Mudbugs, or "giant crawdads" as they are sometimes called, are Large crawfish that live part of the time on land. Because they breathe with gills that must remain moist, Mudbugs burrow into moist soils to obtain water. As they burrow, these giant crawdads push up the soft mud and create chimneylike columns that are hollow in the center. Such chimneys can be very strong when dried, and when abandoned are often used by other animals (giant snakes, Bushfolk, etc.) for shelter.
Mudbug in defensive stance
COMBAT
Mudbugs use their dark coloring to obscure their presence in the water or brush, grabbing their victims from the depths or from shadows.
Aquatic Sprint: A Mudbug can move ten times its normal swim rate (50 ft. by 10 = 500 ft.) underwater, a number of times equal to its HD, each hour. It cannot use this sprint in conjunction with an attack, such as a charge, although it may use it to position itself for an attack next round.
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, the Mudbug must hit with at least a single pincer attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can attempt a pinch attack. Depending on the circumstances, held victims could instead be taken underwater in order to drown them, or into the woods to be pinched and eaten.
Amphibious: A Mudbug is an osmoconformer that can only breathe freshwater with its gills. These creatures can survive out of water indefinitely, provided they have access to moisture. Without moisture they can survive 1 hour per Constitution point.
Pinch (Ex): When holding an opponent of smaller or equal size, a Mudbug can pinch the extremity it is holding. The pinch causes an automatic critical threat each round the victim is held. If a successful critical roll follows, the victim receives double pincer damage and must make a Fortitude save or lose the extremity. Pinching a creature in half (for humanoids this would be at the waist) requires four successful critical rolls in a row, minus one roll for each size difference between the Mudbug and its prey. For example, a Huge mudbug attempting to pinch a Large creature in half would require only three critical rolls in a row (4 rolls – 1 size difference = 3 rolls); while a Huge mudbug attempting to pinch a Small creature in half only requires one critical roll in a row (4 rolls – 3 size differences = 1 roll).