Manscorpion

From the waist up a manscorpion is a dark-skinned, hairless human with a handsome, noble face spoiled by glowing red eyes without pupils. Ribs and spine push through its skin, and bony plates armor its belly. Each hand has only a long thumb and a pair of thick fingers, so people often take them for claws. Below, a 4-foot bony-plated arachnid body walks on six armored legs, and the protruding spine continues into a 10-foot tail. The sand-colored lower body blends so well with the desert that observers usually notice only the human half until it is close.

Legend says they descend from evil humans struck by an ancient curse. Besides their own tongue, 20% speak a regional language.

Most are of low to average intelligence and patrol in squads of six warriors under a 9 HD leader and a 9 HD spellcaster who casts as a 4th-level mage or cleric. Half carry obsidian-studded clubs (as battle axes) plus bolas or javelins; the rest fight with natural weapons alone.

Under their leader they fight with discipline, softening foes with missiles before closing in. Up close each uses tail, claw and weapon, or tail and both claws. The tail reaches all around, even in front, and when idle it sweeps behind to check for obstacles and attackers. Its spur forces a save vs. poison; failure means death in 2d4 rounds. The victim weakens the first round (-2 to hit), trembles the next (-3 to hit, loses any Dexterity bonus to AC), and then convulses (AC 10, no attacks) until death.

Without a leader, ordinary manscorpions grow disorganized and lose morale. Reduced to their last 1 or 2 hit points, they sting wildly, attacking twice per round with the tail and with nothing else.

Near the lair, patrols grow common, and the lair itself is guarded by a swarm of three squads led by a 10 HD swarm leader and a 10 HD caster of 7th-level priest or wizard ability, who direct the fight and cast spells rather than join in. Swarms patrol in troubled times. Each pair of swarms answers to an 11 HD noble and an 11 HD sorcerer casting at 9th level; they stay home unless an army marches, then lead two swarms. Each lair has a 12 HD king, queen or both, advised by a 12 HD high cleric of 11th-level ability, and they fight only if directly threatened.

Their burrows and tunnels lie under the sand above buried cities housing 40-400 that echo great human cities, with pits for buildings and vast inverted-pyramid chasms. Human and dwarf slaves mine and forge weapons for them. Clumsy-fingered as they are, manscorpions are skilled with hammer and chisel, and their cities are full of sculpture.

They eat nearly any meat, carrion included, and no normal creature hunts them.