FREQUENCY: Very rare
FREQUENCY: Very rare ([Dungeon Level IV])


NO. APPEARING: 1
ARMOR CLASS: 4
MOVE: 3"
HIT DICE: 4 to 6
% IN LAIR: Nil
TREASURE TYPE: Nil
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 per tentacle
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-8 per tentacle
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Nil
SPECIAL DEFENSES: [SB]
MAGIC RESISTANCE: [SB]
INTELLIGENCE: Low
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
SIZE: L
LEVEL/X.P. VALUE:
    4HD: III | 150 + 4
    5HD: IV | 205 + 5
    6HD: V | 350 + 6

This silicon-based mollusc averages 8' high at the crown of its shell
and keeps its club-tentacles (of which it has 4-6) in constant motion, <apply club weapon vs. AC modifiers?>
flailing everything in its path. <FIGHT>
In combat each tentacle has its own HP and when 'dead' ceases to attack. After all the tentacles have
been killed the beast withdraws its head and the REST of its body into
its shell; it will die in 1-3 turns, during which time it utters pitiful,
wailing cries which have a 50% chance per turn of attracting a wandering monster.
The creature's body also has hit points, but it is so adept at withdrawing it into the shell at high SPEED that it can be regarded as AC -8;
any hit on the body will, however, kill the creature outright even if some of the tentacles survive.

In melee each of the tentacles will strike for 1-8 HP of damage.
Each tentacle represents 1HD of the creature, so a snail with 5 tentacles has 5 hit dice.

The flail snail is immune to [fire] (normal or magical) and poison,
but is hypersensitive to bright illumination and hence is always encountered at night or underground.

The highly-coloured shell affords the flail snail partial protection
against magic, acting as a type of robe of scintillating colours.
Whenever it is attacked by magic the effects are variable --
    40% chance of the spell malfunctioning,
    30% chance of it functioning normally,
    20% of it failing to work at at all and
    10% chance of it being reflected onto the person casting it.
If a spell malfunctions its effects will alter (at the total discretion of the referee, who will not permit more than minor alteration) and the altered effect will be deviated from the snail to the nearest person or creature.

The shell weighs 250# (2,500 gold pieces weight) <e> and retains its magical properties for 1-6 months after the occupant's death.
It can be sold for as much as 5,000 gold pieces.
 

    by Simon Tilbrook