Tako

A tako is a boneless, octopus-like being with a plump body in a tough leathery mantle and eight sucker-lined tentacles. One golden eye sits centered above a hooked, parrotlike beak. Its color shifts at will, but resting adult males are pale green and females orange-red, while young may be black, brown, white, blue or gold. Tako speak by tentacle gestures and color changes; a character with Intelligence 17+ or the reading/writing proficiency has a 25% chance to understand.

Usually docile, tako attack anyone who invades their territory. Honor matters to them: they avenge attacks and ally with those who help them. In one round a tako can match its color and pattern to any natural terrain, making it 90% undetectable and giving opponents -3 on surprise rolls.

War parties are mostly male. A warrior anchors with one tentacle and fights with seven, typically holding a spear or hand axe in every free one, and it also bites.

Tako constrict like octopi, seizing any foe shorter than 7 feet (or less than 7 feet long) with one tentacle at a time. A male's grab has a 10% chance to pin both arms and 10% to pin one; a female's chances are 15% each. Both arms pinned means no attacks, one pinned means -3 to hit, and none pinned means -1. The grip is Strength 18/00, so a victim with 18/00 or more can loosen it and end the squeeze, but only severing the tentacle frees him fully (4 hit points per tentacle for males, 6 for females). Until then a male squeezes for 1-4 damage per round and a female for 2-8 (2d4).

Young tako cannot constrict: AC 7, 1 HD, THAC0 20, 0-1 damage per tentacle and 1-3 per bite, movement 1 (Sw 3), 35 XP. Otherwise they are feisty miniatures of the adults.

Each tribe numbers 3-12 (3d4) males, one or two females and young equal to half the males; the females make every decision while males hunt and defend. Lairs are coastal underwater caves, with occasional land raids for food, weapons and treasure. Very rarely tako live alongside humans, aiding fishermen and fighting sea monsters together.

Shellfish such as crabs, oysters and lobsters make up their diet, crushed in strong beaks. Their puffs of deep blue ink are too small for defense, but humans treasure the ink for calligraphy.