Barracuda

Barracuda

Species	fish (ray-finned)
No. Appearing	4–10
Behaviour	parasocial
Range	coral reef
Size	4 to 6 ft. long
Weight	50 to 85 lbs.
Intelligence	0
Armour Class	6
Hit Dice	1 to 3
Action Points	6
Max. Stride	20
THAC0	19 to 20
Hp/Die	d4 or d6
Attack Forms	1: jaws
Damage	jaws (2–8)
Special Attacks	initiative

Barracuda are predatory fish inhabiting tropical and subtropical coral reefs, rocky areas and nearshore environments such as salt-water mangrove swamps. On the whole, they function as wandering monsters for characters boating across coastal waters or within underwater adventures. They are often a menace to small, local communities.

Despite their impressive appearance and hunting prowess, barracudas are pursued as game fish, though they have little commercial value. For West Africans, these fish are considered a delicacy and are often smoked for use in soups and sauces.

Behaviour

As agile swimmers, barracuda tend to stay near the water's surface, showing a particular fondness for sea grass beds. Some venture into the open ocean, where they can be seen patrolling around structures such as floating debris or patches of seaweed.

Barracuda are known for their aggressive hunting tactics. They typically don't pose a significant threat to swimmers, but they can become aggressive if approached too closely or touched, even inadvertently.

When hunting, barracuda come together and create a circular formation around their intended prey, keeping a distance of about 30 feet. Subsequently, each barracuda takes its turn to attack the target with astonishing speed. However, if any of these attacks fail to inflict a wound or secure a kill, the group swiftly disperses, choosing to seek easier prey elsewhere.

Advantage

Initiative. Apart from their natural speed, the narrow shape of the barracuda increases their chance of striking prey first, giving them a +4 bonus on their initiative die roll.

See Bestiary