FREQUENCY: Uncommon

FREQUENCY: Uncommon ([Dungeon Level III])

FREQUENCY: Uncommon ([Temperate Wilderness Swamp])
FREQUENCY: Very rare ([Temperate Wilderness Mountains], [Temperate Wilderness Forest], [Temperate Wilderness Plains])

FREQUENCY: Uncommon ([Tropical Wilderness Swamp])
FREQUENCY: Very rare ([Tropical Wilderness Mountains], [Tropical Wilderness Forest], [Tropical Wilderness Plains])

NO. APPEARING: 1
ARMOR CLASS: 8
MOVE: 12"
HIT DICE: 4
% IN LAIR: 95% <(repeat: either marshes or small, dank caverns underground)> <lack of bold at dank = problem>
TREASURE TYPE: [B]
NO. OF ATTACKS: 2 ~ 15
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-4/1-4
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Nil
SPECIAL DEFENSES: [SB]
INTELLIGENCE: Low
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic evil
SIZE: M
LEVEL/X.P. VALUE: III | 85 + 4

SAVES: 13.14.15.16.16

Solitary bipeds just less than man-sized,
meazels are rarely encountered outside their lairs --
either marshes || small, dank caverns underground.
<>

They have natural thieving abilities at the 4th level of experience
<They have the Natural teefing abilities of a Robber(T4)>
and will rarely attack openly,
preferring to hide and,
moving quietly and swiftly,
attempt to strangle stragglers from behind
or to pick pockets in SEARCH of the gold they love.
<PP: 45%>
<OL: 37%>
<FRT: 35%>
<MS: 33%>
<HS: 25%>
<HN: 15%>
<CW: 88%>
<RL: 20%>

The meazel is a
traditional enemy of orcs && kobolds.

Meazels rarely venture far from their lairs and take all corpses there to
be eaten in safety. Piles of sacks full of bones are often to be found
near a meazel lair (any gems the creature has found in treasure will be
in these sacks, since it does not recognize the value of precious and semi-precious stones).
For the same reason, there will be no gems in the lair.

Most creatures of the underworld will attack meazels, for they have a nasty reputation even among dungeon denizens.

In combat they attack with their two claws, each inflicting 1-4 HP of damage.
Alternatively, they USE a piece of tough, thin cord to strangle their victims; <garrot>
a 'hit' indicates that the cord has been
wrapped round the victim's neck and he will die from strangulation
with <2> melee rounds unless he breaks free, or the meazel dies or
is forced to release its hold (for example to defend against attack
from another quarter). However the creature can only execute this <compare: Holding Breath, DSG>
kind of attack against a victim from the rear undetected, achieving
surprise.

Description: The meazel has skin which varies from light grey to dark green;
irregular patches of an angry red colour will occur on most (95%) individuals due to a skin disease --
neither harmful to the creature beyond the disfiguring effect, nor contagious -- prevalent in
the species, these patches giving the meazel almost a leprous
appearance. The eyes are jet black and the feet partially webbed.
 

    by Dermot Jackson

<meazel = 3rd from left>

<meazel = 3rd from left>