FREQUENCY: Very rare
NO. APPEARING: 1-4
ARMOR CLASS: 2
MOVE: 9"
HIT DICE: 2 + 4
% IN LAIR: See below
TREASURE TYPE: See below
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 slash
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 2-5
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Metal corrosion
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Immune to metals,
poisons, heat, and electricity
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 45%
INTELLIGENCE: Average to high
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
SIZE: S to M (3? to 6? tall)
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
Attack/Defense Modes: Nil
LEVEL/X.P. VALUE: IV/175 + 3/hp
Xavers are curious creatures of unknown
origin and thankful rarity which, like rust
monsters, have a diet consisting
entirely of
ferrous metals and alloys (such as iron,
steel, and mithral or adamantite alloys).
Unlike rust monsters, xavers are intelligent
and will not be "bought off" with a meal of
a few spikes or nails when they see an easily
won suit of armor or much weaponry.
Xavers normally inhabit rocky lairs, but
are sometimes found in treasure hoards in
which they have concealed themselves.
(Such hoards will have no ferrous materials
in them, of course.) There is a 1% chance
that any hoard initially determined to contain
magical ferrous armor, shields, or
weapons will also contain one or more
xavers; then eliminate the metallic items
from the hoard.
Xavers have silvery, smooth metallic
bodies, and are flat and tapered with a
bulbous base at one end. They resemble
short swords or long swords. The ring of the
base of a xaver is studded with six green,
hard, faceted eyes that resemble gems. An
8-inch-long leg is set between each eye. A
xaver lies motionless at the approach of
creatures and radiates no body heat (thus
being invisible to infravision) or sound.
Instead of breathing, it absorbs solar heat
and needed gases through the long ?blade?
of its body. It has no senses of hearing or
smell, but has 9" infravision as well as
normal vision.
Metal of any sort will pass harmlessly
through a xaver?s body as if the latter did
not exist, and metallic weapons used against
the xaver will do no damage. Weapons of
wood, stone, and other materials do normal
damage. Heat and electrical attacks do no
damage, but the xaver will conduct these
through its body and pass the damage on to
anyone in contact with it. A xaver suffers +1
hp per HD of damage from all cold attacks.
Poison has no effect upon them.
Any ferrous metal that contacts a xaver
will crack and fall into shards within 1
segment. The xaver will have caused the
metal to corrode (though the corrosion does
not resemble rust) and will then attempt to
eat the metallic shards for nourishment. As
a xaver eats metal it grows slightly; several
suits of armor or about ten weapons might
make one grow 1? or so.
Though xavers cannot control their corrosive
powers, they can choose not to touch
metallic items in order to lure victims wearing
lots of armor to come closer to them.
Non-ferrous metals will not be corroded and
destroyed, though they can be consumed for
nourishment if necessary
Xavers scuttle about on their legs, retracting
them with blinding speed if they see
danger approaching. They can cut victims
with the razor-sharp edges of their ?blades?
like wielded swords, doing 2-5 hp damage.
Usually they swing their bodies in wild,
circular slashes as they go into their ?battle
dancing.? Xavers do not rust or corrode,
and rust monsters cannot harm or eat them.
A xaver about to give birth goes on an
eating spree, building its body size to the
maximum in order to provide sufficient
nourishment for its offspring. Young are
born live and singly, and have full powers at
birth; young have 1 + 2 HD and are about
3' long, growing rapidly if the food supply
allows.
FEBRUARY 1985
| Dragon magazine | MM3 | - | Dragon #94 | 1st Edition AD&D |