Golden Ammonite
Created by Roger E. Moore



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 two 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 Dexterity
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 Magiccast 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. Two such lightballs may be fired
per round (one 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 armor class 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 two 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 one 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 one or more
of these creatures, apparently acting as
an ally and not being attacked in any
way. 


Dragon #48 Monster Manual III - Dragon AD&D