FREQUENCY: Rare
NO. APPEARING: 1-4
ARMOR CLASS: 6
MOVE: //6" (//18" maximum; see below)
HIT DICE: 3 + 3
% IN LAIR: Nil
TREASURE TYPE: Nil
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 bite and 1 tail slap
DAMAGE/ATTACK: See below
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Stunning tail slap
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Nil
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard
INTELLIGENCE: Average
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
SIZE: M (up to 5' diam.)
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
    Attack/Defense Modes: Nil
LEVEL/X.P. VALUE: III/85 + 4/hp

    Flailtails inhabit freshwater marshes and
shorelines, and resemble large greenish
brown lilypads or patches of pond scum
when floating in still waters. Upon closer
inspection the flailtail resembles a large
manta ray, but its tail is usually hidden
beneath the water. Omnivorous, the flailtail
floats motionless for long periods of time
while many small wormlike appendages on
its underside comb the water for microscopic
life and carrion. These highly dextrous
feelers grow to be up to one foot in
length, and can acutely sense the direction
and magnitude of vibrations in the water up
to 14" away.

    Flailtails have been known to devour
creatures as large as the catoblepas, and
often hunt man. These larger prey are eaten
with a tubelike, extendable sucking mouth
ringed with toothed ridges of bone. The
mouth does 1-4 hp of damage per round.
Once bitten, a victim must do more than
6 hp of damage in a single round to the
flailtail, or roll his own strength or less on a
d20 (one attempt allowed per round, in
addition to any attacks), to break free of the
mouth's grip. The mouthtube is located in
the center of a flailtail's underside, and can
swivel or lunge with great agility to strike
prey in the water.

    Flailtails fight and knock prey down into
the reach of their mouths with great slapping
blows of their tails (hence their name).
A blow from one of these massive appendages
does 1-12 points of damage to small or
man-sized targets, or 1-8 to larger victims.
If a tail strikes a small or man-sized target
for more than 4 points of damage, there is a
30% chance that the victim will be physically
stunned. After such a severe jolt, the
victim must make a system shock check, or
else all his muscles will convulse and seize
up into rigid immobility for 1-3 rounds
thereafter.

    The creature's massive, flattened tail can
propel a fleeing or pursuing flailtail at terrific
speeds when necessary (up to 18" for as
long as 1 turn continuously, but no more
often than once every hour). Flailtails are
usually solitary, but sometimes gather in
groups of sandy beds or large lakes. They
are intelligent and will cooperate with other
creatures to improve their own chances of
obtaining food or surviving. Flailtail young
are born live; miniature versions of their
parents, they are very timid and flighty,
have 1+1 HD, do half damage on attacks,
but have the same armor class and movement
abilities as adults.

    Flailtails must stay near water, but can
survive for up to 2 turns without being
immersed, and can cross short stretches of
dry land by flailing their tails constantly
(maximum movement on land: 6"). They
are highly vulnerable when out of water or
when thrashing about from place to place
on dry land (equivalent to AC 10 in such
cases), and will flee from any combat until
they reach the safety of a watery environment.
They will not pursue any prey or adversaries
onto dry land, and cannot be driven
out of the water against their will. They will
only voluntarily leave the water when they
are seeking another body of water to inhabit,
and then only if they do not sense
any impending danger.
 

    by Ed Greenwood