FREQUENCY: Very rare
NUMBER APPEARING: 1-3
ARMOR CLASS: 2/8
MOVE: 1”
HIT DICE: 8 + 3
% IN LAIR: Nil
TREASURE TYPE: See below
NUMBER OF ATTACKS: 10
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-4 per tentacle
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Blinding
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Immune to
psionic attack
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 90%
INTELLIGENCE: SemiALIGNMENT: Neutral
SIZE: L (6’-8’ shell diameter;
12’ tentacles)
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
EXPERIENCE POINT VALUE: 2700 +
12/HP (None for g.p. of shell)
Golden Ammonites are sea-dwelling
octopoids that live in great coiled shells
like hermit crabs. The body and tentacles
of a Golden Ammonite are dark
brown with
spots of black. The shell,
however, is made of pure solid gold;
each one weighs between 1,200 and
1,800 Ibs. So rare and beautiful are these
shells that they can be sold for up to
150,000 g.p. each, if buyers can be found
who can afford them. Yet getting these
shells is another matter entirely.
Golden Ammonites have 2 great
multifaceted eyes on either side of their
bodies that project just beyond the rim
of their golden shells. Each eye has the
power to launch a
small ball of light, 1’
in diameter, out to a range of 90’. This
attack may initially appear much like a
fireball
being cast, though such a thing
is of course impossible underwater. Vic-
tims must save vs. spell (with DEX
bonuses for spell evasion applicable) if
a
Lightball is cast at them; failure means
the victim is struck in the face by the
lightball and blinded as if struck by a
Continual
Light spell. The lightball may
only be removed from the character’s
eyes by a Dispel
Magick cast by a character of 12th or higher level or by a Wish.
Even after the lightball is removed the
character’s vision is permanently damaged
and attacks will be made by the
character at -2 to hit. Only a Heal
or
another Wish
will cure the damage to the
eyes. 2 such lightballs may be fired
per round (1 per eye) as often as the
Golden Ammonite has a target within
range.
If attacked physically, these creatures
are 50% likely to fight with their tentacles
and 50% likely to crawl back into their
shells and seal themselves up, giving
them an AC of 2 all around.
Physical attacks on a creature NOT sealed
up are 50% likely to strike the ammonite’s
shell (AC2), 45% likely to strike the
soft body or tentacles (AC8), and 5%
likely to hit one of the 2 large eyes
(AC2). An eye is destroyed instantly if
any damage is inflicted upon it, and its
loss will cause the creature to immediately
withdraw into its shell for 4-24
turns. It should be noted that each point
of damage done to the shell of the
Golden Ammonite reduces its overall
resale value by 1,000 g.p., to a minimum
value of 15,000 g.p. These creatures are
immune to all psionic attacks, though
they are susceptible to ESP.
If a Golden Ammonite is able to grasp
an opponent with 1 or more of its tentacles,
it does not need to check for hitting again against the same opponent(s).
The tentacles that hit do constricting
damage to the victim each round thereafter
until the creature or the victim is
dead. These creatures may divide their
attacks against up to 10 opponents.
Deep marine canyons at depths below
1,000 feet, in the coldest and darkest
regions of the sea, are where Golden
Ammonites make their homes. They collect
no treasure or property. The shells
of these octopoids have never been
found empty; it is believed that these
creatures have a lifespan of thousands
of years. They do not speak or communicate
by sound. Apparently they have a
form of tentacle sign language, though
no one can translate it.
Now and then (25% chance) an Eye
of
the
Deep will be found with 1 or more
of these creatures, apparently acting as
an ally and not being attacked in any
way.
| Dragon | Dragon 48 | Monsters | Monster Manual | 1st Edition AD&D |