Drop Bear
No. Enc.: 1d6 (2d6)
Alignment: Neutral
Movement: 40′ (20′)
Armor Class: 7
Hit Dice: 2
Attacks: 1
Damage: 1d10 (drop), 1d6 (claws), 1d4 (bite)
Special Attacks: Special, see below
Save: F2
Morale: 7
Hoard Class: VI
A truly vicious beast these larger, carnivorous cousins of the Koalas have found a niche for themselves: they wait patiently in the top of trees or other high altitude points until a prospective victim walks under them, then they drop onto it, effectively stunning or even killing it by the onslaught of their own weight. They mostly rely on their initial surprise attack but can hold their own in a fight for a while, thanks to some vicious claws and sharp teeth. These animals hunt in small packs, so if attacked by one a few more might be nearby, just waiting to drop on the rest of the party. The drop attack can normally only be used once, at the beginning of a fight.
Yes, not my own idea. These are a famous urban legend from Down Under. Still I was wondering why no rpg I know of ever jumped onto this urban legend/cryptid, and made it into a recurring monster. After all D&D even had the Piercer, a kind of living stalactite, which always struck me as a spectacularily bad idea. The only occassions I know of where drop bears actually do appear is Terry Pratchett’s The Last Continent and Warren Ellis’ Nextwave, and in both their appearance is rather tongue-in-cheek.
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