Ankheg

Species	beast (mantidae gargantua)
No. Appearing	1-6
Behaviour	solitary
Range	jungle, rainforest, savanna
Size	10 ft. long
Weight	1,275 to 1,500 lbs.
Intelligence	0
AC	3
HD	3 to 8
Act Pts	8
THAC0	14 to 18
Hp/Die	d12
Attack Forms	pincers
Damage	3-18
Special Attacks	acid, crush with pincers

Ankhegs are waiting hunters that bury themselves into the soft, peat and cellulose forest floor and await sufficiently sized prey to pass by. The ankheg will thus burst forth, striking for the nearest target, attempting to seize the creature in its pincers. If the ankheg's to hit roll is 5 above that needed to hit, this 'grab' will be considered successful, whereupon the creature seized will be helpless to escape the ankheg's jaws unless possessing a strength of 19 or greater. The ankheg can burrow through soft earth at a cost of 3 action points (AP) per combat hex.

Once the creature is seized, the next round the ankheg will back away half its movement rate (4 hexes) from any threat, crushing prey in its pincers for 2–12 damage and simultaneously spraying the victim with acid for 4–32 additional damage. The ankheg can squirt acid only once per day. The ankheg will continue to back away at 4 hexes per round thereafter until the victim is unconscious or dead, whereupon the ankheg will flee with its capture until it is 30 hexes distant. At this point the ankheg will drop its prey and begin to devour it. During the month of December, the ankheg may seek to bury the victim in the earth, so that it can be injected with about thirty eggs. The ankheg will then move on to seek other food. The eggs will hatch in 3–4 weeks, devouring the victim and growing into 3 hit dice ankhegs.

If two are encountered together, they will be buried 13–20 hexes apart.

See Bestiary