Familiar, Pufferfish

This spotted fish has pronounced eyes, a wide mouth, and tiny, brightly colored spikes protruding from its round body.

Source Familiar Folio pg. 25
Originally posted in Archives of Nethys

Pufferfish (or ‘puffers’) are a category of poisonous fish that dwell in warm coastal waters. Pufferfish have the ability to rapidly fill their stomachs with water or air, causing their bodies to balloon out and make the poisonous spikes on their skin more pronounced. While certain aquatic sharks and other animals have adapted to eat pufferfish, the puffer’s tetrodotoxin (typically delivered via the spines on the fish’s skin, though prevalent throughout its organs as well) remains highly poisonous to humans and most mammals. Puffers come in a large variety of sizes and varieties, and most range from 6 inches to 2 feet in length and weigh between 5 and 30 pounds.

Certain societies regard pufferfish meat as a delicacy. The specially trained chefs capable of reliably distinguishing the poisonous parts of the pufferfish from the nontoxic parts are highly prized by members of the nobility.

Pufferfish CR 1/4

XP 100 N Tiny animal (aquatic) Init +2; Senses low-light vision; Perception +5

DEFENSE

AC 14, touch 14, flat-footed 12 (+2 Dexterity, +2 size) hp 6 (1d8+2) Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +1 Defensive Abilities spines

OFFENSE

Speed swim 20 ft. Space 2-1/2 ft., Reach 0 ft. Special Attacks poison

STATISTICS

Strength 4, Dexterity 14, Constitution 15, Intelligence 1, Wisdom 12, Charisma 9 Base Atk +0; CMB +0; CMD 7 Feats Agile Maneuvers Skills Perception +5, Swim +5

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Poison (Ex) Tetrodotoxin: Spines – injury; save Fort DC 12; frequency once; initial effect staggered for 1 round; secondary effect paralysis for 1d4 rounds; cure 2 consecutive saves. The save DC is Constitution-based. Spines (Ex) Pufferfish aren’t equipped attack other creatures, but foes that strike a pufferfish with an unarmed strike or natural attack risk being poisoned by the fish’s toxic spines, and must immediately save against the pufferfish’s tetrodotoxin.

ECOLOGY

Environment warm coastlines Organization solitary or school (2-8) Treasure none