Flicker Rat
Beast · no Crown (Meridian)
T1d4Minor
Urban vermin with glassy transparent patches on their fur that bend light around them at high speed, making them nearly impossible to trap.
Tier 1 · Role Minor · Pool Vigor 1 (+1 overflow) · AC 10 · ATK +2 · Save DC 11 · Dmg 1 (flat)
| Stat | Score | Mod | Die |
|---|---|---|---|
| Body | 12 | - | - |
| Mind | 8 | - | - |
| Sense | 12 | - | - |
| Heart | 8 | - | - |
| Cunning | 14 | - | - |
| Fate | 14 | - | - |
A Minor has no attribute mechanics: the scores describe the creature, they do not roll.
Passives
Phase Flicker
When threatened, flickers between visible and nearly-invisible at high speed, imposing disadvantage on attacks against it. This is a light-bending reflex, not true invisibility. Vaedni can see through it.
Maneuvers
Dart and Weave
Moves up to 40 ft without provoking reactions while flickering.
Reactions
Swarm Flicker
When 6+ flicker rats are within 10 ft of each other and one is attacked, they phase in unison, a disorienting strobe. Creatures within 10 ft make a Sense save (DC 11) or are dazed for 1 round.
Tactics
GM tactics
Flicker rats flee rather than fight. Their Phase Flicker triggers automatically, making them frustrating to catch. They scatter in all directions and regroup later.
Running it
Rules
- Vigor equal to Tier, with an overflow of the same size behind it: 1, then 1 more. Neither half regenerates.
- A hit deals a flat 1, no roll. A crit (natural 20 only) rolls d4 and never lands below 1.
- Crits on a natural 20 only.
- Minor: no stat modifiers or dice in play; its scores describe the creature, they do not roll.
- At 0 Vigor it breaks and flees, out of the fight but alive; Fanatics fight on into the overflow instead.
- Total damage reaching 2 kills it outright, and a single blow of 2 or more kills it on the spot.
- Vigor damage is simply damage against a Minor: its whole pool is Vigor.
- Group morale: when its group loses half its number, fled or dead, the rest check morale.
- NPCs never take wounds.