[Monstrous Mondays] Gyflegyr

GYFLEGYR

CASTLES & CRUSADES

No. Enc:  1 (1d6 in lair)

Size:   L (12’ long)

HD:   6 (d10)

Move:   20’

    Climb: 10’

AC:  16

Attacks:   Bite (2d6)

Special:   Darkvision 120 ft., Projectile Attack, Projectile Immunity, Twilight Vision

Saves:   P

Int:   Inferior

Alignment:  Chaotic Evil

Type:   Magical Beast

Treasure:  Nil

XP:   210 + 6/hp

LABYRINTH LORD

No. Enc.: 1 (1d6)

Alignment: Chaotic

Movement: 90’ (30’)

    Climb:  60’ (20’)

Armor Class: 3

Hit Dice:  6

Attacks:  1 Bite or Projectile Attack

Damage:  2d6 or Special

Save:  F6

Morale:  9 (11 with handler)

Hoard Class: None

XP:  570

The gyflegyr is a strange beast born of Chaos, or, perhaps, created specifically by it as a weapon to be used by its favorite sons. It resembles nothing less than a large living cannon with draconic legs. The walls of the cannon are made of strong muscular flesh over a heavy bone structure, the whole covered in plate-like dragon scales. The legs are also thick and muscular, each with four stubby talons designed for gripping the ground. The mouth of the beast possesses sharp retractile teeth, and can bite down swiftly as its teeth emerge in the same round. It has two long eye stalks on either side at the nether end, each possessing several eyes, the better to aim its projectile attack. A small, vestigial tail is found at the far end; this is pulled by the gyflegyr handler to tell the beast to loose its projectile when he has (hopefully) properly aimed the gyflegyr at his enemies.

There are numerous sub-breeds of gyflegyr beasts. The five primary beasts are dragon based: red beasts project flame, green beasts vomit chlorine gas, black beasts spit acid, white beasts shoot ice, and blue beasts emit lightning. These beasts also have vestigial wings on the sides of their long bodies. The sub-breed known as the serpentine spits poison, while a variant of this sort instead actually spits out dozens of asps with each shot! The iron beast shoots large balls of iron that explode like a fireball, while the slime beast shoots out a line of green slime (or some other form of slime or jelly). Of the rarer sort, there is the leech beast that shoots out leeches, the bee beast that shoots out a swarm of giant killer bees, a spider beast that looses large giant spiders, and even according to one report a weasel beast (though this last might be a tall tale told by a scurrilous bard).

ORGANIZATION: Not being natural creatures, gyflegyr beasts are usually found with creatures born of Chaos, such as goblins, orcs, ogres, and other such ilk. They are very rarely encountered on the surface, save near a large Underworld lair or in an area strong in the power of Chaos. Each tribe usually has one to six such beasts, when they are present, and zero to five (d8-3) immature beasts of 1 to 5 HD per mature beast. Each mature beast and its spawn are cared for by a single small clan dedicated to the purpose. As the spawn of a gyflegyr beast might be of a completely different sort than the “parent” beast, no two batteries of gyflegyr beasts are ever alike.

ECOLOGY: Born or created by Chaos, it is believed that some such beasts are hatched of corrupted dragon’s eggs, using terrible rites and rituals cast by tribal witch doctors. Others are born of a mature gyflegyr beast. When a beast is fed between 30 and 60 hit dice of living intelligent creatures is produces an egg. The egg must be bathed in the blood of the innocent every day for 10 to 30 days; if ever even one day the bath fails, the egg dies. When the egg hatches, it is in the form of a two-foot long 1 HD gyflegyr beast, a tiny two-legged bombard. Every 20 to 40 hit dice of living intelligent creatures it consumes, it grows 1 HD and thus more powerful. At 4 HD it grows its second pair of legs. Note that a tribe only rarely brings an immature gyflegyr to battle, but does not hesitate to use them in the defense of their lair.

In addition to its living, intelligent feed, it must daily feed upon materials that help it generate its projectile materials – sulfur and coal for reds, rock salt and brine for greens, crystals and copper for reds, etc. Failure to provide the needful materials means that the gyflegyr cannot use its projectile attacks, and over time, may die of starvation.

TREASURE: Generally gyflegyr do not collect treasure, being only of inferior intelligence and not holding material wealth to be of any value. However, clans and tribes might decorate their favorite war beast with jewelry, and so parts of their treasure may be found draped on the war beast.

RANGE: See organization, above. Wild gyflegyr are quite rare, due to the needs of their special diets. They are usually only found without a clan of humanoids in the ruins of a recently ruined humanoid lair or near humanoid battles; in such cases they are often starving and unable to use their projectile attack under such conditions.

COMBAT: When forced into melee the gyflegyr beast attacks with its vicious bite. However, its greatest use is in ranged combat using its Projectile Attack.

PROJECTILE ATTACK: A gyflegyr beast can project an attack in a conic form 20’ long per HD (10’ per HD for 1-3 HD), half that width at the furthest end of the cone. All within the area suffer 1d8 points of damage of the appropriate type per HD of the beast; victims may make a CL HD Dexterity saving throw [LL: Breath Attacks] to suffer only half damage.

With serpentine asp attacks a failed save indicates the victim is struck by an asp, which immediately attacks the target with a +4 to hit.

An iron beast fires an iron ball that explodes like a 6d8 fireball; the range on this is as per a line, 40’ per HD of the beast (20’ per HD for 1-3 HD), which must make an attack against either a specific location AC 10 [LL: AC 9] or against a specific individual at their AC. If the specific individual is hit, he gets no save against the damage, and suffers an additional +1 damage per die of damage. Others in the area of effect get a save for half damage. If the target is missed, determine where the missile lands using the normal grenade deviation rules; it still explodes wherever it hits.

The effects of green slime, giant killer bees, spiders, leeches, weasels, and other exotic materials and creatures fired from a gyflegyr beast are at the discretion of the judge.

If the gyflegyr beast is currently being handled and aimed for one full round by a trained handler, and the handler makes an Intelligence saving throw [LL: Morale check], the targets caught in the gyflegyr beast’s area of effect suffer a -2 penalty to their saving throws (or the beast gets +2 to hit with iron ball or asps, etc.).

A gyflegyr beast internally stores 1d4-1 attacks plus one per HD, and requires 2d4 rounds after an attack to reload from the stored attacks (1d6 if egged on by a trained handler who makes an Intelligence [LL: Morale] check]. It requires 24 hours to generate one stored attack, during which it must rest and be fed.

PROJECTILE IMMUNITY: A gyflegyr is immune to attacks of the same type of attack it can perform.

IN THE OLDEN LANDS

Gyflegyr beasts are a thing of ancient myth, legend, and tall tales in most realms of the Olden Lands, for they are usually encountered only by foolish adventurers who delve too deeply into the Underworld. In regions such as Kryx, Nhorr, and Ogroth, and areas bordering on these darkling regions, the gyflegyr beasts are all too real, and have been encountered in ever greater numbers in recent battles and incursions. They are considered unholy abominations against nature by the Gregorian Church, and when even rumors of such things are heard, agents are sent to extinguish the blasphemous creatures.

In the Olden Lands, holy water created by a cleric of the Gregorian Church or other Temple of Law affects a gyflegyr beast as though it were an undead creature. If a vial is successfully tossed down its gullet (from the front only, and at a -4 to hit), it must make a saving throw [LL: Poison] or die, taking normal damage with a successful save. Clergy of Law can also turn/destroy these creatures as though they were undead of the same hit dice.