Buy me a coffee“Nicor: The Silent Coil of the Fen – Deadly Swamp Predator”
“Amphibious fen-serpents born of black water and ancient dread, Nicors lurk beneath stagnant depths to drag the unwary into a wordless, drowning death.”
Nicors are primordial, eel-like water monsters that haunt bogs, moors, and shadowed mere-pools, ambushing prey with sudden lunges from the murk and dragging victims into suffocating darkness; feared across the northern realms, they are among the oldest predatory forces to stalk the cold waterways of the world.
Appearance
Nicors are long, serpentine amphibians with peat-dark scales, a narrow crocodilian skull lined with interlocking teeth, and pale, reflective eyes that gleam like lanterns beneath the water’s surface. A muscular swimming body ripples with eel-like flexibility, while their slick, mud-stained hide blends perfectly into stagnant fens and weed-choked lakes.
Behaviour
Silent and territorial, Nicors stalk their waters with predatory patience, lying motionless beneath the surface until warm-blooded prey draws near. When they strike, they do so with brutal efficiency—latching on with crushing jaws, coiling their bodies around victims, and dragging them into black water to drown before feeding.
Habitat
They dwell in cold marshes, deep fens, moors, peat bogs, and shadow-drowned meres where visibility is low and the water carries the chill of ancient depths. A Nicor’s territory often includes submerged caverns, flooded tree roots, or sinkholes where they nest and lurk for days at a time.
Modus Operandi
Nicors hunt by ambush, erupting from concealment in a sudden burst of speed to seize prey in their jaws, then relying on overwhelming strength and suffocation rather than prolonged combat. When faced with multiple opponents, they retreat into deep water, circling back to attack lone or weakened stragglers with relentless, cold-blooded instinct.
Motivation
Driven by primal hunger and an instinctive urge to defend their watery domains, Nicors seek only to feed, breed, and eliminate intruders. They lack higher reasoning or malice, yet their brutal efficiency and ancient resilience make them one of the deadliest natural predators of the northern marshlands.
Nicor 5e 2024
Nicor, Pathfinder
Nicor 3.5
NICOR
Large Monstrosity, Unaligned
Armor Class: 15 (natural armor)
Hit Points: 142 (15d10 + 60)
Speed: 20 ft., swim 50 ft.
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 (+5) | 14 (+2) | 18 (+4) | 3 (-4) | 14 (+2) | 8 (-1) |
Saving Throws: Dex +5, Con +7, Wis +5
Skills: Perception +5, Stealth +7 (in water +11), Survival +5
Damage Resistances: cold; bludgeoning from nonmagical attacks while submerged
Condition Immunities: grappled (while fully submerged), prone
Senses: darkvision 60 ft., tremorsense 20 ft. (water only), passive Perception 15
Languages: —
Challenge: 7 (2,900 XP)
Proficiency Bonus: +3
TRAITS
Amphibious. The Nicor can breathe both air and water.
Fen Camouflage. The Nicor has advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made in swamps, bogs, deep lakes, or murky water.
Hydrodynamic Burst (Recharge 4–6). When the Nicor moves at least 20 feet in water, it can double its swim speed to 80 ft. until the end of its turn and gains advantage on its next attack roll before the end of that turn.
Drowning Grip. A creature grappled by the Nicor while in water is also restrained and begins losing breath as though holding it for 1 round.
Silent Wake. The Nicor does not disturb the surface when swimming slowly. Creatures observing water within 30 feet must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check to detect it.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. The Nicor makes two attacks: one with its Bite and one with its Tail, or two Bite attacks if it has a creature grappled.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target.
Hit: 17 (2d12 + 5) piercing damage. If the target is Medium or smaller, it is grappled (escape DC 16). Until this grapple ends, the Nicor cannot bite another creature.
Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target not grappled by the Nicor.
Hit: 14 (2d8 + 5) bludgeoning damage.
Drag Into the Deep (Recharge 5–6). The Nicor moves up to half its swim speed while grappling a creature. If it ends this movement underwater, the grappled creature must succeed on a DC 16 Constitution saving throw or lose 1 breath increment.
Thrashing Spiral. While grappling a creature in water, the Nicor coils violently. Every creature within 5 ft. must succeed on a DC 16 Strength saving throw or take 13 (3d6 + 3) bludgeoning damage and be pushed 10 ft. and knocked prone. The grappled creature takes automatic bite damage instead.
BONUS ACTIONS
Sudden Lunge. The Nicor moves up to 10 feet in water without provoking opportunity attacks and makes one Bite attack.
REACTIONS
Thrash Back. When a creature escapes the Nicor’s grapple, the Nicor makes one Bite or Tail attack against it.
TACTICS
- Nicors attack from concealment, preferring isolated or distracted prey.
- They grapple and drag targets underwater, using terrain and murky water to maximize their ambush.
- Nicors retreat if confronted by multiple foes on land, resurfacing unpredictably to strike stragglers.
- Hydrodynamic Burst and Thrashing Spiral are used to overwhelm enemies in deep water, exploiting their superior mobility and grappling power.
Nicor
Large Magical Beast, Unaligned
CR: 7
XP: 3,200
Init: +2
Senses: darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, tremorsense 20 ft. (water only); Perception +16
DEFENSE
AC: 20, touch 10, flat-footed 19 (+5 natural, +1 Dex, –1 size)
HP: 105 (10d10+40)
Fort: +11 | Ref: +7 | Will: +10
Defensive Abilities: Fen Camouflage, Drowning Grip
DR / Resistances / Immunities: cold 5 (while submerged); immune to prone while grappling underwater
OFFENSE
Speed: 30 ft., swim 40 ft.
Melee: bite +15 (1d10+6 plus linnorm fever), 2 claws +10 (1d6+3)
Special Attacks: constrict 1d8+9, improved grab, Drag Into Deep, Hydrodynamic Burst
Spell-Like Abilities: none
STATISTICS
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 (+6) | 13 (+1) | 19 (+4) | 5 (–3) | 17 (+3) | 13 (+1) |
Base Attack/Grapple: +10/+20
Space / Reach: 10 ft. / 10 ft. (coiled)
Special Qualities: Amphibious, Silent Wake, Fen Camouflage
SKILLS & FEATS
Hide –3* (+8 in marsh/fen), Move Silently +14* (+8 in marsh/fen), Spot +16, Survival +16, Swim +14 (*may always take 10; +8 bonus for special maneuvers). Feats: Ability Focus (linnorm fever), Diehard, Endurance, Track.
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Fen Camouflage (Ex): +8 bonus on Hide and Move Silently checks in swamps, bogs, or shallow lakes.
Drowning Grip (Ex): Grappled creatures in water are restrained; must succeed on DC 16 Con save each round or lose 1 breath increment.
Hydrodynamic Burst (Ex): Double swim speed for 1 round when moving ≥20 ft. in water; +2 on attack rolls. Recharge 4–6.
Improved Grab (Ex): Bite attack allows automatic grapple against Medium or smaller creatures.
Disease (Ex) – Linnorm Fever: Bite attack; Fort DC 21; incubation 12 hours; 1d6 Strength and 1d3 Constitution damage per day until cured.
Silent Wake (Ex): Moves slowly in water without disturbing the surface; observers within 30 ft. must succeed on DC 15 Perception to detect it.
COMBAT TACTICS
Nicors ambush prey from submerged concealment, grappling and dragging victims underwater with Drag Into Deep. They use Thrashing Spiral to control multiple attackers and retreat into deep water if outnumbered. Nicors exploit swampy channels, roots, and murky visibility to funnel prey, preferring isolated or distracted targets.
ECOLOGY
Environment: Cold and temperate marshes, swamps, bogs, shadowed lakes
Organization: Solitary or pack (2–7)
Treasure: Half standard
Alignment: Usually neutral evil
Description:
Nicors are long, serpentine aquatic beasts with mottled green-gray scales and narrow crocodilian heads. Flipper-like forelimbs end in hooked claws, and powerful coils allow them to constrict prey while dragging it underwater. Ambush predators by nature, they hunt silently in fen waters, striking with sudden, crushing force. Though unintelligent, their instincts make them one of the most feared predators of northern marshlands.
Nycar
Originally Posted by demiurge1138 of the En World forums.
Nycars are a very primitive form of dragon; sages believe they predate even the wyverns and linnorms in antiquity. They are strict carnivores with little Intelligence that hunt in swamps and bogs for warm-blooded prey. For dragons, they are quite common, appearing wherever there is food and stagnant water. As such, they have many names, including swamp serpent, lesser linnorm, and dragonsnake.
The Geat hero Beowulf encountered several nycars during his adventuring youth; the swamp where Grendel’s mother lived was crawling with them, and his retainers dispatched one while he suited up for battle.
The water was infested with all kinds of reptiles. There were writhing sea-dragons and monsters slouching on slopes by the cliff, serpents and wild things such as those that often surface at dawn to roam the sail road and doom the voyage.
This serpentine creature is mottled green and gray, with a crested, almost dragon-like, head. Its two limbs are little more than flippers with claws, although it can slither with surprising speed.
Beowulf Lines 1425-1430
| Nycar | |
| Large Dragon | |
| Hit Dice | 10d12+40 (105 hp) |
| Initiative | +1 |
| Speed | 30ft, Swim 40ft |
| Armor Class | 20 (-1 size, +1 Dexterity, +10 natural), touch 10, flat-footed 19 |
| Base Attack/Grapple | +10/+20 |
| Attack | Bite +15 melee (1d10+6 plus disease) |
| Full Attack | Bite +15 melee (1d10+6 plus disease), 2 claws +10 melee (1d6+3) |
| Space/Reach | 10ft /10ft (coiled) |
| Special Attacks | Constrict 1d8+9, disease, improved grab |
| Special Qualities | Darkvision 60ft, dragon traits, Low-Light Vision, SR 19 |
| Saves | Fort +11, Ref +7, Will +10 |
| Abilities | Strength 23, Dexterity 13, Constitution 19, Intelligence 5, Wisdom 17, Charisma 13 |
| Skills | Hide -3*, Move Silently +14*, Spot +16, Survival +16, Swim +14 |
| Feats | Ability Focus (disease), Diehard, Endurance, Track |
| Environment | Cold and temperate marsh |
| Organization | Solitary or pack (2-7) |
| Challenge Rating | 9 |
| Treasure | Half standard |
| Alignment | Usually neutral evil |
| Advancement | 11-20 HD (Large), 21-30 HD (Huge) |
Combat
Nycars are quite Stealthy in their natural habitat, and prefer to ambush their prey. Nycars usually grab their victims from hiding, and bite repeatedly until the foe is dead. If the prey escapes, the nycar follows it through the swamp, waiting for it to die from the septic bacteria it spreads with its bite.
Constrict (Ex) A nycar deals 1d8+9 points of damage each round on a successful grapple check.
Disease (Ex) Any creature hit by a nycar’s bite attack must make a Fortitude save (DC 21) or contract linnorm fever, a horrible wasting disease that acts like an accelerated form of Leprosy. The incubation period is 12 hours, and it 1d6 points of Strength and 1d3 points of Constitution damage per day.
Improved Grab (Ex) To use this ability, the nycar must hit an opponent with a bite attack. If it gets a hold, it deals automatic bite damage and can constrict.
Skills A nycar has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform a special action or avoid a hazard. They can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. They can use the run action while swimming, provided they Swim in a straight line.
Nycars receive a +8 racial bonus to all Hide and Move Silently checks made in marshes.