Ahuizotl

An ahuizotl is a sinister creature that lurks underwater and snatches its victims from hiding so that it can feast on its favorite body parts: eyes, teeth, and fingernails.

Although fairly large, an ahuizotl is quite squat and can lurk in water as shallow as 3 feet deep. The creature resembles a monkey in form, but it has a head and hind legs similar to a dog’s. It keeps its body flat and low to the ground while on land. The most unusual feature of this creature is its long, prehensile tail, which is tipped with a muscular hand.

An ahuizotl can speak Common.

Combat

An ahuizotl prefers to lurk in the shallows of its lake among the plants, keeping the tip of its snout above water so it can entice victims with cries for help. If a victim comes near enough, the ahuizotl quickly snatches the victim with its tail hand and retreats to the depths of the lake to feed. Ahuizotls also use the same tactics on people in boats.

Blinding Strike (Ex): If an ahuizotl scores a successful critical hit with its tail hand or its bite, the victim becomes blinded permanently.

Drowning (Ex): If an ahuizotl pins a grappled victim while in water of any depth, the ahuizotl holds its victim underwater. An air-breathing victim is then subject to drowning.

Improved Grab (Ex): If an ahuizotl hits an opponent that is at least one size category smaller than itself with its tail hand attack, it deals normal damage and attempts to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity (grapple bonus +14). It can immediately attempt to drown its victim if it is in water. Thereafter, the ahuizotl has the option to conduct the grapple normally, or it can simply use its tail hand to hold the opponent (–⁠20 penalty on grapple check, but the ahuizotl is not considered grappled). In either case, each successful grapple check it makes during successive rounds automatically deals tail hand damage.

Voice Mimicry (Su): An ahuizotl can mimic spoken voices with unnatural ease. With a successful Bluff check, it can mimic a specific person’s voice perfectly.

Skills: Ahuizotls have a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard and can always choose to take 10 on Swim checks, even if distracted or endangered.

Source: Fiend Folio, page 14.