Bestiary
Beast

Porcupine

Habitat
Forests, scrub, and rocky hills
Biomes
temp-broadleaf, grassland, +mountain
Spawn
solo, night
Temper
Slow, peaceable, well-defended
Threat
Low
Rarity
Common–Uncommon
Move
crawl.
Special
The giant breed flings a volley of loose quills a short distance like thrown darts; bites only in desperate defense; anyone who strikes it or presses close impales themselves on its barbed spines
VariantSTRDEXCONINTHealthDamageArmor
Black71292931616
Brown81292931716
Giant2362222304920

The porcupine is a stout, slow-moving rodent armored in a coat of stiff, barbed quills. Harmless if left alone, it presents a wall of spines to any attacker, raising and rattling its quills and lashing its tail so the barbs lodge deep in a predator's flesh. The giant porcupine is a far larger version whose three-foot quills can punch through hide, and it can even fling a volley of loose quills several paces like a flight of darts. The quills work loose and fester, making any attack on it a painful mistake.

Behavior

  • Forages slowly on bark, roots, and plants; flees if it can
  • When threatened, turns its back and bristles its quills
  • Lashes its tail to drive in quills, and the giant breed flings a volley of loose quills at range
  • Quills detach and lodge in flesh, festering if not removed

Abilities

  • Quill Coat. Attackers that strike it in melee impale themselves on barbed spines.
  • Tail Lash. Swipes its spined tail to embed quills in a foe.
  • Quill Volley (giant). Launches a spray of long quills several paces, striking like thrown darts.
  • Barbed Quills. Lodged quills are painful to remove and prone to infection.

Drops & Crafting

  • Quills (needles, darts, ornament, writing styli)
  • Meat
  • Hide