ACKS: Coatl

The mighty Coatl is a servant and emissary of Ixchala, the Lawful goddess of Lizardmen. This feathered serpent – actually, a feathered and winged cross between a serpent and a monitor lizard – is 12 feet long, with a wing-span of 15 feet. It vibrates in a rainbow of brilliant colours as it flies through the clouds. For Lawful Lizardmen, this is a harbinger of good luck and hope. For the Serpentmen of old, however, this was the harbinger of their destruction by Ixchala's righteous wrath. Highly intelligent and imbued by virtue, the Coatl seeks to protect the innocents and the cause of Law – of Lizardman civilization – and to punish the followers of Chaos.

A Couatl uses its ESP ability on any creature that arouses its suspicions. Since it is highly intelligent, a Couatl usually casts spells from a distance before closing. If more than one Couatl is involved, they discuss their strategy before a battle. Coatls may constrict their foes with their long, serpentine body - on a successful hit on an enemy, the Coatl constricts its victim for an additional 2d8+6 points of damage. The constriction continues on subsequent rounds. The hold may be broken on a roll of 1 on 1d6 (add the victim’s Strength bonus to the range, so a Strength of 16 would result in a range of 1-3 on 1d6); breaking the hold takes a full round. Furthermore, any creature bitten by a Coatl must save vs. Poison or die in 1d6 rounds from its potent venom.

Coatls are imbued by Ixchala with potent mental and magical powers. At will, a Coatl may use Detect Evil, Detect Good, ESP, Invisibility and Dimension Door, and may communicate with any sentient creature telepathically regardless of language barriers. It may also casts spells as a level 9 Cleric. Finally, a Coatl may polymorph at will to the shape of any Lizardman-sized humanoid.

ACKS: Chuul

(D20 SRD monster converted to ACKS)

Concocted in some eldritch laboratory of the ancient Serpentmen as a living engine of war, the Chuul is a horrible mix of crustacean, insect, and serpent. This abomination lurks submerged or partially submerged in murky water, awaiting intelligent prey to devour. Although amphibious, Chuuls are not good swimmers and actually prefer to be on land or in very shallow water when they attack. A Chuul is about 8 feet long and weighs 650 pounds. A Chuul prefers to wait by the shore, submerged in murky water, until it hears nearby prey (in or out of the water) that it can attack with surprise.

The Chuul grabs with its claws and constricts its foe, then passes the opponent to its paralytic tentacles. It tries to always have one claw free, so if it faces a large number of opponents, it drops a paralyzed or dead victim and continues attempting to grab, constrict, and paralyze the rest. On a successful hit by a Chuul's claw, it is also able to constrict a victim for an additional 3d6+5 points of damage. The constriction continues on subsequent rounds. The hold may be broken on a roll of 1 on 1d6 (add the victim’s Strength bonus to the range, so a Strength of 16 would result in a range of 1-3 on 1d6); breaking the hold takes a full round.

A victim grabbed by the Chuul's claw are also grasped by its tentacles, which exude a paralytic secretion. Anyone held in the tentacles must make each round a save vs. paralysis on the Chuul’s turn or be paralyzed for 6 rounds. While held in the tentacles, paralyzed or not, a victim automatically takes 1d8+2 points of additional damage each round from the creature’s mandibles. Chuuls may live indefinitely on land and under water and are immune to poison and disease.

ACKS: Choker

These vicious, tentacle-handed, predators lurk underground, grabbing whatever prey happens by to feast upon its flesh and bones. Its hands and feet have spiny pads that help the choker grip almost any surface. The creature weighs about 35 pounds. A choker likes to perch near the ceiling, often at intersections, archways, wells, or staircases, and reach down to attack its prey. A choker attacks creatures of almost any size, but prefers lone prey of its size or larger. If one is very hungry, it may attack a group, but it waits to grab the last creature in line. Once a victim has been grabbed by the Choker, the creature chokes him, dealing an automatic 1d3+3 damage to the victim each round until the victim either escapes (requiring a proficiency throw of 18+; for each point of Strength adjustment, modify the result of the die roll by +/- 4; characters with the Contortionism proficiency gain an additional +4 to this throw), dies, or the Choker dies. Although not particularly dexterous, a choker is supernaturally quick. It can take an extra action (such as an attack) or move during its turn each round.

ACKS: Giant Cockroaches!

The Giant Cockroach is a giant - and particularly disgusting - version of the common cockroach, reaching up to 2 feet in length not including antennae (which add another foot!) and weighting about 40 pounds. While giant cockroaches feed on trash and other smelly substances found in sewers and not on flesh, and are cowardly insects to boot, they will fight to defend their nests and territories, and may stage an opportunistic attack on weak adventurers. Note that while a giant cockroach saves as a level 1 Fighter against most attacks, it saves as a level 10 Fighter vs. poison and is immune to most disease-based attacks. The Geckomen of Queddar consider these insects to be a delicacy and raise herds of them in fenced-off cave warrens, fattening them on refuse to be roasted over the campfire.

The Dreaded Balroach, on the other hand, is a horribly nauseating cockroach larger than a horse. While it is an omnivore and scavenger rather than a predator, it will fiercely defend its lair and may see weak adventurers as food. Its horrid appearance and unsightly behaviour make it a menace whenever it emerges from its sewerly warrens to scavenge in the dwellings of men! The Balroach is immune to poisons and diseases. Besides its powerful mandibulae, its disgusting appearance and horrible smell offer it protection; any adventurer who comes within sight of a Balroach must save vs. Poison or suffer from a severe nausea, causing a -4 penalty to all attack rolls, saving throws and proficiency checks.

ACKS: Aranea

(d20 SRD monster converted to ACKS)

An Aranea is an intelligent, shapechanging spider with sorcerous power. It is not necessarily an evil creature, though its spidery nature, combined with the creature's longevity, yields itself to plotting. In its natural form, an Aranea resembles a giant spider, with a humpbacked body a little bigger than a human torso. It has fanged mandibles like a normal spider. Two small arms, each about 2 feet long, lie below the mandibles. Each arm has a hand with four many-jointed fingers and a double-jointed thumb. An Aranea weighs about 150 pounds. The hump on its back houses its well-developed brain.

An Aranea’s natural form is that of a monstrous spider. It may assume two other forms. The first is a unique human-sized humanoid; an Aranea in its humanoid form always assumes the same appearance and traits. In humanoid form, an Aranea cannot use its bite attack, webs, or poison, but may cast spells, wear armour and use any weapon useable by a human being. The second form is a man-sized spider-humanoid hybrid. In hybrid form, an Aranea looks like a humanoid at first glance, but a successful roll of 16+ reveals the creature’s fangs and spinnerets. The Aranea, in this form, retains its bite attack, webs, and, but may also wield weapons and wear armour. When in hybrid form, an Aranea’s speed is 90' (30').  An Aranea remains in one form until it chooses to assume a new one. A change in form cannot be dispelled, nor does an Aranea revert to its natural form when killed.

An Aranea avoids physical combat and uses its webs and spells when it can. In a battle, it tries to immobilize or distract the most aggressive opponents first. Araneas often subdue opponents and hold them for ransom rather than poisoning or killing them; alternatively, the creature may offer its captured victim "an offer it cannot refuse". Any opponent bitten by the Aranea, however, widow must make a saving throw versus Poison; failure indicates death after 1 turn. Aranea may cast Arcane spells as a level 3 Mage; they prefer illusions and enchantments and avoids direct damage spells. In spider or hybrid form, an Aranea may also throw a web up to six times per day, as in the Web spell.