New Monster: Carnivorous Hamshark

While not one of the monsters I promised in the previous post about a certain hillbilly monster-hunting show, what follows is a writeup for the BECMI D&D rules of a monster my daughter drew a few weeks ago. I liked it so much, plus it made me laugh a little - come on... hamsters are funny. I thought it might fit in a post-apocalyptic setting, after a nuclear death. It reminds me of something that could be found in a Sterling Lanier novel.

CARNIVOROUS HAMSHARK

Armor Class:  7

Hit Dice:  2+2* (M)

Move:  120' (40')

Attacks:  2 claws/1 bite

Damage: 1d4/1d4/1d6+1

No. Appearing:  1d4 (2d8)

Save As: F3

Morale:  8

Treasure Type:  Nil

Intelligence:  2

Alignment:  Neutral

XP Value:  35

    Monster Type: Giant Animal (Rare).

    In the millennia since the end of civilization, many mutated creatures have evolved on the planet.  The so-called Carnivorous Hamshark is a burrow-dwelling cross between a furry hamster-like rodent and some kind of shark, however improbable this seems. The only thing that points to its shark ancestry are the teeth, which are nearly identical to pre-cataclysm aquatic sharks.

    Hamsharks are roughly 5' tall when standing on their hind legs and weigh nearly 400 pounds. Their jaws are incredibly powerful and they are competent hunters. They can track their quarry by smell alone (1 in 6 chance if the prey is within one mile).

    When the Carnivorous Hamshark hits with its bite attack, it achieves a very difficult to break hold on its victim. Each round it will stay attached and do automatic bite damage unless the bitten character succeeds on a Strength check. While the Hamshark is attached, only attacks with small or close-quarters weapons like knives can be made against it by the bitten character with no penalty. Medium weapons like long swords or scimitars (one-handed melee weapons larger than a short sword) can be used to attack while bitten, but at a -4 penalty. Large weapons like spears and two-handed swords cannot be used to attack an attached Hamshark.

    Terrain: Ruins, Woods.

Artwork (c) 2024 Ava Parrish