Re: (TFT) ...and a monster suggestion. --> Displacer Beasts

[Stan <srydzews@ix.netcom.com>]

rsmith wrote:
> 
> Thanks, Stan!
>         This sort of letter was exactly the sort of
> ideas I was hoping to see.  I like your giant slug,
> do you have stats?

Hm, it's in my notes for an adventure somewhere.  But this is more
or less it:

Tarnesh Slug  (Tarnesh was the peculiar NPC maniac who originally
ST: 40         made these things.)
DX: 9
IQ: 2
Move: 4
Attacks: bites for 1d+2, 2d in HtH.  Can 'trample'.
Armor: 3, damage from blunt weapons is halved after subtracting armor
Size: 1hex wide, 3 hexes long

Tarnesh slugs are creatures created by the otherworlder known as Tarnesh,
and are products of 'super science' rather than magic.  While Tarnesh is
now deceased, the creatures breed true and have become quite a problem in
Andaran river valley and surrounding areas.  They are omnivourous creatures 
of the swamps and forests, but will also be found in shallow underground 
areas with access to the surface.  They are slow moving, but anyone who gets
adjacent to one may be in trouble, as all hexes adjacent to them are treated 
as if under the effect of a Slippery Floor spell.  Magic items of Immunity to
Slippery Floor are of no help against this effect; it is not magical.

The slugs are suprisingly aggressive (part of Tarnesh's genetic tinkering), and 
generally attempt to attack from concealment, often from within a pool or tarn.  
Their movement is almost entirely silent.

When fighting man-sized opponents they lunge forward and attempt to knock a 
figure down, then enter HtH with it.  They can climb smooth vertical surfaces 
at 1/2 movement rate, but weigh too much to cross ceilings.  The creatures' bite 
also conveys a fairly powerful acidic secretion.  This causes the damage from the 
creature to increase by one for each successive hit on the same creature (e.g., 
the first melee hit does d6+2, the second d6+3, etc.).  

The slugs weigh approximately 250-300 kilos.  Unless they enter water, anyone 
can track a giant slug for a day after it's passing.  Their meat is edible by 
humans, and some (say, elves or a France-like nation :) ) consider their flesh
something of a delicacy.

Obviously, the background and name are completely disposable.  


If you want a giant slug more along the lines of the gigantic ones in D&D:

ST: 80-100
DX: 9
IQ: 2
Move: 6
Attacks: bites for 2d+2, 4d in HtH.  Can 'trample'.
Armor: 5, damage from blunt weapons is halved after subtracting armor
Size: 7 hexes

Otherwise generally as above, but allow it a ranged attack with its 
acid--treat as a thrown weapon.  They can climb vertical surfaces
(like, oh, a cliff or castle wall) to a height of 4 or 5 hexes, but
obviously are too huge to cling to a cliff and move around on it.  

These things would mow nice neat paths through fields and forests, 
devouring huge amounts of vegetation (supplemented by the occasional
slow-moving bear or farmer) to support themselves.  Note that in an 
open area these lumbering things would be little more than experience 
troves for parties with effective long-ranged attacks and even half-decent
movement rates.  

--------------------------
 Stan the slugologist
=====
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