Huge freshwater oysters lurk in the waters of the God River, filtering algae and other nutrients from the water. Most are harmless and make a tasty meal - which has certain well-known effects on the eater. Rare breeds, however, have developed the ability to kill.
This occurs when an unsuspecting water-dweller or swimmer passes nearby. The oyster lies with its shell wide open so that both halves are flat against the river bottom. When its thin hair-like tendrils detect movement in the water nearby, the halves immediately snap shut. Smaller animals are taken whole, while larger animals are caught in the jaws. Either way, they eventually starve to death or drown - or, if they are lucky, lose a limb. Then their nutrients are gradually absorbed by the oyster.
The oysters are perfectly camouflaged, and in any case appear harmless, so they surprise opponents 95% of the time - unless those opponents are forewarned.
Giant Flesheating Oyster
Armour Class: 0
Hit Dice: 5 (L)*
Move: 0
Attacks: 1 bite
Damage: 1d12 (A successful hit means the victim is caught, and will bleed to death, losing 1d4 hit points per round. If submerged in water, they will drown after 10 rounds. They cannot escape unless the oyster is killed.)
No. Appearing: 1-12
Save As: F3
Morale: N/A
Treasure Type: V
Intelligence: 0
Alignment: Neutral
XP Value: 125
"Treasure Type: V"?
ReplyDeleteTreasure Type fucking V?
If I'm gonna risk being slowly digested while drowning, I want at least a 5% chance of a motherfucking Monster Oyster Fleshpearl!
What the fuck is that divining sphere in the Cavern of The All-Seeing Slugwitch made of if not Monster Oyster Fleshpearl?
Zak: Aha, your lack of knowledge of oysters lets you down! Only Pearl Oysters make pearls that are worth selling. The others make crappy, ugly things that nobody wants.
ReplyDeleteAlthough now that you mention it it would be better to have some chance of discovering magical items that the oysters' victims drop when they die.
Yeah, and only bats have bat wings, but somehow, in games, dragons and demons have them too!
ReplyDeleteThere's no point in making your own world unless you can improve on the boring one God made.
Snagged. The water level/sub-level that I was already half planning is now an official reality.
ReplyDeleteMan, the God River's a bitch.
ReplyDeleteWho wins when a River Oyster snaps up a bunch of Pirhannas?
I presume these riverine horrors are worshipped as hungering gods by an azure-robed sect of cultists who wield lampblacked swords?
ReplyDelete...
I'll get me coat.
Zak: Tch. And bah.
ReplyDeleteOdyssey: Let me know if they manage to kill anyone.
Crazyred: In that case the piranhas will eat the oyster, but it will be a pyrrhic victory because they'll still be locked inside the hollow shell and will eventually starve.
Chris: Spot on!
Heheh, more disagreements on the nature of non-existant magic world crazy monsters. Oh how I love ecologies-of-the-things-that-don't-fit-known-ecologies.
ReplyDeleteIts one of the things I adore about D&D. Oh, wait...no...not adore. That other thing.
AD
Barking Alien
Now, see, what you do with an argument like that, is you stick a line in the write up about how "sages disagree" about whatever the point in question is. Darn sages, always messing things up for decent folks.
ReplyDeleteI thought your monster said "Flea Sheating" and became immediately concerned.
ReplyDelete