CR 6
N Medium psionic magical beast
Init +7; Senses darkvision 60 ft., crystal sense; Perception +11

DEFENSE

AC 21, touch 13, flat-footed 17 (+3 Dex, +4 natural, +1 size)
hp 37
Fort +7, Ref +8, Will +4
DR 5/bludgeoning; Immune cold, fire, elemental traits; Resist electricity 10

OFFENSE

Speed 50 ft., burrow 20 ft.
Melee sting +10 (2d6+3)
Special Attacks shard spike +7 (3d6, range increment 60 ft.)
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 4th; concentration +6)

At will--detect psionic, ghost sound (DC 12), mage hand, (DC 13)
3/day--dimension door, cloud mind (DC 13), touch of idiocy (DC 14)

STATISTICS

Str 15, Dex 14, Con 13, Int 6, Wis 13, Cha 14
Base Atk +4; CMB +5; CMD 17 (29 vs. trip)
Feats Great Fortitude^B, Lightning Reflexes, Skill Focus (Perception)
Skills Acrobatics +9, Climb +9, Perception +11, Stealth +13 (+15 in rocky areas); Racial Modifiers +2 Stealth in rocky areas
Languages Terran

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Crystal Sense (Sp)

Crysmals can sense the presence of any crystals or gems within 30 feet as if using the scent ability.

Shard Spike (Ex)

Once per day, a crysmal can launch its tail spike as a ranged attack that shatters when it hits, dealing 3d6 points of piercing damage to the target and 1d4 points of piercing damage to all creatures in adjacent squares. The spike regrows in 24 hours, but until it does, its impaired sting does only 1d6+3 damage.

ECOLOGY

Organization solitary or cluster (2–5)
Treasure standard (gems and magic gemstones only)

Scorpion-like crysmals originate in the deepest caverns of the Plane of Earth. On rare occasions, these strange creatures wind up on the Material Plane, usually in subterranean areas rich with natural gem and crystal formations. The crystalline planes of their bodies absorb and refract natural light, which some claim is the source of their supernatural powers.

Singular in purpose, a crysmal seeks only to reproduce. It does so by gathering stone crystals and gemstones, fashioning them into a Tiny facsimile of its own body, and jolting the new creature to life with a burst of the crysmal’s own life energy. These newly created crysmals are known as shardlings (treat as a crysmal with the young creature simple template), and grow to adulthood after a few months of gorging on crystals and gemstones.

To make a single shardling, a crysmal requires 1,000 gp worth of crystals. Until it has enough material to reproduce, it stores these gems inside its body, and if slain, the gems are visible among the shards of the creature’s corpse. Because of this reproductive need for gemstones, crysmals are relentless in their pursuit of the treasures, valuing them much as other living creatures value infants of their own race. Crysmals do not recognize that other creatures treat gems as wealth, and attempt to seize gems carried by others whenever the opportunity arises. A crysmal normally uses its spell-like abilities to befuddle opponents, grabbing at pouches with gems when the bearer is distracted, and normally only resorts to physical violence once all other tactics fail.