Salt Mouse

A silky smooth layer of midnight blue down poofs out on this diminutive, furry vermin. A single large eye amplifies its seemingly cute innocence.

Salt Mouse     CR 1/4
XP 100
N Diminutive animal
Init +3; Senses low-light vision, scent; Perception +13
Aura luring pheromones (30 ft., DC 15)

DEFENSE
AC 17, touch 17, flat-footed 14 (+3 Dex, +4 size)
hp 3 (1d8–1)
Fort +1, Ref +5, Will +0

OFFENSE
Speed 10 ft., climb 10 ft., swim 10 ft.
Melee bite +7 (1d3–5 plus 1 Str damage [salt absorption])
Space 1 ft.; Reach 0 ft.
Special Attacks salt absorption, swarm

STATISTICS
Str 1, Dex 16, Con 8, Int 2, Wis 11, Cha 18
Base Atk +0; CMB –2; CMD 4
Feats Weapon Finesse
Skills Climb +10, Perception +13, Stealth +7, Swim +10; Racial Modifiers +8 Perception, +4 Stealth
SQ improved familiar (master gains a +3 bonus to Diplomacy checks)

ECOLOGY
Environment salt water shorelines, alkaline beaches or deserts, sea-going vessels
Organization solitary or swarm
Treasure none

SPECIAL ABILITIES
Luring Pheromones (Ex) A salt mouse exudes a pheromone that attracts creatures, drawing them near. Any creature within 30 ft. of a salt mouse must succeed on a DC 15 Will save or be compelled to approach as per suggestion. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Salt Absorption (Ex) A salt mouse’s diet is entirely comprised of absorbing salt from its environment. A single mouse can absorb the salt from a barrel of ocean water in 12 hours. The left-over water is entirely potable. Consider a creature dead if its Strength is reduced to 0 through salt absorption.

Salt mice appear as poofy, monocular mice with a very small lamprey-like sucker mouth. They range in color from raven black or midnight blue to palomino and often sport a brindle combination of the two. They are hermaphroditic and incredibly fertile; they can breed huge swarms within weeks if left unchecked.

Ship captains consider a single salt mouse a prized possession for a long ocean voyage, because it allows them to eschew purchasing barrels of potable water. A salt mouse costs 200 gpand but it costs nothing to feed if near an abundant source of salt (in other words, ocean water, alkaline desert, or beach, and so on) If no abundant source of salt can be found, a salt mouse requires 3 pounds of salt per day. A salt mouse’s life span is incredibly short, however, lasting at most 2 years.

Salt Mice Swarm

Thousands of trilling purrs fill the air as a mass of small, monocular mice crawls like a carpet, sniffing for the scent of your salt.

Salt Mice Swarm     CR 5
XP 1,600
NE Diminutive magical beast (swarm)
Init +7; Senses low-light vision, scent; Perception +19
Aura luring pheromones (30 ft., DC 15)

DEFENSE
AC 17, touch 17, flat-footed 14 (+3 Dex, +4 size)
hp 27 (6d10-6)
Fort +4, Ref +8, Will +2
Defensive Abilities swarm traits; Immune weapon damage

OFFENSE
Speed 10 ft., climb 10 ft., swim 10 ft.
Melee swarm (1d6 plus 1d4+1 Str damage [salt absorption])
Space 10 ft.; Reach 0 ft.
Special Attacks salt absorption, distraction (DC 13)

STATISTICS
Str 1, Dex 16, Con 13, Int 19, Wis 11, Cha 18
Base Atk +5; CMB —; CMD —
Feats Improved Initiative, Skill Focus (Bluff), Skill Focus (Perception)
Skills Bluff +14, Climb +15, Perception +19, Spellcraft +12, Stealth +15, Swim +15; Racial Modifiers +8 Perception, +4 Stealth
SQ hive mind

ECOLOGY
Environment salt water shorelines, alkaline beaches or deserts, sea-going vessels
Organization solitary, pack (2–5 swarms), or infestation (6–12 swarms)
Treasure none

SPECIAL ABILITIES
Hive Mind (Su) When salt mice swarm, they transform into a magical beast with a hive intelligence. As long as any salt mouse is within 30 ft. of the swarm, they share its intelligence and may use the swarm’s skills and feats.

A salt mice swarm typically consists of a crawling mass of monocular mice that wink with seething intelligence. They will seek to trick their unsuspecting victims into coming close to a single salt mouse so that the hiding swarm can pounce on them unawares. Salt mice swarms are capable of tracking prey by the scent of the salt in their bodies.

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