Skullbunnies are an ecological nightmare, all the more frightening because they are now accepted as normal animals by the general populace of the Seven Cities. The Tablelands’ population of skullbunnies has exploded in the last few years. Before the dragon’s death they were unknown. Now they are one of the more common creatures that forage the desert at night, ranging from the Tyr Valley to Draj and the Balican peninsula. This explosion can be attributed to the skullbunny’s incredible reproduction rate. The sudden appearance of the species, however, is yet to be explained.

A skullbunny is a small lumpy creature with a thick hide, four powerful clawed legs, and a bony, fleshless head devoid of any apparent eyes. Two hairy feelers rise from the back of this exposed skull, but the first sight most travellers see of a skullbunny is the soft white hair of its cotton tail as it dashes away at high speed.

Combat: Skullbunnies are timid creatures, preferring to run rather than fight. They can move faster than almost any ground-based creature on Athas, and can jump an incredible sixty feet in one leap. They use this formidable speed to flee any movement or sound. The combat ability of this timid creature has yet to be realised. Once it is tapped, the people of Athas may begin to view the little skullbunnies in a different light.

If forced into battle (charmed or dominated), skullbunnies fight as 4 HD creatures rather than those with 1+1. They have two attack modes. They may use a claw/claw/bite combination, doing 1-2 points with each front claw and a single point with a bite, or they may use a leap attack, striking with front claws for 1-2 points each, and rear claws for 1-4 each. If they can leap from at least twenty feet this is treated as a charge, with a -1 initiative bonus, +2 to attack, and doing double damage. A skullbunny’s bite damage is caused by an acidic enzyme, and does not apply to creatures immune to acids.

Skullbunnies are slightly resistant to magic (5%). They can avoid missiles fired at them, like a thri-kreen, dodging with a 9 or better on d20. When dodging magical missiles (enchanted axes, arrows, etc.) the roll is modified by the ‘plus’ bonus of the weapon.

Note that skullbunnies are timid herbivores. They will never willfully go into battle. If they are somehow controlled or their young are threatened, however, they become quite formidable in combat.

Habitat/Society: Skullbunnies live in elaborate underground warrens, coming out at night to feed on grasses and roots. The creature cannot chew with its small mouth, concealed behind a ridge of tooth-like bone. Instead it secretes an acidic enzyme onto its vegetable diet, lapping it up with a long, hairy tongue. The skullbunny’s long, hairy antennae sense vibrations in the air caused by sound and movement, allowing it to see in the dark and giving it a +2 to surprise checks.

A skullbunny warren is filled with dozens of the creatures (10d12 skullbunnies), and contains many more young. If a creature was to somehow infiltrate the tiny, twisting tunnels then the skullbunnies would surely rise to defend their children.

Ecology: Skullbunnies are just one more in a long line of planet-devastating plagues to afflict Athas. The little creatures strip the land of foliage, leaving none for animals or herder’s flocks. They are uncontrollable, having already spread to numbers rivalling those of the most populous races of Athas and beyond. Many druids and farmers curse the name of the skullbunny, but few Athasians consider it anything more than a cute animal and a delicious meal.

Skullbunny meat is gamey but tastey, and is already a staple diet in many tribes and villages. Adventurers travelling in the wilderness are as likely to turn up with skullbunnies as erdlu after a night of hunting. The hide is durable and good for clothing, but loses its texture when it gets wet. The claws are too small to be of any use, but some merchants have begun selling skullbunny claws as ‘magical wish charms’. Some Veilled Alliance members have become concerned with the rise of the skullbunnies, pointing to their limited magic resistance as proof that they are a magical plague unleashed to destroy the world. They have yet to be taken seriously.