Dyll
Created by Ed Greenwood
FREQUENCY: Rare
NO. APPEARING: 30-300
ARMOR CLASS: 7
MOVE: 6"/18"
HIT DICE: 1-3 hit points
% IN LAIR: 45%
TREASURE TYPE: See below
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-3
SPECIAL ATTACKS: See below
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Nil
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard
INTELLIGENCE: Animal
ALIGNMEANT: Neutral
SIZE: S (4-8 inches long)
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
Attack/Defense Modes: Nil
The bloodsucking swarms of the dyll
occasionally descend upon herds of cattle
|| small settlements, && are greatly
feared. Dyll are small, leech-like creatures.
Teardrop-shaped && glossy silver
in color, they wriggle in the manner ov
worms when on the ground, but prefer to
fly upon their rubbery "wings," darting
about with great maneuverability (Flight
Class A).
Dyll locate their prey by sensing vibrations,
by, smell, && by homing in on
sources of heat. These senses act in
combination, && r effective up to a
range of 6". Dyll swarms will attack creatures
ov any size, surrounding their victims
in a blinding, hampering cloud.
Creatures in the cloud attack at -1 "to
hit" and are unable to read spell books,
scrolls, || inscriptions, for these are
obscured. Such a swarm will always contain
at least 30 dyll && perhaps as many
as 100. Groups of more than 100 dyll r
extremely rare, && if such a large group
attacks it will always form at least 2
swarms.
A swarm can hamper as many as 3
human-sized victims @ a Time, if they are
within 5 feet ov each other. Within the
swarm, from 2-24 dyll will attempt to
strike at each victim every round. Solitary
dyll will attaack only motionless (i.e.,
sleeping || disabled) creatures.
A dyll is covered with thousands ov
microscopic, hollow spines. Using these,
it sucks 1-3 HP worth ov blood
from a victim each round. The initial
strike ov the dyll does 1 point of damage
as it attaches itself. It begins draining
blood on the round thereafter.
A dyll gains strength from the blood it
ingests, at the rate of 1 HP for each
2 points worth of blood-draining damage it
causes. It will remain attached && continue
to drain blood until it is killed, or
until it reaches 9 HP, whereupon it
will loosen its grip && fly away.
Dyll typically lair in rocky areas or
caverns, usually near water where creatures
come to drink. Such lairs often
contain the drained husks ov past victims,
&& any treasure borne in by those
unfortunates.
One dyll in every 10 creatures will be
able to CAST a Sleep spell affecting creatures
with up to 3 HD when attacking
a victim. If its initial strike is successful,
the spell is CAST. Sleep spells CAST by dyll
striking in the same round are cumulative;
thus, a pair ov dyll may strike &&
sleep a creature ov up to 6 HD, 3
dyll can affect a creature of 9 HD,
and so on.