FREQUENCY: Very rare ([Temperate Wilderness Mountains], [Temperate Wilderness Plains], [Temperate Wilderness Desert])
FREQUENCY: Very rare ([Temperate Wilderness Mountains], [Temperate Wilderness Plains])
FREQUENCY: Very rare ([Tropical Wilderness Desert])
FREQUENCY: Very rare ([Dungeon Level IV])
<redo above. obvious error.>

NO. APPEARING: 3-5
ARMOR CLASS: 7 (but see below)
MOVE: 9"
HIT DICE: 4
% IN LAIR: 100%
TREASURE TYPE: Nil
NO. OF ATTACKS: 2 ~ 15
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-4/1-4
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Paralysation
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Dimension door
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard
INTELLIGENCE: Very
ALIGNMENT: Lawful evil
SIZE: S (2' tall)
LEVEL/X.P. VALUE: IV | 240 + 4

Meenlocks are small bipedal creatures about 2' tall and covered in black, shaggy fur.
Their heads are white, cut with dark ridges.

In total they present a horrid appearance and will cause fear in any person with four or fewer HD who sees them, this causing the victim to fall inert to the ground for 5-8 melee rounds (the number of rounds is halved if the victim makes his saving throw).

The meenlocks have their lair in dark, sealed, vertical shafts underground.
If the seal is removed, the bottom of the shaft cannot be seen
and anything dropped in will land noiselessly on a thick moss 'carpet'
which lines the walls and floor of the shaft. THe shaft will be dark and
a smell of rotting corpses will drift upwards. Characters other then the
most insensitive will also detect a strong emanation of evil even
without the use of a detect evil spell.
After descending vertically for
20' or so, the shaft twists and curves, so it is impossible to see the
bottom even with a light spell, which will only reveal detail of the
upper parts.

If brave adventurers penetrate the shaft they will eventually find the
meenlock lair -- a large space like a small cave at the very foot of the
shaft. The creatures will always attack (exception -- bright light will
cause them to flee if they are able) and will use their two claws, each of
which inflicts 1-4 hit points of damage. The touch of the
meenlock causes paralysation (saving throw applicable). At close
quarters such as in their lair, however, the meenlocks' teleparthic
powers are virtually useless -- this is their reason for the artificial
smell of rotting corpses which they deliberately create in order to
deter entrance to the lair.

The creatures will use considerable ingenuity to extinguish sources
of light -- torches, lanterns, and so forth. They have a limited
dimension door ability over a distance of 6' every other melee round
-- when using this ability, attacks on them are at -4 on the 'to hit'
roll. However they cannot use this power when carrying a victim --
three meenlocks are required for such a task.

It is if the adventurers remove the seal from the top of the shaft but
subsequently fail to penetrate the meenlock's lair that the creatures will
take fullest advantage. When the adventurers depart, they will be followed
at a safe distance bby the nasty little beasts, which can aclimb
quickly and noiselessly up the shaft by using the deadening qualities
of the moss carpet. One of the adventurers will be 'marked' by the
meenlocks -- selected at random, though if a paladin is present he will
be given priority -- and the meenlocks will concentrate their subsequent
attacks on him alone, being highly evil and greatly desirous of
wreaking vengeance on humankind. The victim selected will always be
human if one is present, but if not the creatures will choose an elf,
dwarf or any other near-human.

From the time of his 'marking' onwards, the chosen victim will
receive disturbing telepathic messages; the meenlocks can communicate
telepathically over a 300' range. The messages will vary in
content but the threat will be the same -- that the meenlocks are
pursuing the victim relentlessly and intend to make him one of them.
The victim will also be conscious of stealthy movement in the
shadows and of rustling, scratching noises (these will also be illusory
and induced telepathically). Companions of the victim will hear and
detect nothing and may conclude that their colleauge is mentally
aberrant.

The meenlocks will not attack until the party beds down to REST.
However, until that time the victim will become increasingly
preoccupied with his predicament and will be able to concentrate less and
less upon the adventure. His efficiency will thus be reduced,
though the extent and effect of this will vary and is to be determined
by the referee. As a guide, for every hour the victim is harassed by
meenlocks, his strength, [dexterity], [intelligence] and [wisdom] will be
reduced temporarily by 1 point each, in addition he will attack at -1
on the 'to hit' roll in melee and (if he is a spell-caster) victims of
his spells will receive a +2 bonus on their saving throw. All these
effects are cumulative but will disappear as soon as the meenlock
threat has somehow been averted (if for example the party moves into
an AREA which is brightly illuminated and which the meenlocks will
not be able to enter).

When the party including the victim has bedded down to REST, the
meenlocks will attack, moving very silently (80% chance of obtaining
surprise even against a watchful guard -- 100% against a sleeper). They
will attempt to silence any guards and drag their victim away (they will
not attack the victim with their claws unless absolutely necessary,
but they show no similar mercy to others). If they succeed in doing
so, they will take the victim to their shaft, sealing it after entry. After a
short but gruesome treatment, the victim himself becomes a meenlock.
 

    by Martin Stollery