#ambusher

Psithalide Skitterling

CR 1/4 Monstrosity

Small but cunning, these agile infiltrators were shaped for espionage and sabotage. Silent as shadows and unnervingly intelligent for their size, skitterlings slip through cracks, gather secrets, and sow discord where least expected.

What would you do if one was watching you right now?

 The ambush, the stealth attack, the sudden strike that delivers a fatal, killing blow. Nature is full of predators that use this very tactic to survive. After all, a missed meal in the while might mean starving to death, so many predators have to be cautious, waiting for the right time to strike and, if all goes well, kill their prey in one or two blows, their powerful jaws or other weapon going right for their most vulnerable points, or their traps springing and preventing any and all escape as they are brought down.

As one might expect, there are plenty of folk with access to a companion that lean into this, training their companions to be the best at striking from the shadows.

This need not be limited to predators though. Herbivores can be even more aggressive when they feel even slightly threatened. There’s plenty of stories about people being mauled by deer or other ungulates that the victims didn’t even know were there until they were right on top of them.

Regardless, these so-called ambushers attack from the shadows, hitting their opponents hard before they know what hit them.

 Whether it is the natural appearance of the beast, a rare phenotype, or a little help from their owner, these companions are naturally gifted at camouflage, blending in with their home environment, making them extremely difficult to notice when they don’t wish to be.

What’s more, their senses are so keen that they are hard to ambush in kind, and they move so swiftly and precisely that they often get a leg up on foes and strike for their prey’s vulnerabilities even after they’ve noticed the attack coming, but before combat has truly been joined.

A simple archetype, one that trades the skill to ambush foes with ease for the price of being receptive to magic and resisting various effects, as well as attacking repeatedly, this is definitely very useful for a character with a companion who themselves strikes from the shadows, such as rangers or hunters. As for companion choice, this archetype really is meant for companions that rely on a good opening play, such as those with the pounce and rake ability, charging in and full attacking with bonus attacks, or powerful charge, getting lots of extra damage from a single powerful blow. Vermin options like web tyrant spiders, as well as poisonous vermin are good choices. Meanwhile options that rely on swallow whole or constriction are also good.

 As one might imagine, training an animal to engage in stalking behavior has it’s on challenges. Certainly one might expect to see predators that play by stalking and pouncing on each other, but this might unnerve others, and while it wouldn’t be likely to come up in a tabletop game, there is the fear that laypersons would have that the stalking was very real.

  Utterly rejecting all civilization, the drider Mecchazemon feels more kindred with the spiders he has been twisted to resemble. When humanoids enter his territory, he works together with his trained giant spider Viccas to capture them. If they are drow or are clearly hostile, he kills them without hesitation. Others he may let go if they promise to never return.

 Driven from the depths by even fiercer foes, A buggane now lurks in the sewers beneath Skystone. The beast is wily, and quickly uses its power over earth to flee if confronted during a kill. However, a canny hunter, perhaps with a companion trained for the ambush, might be able to take it down before it can escape.

Grahtwood Ambusher

"The Elder Scrolls: Legends", © 2015 ZeniMax Media Inc. / Lemon Sky Studio