For years now The Delver's Field Guide By Ark Allen has been the go-to manual for adventurers with a flair for studying the ecology of creatures lurking in the deep places. Unfortunately, the Guide was published as an unfinished work due to Allen's untimely demise in the Lair of the Last Zelf.
Missing for decades, the final dozen or so of Allen's planned entries have been unearthed by John James and his Parlor Hounds, a group of delvers and fans of the Guide. J.J. & Co. followed Allen's path down the Miner's Trail into Silance, a poorly-mapped silver mine excavated during the Great Expansion of 3457. After a handful of bizarre events which are chronicled elsewhere, the Co. finally located the Lair of the Last Zelf. Finding the Zelf absent, the party began to comb the area. Ultimately, J.J. and his group returned the precious documents to Allen's original publisher.
We are printing them here with the publisher's consent.
Allen's Greater Wandering Rope
CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Subterranean
FREQUENCY: Very Rare
ORGANIZATION: Solitary
ACTIVITY CYCLE: Any
TREASURE: Nil
ALIGNMENT: Neutral (Evil)
NO. APPEARING: 1
ARMOR CLASS: 5
MOVEMENT: 9
HIT DICE: 4+3
THAC0: 15
NO. OF ATTACKS: 2
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-4/2-8
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Constriction, See Below
SPECIAL DEFENSES: See Below
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Nil
SIZE: L (40'-50' Long, 1"-3" Wide)
MORALE: Steady (11)
XP VALUE: 1000xp base + DMs Discretion
Ropes are snake-like creatures that typically roam areas shrouded in perpetual night, such as caves, underground ruins, and mines.
Unlike reptiles, Ropes are warm-blooded and require no heat source to maintain their body temperature. Ropes can, however, adjust their body temperature at will. Like reptiles, Ropes only need to feed when it's necessary. They have been known to hibernate for several years before returning to their active feeding cycle.
A Rope's diet typically includes small to man-sized mammals, reptiles, insects, and amphibians. Ropes themselves often fall prey to the largest reptiles in the subterranean realms.
Combat: Over the eons, Ropes have evolved a chameleon-like ability to surprise their prey. When a Rope coils up for hibernation it has the ability to cause itself to resemble a hemp rope of the same proportions. Ropes will also use their chameleon ability while dangling loosely from high points in caverns. If alarmed, ropes will drop on their prey and constrict for 2d4 damage per round. A Rope's bite is non-venomous, but will cause 1d4 points of piercing damage.
Any long (40'-50') hemp rope found abandoned in a suitable subterranean area has a 2% chance of being a Greater Wandering Rope. Ropes will often remain disguised for as many as 2d10 days before revealing themselves.
C. Aaron Aldridge 2013
Missing for decades, the final dozen or so of Allen's planned entries have been unearthed by John James and his Parlor Hounds, a group of delvers and fans of the Guide. J.J. & Co. followed Allen's path down the Miner's Trail into Silance, a poorly-mapped silver mine excavated during the Great Expansion of 3457. After a handful of bizarre events which are chronicled elsewhere, the Co. finally located the Lair of the Last Zelf. Finding the Zelf absent, the party began to comb the area. Ultimately, J.J. and his group returned the precious documents to Allen's original publisher.
We are printing them here with the publisher's consent.
Allen's Greater Wandering Rope
CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Subterranean
FREQUENCY: Very Rare
ORGANIZATION: Solitary
ACTIVITY CYCLE: Any
DIET: Carnivore
INTELLIGENCE: Semi- (2-4)TREASURE: Nil
ALIGNMENT: Neutral (Evil)
NO. APPEARING: 1
ARMOR CLASS: 5
MOVEMENT: 9
HIT DICE: 4+3
THAC0: 15
NO. OF ATTACKS: 2
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-4/2-8
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Constriction, See Below
SPECIAL DEFENSES: See Below
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Nil
SIZE: L (40'-50' Long, 1"-3" Wide)
MORALE: Steady (11)
XP VALUE: 1000xp base + DMs Discretion
Ropes are snake-like creatures that typically roam areas shrouded in perpetual night, such as caves, underground ruins, and mines.
Unlike reptiles, Ropes are warm-blooded and require no heat source to maintain their body temperature. Ropes can, however, adjust their body temperature at will. Like reptiles, Ropes only need to feed when it's necessary. They have been known to hibernate for several years before returning to their active feeding cycle.
A Rope's diet typically includes small to man-sized mammals, reptiles, insects, and amphibians. Ropes themselves often fall prey to the largest reptiles in the subterranean realms.
Combat: Over the eons, Ropes have evolved a chameleon-like ability to surprise their prey. When a Rope coils up for hibernation it has the ability to cause itself to resemble a hemp rope of the same proportions. Ropes will also use their chameleon ability while dangling loosely from high points in caverns. If alarmed, ropes will drop on their prey and constrict for 2d4 damage per round. A Rope's bite is non-venomous, but will cause 1d4 points of piercing damage.
Any long (40'-50') hemp rope found abandoned in a suitable subterranean area has a 2% chance of being a Greater Wandering Rope. Ropes will often remain disguised for as many as 2d10 days before revealing themselves.
C. Aaron Aldridge 2013
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