FREQUENCY: Very rare
NO. APPEARING: 1
ARMOR CLASS: 2
MOVE: 12"
HIT DICE: 10 + 2
% IN LAIR: 60%
TREASURE TYPE: A
NO. OF ATTACKS: 3(5)
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 2 tails,
2-16 each; 2 front claws, 1-6 each; bite, 1-8
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Constriction
with tail
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Cannot
be surprised while hiding
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard
INTELLIGENCE: Low
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
SIZE: L (30-40' overall
length)
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
Attack/Defense
Modes: Nil
LEVEL/X.P. VALUE: <>
A creature of the desert, this great
sand-colored lizard lurks on
the edges of caravan trails
and near oases, waiting to overpower or
entrap its prey. It creates
a hiding place by digging into the sand with
its powerful forelegs, then
lying in the trench and flicking sand across
its body with its tails.
It can then work its tails back and forth across
the sand, burrowing just
beneath the surface so that only its eyes and
nostrils remain above the
level of the surrounding sand.
While it is lying in wait,
there is a 50% chance that the lizard will
be detected by any character
or creature passing within 3” of its eyes
and nostrils. This chance
increases to 100% (within the same 3”
range) if a character or
creature is purposely searching the sand for
unusual features or hidden
dangers. However, once the lizard is
detected it wilt spring
to the attack, leaping out of its sandy trench at
its full movement rate and
attempting to assault the nearest character(s). Note that the creature
cannot be surprised if it is lying in
wait; it is able to sense
the approach of potential victims even if they
are not in the lizard’s
current range of vision.
Although the lizard has a
maximum of five attacks per round, it
can only use three of them
(both tails and the bite, or both claws and
the bite) against any one
opponent. It prefers to attack with its tails
and bite (as opposed to its claws and bite) when it has a choice,
unless one or both of its
tails have been incapacitated (see below).
Any time a “to hit” roll
for one of the tail is successful and is a
number equal to or greater
than 18, the tail is considered to have
wrapped itself around the
victim. Thereafter, the constricting tail will
do 3-36 (3d12) points of
damage per round. A character or creature
held by the tail can attempt
to hit back at -4 in the first round
after being grabbed, -5
in the second round, and so on. The
trapped victim can be freed
if the tail doing the holding suffers
damage equal to 20 percent
of the lizard’s original hit points. The tail
will thereby be rendered,
useless for holding and cannot attack
further. The lizard cannot
constrict with both of its tails at the same
time, but if one of the
“tentacles” is rendered useless, the other one
remains capable of grabbing
the same, or a different, victim.
The creature has no inherent
desire for treasure, but its innards
will contain some precious
items which were left undigested after the
lizard consumed one of its
meals. Its innards also contain highly
caustic digestive fluids
which will spurt forth, causing 2-8 points of
damage to any creature within
1” when the dead lizard’s body cavity
is cut open.
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