Fortress Crab

Not every threat of Innistrad's people comes in the form of a bloodthirsty beast or a crazed alchemist. Even before Innistrad was waylaid and its people held hostage by the forces of darkness, danger or a more natural kind lurked around most corners. The fortress crab is an example of these forgotten threats, a once terrifying creature that is now seen as little more than a nuisance in the face of more pressing threats.
Sustained Growth Fortress crabs are large crustaceans, native to the shores of Gavony and Nephalia, with a penchant for growing to incredible sizes. Stories of the crabs stretch back thousands of years, and they are even mentioned in the Libris Malo Bestias, Iniistrad's oldest surviving book of ecology, written before the birth of Avacyn. The Malo Bestias mentions the fortress crabs as little more than pests, capable of growing as large as a hunting hound, whose population it is recommended be kept constantly in check. In past centuries this led the residents of Nephalia and Gavony to hunt the crabs for sport, though not as food, since the crab's taste foul.
Following the rise in the population of vampires, werewolves, and other monsters, the people of Gavony and Nephalia no longer felt safe leaving their homes to hunt the crabs. Without human interference, and no natural predators capable of breaking their shells, some crabs began to grow to unearthly sizes. Though the growth was slow, over the course of decades, several crabs achieved sizes as large as small houses. When Avacyn was born, the people took to hunting the crabs once more, though with less frequency, but by that point, the damage had been done.
Many of the largest crabs were too dangerous for the people to hunt, and with Cathars and angels alike busy handling other issues, the crabs continued to grow. Now, in the modern-day, some of these ancient crabs survive, looking like boulders when they are buried beneath the sand of the beaches. And with residents once more afraid to leave their houses, even smaller fortress crabs are able to survive for longer, only further contributing to a population explosion of these menaces.
Not every threat of Innistrad's people comes in the form of a bloodthirsty beast or a crazed alchemist. Even before Innistrad was waylaid and its people held hostage by the forces of darkness, danger or a more natural kind lurked around most corners. The fortress crab is an example of these forgotten threats, a once terrifying creature that is now seen as little more than a nuisance in the face of more pressing threats.
Bigger is Better Not every fortress crab manages to grow up to be a hulking nuisance. The statistics of the fortress crab shown here are for crabs that have lived for 150 years or more so that they are difficult to kill, but their growth has significantly slowed. Younger fortress crabs are still very big and can often be found in large numbers, but aren't nearly as dangerous as these titans, and use the statistics for the giant crab found in the Monster Manual.

Fortress Crab

Not every threat of Innistrad's people comes in the form of a bloodthirsty beast or a crazed alchemist. Even before Innistrad was waylaid and its people held hostage by the forces of darkness, danger or a more natural kind lurked around most corners. The fortress crab is an example of these forgotten threats, a once terrifying creature that is now seen as little more than a nuisance in the face of more pressing threats.


Not every fortress crab manages to grow up to be a hulking nuisance. The statistics of the fortress crab shown here are for crabs that have lived for 150 years or more so that they are difficult to kill, but their growth has significantly slowed. Younger fortress crabs are still very big and can often be found in large numbers, but aren't nearly as dangerous as these titans, and use the statistics for the giant crab found in the Monster Manual.

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Armor Class	19 (natural armor)
Hit Points	4d12+8
Speed	40 ft.	Swim 30 ft.
Strength	17 (+3)
Dexterity	13 (+1)
Constitution	15 (+2)
Intelligence	1 (-5)
Wisdom	9 (-1)
Charisma	3 (-2)
Damage Immunities	Piercing
Senses	Blindsight 60 ft.	Passive Perception 9
Languages	---
Challenge	4 (1,100 XP)
Special 1	Amphibious	The crab can breathe both air and water
Special 2	Siege Monster	The crab deals double damage to objects and structures
Action 1	Claw	Melee Weapon Attack	d20+5 to hit
Reach 5 ft., one target	Hit 1d12+3 bludgeoning damage,	and the target is grappled (escape DC 13).	The crab has two claws,
each of which can grapple only one target
Action 2	Crush	The crab clamps down on one creature that it has grappled,	forcing the target to make a DC 15 Strength saving throw.
On a failed save the target takes 2d12 bludgeoning damage	and is stunned until the end of its next turn.	On a success, the target takes half as much damage and is not stunned