Nancir

Description

Nancir resemble jet black beetles. They are related to certain other, similar, but much larger monsters. They have a single horn about 1 inch long, and a generally alien look, by which they can be distinguished from a beetle upon close examination. It is a recipe for disaster to ignore the threat these tiny creatures can pose, or perhaps even to come into conflict with one at all, particularly those of greater power. Fortunately, these monsters prefer negotiation unless provoked.

It is obvious that these magical monsters are not the product of natural processes. The origin of these powerful monsters is not known, but each has memories that go back thousands of years.

They can communicate by telepathy with any creature of low or higher intelligence. They are never surprised, and usually can surprise their opponents, as they can easily take cover. They have a magical flying ability which is silent, and are highly manuverable. This flight will even function within an anti-magic area or shell (there are a couple of precedents for this unusual ability.) Note also that their flight is unaffected by wind conditions (e.g. gust of wind).

Combat

This monster seems to be made of an extremely strong material. Perhaps even more surprising is that the tiny body houses a very efficient mind.

In combat, this monster is hard to hit, and especially so with missile weapons, which face a -7 penalty. Since it can fly, this is one reason the monster is so dangerous. Another reason is that it can often remain undetected, choosing carefully the time to attack.

It can use its horn, and any creature stung must save vs. poison or die instantly. Those saving are slowed for 1-6 rounds. However, the monster has even more dangerous abilities.

Skeleton Animation: It can crawl inside the skull of a dead skeleton, attach to the top, and animate it. This skeleton will then have 8 HD, AC 4 (unless wearing armor), move of 12, a THAC0 of 7, and can attack with a weapon twice per round, with the nancir controlling it and seeing through the sockets. It can speak. The monster often does this when dealing with humanoids, using a hooded cloak. The skeleton can be damaged as any animated skeleton, but can't be turned. Only damage from area effects might also damage the nancir. The skeleton is immune to mind affecting spells, poison or gas, psionics, polymorph, death magic, and energy drain.

The worst part is that the monster can use this form to cast spells as a wizard (typically of level 13-18, depending on the nancir, which can memorize the spells either with or without a skeleton) (or a nancir could simply use its spell-like abilities, if any.)

Note that a successful dispel magic will deanimate the skeleton. Once it leaves, the skeleton if still animated becomes a normal undead under its control. It can't animate another for a day after leaving the skeleton.

It can attempt to take over an ordinary animated skeleton, which gets a save vs. spells. If unsuccessful, this uses up the special animation ability for a day.

Spell-Like Abilities: Two out of three nancir can use spell-like abilities. The following is a powerfull example, but a particular nancir may not have all of these abilities, and may have other abilities:

• Detect (good, magic, and invisibility; functions continuously) dispel magic, continual light (reversable) - twice per day
• Comprehend languages, identify (by touch, causes no penalties to the nancir), unseen servant - once per turn
• Teleport (no error, to a place on any plane) - once per day
• Suggestion - three times per day
• Disintegrate, anti-magic shell, silence 15' radius - once per day each
• Slow - three times per day
• Circle of stunning (20' radius, creatures - other than the nancir and any occupied skeleton - take 1-6 pts. of damage and save vs. spell at a penalty equal to that amount or be stunned for a like number of rounds) - once per day
• Cause coma (reversable, 7" range, save vs. spell or causes the victim drop to one hit point (this can be healed normally), and to fall unconcious, which lasts until the coma is removed by a wish or remove coma spell. Killing, then ressurrecting, the victim will not help. The victim is subject to dehydration and starvation. Remove coma will instantly awaken any unconcious creature.) - once per day

These abilities, and skeleton animation, are performed at a level of magic use equal to the hit dice.

• It can only be hit by magical weapons
• It is immune to the following attack forms: any psionic attack, mind affecting magic, stunning, poison or gas, death magic, energy drain, petrification, polymorph, suffocation or drowning, and disease. Acid, cold, electricity, fire, or magic missile spells of any type cause half damage.

If it is slain, the body will dissappear. A nancir has a 5% chance per HD to be reincarnated a year later. The number of HD and spell like abilities can be different after that, but wizard level is retained. A reincarnated nancir will emerge, from a pool of mud somewhere, with full memories.

Habitat / Society

Each nancir typically divides its time between several lairs in various planes, which can be nearly anywhere. Such lairs typically have tiny furniture for the monster, treasure including rare books, skeletons, and traps.

It is not unusual for these monsters to engage in trade with certain evil humans, fiends, or similar creatures, which also keeps them informed about current events. Note that they have considerable financial resources. They are sometimes found travelling, apparently due to curiosity. They consider most races to be foolish, but are not above forming alliances, and even the fiends don't usually attack one.

Their evil consists less of killing than of extortion and corruption of good creatures.

Ecology

They can eat meat of any type, and require relatively little food. They can eat while occupying a skeleton. They do not sleep, and will heal 1-3 hit points per day even if active.