Crab was a collective name given to a number of species of crustaceans found in the Realms and often used in culinary pursuits. There existed mundane and giant crabs, as well as saltwater and freshwater varieties.
Description[]
Crabs were foul-tempered crustaceans encased in shells with its colors differing depending on the species. They had powerful pincer claws that, depending on the crab's side, could open an adventurer's armor like a tin can.[4] They were also known to be able to become one's familiar[5] or an animal companion, while giant crabs could be dominated through magic and turned into fine mounts.[4]
- Bigclaw, a species of giant blue-shelled crab, larger than river snipper crab, that inhabited the Soshenstar River in Chult.[4]
- Blue king crab, one of the biggest and most expensive species of crab from the Frozenfar.[4]
- Devil crab, an edible species of crab eaten in the Vast.[6]
- Dikanie, a species of orange 30 feet (9.1 meters) crab from Kara-Tur.[7]
- Emperor crab, a lesser but dangerous species of king crab from the Sea of Moving Ice with succulent meat.[4]
- Finialian's crab, a species of brightly-colored crab found in Scardale.[8]
- Flameshell crab, a species of red-shelled crab.[9]
- Giant crabs were a common 12 feet (3.7 meters) long danger found in the Underdark and an edible prey to stronger creatures, svirfneblins, and adventurers.[10] They were also commonly found in the Sea of Fallen Stars.[11] There existed giant crab ghosts in the eastern lands of Kara-Tur.[12]
- Hermit crab, a species of crap that used discarded shells, found in the Sea of Swords and Waterdeep.[13]
- Hulking crab, a species of crab bigger than the giant crab.[1]
- Purple marsh crab, a species of freshwater river crab from Chult.[4]
- River snipper, a species of giant brown-shelled crabs that inhabited the Soshenstar River in Chult.[4]
- Sand crab, a species of crab pests.[14]
- Siege crab, a titanic crab and a living siege machine created in the time of the Tenth Serôs War.[15]
- Soft-shelled crab, various species of edible crabs.[16]
- White helmet, an anemic-colored cave-dwelling crab from the Sea of Moving Ice.[4]
- Wooly crab, a species of the Sea of Moving Ice crab with wool-like spines on their shells.[4]
- Yeti crab, a species of large deep-sea saltwater crab from the Sea of Moving Ice found near seafloor thermal vents.[4]
Ecology[]
Crabs were commonly cooked across the Realms. In Calimshan, crabs were served boiled[17] and stuffed.[18]
In Cormyr, soft-shelled crabs were breaded and fried, served dusted in sugar.[16] Another Coemyte treat was Marsemban tarts that contained diced salmon and crab.[19]
Along the Dragon Coast, clams and crabs were abundant in Westgate, where the city's poor descended on the beaches to dig for their next meals.[20]
In the Dalelands, freshwater crabs were caught for food in Archendale, along the shores of the River Arkhen.[21]
On the Sword Coast, crab meat was used to make crab cakes, like specialty dish of the Elfsong Tavern in Baldur's Gate.[22]
In the Frozenfar, numerous crab species inhabited the Sea of Moving Ice, but smaller crab was fished out of Maer Dualdon and used as a food source by the locals. The meat was nutritious but quite bland in flavor. The region's crabs consumed serpent stars and fishers sometimes used them as crab fishing bait.[4] The crab fishers of the Ten Towns used pots to trap the critters.[23]
Sharkey's Bar & Grill of Ravens Bluff in The Vast sold live-caught crabs, and served cooked giant crab's legs or whole giant crabs.[24] Crabs were also the specialty of the Fresh Fish shop[25] and The Lambent Eye, where crabs were fried in lemon beer.[26] And Fish Tails served fishcakes made with various sea-critters, including crab.[27] And in the nearby Mossbridges, the Golden Goblet Inn had stuffed devil crab on the menu.[6]
Notable Crabs[]
- Karkinos, a massive and powerful legendary bigclaw crab who terrorized Chult in the late 15th century DR.[4]
- Suratuk's giant red crab, a creation of an eccentric Calishite artist who permanently dyed and pained companion and mount animals in the late 15th century DR.[4]
- Suratuk's giant sunset crab, another victim of Suratuk's paintbrush.[4]
Appendix[]
See Also[]
- Call of the crustacean
- Cave fisher
- Crab's Claw Coast
- Giant crab shell shield
- Lightning Jabber
Gallery[]
Appearances[]
Adventures
Legacy of the Crystal Shard
Novels & Short Stories
The Parched Sea • The Spine of the World • Swords of Dragonfire • Finder's Bane • Masquerades • Elminster's Daughter • The Companions • The Rose of Sarifal
Gamebooks
Video Games
Organized Play & Licensed Adventures
For a Few Zhents More
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Christopher Perkins, et al. (September 2016). Storm King's Thunder. Edited by Kim Mohan, Michele Carter. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 240. ISBN 978-0-7869-6600-4.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Mike Mearls, Jeremy Crawford, Christopher Perkins (2014-09-30). Monster Manual 5th edition. Edited by Scott Fitzgerald Gray. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 320. ISBN 978-0786965614.
- ↑ Kate Novak, Jeff Grubb (July 1997). Finder's Bane. (TSR, Inc.), chap. 13. ISBN 0-7869-0658-8.
- ↑ 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 4.11 4.12 4.13 4.14 Cryptic Studios (June 2013). Neverwinter. Perfect World Entertainment.
- ↑ Larian Studios (October 2020). Designed by Swen Vincke, et al. Baldur's Gate III. Larian Studios.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 David P. Santana (March 2001). The Good, the Undead, and the Ugly. (RPGA), p. 11.
- ↑ Mike Pondsmith, Jay Batista, Rick Swan, John Nephew, Deborah Christian (1988). Kara-Tur: The Eastern Realms (Volume II). (TSR, Inc), p. 117. ISBN 0-88038-608-8.
- ↑ James Butler, Elizabeth T. Danforth, Jean Rabe (September 1994). “Coastal Aquatic Lands: The Sea of Fallen Stars”. In Karen S. Boomgarden ed. Elminster's Ecologies (TSR, Inc), p. 5. ISBN 1-5607-6917-3.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood (April 2008). Swords of Dragonfire. (Wizards of the Coast), p. ?. ISBN 0-7869-4862-8.
- ↑ R.A. Salvatore (December 2004). Exile. (Wizards of the Coast), chap. 2. ISBN 0-7869-3126-4.
- ↑ Mel Odom (January 1999). Rising Tide. (TSR, Inc.), pp. 1–343. ISBN 978-0-7869-1312-1.
- ↑ Jon Pickens, et al. (December 1986). Night of the Seven Swords. Edited by Karen S. Martin. (TSR, Inc.), p. 8. ISBN 0-88038-327-5.
- ↑ Allen Varney (May 1989). Knight of the Living Dead. (TSR, Inc.), p. 101. ISBN 978-0880385985.
- ↑ R.A. Salvatore (August 6, 2013). The Companions. (Wizards of the Coast), chap. 6. ISBN 0-7869-6371-9.
- ↑ Andrew Finch, Gwendolyn Kestrel, Chris Perkins (August 2004). Monster Manual III. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 157. ISBN 0-7869-3430-1.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 Ed Greenwood (November 2008). The Sword Never Sleeps. (Wizards of the Coast), chap. ?. ISBN 978-0-7869-4914-4.
- ↑ Clayton Emery (January 1999). Star of Cursrah. (Wizards of the Coast), chap. 1. ISBN 0-7869-1322-3.
- ↑ Clayton Emery (January 1999). Star of Cursrah. (Wizards of the Coast), chap. 6. ISBN 0-7869-1322-3.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood (October 1996). Stormlight. (Wizards of the Coast), chap. 12. ISBN 0-7869-0520-4.
- ↑ Jeff Grubb and Kate Novak (July 1995). Masquerades. (TSR, Inc), chap. 11. ISBN 0-7869-0152-7.
- ↑ Troy Denning (July 1991). The Parched Sea. (TSR, Inc.), chap. 7. ISBN 1-56076-067-2.
- ↑ Adam Lee, et al. (September 2019). Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus. Edited by Michele Carter, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 17. ISBN 978-0-7869-6687-5.
- ↑ R.A. Salvatore, Jeffrey Ludwig, Matthew Sernett, James Wyatt (November 19, 2013). “Campaign Book”. Legacy of the Crystal Shard (Wizards of the Coast), p. 12. ISBN 978-0-7869-6464-2.
- ↑ Steven C. Sampson (January 1999). Cravings. Living City (RPGA), p. 16.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood (October 1998). The City of Ravens Bluff. Edited by John D. Rateliff. (TSR, Inc.), p. 107. ISBN 0-7869-1195-6.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood (October 1998). The City of Ravens Bluff. Edited by John D. Rateliff. (TSR, Inc.), p. 111. ISBN 0-7869-1195-6.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood (October 1998). The City of Ravens Bluff. Edited by John D. Rateliff. (TSR, Inc.), p. 138. ISBN 0-7869-1195-6.