Edible Monsters - Part Six

This week's monster prefers to seek out very particular victims...

WITCHES' NEST

FREQUENCY: Very Rare
NO. APPEARING: 1
ARMOR CLASS: 6
MOVE: 6"
HIT DICE: 6
% IN LAIR: 50%
TREASURE TYPE:  E
NO. OF ATTACKS: 3
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 2-12
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Paralysis
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Blinding. Cold and fire do not harm
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Immune to fire and cold spells
INTELLIGENCE: Animal
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic Evil
SIZE: M (7' dia.)
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
     Attack/Defense Modes: Nil

Witches' Nests are malevolent creatures that appear to be a dense, weed-like bush in form festooned with oddly-shaped pods. They live only in dungeons and similar places, particularly wherever evil magic has been practised. They are especially dangerous to Magic Users or anyone in possession of a magic item, as they are drawn to magical forces. When attacking, they lash out with 6' whip-like thorny limbs, and a successful hit will paralyze their victim if they fail a save vs. paralyzation. Although immune to fire and cold, it can be harmed by electrical attacks. Should the nest lose 75% of its hit points, it will cause its pods to create a great deal of blinding light (as per a Continual Light spell) and endeavour to retreat. If killed, the greater mass of the Nest will quickly become dessicated and wither away to dust, but 8-64 pods will remain along with whatever treasure has been left by previous victims. If the pods are dried, crushed to a powder and added to water, drinking the resulting mixture grants infravision for 1-4 hours to anyone who does not possess this ability. Those that do already possess that ability will find its range doubled for 1-4 hours. However, 12 pods are required per mixture and it may only be taken once every 24 hours.

Description: Witches' Nests are an unruly mass of fibrous matt black limbs, with blood red thorns. Its pods are yellow and resemble indistinct, misshapen faces

Edible Monsters - Part Five

This week's monster may perhaps make an interesting addition to a cave or tunnel entrance...

TITANS' TEETH

FREQUENCY: Very Rare
NO. APPEARING: 4-16
ARMOR CLASS: 5
MOVE: 1/8"
HIT DICE: 1
% IN LAIR: Nil
TREASURE TYPE:  Nil
NO. OF ATTACKS: 0
DAMAGE/ATTACK: Nil
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Nil
SPECIAL DEFENSES: See below
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard
INTELLIGENCE: Non-
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
SIZE: S to M
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
     Attack/Defense Modes: Nil

Titans' Teeth are a fungus most often found growing in rocky places, stone ruins, caves and tunnels. Certain rumours state that they can also be found on old battlefields and other places of conflict, and will slowly make their way toward any decaying flesh. Their outer shell is quite tough and a great deal of work is needed to break one apart. When this happens, there is a 30% possibility that any exposed skin will be pierced by tiny shell fragments, although this will cause no immediate sensation of pain or discomfort. If this occurs, the skin will start to erupt in 1-4 hours with small, tooth-like growths that will cause a great deal of maddeningly painful itching. Only Cure Light Wounds will rid the victim of such growths which, if left to grow, will slowly and painfully consume the victim in 8-64 days. The main reason that any creatures make such an effort to break Titans' Teeth is because of the spongy, bread-like matter that makes up the core of each growth. This has a pleasant sweet taste and is very nutritious, a pound of which is equivalent to 2 day's good rations. A single 'tooth' will contain 1-8 pounds of such matter.

Description: Titans' Teeth grow in curved rows, and look exactly like a set of human incisors and canines, although much larger in size (at least 2' tall). If found in caves, tunnels, or similar environments it is possible to find a set growing down from above as well as from below. Their outer shell is pearlescent white and smooth, whilst inside they are a dark yellowish-green. They have a somewhat fibrous root system, which is deep red in colour.

Next week: the Witches' Nest...

Edible Monsters - Part Four

This week's monster is an unusual plant that could prove useful to adventurers - as long as they're wary of its defences...

TRAITOR'S HAT

FREQUENCY: Rare
NO. APPEARING: 2-4
ARMOR CLASS: 9
MOVE: 0
HIT DICE: 2
% IN LAIR: Nil
TREASURE TYPE:  Nil
NO. OF ATTACKS: 0
DAMAGE/ATTACK: Nil
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Nil
SPECIAL DEFENSES: See below
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard
INTELLIGENCE: Non-
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
SIZE: M
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
    Attack/Defense Modes: Nil

The Traitor's Hat can be found in dense, dark woodland, caves, or dungeons. No-one is sure how this insectivorous plant gained such an unusual moniker, although it may be derived from that fact that Stirges sometimes use them as nests. There is a 50% possibility that 1-6 Stirges will be encountered with the Traitor's Hat, although evidence of their residence will be made obvious by the detritus of dead insect parts spread over a 20' wide area around the plant (Stirges always discard such rubbish when nesting). Traitor's Hats consume a variety of insects (including some giant varieties) which they lure using a pleasantly pungent, syrupy liquid pooled in a hollow at the topmost part of their bodies. Their victims are quickly poisoned by this substance and then drop down into the lower part of the plant, which derives sustenance from their decaying remains. The liquid is also poisonous to most other creatures that drink it (including humans and demi-humans) and should be treated as a Type B ingestive posion. However, if the hollow is carefully pierced several times, the liquid slowly percolates down through the body of the plant (a process that takes 1-3 hours) and around 1/2 of one pint can be collected underneath. The poison is thus negated, and anyone consuming all of this half pint will not require food nor drink for a 24 hour period.

Description: The Traitor's Hat is approximately 6' tall and has a conical body with a small hollow at its topmost part. Colors range from vivid orange to dark crimson. The body is supported by a stalk, which is black or dark blue in color.

Next week: Titan's Teeth...