Gargant Sifter

Gargant Sifter (CR 2)

Neutral - Tiny - Vermin

Lore:	Know (Nature)
4		19
Basic DC		Full DC

Initiative

4

Perception:
14	+4
Passive	Active

Ambush:

9+

on a d20

Senses:

• Standard Senses
• Scent 30 ft.

Movement Types:

• Walk 30 ft.
• Lesser Climb 20 ft.

Defense

AC

16

Man Def

16

Monster Health
41	20	3
Hit Points	Bloodied	Hit Dice

Saving Throws
Fort:	+5
Refl:	+0
Will:	+0

Strong Against:

• Immune (no effect): slime (physical, common) damage

Weak Against:

Offense

Size:	Tiny
2.5 ft.		0 ft.
Space		Reach

To-Hit

+4

Man Off

+4

Action

0

Points

Standard Attack (Melee):

• 1x Gargant Nippers +4 (1d8/19-20 x2)
  as slashing (physical, common)

Full Attack (Melee):

• 3x Gargant Nippers +4 (1d8/19-20 x2)
  as slashing (physical, common)

Standard Attack (Ranged):

• 1x Formic Spray +4 (1d8/19-20 x2)
  as slime (physical, common)
  (Increment: 20 ft.; Max Range: 40 ft.)

Full Attack (Ranged):

Siege Damage: Not siege capable

Statistics

12

STR

10

DEX

10

CON

1

INT

8

WIS

6

CHA

Skills:

• Perception: 4
• All other skills: 0 (no ranks)

Languages: -

Feats:

Special Abilities

Disproportionate Strength (Ex) Auto, 1/rnd after successful attack

Up to once per round, after successfully hitting an enemy with an attack, the Gargant can push the target 1 square in any direction that leaves the target in an unoccupied, unblocked space that is further away from the Gargant than the space in which it began. Moving the target to a space that is equidistant from its starting space is not permitted. If there are no valid spaces into which to push the target, this ability cannot be used.

Formic Splat (Ex)

Whenever a Gargant Sifter is killed, it loses control of the powerful sacs in its body that hold its supply of formic acid. Without that control, the Gargant swells, creaks...and bursts in a juicy splatter of stinking slime. All creatures in its space and all adjacent spaces take 1d8 points of slime (physical, common) damage. Gargants are immune to this damage, so it usually winds up being their attackers who get a faceful of the awful stuff. Yuck.

Gargant Sifter

'Gargants' are gargantuan ants. Thankfully, not actually size gargantuan, they are rarely more than a couple of feet long...but for an ant, that's absolutely enormous. Gargants otherwise behave rather like ants do, constantly on the prowl for food, building nests, and laying eggs to make more gargants.

The fact that they're as big as Dire Rats makes them a major problem, rather akin to packs of stray dogs. They also have an unfortunate tendency to burst when killed, which is very unpleasant.

Thankfully, Gargants tend to be solitary prowlers, and while they will attack creatures looking for food, they are not extremely aggressive. There have been rare reports of swarms of gargants, as well as all manner of larger sports and varieties, but the majority of them are scavenging vermin that will attack if they sense a chance for food, or if their nest is threatened, but will otherwise bumble along, chewing and taking.

Gargants can make rats seem like a minor issue, especially in stocks of stored food and the like, and as a result Gargants are often targeted by authorities for extermination.

Combat Tactics

Gargants don't really have combat tactics, they will move toward food and try to eat it or carry it back to their nest. They have a discouraging tendency to detect most adventurers as food, so that's often a problem.

Once attacked, they will move close to use their nippers. If they can't reach a foe with a simple move, they will spray, then close closer next round. If they can't attack with nippers or spray, they will double move toward the closest foe.

When killed, they burst in a messy splat of slime damage, but they are immune to slime damage, so other gargants will be undeterred.

Once they start fighting, they will never retreat.

That's really all there is to it.

Out of Combat

Gargants form large nests, but they are well hidden and gargants are excellent travelers, so a nest might be miles away from where gargants are infesting something. A gargant nest looks exactly like natural tunnels or caves, excavated by the industrious vermin. Indeed, many of the caves and dungeons close to the surface all over the world probably began as gargant nests at one point or another. Attacking a gargant nest is exactly like fighting into a cave system, except there's lots of gargants.

Even more confusing, since gargants are pretty non-aggressive if left alone, it's quite common for other monsters to move into gargant nests and live right along beside them. Goblins, kobolds, norkers, grimlocks, orcs, gnolls, and more besides can be found in gargant nests. It can be difficult to determine if a cave system is a gargant nest with kobolds and grimlocks who have moved in, or a kobold lair with an infestation of gargants.

Formians, it should be mentioned, are a serious hazard if they are associated with gargants. Caution should always be applied to gargant incursions in case those tiny terrors are involved.

Rewards

XP: 600

Treasure: Sellable Goods worth 500 gp.

Weight: 20 lbs.     Volume: 0.8 cu. ft.

Optional Treasure Rules: Roll a d20 on Table 1 below once per encounter (NOT per creature). Any items discovered are in addition to the normal treasure for the encounter.

Table 1: Remnant(s) Found
1 - 10	Nothing Found
11 - 14	1 Languid Remnant (tier 1)
15 - 17	1 Pale Remnant (tier 2)
18 - 19	1 Bright Remnant (tier 3)
20	Roll on Table 2
###	Nothing to see here!
###	Or here. Move along.

Table 2: Remnant(s) Found
1 - 5	3 Languid Remnants (tier 1)
6 - 10	3 Pale Remnants (tier 2)
11 - 14	1 Intense Remnant (tier 4)
15 - 17	1 Blazing Remnant (tier 5)
18 - 19	1 Vital Remnant (tier 6)
20	Roll on Table 3
###	Or here. Move along.

Table 3: Remnant(s) Found
1 - 5	3 Bright Remnants (tier 3)
6 - 8	3 Intense Remnants (tier 4)
9 - 11	3 Blazing Remnants (tier 5)
12 - 14	3 Vital Remnants (tier 6)
15 - 17	1 Prime Remnant (tier 7)
18 - 19	1 Mythic Remnant (tier 8)
20	1 Empyrean Remnant (tier 9)