NEW MONSTER: ZVART

Zvart

FREQUENCY: Uncommon

NO. APPEARING: 25-250

ARMOR CLASS: 7

MOVE: 6”

HIT DICE: 1 to 7 hit points

% IN LAIR: 40%

TREASURE TYPE: Individuals see below; C in lair

NO. OF ATTACKS: 1

DAMAGE/ ATTACK: By weapon

SPECIAL ATTACKS: Nil

SPECIAL DEFENSES: Nil

MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard

SAVE: Fighter 0

INTELLIGENCE: Average

MORALE: See below

ALIGNMENT: Lawful evil

SIZE: S (3' tall)

PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil

LEVEL/ X.P. VALUE: I/ 10 + 1/ hp

With missile weapon or whip: I/ 14 +1/hp

Leader: II/ 20+2/ hp

Leader with missile weapon or whip: II/ 28 +2/hp

These small humanoid creatures have mottled orange and blue skin and beady black eyes. All zvarts are grotesquely ugly with noses of ungainly size. Most (90%) suffer from chronic skin rashes, halitosis, and nose drip. Those who do not invariably experience gout, piles, and unfavorable body odor. They usually wear rough smocks made from dog-skin.

They fear everything but if more than one is encountered they will always make every morale check because they are more afraid of looking bad in front of each other than they are of other things. Therefore, if only one zvart is present, it will immediately flee from any encounter. Similarly, if a group of zvarts is reduced to only one member, it will immediately fail its morale check and run away (80%), surrender (10%), or play dead (10%).

Zvarts have the inexplicable belief that they are consummate liars and that all non-zvarts are credible fools. Thus, they have no problem with lying about anything at all, even in the face of obviously incontrovertible evidence. Therefore, if questioned about why he or she fled from something, the zvart will make up some lame excuse and expect to be taken at his or her word.

In every group of 20 zvarts there will be one carrying a whip, used to entangle and hinder opponents in melee. If 100 zvarts are encountered, one will be a strong leader-type, from 3½' to 4½' tall with 8-11 hit points and attacking as a monster with 2 hit dice.

Ordinary zvarts fight with small military forks for 2-5 hit points of damage; leaders can use larger weapons. 5% of zvarts will have been trained at using magic as a 1st or 2nd level magic-user. Higher level magic-users will occasionally be found, especially in larger groups.

If encountered in their lair, there will always be a leader of 11 hit points, at least two lieutenants of 8 hit points each, and 3-12 war dogs used as guardians and emergency rations. Zvart males and females look exactly like each other and fight on equal terms. Typical zvarts usually carry a small amount of wealth, perhaps 0-11 (1d12-1) copper pieces and 0-7 (1d8-1) silver spanners. Leader-types and spell casters might carry more coins and occasionally personal jewelry.

Zvarts delight in taking prisoners to feed to themselves and their dogs. They have been known to work for larger humanoids or to hire other humanoids as shock troops. Their lair is usually underground or deep in the heart of the wilderness.