FREQUENCY: Uncommon
NO. APPEARING: 3-18
ARMOR CLASS: 5
MOVE: 6”/18”
HIT DICE: 2
% IN LAIR: 80%
TREASURE TYPE: Nil
NO. OF ATTACKS: 3
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-2/1-2/1-6
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Drain blood
SPECIAL DEFENSES: See below
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard
INTELLIGENCE: Animal
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
SIZE: S
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
    Attack/Defense Modes: Nil

The giant vampire frog is a particularly
noxious reptile which grows to weights
of up to 30 pounds. Its bile-green
body is covered with mucous, and 2
transluscent membranes of slimy tissue
connect its fore and rear limbs, enabling
it to glide from treetop perches much as
does a flying squirrel. Its forelimbs are
fingered with small claws which enable
the vampire frog to climb and to hold
prey, and it possesses 2 large front
teeth — each up to 3 inches long,
sharp as needles, and hollow.

The frog hangs upside down in a treetop, camouflaged by its color. When a
warm-blooded animal walks near its
perch, the vampire frog releases its hold
on the limb, extends its gliding membranes, and silently (gaining complete
surprise) swoops down on its prey in a
long, low glide. It extends its fangs and
pierces the back of the neck of the victim
like a double-headed arrow. At the same
time, it begins to entwine its body in the
prey’s hair, aided in adhesion by the mucous body slime. It grabs on to the prey’s
ears with its clawed feet, fastens its
mouth around the point of the wounds,
and, hanging upside down, sucks the
victim’s blood for an automatic 1-4 points
of damage per round.

These creatures have a good AC rating because of their rubbery
hides and the violent gyrations their victims undergo after being bitten.
 

Also because of the victim’s thrashing
around, there is a 50% chance that any
blow aimed at the vampire frog — by its
current victim or another character — will
hit the victim instead, doing full normal
damage. If the victim does not take the
full brunt of such a blow, there is still a
30% chance (roll again) that the vampire
frog will only absorb 1/2 of the damage
from the hit and, because the frog adheres so closely to the victim’s body, the
victim will also suffer 1/2 damage.

Fortunately, these repulsive creatures only
inhabit swamp areas overgrown
with large trees. To date, no one has
found a redeeming quality in them.
 
 

Based on Save the Flying Toad by Norman Spinrad, which originally appeared
in the June 1980 issue of OMNI magazine; copyright 1980 by OMNI Publications International, Ltd. and reprinted
with the permission of the copyright
owner.
 
 

Dragon

Monster Manual

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AD&&D

Dragon 50