Salamanders

**Initiative**: +1

**Senses**: Darkvision 60ft, Perception +12

#### ***DEFENSE***

**ACs**: KAC: 18 EAC: 20 CMan: 26 (+1 Dex, +7/9 Natural armor, Can't be tripped)

**HP**: 95

**Fort**: +4 **Ref**: +9 **Will**: +7

**DR:** 10 / Magic or Cold

**Weakness:** Vulnerability to Cold

#### ***OFFENSE***

**Speed**: 20ft, Burrow 20ft

**Attack** (melee): Salamander Battle Pike +12 (2D8 + 9 Kinetic (Piercing) + 1D6 Energy (Fire), Burn 1D6)

OR

Tail slap +12 (2D6 + 7 Kinetic (Bashing) + 1D6 Energy (Fire) and Grab)

**Attack** (ranged): Salamander Battle Pike +10 (2D6 + 6 Energy (Fire + Positive energy), 45ft, Burn 1D6, Fusion damage (Ignore up to 6 points of Hardness))

**Special attack:** Constrict (2D6 + 9 Kinetic (Bashing) + 1D6 Energy (Fire)), Inner Flame

#### ***Statistics***

STR +3 DEX +1 CON +4 INT +2 WIS +2 CHA +1

**Feats**: Iron Will, Skill Synergy (Intimidate, Perception), Weapon Focus + Versatile Focus

**Skill:** Acrobatics +10, Bluff +10, Engineering +15, Intimidate +16, Mysticism +11, Perception +13, Sense Motive +11, Stealth +10; **Racial bonus:** +4 to Engineering and Intimidate

#### ***Special Abilities***

**Inner Flame** (Ex): A salamander is so hot that everything it touches starts sizzling and even burning. Every melee attack done by a Salamander deals an additional 1D6 Energy (Fire) damage, and when grappled, they deal 1D6 point of Fire damage to the grappler or grappled creature every round.

### Description

Salamanders are snake-like humanoids about 9 feet in length, weighing around 350 pounds, covered in red scales and reddish-brown skin. Their backs from their tail to the top of their head is covered with ridges and bony out-spurts, making them look even more menacing then they normally would be. Creatures of living flame, salamanders are powerful and quick to anger. They always had a hard time building lasting settlements and society due to a mix of the fact Efreeti enslave them for their metalworking and weapon making skills and the fact that salamanders are generally too pig-headed to work together for a long period of time. Nowadays, the Salamanders that are not working under the boot of the Efreet reside mainly in the Demi-plane of lava, where they wait for their opportunity to rise up and reclaim the Realm of Flames. There is also a significant number of Salamanders who decided to go work for devils, demons and fiends in exchange for favours and large amounts of precious minerals. The Abyss and the Underworld has regions that are literally crawling with salamanders, and Belphegors hellish factories employ a large number of them at all time.

Salamanders love to be summoned into the Prime Material plane, away from the Efreeti oppressors, but they generally do not enjoy being told what to do by "puny mortals". A show of strength is often necessary for them to serve any mortal master at any length, as it is the only thing all salamanders respect. Even in these cases, salamanders need to live in specially built environment where the temperature can be up to 260 Celsius (533 Kelvin) or in caves close to live volcanoes to be comfortable in any way. If a large number of salamanders were to be brought to the Prime Material plane, they would more then likely attempt to conquer whatever world they come upon, in hope they could build a new base to strike at the Efreeti oppressors.

Unlike many of the beings in the Elemental Realm, Salamanders reproduce sexually, a female laying a clutch of 6 to 8 eggs every 10 or so years. Mothers are extremely protective of their eggs and their youngs, which take about 50 years to reach maturity.

### Tactics

Salamanders are quick to anger and will attack any being they deem "inferior" rather rapidly. Salamanders much prefer to be up close and personal with their opponents, but their specialised battle pikes make for effective ranged weapons when need be. Cover matters very little to these beast as they will simply blast it away with their pikes. Once they get close to their enemies, they will strike at them relentlessly with their pikes or potentially grab them with their tails and let the target burn to death. Salamanders will coordinate their attacks together even if they were bickering prior as they learned quickly in the past that the necessity to fight together was their only mean to survive as a group of free beings.

## Salamander Battle Pike

The iconic weapon of the Salamander Snake guards, the Battle Pike is a combination of a potent melee weapon and powerful ranged weapon, which can switch attack mode as a Swift action. It counts as a two-handed weapon. A very powerful weapon in the hands of a salamander warrior, it requires a good amount of modifications to be properly used by a non-Salamander. It can be used as a regular battle pike without modification, with the Unwieldy trait, and cannot be fired as the regular power supply for the weapon is the salamander's own body heat. With an Engineering DC 21 check, someone can modify the weapon to take a Standard Battery Pack, allowing the weapon to fire at the cost of 5 charges. It can be further upgraded at level 10, 14, 18 and 20, each upgrade requiring an Engineering DC (15 + New item level), costing 40,000 Credits, 75,000 Credits, 260,000 Credits and 585,000 Credits respectively.

**Base Item:**

Two-handed hybrid weapon. Item level: 6 Bulk: 2

**Melee damage:** 2D6 Kinetic (Piercing) without modification. With modification, requires 1 charge; 2D8 Kinetic (Piercing + Fire), Critical effect Burn 1D8.

**Ranged damage:** 2D6 Energy (Fire + Positive energy), 45ft, Critical effect Burn 1D6, requires 5 charges, Fusion (Ignores 6 points of Hardness).

*Increase:* 10, 14, 18 and 20

**Melee damage:** +1D8 Kinetic (Piercing + Fire) at level 10 and 14, +2D8 Kinetic (Piercing + Fire) at level 18 and 20, Critical effect Burn +1D8.

**Ranged damage:** +1D6 Energy (Fire + Positive energy) at level 10 and 14, +2D6 Energy (Fire + Positive) at level 18 and 20, +15ft, Critical effect Burn +1D6, Fusion (Ignores (Item Level) points of Hardness)