Silt Runner

Silt runners are short, ugly, green-scaled lizard men with snouts full of sharp teeth and broad, flat feet that let them dash across silt for short distances. They wear almost nothing, and what they do wear is generally a trophy. Their largest members, the leaders, may reach five feet tall. They speak a tribal tongue, and 35% also speak Common.

They never attack unless they outnumber the enemy at least three to one, and they break off once the ratio falls below two to one. Ambush comes first if possible; otherwise they swarm in waves. With their speed and the combat mind devotion they top a rise and pour down on a party so fast that opponents suffer -3 on surprise, aiming to overwhelm the group before spells are cast.

Hard natural scales give them their armor class. They claw twice for 1d3 each and bite for 1d6, and they carry whatever weapons they can steal. Half of all leaders carry a short bow or a long sword carved from wood; guards favor short swords or hand axes of bone or wood; and both often carry shields of wood or other materials. Their psionics are clairaudience, combat mind, radial navigation, and see sound.

Common across the desert world, silt runners mostly live as raiders, though lairs are sometimes found: tribes of up to 200 on islands near the silt sea's shores or at remote oases. They loathe elves and consider them a delicacy; a whole war band may leave a caravan to chase one elf, and in a melee they always go for elves first.

A band is always led by its biggest member. More than 10 runners means two guards accompany the leader, and more than 20 adds 1d4 more. Leaders have 4 HD, thick scales, and a shield (AC 5); guards have 3 HD and shields (AC 6). A lair holds d20+10 guards and 2d4 leaders, plus an overall chief with maximum hit points who 10% of the time wields a stolen metal weapon, such as a pitted battle axe or a rust-eaten short sword.

They often share islands with giants but leave them alone, knowing when they are outclassed. Giants see them as vermin infesting their homes, too quick to swat.

They eat almost anything but always prefer elf. Silt runners lay eggs, and only leaders may breed.