NEW MONSTER: GRALKIN

GRALKIN

FREQUENCY: Very rare

NO. APPEARING: 1-20

ARMOR CLASS: See below

MOVE: 12”

HIT DICE: 1 to 6 hit points

% IN LAIR: 50%

TREASURE TYPE: See below

NO. OF ATTACKS:

DAMAGE/ ATTACK: By weapon

SPECIAL ATTACKS: Nil

SPECIAL DEFENSES: Nil

MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard

SAVE: Fighter 0

INTELLIGENCE: Low

MORALE: 50%

ALIGNMENT: Chaotic (neutral or evil)

SIZE: M

PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil

LEVEL/ X.P. VALUE: I/ 5 + 1/hp

Gralkin are simply normal humans who have been cursed with the head of a bird. These creatures range in small groups or individually. It is quite possible for a gralkin with character levels as a fighter, etc. to exist, and such are occasionally found leading a band of these things. The magic curse has also been successfully applied to such creatures as dogs and ogres, with expected resultant changes to the above statistics.

Beings changed in this way gradually adopt a chaotic alignment and generally lose their ability to cast spells due to a diminished intellect. Creatures of any good or neutral alignment usually (65%) become chaotic neutral in the span of two weeks if this curse is not cured by means of a remove curse spell. Occasionally (35%) they will turn to chaotic evil in the same span of time. Evil characters always turn chaotic evil, if they were not already.

The type of bird head received varies with the character. In some cases fanciful, prehistoric, or rare bird heads are gained. Gralkin gradually (over the course of a year or so) lose interest in such things as clothing and money. Unless armored, they will normally have an armor class of 10. They do value weapons, although such will be poorly looked after.