Firebrat (3.5e Monster)

Strategies and Tactics


Firebrats, unless cornered, attempt to flee. When forced to fight, they charge in and bite, releasing their spittle. A firebrat will attack to defend a clutch of eggs or a brood of young.

Skills: Firebrats have a +4 racial bonus on Hide and Spot checks and a +8 racial bonus on Climb checks. A firebrat can always choose to take 10 on Climb checks, even if rushed or threatened. Firebrats use either their Strength or Dexterity modifier to Climb checks, whichever is higher.

Firebrat Ecology
Firebrats are tiny, scuttling, insectile creatures with innate magical essences. They have flat bodies with a mottled reddish-orange, scaly sheen. Their undersides are covered with a soft, downy fur. They scurry about, low to the ground on six small legs. Two long antennae and three long tail feelers guide them and warn them of nearby dangers.

A firebrat is about a 1'6" long and weighs about 4 pounds.

Firebrats stick to warm, dark places, and when surprised, may attack if cornered. They prefer desert caves or rocky outcroppings. Occasionally, they venture out onto desert dunes at night, searching for scraps of food.

Taming Firebrats
Firebrats are treated as animals for the purposes of training with Handle Animal checks. They are easily domesticated, and surprisingly bright considering their appearance and take to living amongst intelligent folk with great success (when cared for properly).

A tame and trained firebrat lives for 1d6+3 years in captivity. Two times a year, female firebrats become reproductively receptive and release a gentle pheromone which smells reminiscent of a bakery, signaling nearby males that she is ready to mate. Females lay and abandon any unfertilized eggs.

A female firebrat lays 2d10 eggs per clutch, which are kept in a warm, dark, dry hole, often covered with a slight bit of sand to stymy predators. These eggs have a hard, slightly translucent chitinous shell with a reddish-gray hue. Female firebrats guard their clutch, leaving only to feed. A firebrat egg hatches in 20 days, and a young firebrat reaches maturity in 60 days. Young firebrats follow their mother about until they reach maturity.

A firebrat egg, roughly the size of a quail egg, is worth a scant 1 sp. Some folk harvest these eggs for food, citing their mildly spicy flavor and excellently smooth texture. Additionally, some folk harvest firebrats themselves for food, likening them to a mildly spicy lobster (though a bit stringier if not prepared properly).

Familiars
Despite being a magical beast, the firebrat can be selected as a familiar. Firebrats grant their master either Energy Resistance 2 (acid) or Energy Resistance 2 (fire).