FREQUENCY: Uncommon
NO. APPEARING: 5-16
(d12+4) + 1-4 infants
ARMOR CLASS: 5
MOVE: 15”
HIT DICE 6
% IN LAIR: Nil
TREASURE TYPE: Nil
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 (2)
DAMAGE/ATTACK: (see
below)
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Hurling
stones for 2-24 points
damage
SPECIAL DEFENSES: See
below. Also, superior
hearing, surprise only on a 1.
MAGIC RESISTANCE:
Standard
INTELLIGENCE: Animal
SIZE: L (6’ high at shoulder)
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
Tolwars are herd
animals, preferring open grasslands, near water, to other terrain.
At first glance, they appear to be little
more than
undersized, trunkless elephants. The error
of this assumption will
soon become obvious to anyone who should
attack them, however.
Tolwars are able to employ at will a limited
form of TK,
which they use to uproot grass or playfully
throw waterballs at each
other. In addition, it can be used twice
per round to various advantages. By telekinesis, Tolwars are able to lift
up to 1000 gp weight,
such as a large boulder, and hurl it at
an opponent, doing 2-24 points
of damage. Similarly, such missiles can
be caught by Tolwars’ telekinesis 50% of the time. Up to 2 normal missiles,
such as arrows,
bolts, or spears, can also be caught in
a round (75% chance for each
catch), or the above functions (hurling
and catching) can be mixed
as needed, up to 2 actions per round. The
telekinetic ability has a
functioning range of 2”, though boulders
may be hurled as far as
10”, with a -2 to hit at long range (5”
or more) and a -1 to hit at
medium range (3”).
A Tolwar raised from infancy by a single
person becomes a loyal,
loving mount. They are the equal of horses
in intelligence, and,
though slower, are much hardier. At 7500
gp weight carried they are
slowed to half speed, up to their maximum
load of 10,000 gp weight.
They will defend their masters dutifully
to the death, assaulting their
enemies with boulders or other handy objects,
or catching missiles
hurled at their riders. They may also trample
opponents for 2-8
points damage with each forefoot which
hits, striking once per round
(double damage if charging). A trained
Tolwar will defend his master
from the second round of battle onward.
It should be noted that if a
Tolwar successfully tramples an opponent,
the victim will be prone
on the next round unless initiative is
gained. Lance thrusts made
from a Tolwar's back do damage as from
the back of a heavy
warhorse, with +4 to damage.
Tolwars are not easy to raise or train.
1st of all, before they are
bought or captured, a pen strong enough
to contain them must be
built. For obvious reasons, the pen and
all ground within 2" of it
should be cleared of any movable object.
Gates or doors must be
designed with padlocks, for a Tolwar will
easily lift bars. The pen walls
will always need to be made of stone. The
pen must be at least 100 feet
square, to allow the growing Tolwar to
exercise. A 3-foot
thickness of stone, 6 feet high, of the
dimension of 100 feet to a
side, will probably cost around 1200 gp
($12,000). A shelter of stone will also
have to be built, at about the same cost.
And of course, all stones
used in construction had better weigh more
than 1000 gp.
In addition, if an infant Tolwar's initial
reaction is not 60% or
greater, it will not respond to its new
owner, eventually becoming
unmanageable.
Infant Tolwar have 2 HD. Newborns can already
TK
250 gp weight (25#), and hurl small stones
as far as 4", doing 1-8 points of
damage. They may also butt with their heads
for 1-3 points of
damage. An adult Tolwar consumes roughly
5 times as much grain
as a heavy warhorse each day, at 5 sp a
meal. Once imprinted, a
Tolwar will never favor anyone but the
man who raised it.
Saddles, barding, and other accoutrements
generally cost triple
the price of the same gear for a horse.
Bridle and bit are unnecessary,
as a Tolwar is guided by nudging it with
the fot behind one ear or
the other.
Tolwars give birth to only one infant at
a time (after 1.5 years
pregnancy). Infants take 4 years to reach
maturity, although they can
be ridden into battle after only 2 years.
They live to around 20 years
of age.
Created by Todd Lockwood
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