Tallin
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Climate/Terrain | Any arctic or subarctic |
| Frequency | Rare |
| Organization | Clan |
| Activity Cycle | Any (but usually day) |
| Diet | Carnivore |
| Intelligence | Very (11-12) |
| Treasure | E |
| Alignment | Lawful neutral |
| No. of Appearing | 1-2 (10-20 in lair) |
| Armor Class | 0 (10% chance of -2) |
| Move | 9 |
| Hit Dice | 15 + 1-4 hit points |
| THAC0 | 2 (+3 Strength bonus) |
| No. of Attacks | 1 or 2 + special |
| Damage/Attack | 4 - 40+8 or 1-10 + 8/1-10 + 8 |
| Special Attacks | Breath weapon (mature only) |
| Special Defenses | Frost barrier (mature only), and cold immunity |
| Magic Resistance | 30% |
| Size | H (15' tall) |
| Moral | Champion (15-16) |
| XP Value | 16,000; female: 10,000; immature: 2,000 |
Description
Tallin are large humanoids that live in the frozen arctic wastelands. Their skin is gray, tan, or dull brown, and they are almost completely hairless. Tallin stand about 15' tall, weigh approximately 5000 pounds, and are very muscular; females are slightly shorter and lighter. Tallin live 300 years or more.
Tallin wear little except for some scraps of fur around their necks and waist; their low armor class is due to their very thick skin. Most tallin also wear a pair of wide bracers on their wrists; there is a 10%chance that these are special bracers of defense, which lower the tallin's armor class to -2. Tallin have never been known to use spells or any other magic items; it is not known whether they are capable of enchanting these bracers themselves, or if they are obtained elsewhere. The only other possession they carry, is their huge warhammer; their remaining items are kept in the lair.
Combat
From birth, tallin are immune to all cold-based attacks, but take +1 point of damage per die from fire-based attacks, as they are especially sensitive to heat. Tallin may punch or smash with their fists for 1-10 + 8 points of damage with each fist. However, tallin much prefer to use their massive warhammers in combat. These huge hammers are about 6' long and 3' across, and are intricately carved. The hammers are made of some strange metallic alloy of unknown origin; it is widely accepted that no one has ever sucessfully returned one of these hammers to civilization for study. These hammers are extremely strong and heavy - a strength of 18/00 is needed to pick up these hammers, and a strength of at least 20 is required to weild one in combat. When a tallin connects with a hammer in combat, it delivers 4-40 + 8 points of damage due to the weight and unique composition of the weapon (the +8 bonus is the tallin's strength bonus.)
When a tallin warrior reaches maturity (at the age of 10 years), he must forge and carve his own hammer (only the males do this; female tallin do not own a hammer and will use their fists in combat.) All male tallin are proficient weapon smiths because of this experience, but the only weapon this proficiency applies to is the tallin's hammer.
Three times per day, a mature tallin (of either sex) may use a cone of cold breath attack. This cone is 40' long, 5' wide at the tallin's mouth, and 15' wide at the base; it inflicts 3-30 points of damage to all targets caught in the area of effect; those who successfully save vs. breath weapon suffer half damage.
This breath weapon may also be used in a defensive capacity: a tallin may breathe directly at the ground beneath itself to create a frost barrier that completely envelopes the tallin in the same round it is used. This barrier lasts 1d6 rounds and will negate a total of 50 hit points of fire damage.
Any excess fire damage destroys the barrier and affects the tallin normally. Any ranged fire directed through this barrier suffers a -2 to hit due to the obscured target. Anyone passing through this frost barrier suffers the normal breath weapon damage, although a cumulative +1 bonus is given on the saving throw each round after the first (i.e. +1 on the 2nd round the barrier is in affect, +2 on the 3rd round, etc..)
Habitat
Tallin live in clans of about 10-20; they reside in any arctic or sub-arctic region. They usually lair in large underground caverns in which they spend the majority of their time. They venture forth only to hunt or to fight (usually against white dragons or frost giants who invade their territory.) The strongest male tallin is the leader of the clan. His word is law to the other tallin; he is the leader of the hunt and the commander in battle.
When encountered in the lair, 50% of tallin present will be mature males, 25% will be mature females (AC 2, 13 HD, THAC0 4, D/A 1-10 + 7 per fist), and 25% will be immature tallin (AC 4, 8 HD, THAC0 10, D/A 1-8 + 6 per fist.) There is also a 20% chance of 1d4 subdued white dragons being present as well (usually of adult age or younger.) These are used as pets and/or guards.
Ecology
Tallin will eat nearly any type of meat, but especially like polar bear and seals. They often clash with white dragons and frost giants, with whom they share their territory.