Monster / NPC card

Cave Cricket

template:monster.4

unique_game_id: 6b5ec708-f242-5aac-b6b0-d732c8e3a496

Cave cricket

1000 trained XP · 10 SP spent · Beast; beast. A skittish food animal that can become a distracting defensive swarm when trapped.

Creature Profile

D&D 2024 source — Boar: D&D Wiki

Field	Value
Creature type	Beast
Faction	Iron Compact
Job class	Beast
Encounter role	A skittish food animal that can become a distracting defensive swarm when trapped.
Size	Medium
Base size	5 ft. diameter
Typical disposition	Instinctive or handler-directed
Languages or signals	None; instinct and trained signals only

Health and Resources

Value	Rating
Hit dice	1
Average hit points	3.5
Stamina	2 maximum; normally recover 1 after 5 consecutive Idle ticks

Attributes

Mind

Field	Value
IQ	+3%
EQ	+3%
Will	+8%
Reflexes	+10%
Perception	+10%

Body

Field	Value
STR	+10%
DEX	+10%
CON	+10%

Traits

Cave Adapted

Ignores ordinary darkness and natural rough-ground penalties in its home tunnels.

Embodiment Properties

`properties/physicality`

Property	Value
Base size	5 ft. diameter
Walking movement	5 ft/s

`properties/resistances`

All unlisted

Defense bonus: +0%
Meaning: No typed armor

Add the highest applicable resistance to the contested defense roll. If an effect has multiple types, resistance bonuses never stack. See Embodiment Properties.

`properties/senses`

Common Sight

Range and conditions: See canonical method
Effect or limit: Ordinary visual range and obstruction rules.

Common Hearing

Range and conditions: See canonical method
Effect or limit: Ordinary auditory range and obstruction rules.

Skills and Combat Checks

Attack Skills

toHit = Stat + Skill + Buff Bonus - Debuff Bonus

Untrained weapon or effect Skill

Type: proficiency
Stat: REFLEXES
Stat bonus: +10%
Skill bonus: +0%
Buff Bonus: +0%
Debuff Bonus: -0%
Calculation: 10 + 0 + 0 - 0
toHit total: 10%
SP spent: 0

Defense Skills

Untrained Evasion

Type: proficiency
Stat: DEX
Stat bonus: +10%
Skill bonus: +0%
Buff Bonus: +0%
Debuff Bonus: -0%
Calculation: 10 + 0 + 0 - 0
Active toDefend total: 10%
SP spent: 0

None

Modifier: +0%
Applies when: While the listed armour or shield can answer the incoming effect

Utility Skills

Awareness and Investigation

Type: proficiency
Stat: PERCEPTION
Path bonus: +5%
SP spent: 5
Use: Work, knowledge, movement, command, or other utility use from the Skill card

Perception

Type: proficiency
Stat: PERCEPTION
Path bonus: +9%
SP spent: 4
Use: Work, knowledge, movement, command, or other utility use from the Skill card

Movement and Coordination

Type: proficiency
Stat: REFLEXES
Path bonus: +1%
SP spent: 1
Use: Work, knowledge, movement, command, or other utility use from the Skill card

The attacker rolls toHit. If it passes, the defender rolls active toDefend and adds applicable passive toDefend modifiers. Roll toEffect only when the offense passes and the defense fails.

Skill Funding Ledger

Assistant-authored draft: Prerequisites funded within the existing budget. Training record.

Awareness and Investigation

Mind stat: PERCEPTION
SP / local rating: 5 / +5%
Path bonus: +5%
Required parents: None
Abilities: Trained Use, Practiced Routine, Specialist Edge

Perception

Mind stat: PERCEPTION
SP / local rating: 4 / +4%
Path bonus: +9%
Required parents: Awareness and Investigation +5%
Abilities: Trained Use, Practiced Routine

Movement and Coordination

Mind stat: REFLEXES
SP / local rating: 1 / +1%
Path bonus: +1%
Required parents: None
Abilities: Trained Use

Path bonuses use one applicable root-to-specialization path; unrelated branches do not stack.

Skill Total Summary

Field	Value
Trained XP	1000
Total Skill Points	10
Spent	10
Unspent	0

Attack Actions

Basic attack

Cost: 2 ticks; 2 Stamina
Target / range: One target in weapon or natural reach
Attack Skill: Untrained weapon or effect Skill
toEffect / result: 1d6 toEffect. standard single-target damage.

Defense Actions

Defend

Trigger: A passed toHit targets this creature
Cost: Normal defense opportunity
Defense Skill: Untrained Evasion
Result / limits: Add passive toDefend (currently +0% from None); success prevents the hit unless stated otherwise.

Utility Actions

Startle Swarm

Cost: 1 ticks; 1 Stamina
Target / range: Self and one adjacent creature
Check: Contested DEX, 1d6
Result / limits: Move 2 cubes through occupied spaces toward cover. On a hit the adjacent creature takes -1d6 on its next action from the distracting swarm; this does not deal damage.

Passives and Effects

No additional passive Skill effect or ongoing condition is active. Passive defense sources are recorded once under Defense Skills.

Equipment

None. Natural attacks and movement are included in the actions above.

Carried equipment is limited to this job loadout. Worksite tools, room stock, and secured assets are not added to personal inventory unless the scene says this creature signed them out.

Running the Creature

Job expression: A skittish food animal that can become a distracting defensive swarm when trapped.

Assistant-authored draft — appearance / signals: The crevice falls quiet before the colony is visible; scattered feet brush the stone.

Opening / goal: Feeds near the existing moss, lichen and scraps until the approach disturbs it.
Response: Escapes through cracks; a cornered colony uses its existing swarm action.
Morale: An open crevice, smoke or sudden light redirects the frightened colony.
Social approach: Leave a way out rather than crowd it away from its eggs.
Knowledge: The silence warns workers that something has disturbed this part of the passage.

Behavior

Routine: Clusters in dark crevices near moss, lichen, and food scraps; a colony falls silent when it senses vibration or a nearby predator.
When threatened: Scatters from light and open fighting. A cornered swarm leaps across faces and exposed food before escaping into cracks.
Morale and de-escalation: It fights only when trapped, protecting eggs, or driven into a feeding frenzy; smoke, sudden light, or an open crevice makes it flee.

Harvest and Crafting

Cricket meal and chitin

Check: IQ (Survival) + DEX
Time: 10 minutes
Yield: 2 feed portions
Crafting uses: Ration flour, beast feed, bait, or light chitin filler
Failure consequence: A failed harvest scatters the colony and yields only 1 bait portion.

Harvesting requires a safe opportunity and suitable cutting, collecting, or preservation tools. The yield belongs to the harvested creature or patch instance and is spent when used in crafting.

Habitat and Organization

This creature appears where its assigned job is performed. The linked map controls headcount, room stock, alarms, and local conditions; this card controls the creature itself.

Where Found

Iron Compact biome

Canonical Links

Maps and encounters link here for creature rules. They should not copy this stat block or convert room stock into carried inventory.