Spiker
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Climate/Terrain | Temperate plains |
| Frequency | Very rare |
| Organization | Solitary |
| Activity Cycle | Any |
| Diet | Metal, Carnivore |
| Intelligence | Animal (1) |
| Treasure | Nil |
| Alignment | Neutral |
| No. of Appearing | 1 |
| Armor Class | 3 (see below) |
| Move | 6 |
| Hit Dice | 2+1 |
| THAC0 | 19 |
| No. of Attacks | 1-4 |
| Damage/Attack | 1-4 + special |
| Special Attacks | Acid attack |
| Special Defenses | Nil |
| Magic Resistance | Nil |
| Size | M (7' diameter ball) |
| Moral | Average (8-10) |
| XP Value | 270 |
Description
A spiker appears as a ball (averaging about 7' diameter) composed entirely of thin metal shafts, radiating outwards from the center. Spikers can extend any of their spikes to a length of at least 10', sometimes more, and they travel by rolling, propelling themselves with their back spikes. Spikers are predators; they normally consume small animals (sqirrels, mice, groundhogs, etc) but they will attack anything that comes within range. They "see" by sensing body heat and by tactile perception from their spikes (thus a spiker in a forest may seem to be bouncing from tree to tree - they prefer open plains).
They attack by spearing prey with 1-4 spikes (roll randomly each round), then secreting digestive juices down the spikes. The juices are highly corrosive, thus if the spiker strikes the target's armor or shield the object must make a save vs. acid or drop 1 armor class value from corrosion (note a shield will be ruined); if the armor class reaches 10, it is destroyed. A victim's armor class vs. a spiker is effectively an armor class of 10, modified by dexterity bonus. If the spiker rolls the exact number to hit this modified armor class then the opponent shield is hit (if applicable, else his armor has been hit). If the hit roll is sufficent to hit his modified armor class but not high enough to penetrate his normal armor class, then his armor has been hit. If the attack would penetrate his normal armor class then the opponent has taken the hit himself.
For example, a spiker is attacking an elf with chain mail and shield. The elf has a dexterity of 17. The elves modified armor class would be 7. The elves normal armor class is 1. Since the spiker has an THAC0 of 19 the following would be the results of a to hit roll:
| Die Roll | Effect |
|---|---|
| 1 - 8 | Missed |
| 9 - 11 | Player dodges spiker |
| 12 | Shield is hit |
| 13 - 17 | Armor is hit |
| 18 - 20 | The elf is hit |
The outer spikes are as hard as steel, so the only vulnerable spot is in the center, where the new spikes are soft (spikes are periodically shed, as new spikes grow outwards and harden). A weapon must be at least 4' long to strike with safety od not being stung. If someone attacks with a weapon from 3 to 4 feet in length, they will take 1-2 damage from acid to the arm. Spikers are dusky brown and make a rustling sound as they move.