Beaver

Beaver (castoroides)

Species	rodent
No. Appearing	2–12
Behaviour	social
Range	taiga, woodland
Size	7 ft. long
Weight	250 lbs.
Intelligence	3
Armour Class	6
Hit Dice	4
Action Points	4
Max. Stride	{{{stride}}}
THAC0	17
Hp/Die	d8
Attack Forms	bite, bite
Damage	1–6, 3–12
Special Attacks	tail slap

Beaver

Species	rodent
No. Appearing	2–20
Behaviour	social (lodge)
Range	taiga, woodland
Size	24 in. long
Weight	55 lbs.
Intelligence	1
Armour Class	7
Hit Dice	1
Action Points	4
Max. Stride	{{{stride}}}
THAC0	20
Hp/Die	d4
Attack Forms	bite
Damage	1–6
Special Attacks	tail slap

A large, nocturnal, semiaquatic rodent, known for building dams, canals and lodges. Beavers will settle in an area and alter the landscape, creating large ponds and canals by cut trees, inundating the bottomland. The result can obstruct passage through beavert occupied lands considerably. Beaver ponds may be as much as 10 to 12 feet deep and hundreds of feet across. Beaver families of all sizes consist of an adult male and female, along with their kits and yearlings. Offspring may continue to serve the same beaver pond as their parents, or may build adjoining ponds that share water sources. Whole beaver "towns" may form if undisturbed, covering areas up to two miles across.

When startled by outsiders, the beaver will slap its tail, creating a loud, hollow sound as it hits the water, so that it is hard to surprise them. This will alert any other creatures that may be in the area, so that humanoids often count on beavers as a warning that other creatures are moving in the area. They emerge from their lodges, or onto dry land, only at night. The beaver's excellent swimming ability enables it to swim 3 hexes per action point. The lodge is accessible through an underwater doorway. Therefore, the best way to catch is with a trap. Beaver pelts are valuable.

Beavers are not aggressive. If encountered out of water, however, one can be quite dangerous, though a beaver will attack for only one round, unless it is cornered.

Castoroides

Unlike their smaller kin, this giant beaver can be very aggressive, even during the day. The tail slap produced by a Castoroides is loud enough to break a spellcaster's concentration (ruining a spell), and to cause deafness for 1–4 rounds to anyone within 2 hexes, after failing a save against magic. Once the tail slap is heard, other giant beavers in the pond will move towards the slap and aggressively attack any invaders they find.

Sources that claim some beavers have a high intelligence are unsubstantiated. Beavers have not been found that wear clothes, exhibit a high education or that trade goods with outsiders.

See Bestiary