FREQUENCY: Rare
FREQUENCY: Rare ([Dungeon Level VII])
FREQUENCY: Rare ([Temperate Wilderness Forest], [Temperate Wilderness Swamp])
FREQUENCY: Very rare ([Temperate Wilderness Plains], [Temperate Wilderness Desert])
FREQUENCY: Rare ([Tropical Wilderness Forest], [Tropical Wilderness Swamp])
FREQUENCY: Very rare ([Tropical Wilderness Plains], [Tropical Wilderness Desert])

NO. APPEARING: 1-6
ARMOR CLASS: 6
MOVE: 6" (see below)
HIT DICE: 8 or 10 (see below)
% IN LAIR: 15%
TREASURE TYPE: [Q]
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 ~ 12 || 10 <check>
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-12
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Nil
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Damage from edged weapons reduced - see below
ARTFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: Non- <alt>
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
SIZE: M
LEVEL/X.P. VALUE: VII | 1,350 + 14

SAVES, 8 HD: 10.14.15.16.16
SAVES, 10 HD: 8.12.13.13.14

The C.I.F.A.L. -- the name is acronymic of  'colonial insect-formed artificial
life' -- is the agglomeration of several swarms of insects (several
hundred thousand insects to each swarm) which come together to
form a single amorphous creature about man-sized.

The mass as a whole has 8 HD while another 2 HD are
involved in providing the nuclear energy required to keep the constituent
swarms locked in a single body. It is from the HP of the
latter 2 HD that initial damage is extracted, and if these HP
are lost the mass body will separate into its individual component
insects, at which point the insects will fly away away at 24" rate --
they will only attack && defend in mass body form. However, the HP
of the binding force may be replaced from the HP of the remainder of
the mass body at the rate of 2 HP per melee round.

The C.I.F.A.L. attacks by an agglomeration of tiny bites which collectively
inflict 1-12 HP of damage.

Edged weapons only cause 1 HP of damage on the C.I.F.A.L.
whatever type of weapon is used and whether it is magical or not.
Blunt weapons cause full normal damage.

Strictly speaking, this creature does not fly and the movement rate
given above refers to movement along the ground, albeit the result
of the flying speed of the swarms restricted by the need to maintain
coherence of shape. The C.I.F.A.L. has no aerial manoeuvrability class,
but the constituent insects are manoeuvrability class A.
 

    by Oliver Charles MacDonald