, for the most part, pretty much identical regardless of color or appearance.  They can get to anywhere between 16 and 20 feet long, and are big enough to swallow a human, although they prefer smaller prey.  They tend to be slow-moving (except when they strike), and hunt by ambush; they are not hard to avoid if you see one before stepping on it.  Depending on size, the Guild rates most constrictors as a class 3 or 4 encounter. 

     Blackmoor's poisonous snakes are distinctly more dangerous, and not merely because they are poisonous.  All these species are also hunters, meaning they aggressively seek potential prey, and have the temperament to strike first and ask questions later.  

     Vipers tend to be moderately sized, perhaps 15 to 18 feet in total length, nearly as long as the constrictors but with much less body mass. This allows them to move much faster, and to strike as far as 6 to 8 feet from a coiled position.  While the Blackmoor Rattler will give warning before it strikes, the equally common Green Pit Viper will not.  Both have powerful and potentially lethal poisons.  More dangerous is the Red Viper;  not only is its venom particularly toxic, but it can spit a substantial jet of the stuff up to 15 feet or more.  All should be considered class 4 to 5 encounters at minimum.  

     Giant Cobras are the top end of the snake scale.  The can reach lengths of 30 feet and more, with bodies as much as 16 to 18 inches in diameter.  This size makes them particularly dangerous because they can swallow very large creatures, and a human is easily a dinner-sized target.  The Giant Brown Cobra (pictured here) uses a powerful paralytic poison that shuts down the voluntary muscles but leaves the victim alive, to be slowly swallowed.  Its red-colored cousin uses a highly toxic poison which, even if not immediately lethal, causes massive tissue damage and debilitating pain.  Giant Cobras of all types are also notorious for being aggressive and ill-tempered.  

     Constrictor snakes are, by and large, relatively quiet by day and hunt more actively at night.  Vipers and Cobras are well known to be active at all hours and dangerous at all times.

     Bears in the Blackmoor wilderness can be extremely dangerous, as large males in particular tend to be very aggressive in defense of their territory, and females will attack anything that approaches their den or their cubs.  Bears frequently give warnings before attacking, giving an opportunity for retreat or avoidance.  These warnings should be heeded, for once engaged, bears tend to enter a combat frenzy which only ends with their own death or their opponent’s.  In such a state, even when “killed”, a bear will fight on for 1 – 4 rounds from pure adrenalin, regardless of further damage.

     Bears attack with both teeth and claw.  Their bite can break bones, and their strength can compare favorably to an ogre.  Their extreme strength and body mass gives unstoppable momentum to a charge, and although not particularly fast over distance, a bear can “pounce” with amazing speed over a short distance.  Large animals are incredibly tough, and their naturally thick fur and dense muscle tissues further make it difficult for blunt weapons to hurt them;  we estimate that such weapons do half damage to these animals.  

     Even without their frenzy state, bears should be taken very seriously, and considered at least class 5 - 6 encounters, depending on size.  

      The Giant Centipede is no bug but a true giant, reaching a lengths of 20 feet or more.  They have powerful mandibles up to three feet long that can seize prey, and their size and mass allow them to take on virtually anything in the forest, including unwary adventurers.

       Giant Centipedes are found throughout Blackmoor’s wilderness areas and cave environments.  They are always active and always on the hunt, and although normally carrion feeders, they will attack anything deemed edible without hesitation.  They can move through, along, or over virtually any kind of terrain without hindrance, and climb vertical surfaces. Although they tend to avoid large bodies of water, they are capable of moving underwater along stream or lakebeds, and can stay underwater for many minutes.  Although they are not particularly fast in flat, open terrain, their ability to traverse surfaces means they become effectively faster the more difficult the terrain gets, allowing them to catch prey that might otherwise avoid them in such conditions. 

      Centipedes are exceptionally dangerous encounters.  The large mandibles are for holding prey, not eating, but they strike like sword blows and can hold a target with near human-maximum strength.  They have a stinging tail which delivers a powerful paralytic poison, strong enough to render even large forest predators helpless in as little as 20 to 30 seconds.  Without magical neutralization, most creatures (including adventurers) won’t withstand it.  Most full-size versions appear to have enough poison to strike at least two or three times, and perhaps more.  Frequently, they will bite and hold a victim in order to sting with the tail, then release a victim to let the poison work.  Once the prey is paralyzed, the centipede can then return to consume its meal.  

     The Guild rates Giant Centipedes as a level 6 encounter, and are every bit as dangerous as tigers or crocodiles.  

     The Cave Bear is a rare but exceptionally powerful and dangerous creature, and without argument the most dangerous individual animal in the Blackmoor wilderness.  The speed and ferocity of their attacks are unmatched by anything in the wilderness. They stand easily 15 to 16 feet on their hind legs and can weigh three-quarters of a ton.  Six-inch claws are driven by muscles strong enough to rip the breastplate off a warrior's body, and its jaws are strong enough to crush armor-clad limbs even if the teeth don't penetrate.  Like all bears, they will go into a berserk frenzy when sufficiently injured, increasing their attack speed and frequency even further, and they almost always fight to the death.  Unlike other bears, the Cave Bear is known to attack unprovoked and without warning, adding one more element of danger to its resume.  

       Cave bears can be encountered in caves, of course, but equally in the wilderness at large, at any time of the year except winter.  The Guild recommends avoiding them, and gives them a level 8 danger ranking, a grade many feel is too low.