FREQUENCY: Uncommon ([Cold Civilized Plains], [Cold Civilized Desert])
FREQUENCY: Uncommon ([Temperate Civilized Plains], [Temperate Civilized Desert])
FREQUENCY: Uncommon ([Tropical Civilized Plains], [Tropical Civilized Desert])
FREQUENCY: Uncommon ([Dungeon Level III])

NO. APPEARING: 2-24
ARMOR CLASS: 7
MOVE: 12" (15")
HIT DICE: 3+1
% IN LAIR: 80%
TREASURE TYPE: [D]
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 2-12
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Nil
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Nil
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard
INTELLIGENCE: Animal
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
SIZE: S (2' high at shoulder)
LEVEL/X.P. VALUE: III | 60 + 4

The osquip is a multi-legged hairless rodent-like creature the size of a
small dog. Most specimens have 6 legs but some (25%) have eight and
there are a few rare creatures (5%) with ten legs. The creature's hide is
a very light yellow -- almost colourless -- and resembles very pliable
leather. The eyes are small and set close together, each being heavily
protected by surrounding ridges of hide-covered bone. The jaws are
unusually large, the entire bony structure projecting several inches
forward of the flesh; in each jaw there are large spade like teeth.

The creature will have it s lair in the midst of a complex of tunnels
beneath the basements of buildings in a town, or in a dungeon. The
tunnel system will be quite extensive and the entrances to it, which
are too small to permit the comfortable passage of a human or other
man-sized creature, will be carefully hidden (the chance of finding
them is the same as the chance of finding a secret door). <link: DSG: fighting in cramped spaces>

The creature feeds on rats, mice and other small vermin, though it is a
ferocious beast and will always attack without fear, sometimes
emerging to surprise a victim from one of the hidden entrances to its
tunnel-system. It attacks with its powerful jaws and these can inflict
a nasty bite for 2-12 hit points of damage. It has high dexterity (its
natural armour class is 9).

By using its powerful jaws, it can burrow through rock at 1/2"
movement rate. Its behaviour regarding other tunnel-dwelling
creatures, such as jermlaine, mites and snyads, is unpredictable. Sometimes
it will be encountered acting in co-operation with one or more
of these types of creature; at other times the osquip will invade
jermlaine, mite or snyad tunnel-systems on predatory missions.

by Brendon Bulger