Shrieker

Shriekers are the second stage in the complex life cycle of the creatures known as Graboids. When an adult Graboid has consumed enough food, it begins to develop offspring known as Shriekers, which grow inside the adult graboid until they are mature enough to survive on their own.

No. Enc: 1d12
Alignment: Neutral
Movement: 90' (30')
                     15' (5') Vertical Jump
AC: 4
HD: 6
Attacks: 1 Bite or 2 stomps
Damage: 3d6 or 1d12 / 1d12
Save: L6
Morale: 10
Hoard Class: None

Shriekers are the second stage in the complex life cycle of the creatures known as Graboids. When an adult Graboid has consumed enough food, it begins to develop offspring known as Shriekers, which grow inside the adult graboid until they are mature enough to survive on their own.

Giving birth to the Shriekers kill the adult Graboid, as they rip through its body, feeding as they go. A typical adult Graboid will produce 1-3 Shriekers, although on the rare occasion (if a graboid has been able to gorge on plenty of food, as many as six Shriekers have been spawned.

Physically, these creatures will achieve about four feet in height, six feet long, and weigh in at about three hundred pounds. These creatures appear, oddly enough, almost like a naked chicken without wings. The heads are eyeless and the mouth is shaped similarly to that of the adult Graboid, and has three snake-like tongues. There are no visible ears, eyes or nose.

Although the flesh of these creatures appears to be soft, it is actually very tough. The creature is able to move quiet quickly on the two short but powerful legs, which end in three heavily muscled toes. The creatures have been spotted jumping straight up into the air, up to fifteen feet at a time.

The creatures hunt using a specialized heat vision. This is achieved by the creatures opening fan like organs on the tops of their heads, and they are able to clearly distinguish various heat sources while employing the organ.

These creatures hunt in packs of up to twelve individuals and have a strangely cunning sense of tactics, although their intelligence is only nominally higher than that of most dogs or cats.

In combat, they are able to employ a powerful bite that can rip through metal, and have been known to consume anything that comes into their path, although indigestible matter (non-organic material) is quickly regurgitated and this leaves the creature not only hungrier but also very, very angry!

Sometimes they will attempt to jump upon its prey in order to knock it to the ground. This is done if the creature is able to make two successful stomp attacks. If this is the case, the target must make a save versus death or be knocked prone, giving the creature a free attack with its bite.

Once the creature has consumed enough food, it undergoes a metamorphosis, turning into the third type of Graboid known as the Ass Blaster.

These creatures gained their name because of their very loud and piercing hunting cry. Although loud, it doesn't cause any damage but will bring any other Shriekers within a 1 mile range.

Mutations: Natural armor, metamorphosis (special), thermal vision.

Source: Tremors 2: Aftershocks (1996)