Blink Rat

Tiny Magical Beast (Extraplanar)
Hit Dice:	1d10 (5 hp)
Initiative:	+3
Speed:	40 ft., climb 20 ft.
Armor Class:	15 (+2 size, +3 Dex), touch 15, flat-footed12
Base Attack/Grapple:	+1/-11
Attack:	Bite +6 melee (1d3–4 plus disease)
Full Attack:	Bite +6 melee (1d3–4 plus disease)
Space/Reach:	2.5 ft./0 ft.
Special Attacks:	Disease
Special Qualities:	Blink, darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent
Saves:	Fort +2, Ref +5, Will +1
Abilities:	Str 3, Dex 16, Con 10, Int 3, Wis 12, Cha 6
Skills:	Climb +11, Hide +11, Listen +4, Move Silently +5, Spot +4
Feats:	Alertness, Weapon Finesse (B)
Environment:	Plane of Shadow (Gloomshield)
Organization:	Solitary or pack (6–12)
Challenge Rating:	1/2
Treasure:	None
Alignment:	True Neutral
Advancement:	2–3 HD (Tiny); 4–6 HD (Small)
Level Adjustment:	—

The two feet long rat catches your eye due to its outlandish colour scheme. Its fur consists of alternating bands of black and white, while its eyes have a veiled appearance, not uncommon to many denizens of the Shadow Plane.

Blink rats are an increasingly common pest within the cities of Shadow. They are derived from giant stock, although they have recently mutated into the form everyone knows and hates. Many merchants who had thought their grain storage areas impenetrable have been infuriated to find that a pack of very well-fed blink rats had set up a nest and eaten half their profits.

Combat

Unlike the traditional giant rat, blink rats do not attack en masse; in fact they rarely engage in combat, having a more developed sense of self-preservation. Rather, they are likely to attack and then flee. The chief form of defense possessed is the blink ability similar to that of their canine counterpart, used to evade weapon blows, and facilitate escape.

Blink (Su): A blink rat can use blink as the spell (caster level 8th), and can evoke or end the effect as a free action.

Disease (Ex): Umbral fever — bite, Fortitude DC 11, incubation period 1d3 days, damage 1d3 Con and 1d3 Wis. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Skills: Blink rats have a +8 racial bonus on Climb checks and can always choose to take 10 on Climb checks, even if rushed or threatened. They use their Dexterity modifier for Climb checks.

Habitat/Society

Almost impossible to domesticate, blink rats follow a very loose pack structure; the blink rat who leads the pack to the most grain is considered the leader until another rat finds more food. Alternatively, a blink rat who beats the existing leader in combat is considered the leader. Failing that, the oldest blink rat is considered the leader.

Ecology Blink rats are a drastic mutation from the norm. They are nowhere near as fecund as other rodents, rarely giving birth to more than two rats per litter. They tend to live for roughly seven years, although they could theoretically survive for as long as a decade.