FREQUENCY: Very rare
NO. APPEARING: 1 (5% chance of 1-6)
ARMOR CLASS: 2
MOVE: 9"/36"
HIT DICE: 8
% IN LAIR: 95%
TREASURE TYPE: Nil
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 punch
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 2-20
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Blinding; spell use
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Transparency; dazzling;
spell immunities
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard
INTELLIGENCE: Average
ALIGNMENT: Lawful neutral
SIZE: L (see below)
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
Attack/Defense Modes:
Nil
LEVEL/X.P. VALUE: VII/1350 + 10/hp
The glasspane horror
is much sought
after as a treasure guard. If offered
a place
to rest and an occasional gem, this strange
creature will gladly follow simple orders
(notify these guards at once if someone
attacks, defend the hallway, etc.). The
glasspane horror communicates by a limited
form of telepathy, being able to "speak"
only with those creatures in the same
immediate
vicinity (60' radius).
The glasspane horror
has three basic
forms, each with its own abilities and
vulnerabilities.
The inactive form, from which
the creature takes its name, is a sheet
of
crystalline substance 10' by 10' by 1'
(or
any similar size with the same volume
and a
minimum dimension of 1'). It commonly
rests in a doorway, hallway, window, or
similar space. The creature is transparent
but has a tensile strength equivalent
to that
of iron. Its presence can be detected
the
same way that an invisible object can
be,
but obviously only if the searcher is
actively
seeking to determine the presence of an
unseen object.
The 'horror will notice
if a creature
approaches within 60' from any direction,
except that it cannot sense invisible,
ethereal,
or out-of-phase creatures. Once
alterted, the glasspane horror can transform
into either of its other forms at will;
the
transformation requires one segment.
Its second form is a
roughly hewn, man-shaped
figure, approximately 15' tall, made
of scintillating gemlike material. Light
glistening off its facets dazzles anyone
within 10' of it, forcing attackers to
take a
-2 penalty "to hit" (save vs. spells negates
this effect, as does a darkness spell).
This
form also has three magical attacks, each
usable three times each day: crystalbrittle
by touch (see DRAGON Magazine #68);
create sunburst, as pwer a wand of illumination;
and continual light. In this form it can
attack with powerful fists that inflict
2-20
points of damage. The humanoid form is
subject to spell attacks, except that
a color
spray or lightning bolt will ricochet
off its
body in a random direction without harming
the creature.
The third form of the
glasspane horror is
a clump or cloud of glistening sand. This
form, similar to that of an air elemental,
can flow across a solid surface at 36"
per
round or can form into a whirlwind (retaining
its volume of 100 cubic feet in whatever
shape it chooses). The whirlwind causes
2-16 points of damage to any creature
it
encounters (if it's roll "to hit" succeeds),
and any creature caught in the whirlwind
must save vs. spells or be blinded by
the
stinging sands for 2-8 turns thereafter.
Although the glasspane
horror is a loyal
creature and can't be bribed, it is not
willing
to sacrifice its life for its benefactor's
goods. If severely injured -- brought
down
to a tenth of its hit points -- it will
howl
away to alert its master before seeking
safety. If its master is killed, the glasspane
horror will seek revenge on the perpetrators,
but not at the rish of its own life.
After each engagement
in which it is
wounded, the glasspane horror will claim
as
its own any gems possessed by its foes
-- it
can sense the presence of gems within
a 1"
radius. If there are none, it will expect
some
recompense from its benefactor. The creature
takes the gems in its humanoid hand,
crushes them, and then absorbs the powder
into its whirlwind body. This heals the
creature at the rate of 1 hp per 50 gp
worth
of gems so absorbed. The creature can
also
heal naturally with rest and time.
by Rosemary and Don
Webb
LETTERS
Crystalbrittle
-
Dear Dragon,
I thoroughly enjoyed the Creature
Catalog in
issue #89.
It?s nice to be able to pit my players
against monsters they don?t know about.
There
was only one thing that bothered me. In
the
description of the glasspane horror it
lists the
ability of crystalbrittle by touch. In
the article
there was no account of this power. I
would
appreciate it if you would publish the
specifics of
this talent.
Lane Oase
Mendota Hts., Minn.
(Dragon #93)
Crystalbrittle
is the name of a 9th-level magicuser
spell created by Gary Gygax and printed
along with other new M-U spells in
issue #68.
<update: the
spell is in UA>
[...]
-- KM
(Dragon #93)
In the same issue, the only stated armor class
for the glasspane horror is 2. Is that the armor
class for all three forms? In its second form, is it
solid crystal or just a crystalline image? And
finally, is the horror a magically created being? If
that answer is yes, is it possible for a high level
M-U to create one?
Bill Hilf
Orange, Calif.
(Dragon #95)
The glasspane horror is AC 2 in any of
its forms -- hard to hurt no matter what it looks
like. The 2nd form is indeed solid, as anyone
who's been hit by its fists can tell you. And no,
the horror is not a magically created being, but a
lot of magic-users probably wish it was that easy
to get one.
-- KM
(Dragon #95)