Opabinia
A five-eyed prehistoric sea predator that lies camouflaged on the seabed, then snaps out a long clawed trunk to haul swimmers under and drown them.
Appearance
Nothing in modern oceans looks quite like this primeval hunter. Its long body is built of segments, with the tail alone split into three pieces. Five eyes crown the head, and a single flexible trunk, as long as the whole animal, juts from the face and ends in a crablike pincer.
Combat
Too slow to chase anything, the opabinia waits instead, matching its color to the sea floor or settling into murky water where it can feel the tremors of passing prey. Characters suffer a +2 penalty to surprise rolls against it.
When a victim drifts within reach, the trunk lashes out and clamps tight. The grip can drag a grown man off his feet and pin him underwater until he drowns. Escape takes a successful Strength check on 1d20, or a successful Fitness check under the companion science-fiction rules.
More: Monsters starting with O · Dragon Magazine monsters · All monsters A-Z
Statistics
| Climate/Terrain | Shallow sea floor |
|---|---|
| Frequency | Rare |
| Organization | Solitary |
| Activity Cycle | Day |
| Diet | Carnivore/Scavenger |
| Intelligence | Animal(1) |
| Treasure | Nil |
| Alignment | Neutral |
| No. Appearing | 1d4 |
| Armor Class | 8 |
| Movement | 2 (crawiling and swimming) |
| Hit Dice | 3 |
| THAC0 | 17 |
| No. of Attacks | 1 |
| Damage/Attack | 1d6 |
| Special Attacks | None |
| Special Defenses | Camouflage |
| Magic Resistance | Nil |
| Size | M (5' long) |
| Morale | Unsteady (7) |
| XP Value | 175 |