This creature appears to be a great legless frog with a long newt-like tail, and two great membraned wings emerging from either side.
Water Leaper CR 5
Water leaper illustration copyright © 1980 Polly Wilson. Used without permission.
Always N Large magical beast (aquatic)
Init +5; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Listen +3, Spot +3
Language Draconic
AC 17, touch 10, flat-footed 16
(-1 size, +1 Dex, +7 natural)
hp 57 (6 HD)
Fort +9, Ref +6, Will +5
Spd swim 50 ft. (10 squares), glide 30 ft.
Melee bite +10 (4d4+7)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Base Atk +6; Grp +14
Atk Options improved grab, shriek (DC 17)
Abilities Str 20, Dex 13, Con 18, Int 3, Wis 12, Cha 12
SQ glide
Feats Alertness, Improved Initiative, Iron Will
Skills Jump +11, Listen +3, Spot +3, Swim +5 (+13 perform some special action or avoid a hazard)
Advancement 7–12 HD (Large), 13–18 HD (Huge)
Glide (Ex) A water leaper can launch itself into the air and glide along for 2–5 rounds, gaining a fly speed of 30 feet and average maneuverability. A gliding water leaper can move at full speed (30
feet) and make a full attack.
Improved Grab (Ex) To use this ability, a water leaper must hit with its bite attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If the water leaper grabs its prey during a leap, it attempts to drag the creature into the water.
Shriek (Ex) Once per hour, a water leaper can emit a terrifying screech that stuns its prey. Creatures (other than water leapers) hearing the shriek within 120 feet must succeed on a DC 17 Fortitude save or be stunned for 1d3 rounds. The save DC is Constitution based.
Skills A water leaper has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line.
These creatures are the bane of lakeside fishermen, as they attack boatmen, break lines and nets, and destroy fishing grounds. They have been known to attack cattle and sheep that wade into the water or approach too closely. They are not averse to adding a few incautious humans to their diet. Those familiar with the water leaper fear it greatly.
Strategy and Tactics
If a water leaper senses a victim in its waters, it will close on it immediately. If the victim is submerged or swimming, the water leaper will attack without leaving the water. Potential victims sitting or standing in small boats will be attacked as the monster leaps from the water and flies towards them with open mouth. As soon as the creature is airborne, it will emit a terrifying shriek. It then attacks with its single bite, splashing into the water with its victim in its mouth or to try again if it missed.
Water Leaper Lore
Characters with ranks in Knowledge (nature) can learn more about water leapers. When a character makes a successful skill check, the following lore is revealed, including the information from lower DCs.
| DC | Result |
|---|---|
| 15 | This creature is a water leaper, an aquatic magical beast. |
| 20 | Water leapers are renown for their ability to leap out of the water and attack creatures in boats. |
| 25 | The shriek of a water leaper can stun unsuspecting creatures. |
Sample Encounters
Water leapers are never encountered outside aquatic environments.
Solitary (EL 5): A single water leaper lurks in the waters of a shallow channel, waiting for boats to pass above it.
Group (EL 7–9): A clutch of two to four water leapers harass a popular fishing grounds.
Ecology
As water leaper eggs are a delicacy for humans as well as other fishes, they are quite valuable and much sought. Consequently, few of the hundreds of eggs laid each year reach maturity. Water leapers live for about 20 years.
They are helpless to attack on land if they should happen to fall, and have only a 20% chance per round of lifting off again; otherwise they will expire in 3–5 hours of exposure and dehydration. While still alive, they can wiggle towards water at a rate of 1 square per round.
Environment: Water leapers can be found in any aquatic environment.
Typical Physical Characteristics: The sight of this creature is rather disturbing in itself. It appears as a great legless frog with a long newt-like tail, and two great membraned wings emerging from either side. The whole creature ranges from 8 to 10 feet in length.
Society
Water leapers are not particularly intelligent and have no languages other than Draconic.
Typical Treasure
Water leapers have standard treasure for their Challenge Rating, about 1,600 gp. They often keep treasure in a rocky nest on the bottom, where they also lay their eggs.