A writhing mass of pincers and shells, the Crab Hoard is a perfect environmental encounter for any nautical or coastal campaign. This wide-based swarm miniature depicts dozens of crustaceans scuttling over one another, ready to overwhelm any adventurer who wanders too close to the shoreline.
A literal tide of crabs crawls over one another, forming a living carpet of clicking shells and snapping pincers.
A low-level environmental hazard, a ship's hold infestation, or a tactical obstacle in a beach or coastal cave encounter.
Artist: Printed Obsession
Type: MONSTER, TERRAIN, PROP
Pose: Clustered swarm; multiple crabs are in various stages of scuttling or resting, layered into a single mound.
Action: Standing
Mood: menacing
Action Category: Standing/Idle
Genre: Fantasy, Pirate, Nautical
Suitable Locations: tropical beach, sea cave, tide pool, ship's hold, docks, underwater coral reef, salt marsh, coastal cavern, alchemist's laboratory floor
Encounter Scenarios: A swarm of crabs acting as a low-level environmental hazard., Minions for a larger sea creature or a coastal hag., A treasure 'hoard' that turns out to be a living trap.
Power Level: Easy (score 18/10)
Compatible Game Systems: Dungeons & Dragons (5e / general) (perfect): Directly represents a 'Swarm of Crabs'.; Pathfinder (1e / 2e) (perfect): Excellent for crab swarm encounters.; Frostgrave: Ghost Archipelago (perfect): Fits the tropical island theme perfectly.; Savage Worlds (good): Useful as a swarm obstacle or hazard.
Race: Not applicable, Sex: Not applicable, Build: Not applicable, Size: Not applicable, Age: Not applicable, Style: Realistic
Creature: Crab Swarm (Beast), Size: Large
Body: A mass of dozens of individual crabs. Each crab has a central carapace, two pincers (chelae), and walking legs.
Also known as: Swarm of Crabs, Crab Hoard, Tide of Crabs
Related creatures: Giant Crab, Chuul, Lobster Swarm
Distinctive Features: Layered swarm composition, Densely packed pincers
Monster Weapons & Attacks: type: Pincers, description: Small, sharp claws on individual crabs, acting in unison as a swarm attack., position: Front of each individual body, type_ja: ハサミ, description_ja: 個々のカニの小さく鋭い爪。群れとしての攻撃において一斉に機能します。, position_ja: それぞれの個体の前面
Defensive Features: Chitinous shells (natural armor)
Mount: Not applicable, Size: Not applicable
Aesthetic: Creepy / Unsettling, Classic Fantasy, Intimidating / Imposing, Savage / Feral
Cultural Aesthetic: Generic Western Fantasy
Hairstyle: None (non-humanoid)
Similar to characters: Mirelurk Hatchlings (Fallout), Skyrim Mudcrabs, D&D Crab Swarm, Crab monsters from horror films, Sea Creatures
Miniature Dimensions: 12.3mm H x 43.1mm W x 36.9mm D (base: 50.0mm)
Keywords: crab swarm, pincer hoard, nautical encounter, beach monster, ocean swarm, tide pool enemies, 50mm swarm base, sea creature cluster, crab infestation, coastal hazard, pirate game minis, crustacean swarm, sea cave monsters, dungeon vermin, many little crabs, aquatic hoard, scuttling swarm, low profile monster, vermin swarm, beach terrain mini
