Vardigg (Water Grue) (CR 2)

Medium Elemental (Evil, Extraplanar, and Water)
Alignment: Always neutral evil
Initiative: +1 (Dex); Senses: darkvision 60 ft., Spot +4, and listen +4
Languages: Aquan


AC: 14 (+1 Dex, +3 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 13
Hit Dice: 3d8+6 (19 hp)
Fort +5, Ref +4, Will +1
Speed: 30 ft., swim 60 ft.
Space: 5 ft./5 ft.
Base Attack +2; Grapple +4
Attack: Slam +4 melee
Full Attack: Slam +4 melee
Damage: Slam 1d6+3
Special Attacks/Actions: Water jet
Abilities: Str 14, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 7, Wis 11, Cha 8
Special Qualities: elemental traits, immunity to cold, spell disruption
Feats: Alertness; Lightning Reflexes
Skills: Hide +3, Spot +4, Swim +10, and listen +4
Advancement: 4-6 HD (Medium); 7-9 HD (Large)
Climate/Terrain: Elemental Plane of Water
Organization: Solitary
Treasure/Possessions: Spell object or none

Source: Complete Arcane

Spell Disruption (Su): The very presence of an elemental grue interferes with spells that affect the grue's associated element. Any spellcaster within 40 feet of a chaggrin who casts a spell with the same descriptor as the grue's element (earth, fire, air, or water) must succeed on a DC 15 caster level check or have the spell fail. Within the same area of any such spell currently in effect, a grue has a chance to dispel the effect as a free action, as if casting a targeted dispel magic (caster level 10th).

Vardiggs usually hide below the surface of a body of water, waiting to attack any who approach.

Water Jet (Sp): As a standard action, a water grue can create a tremendously powerful 30-foot line of water. Any creature in the area of the line takes 2d6 points of damage (Reflex DC 11 negates). A creature failing the saving throw must succeed on a Strength check or a Balance check (DC 5 + damage dealt) or be knocked prone by the force of the blast. This is the equivalent of a 2nd-level spell.

Skills: A water grue has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim checks to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered, and can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line

Each type of grue has its own unique combat abilities and tactics, but all share some qualities. An elemental grue's natural attacks, as well as any weapons it wields, are treated as evil-aligned for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.

Evil Subtype

A subtype usually applied only to outsiders native to the evil-aligned Outer Planes. Evil outsiders are also called fiends. Most creatures that have this subtype also have evil alignments; however, if their alignments change, they still retain the subtype. Any effect that depends on alignment affects a creature with this subtype as if the creature has an evil alignment, no matter what its alignment actually is. The creature also suffers effects according to its actual alignment. A creature with the evil subtype overcomes damage reduction as if its natural weapons and any weapons it wields were evil-aligned (see Damage Reduction).

Extraplanar Subtype

A subtype applied to any creature when it is on a plane other than its native plane. A creature that travels the planes can gain or lose this subtype as it goes from plane to plane. This book assumes that encounters with creatures take place on the Material Plane, and every creature whose native plane is not the Material Plane has the extraplanar subtype (but would not have when on its home plane). An extraplanar creatures usually has a home plane mentioned in its description. These home planes are taken from the Great Wheel cosmology of the D&D game (see Chapter 5 of the Dungeon Master's Guide). If your campaign uses a different cosmology, you will need to assign different home planes to extraplanar creatures.

Creatures not labeled as extraplanar are natives of the Material Plane, and they gain the extraplanar subtype if they leave the Material Plane. No creature has the extraplanar subtype when it is on a transitive plane; the transitive planes in the D&D cosmology are the Astral Plane, the Ethereal Plane, and the Plane of Shadow.

Water Subtype

This subtype usually is used for elementals and outsiders with a connection to the Elemental Plane of Water. Creatures with the water subtype always have swim speeds and can move in water without making Swim checks. A water creature can breathe underwater and usually can breathe air as well.