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Pufferfish

Creature -1 — animal, aquatic

Pre-Remaster content. May include legacy alignment.

SnareAQUATICanimalpoison

The pufferfish defends itself by filling its flexible body with air or water to extend a number of spikes that otherwise lie flat against its skin. While normally quite slow and deliberate, the pufferfish can contort its body to gain a sudden burst of speed that can catch predators off guard. Swimming in vast shoals through open ocean underneath the sparkling sun, lurking deep in the muddy beds of rivers, or schooling in pristine lakes, fish are found nearly anywhere there is water.

Source: pathfinder-bestiary-3 (Pre-Remaster)

Perception +4; low-light-vision
Skills acrobatics +2, athletics +4
Str
+2
Dex
+0
Con
+2
Int
-5
Wis
+1
Cha
-2
AC 12 Fort +5 Ref +3 Will +2
HP 12
Speed 0 feet, swim 15 feet

Offense

Melee Bite +6, Damage 1d6+1 piercing plus Pufferfish Venom

Abilities

Toxic Body — Anyone who hits a pufferfish with a melee unarmed attack or a non-reach melee weapon must succeed at a DC 13 Reflex save or be pierced by a spine, taking 1 piercing damage and being exposed to pufferfish venom.
Inflating Rush — The pufferfish Swims up to its Speed and then inflates. Each creature within 5-foot emanation of its space at the end of its movement must succeed at a DC 13 Reflex save or take 1 piercing damage and be exposed to pufferfish venom.
Pufferfish Venom (incapacitation, poison) — Saving Throw DC 16 Fortitude

Maximum Duration 24 hours

Stage 1 1d4 poison damage (1 round)

Stage 2 1d4 poison damage and Off-Guard (1 round)

Stage 3 1d4 poison damage and Paralyzed (1 round)

Stage 4 1d4 poison damage and paralyzed for 2d10 hours (1 round)

WORKS WELL WITH

AnvilAQUATICA durable frontline body absorbs melee pressure so foes trigger repeated poison retaliation.
FlankerAQUATICA precision striker converts the Off-Guard from the venom's escalating stages into extra swing value.
SniperAQUATICA ranged attacker keeps pressure on the group while the venom's stages wear down whoever presses into melee.

PUNISHES

✖ melee reliance✖ clumping✖ low Fortitude
Water-locked and unable to contribute outside an aquatic encounter; also avoid stacking with another Snare, since the poison-based control saturates a single target rather than covering more ground.
Works well with · Punishes · Pairing advice Unlock with Tactics

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Stat block data sourced from the Foundry VTT PF2E system under the Apache License 2.0. Source book: Pathfinder Bestiary 3.

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