FREQUENCY: Very Rare
NO. APPEARING: 1-12
ARMOR CLASS: -2
MOVE: 10”
HIT DICE: 8+4
% IN LAIR: 30%
TREASURE TYPE: See below
NO. OF ATTACKS: 3
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 4-20/4-20/10-30, or 6-18 (hammer)
SPECIAL ATTACKS: See below
SPECIAL DEFENSES: See below
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard
INTELLIGENCE: High
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
SIZE: L (15-21’ tall)
PSIONIC ABILITY: 164-212
Attack/Defense Modes: E/F,J

The Thaalud, or “Tomb Tappers,” dwell in the depths of the
earth and are rarely seen by men. The echoes of their massive
hammers are sometimes audible through the rock for great distances
as they hew new caverns and passageways. They shun almost all
other creatures, but this tendency is often overcome by their lust for
magic.
Tappers spend their lives in an eternal search for the Source Of
All Magic, which they believe to be somewhere deep in the earth.
They are somewhat in awe of earth elementals, believing them to be
created at this mysterious source, and are reluctant to attack them for
this reason. Tomb Tappers often burrow up to plunder magical
devices from tombs (hence their name), or try to seize such devices
from creatures they encounter. They never use magical items in
battle, but protect and venerate them. The only other treasure
Tappers have consists of pretty rocks, such as quartz, jade, agate,
and amethyst (i.e., not gems which are dull when uncut). These they
keep in caverns of glowrock in the utter depths.
Naturally long-lived, Tappers are externally identical, and their
sexual activity remains a mystery. No pregnant Tappers have ever
been seen. When killed, Tappers turn to stone in 1-2 rounds. They
save vs. petrifaction at -2, and are immune to Charm, Fear, Sleep,
and Fire and Cold - based spells. Electrical attacks do half or (if save is
made) no damage.
Tappers are tall and humanoid, with very hard, blue-gray skin
and great claws which can dig through solid rock. They are sometimes called “the Faceless” due to their featureless heads. Tappers
“see” by a form of sonar, accurate up to 44”, and require no light.
Thus, they are able to locate Invisible creatures, and are unaffected
by Illusions, Hypnotic Patterns, and other sight-related spells.
Tappers can communicate with their own kind through a series
of humming sounds made by skin vibration and with other creatures
through the use of psionic Telepathy. (Individual Tappers will have
158+6d8 psionic strength points.) Tappers have the natural ability to
Detect Magic at will, and can Animate Rock once every 12 turns. The
latter spell lasts for 4-6 rounds, and up to 9 cubic feet of rock may be
affected.
Tapper have gigantic mouths in their abdomens. These jaws can
crush rock, from which Tappers extract mineral sustenance. Tappers
can take in water through their skin (which is hairless and varies in
porosity as the Tapper wills).
Tappers customarily wield great (10’ long) hammers of arenite,
an alloy they derive from magma. It is heavy, very durable, and
harder than most rock. Tappers may wield these hammers onehanded (-2 to hit), and throw them with great accuracy (+2 to hit
due to “sonar”).
Tappers occasionally aid or cooperate with dwarves, whose
magical items they will leave unmolested. They also have no interest
in the magic of Drow. They hate Umber Hulks, sometimes enslaving
specimens from birth. Tappers and Xorn tend to ignore one another.