Gargoyle, Archer
CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Ruins and occupied dwellings
FREQUENCY: Very rare
ORGANIZATION: Solitary
ACTIVITY CYCLE: Any
DIET: Nil
INTELLIGENCE: Low (5-7)
TREASURE: Nil
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic Evil
NO. APPEARING: 1
ARMOR CLASS: 6
MOVEMENT: 9
HIT DICE: 4+5
THAC0: 17
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-10
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Nil
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Camouflage
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Nil
SIZE: S (4')
MORALE: Elite (13-14)
XP VALUE: 975
The archer gargoyle is a malicious creation that looks like a cheerful cherub or, more rarely, a ferocious amazon. Its only visible weapon or means of attack is a stubby bow and quiver of arrows, apparently carved as part of the statue. The archer typically stands in a fountain or on a ledge high up the wall, or serves as a garden ornament, moving to attack only when an intruder enters its territory.
Combat: True to its name, the archer gargoyle uses its bow and arrows as its primary weapon. The bow is not a true bow, and the arrows are just stone; they form the basis for an arrowlike magical attack which hits with a THAC0 of 17 and inflicts 1d10 points of damage; the "arrow" has a range of 100 yards. Even when engaged in melee, the archer uses its bow at pointblank range. Like the margoyle, the archer is able to conceal itself against stone with 20% effectiveness.
Habitat/Society: These evil creatures love to shoot passers-by, even those who pose no threat, and thus are rarely found guarding the domiciles of good-aligned persons. When found in the wild, the archer is on an unending hunt, slaying every living thing it meets. More than one village has been routed by one of these gargoyles, who delight in mayhem and bloodshed. The archer gargoyle is a loner and avoids contact will all others of its kind.
Ecology: Unlike many other kinds of animated gargoyles, the archer has a profound impact on its surroundings because of its tendency to kill every animal and person in its territory, leaving the carcasses to rot. This often causes great ecological upheaval, and special hunting parties are often immediately organized to eliminate the menace of a roving archer gargoyle.
Originally appeared in Dragon Magazine #223 (1995)
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Gargoyle, Archer
CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Building or ruin
FREQUENCY: Very rare
ORGANIZATION: Solitary
ACTIVITY CYCLE: Any
DIET: Nil
INTELLIGENCE: Low (5-7)
TREASURE: Nil
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic evil
NO. APPEARING: 1
ARMOR CLASS: 6
MOVEMENT: 9
HIT DICE: 4 + 5
THAC0: 17
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1d10
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Nil
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Camouflage, +1 or better magical weapon to hit
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Nil
SIZE: S (4' tall)
MORALE: Elite (13-14)
XP VALUE: 975
The archer gargoyle is a malicious creation that looks like a cheerful cherub or, more rarely, a ferocious amazon. Its only sizaible weapon or means of attack is a stubby bow and quiver of arrows, apparently carved as part of the statue. The archer typically stands in a fountain or on a ledge high up the wall, or serves as a garden ornament, moving to attack only when an intruder enters its territory. It can remain motionless as long as it desires.
Combat: The archer can conceal itself against stone so that it is only 20% likely to be spotted under normal conditions. True to its name, the archer gargoyle uses its bow and arrows as its primary weapon. The bow is not a true bow, and the arrows are stone, but they allow the archer to make an arrowlike magical attack which hits with a THAC0 of 17 and inflicts 1d10 points of damage. The "arrow" has a range of 120 yards. Even when engaged in melee, the archer uses the bow at point blank range. The archer can be struck only by weapons of +1 or better enchantment.
Habitat/Society: These evil creatures love to shoot passers-by, even those who pose no threat, and thus are rarely found guarding the domiciles of good-aligned persons. When found in the wild, the archer is on an unending hunt, slaying every living thing it meets. More than one village has been routed by one of these gargoyles, who delight in mayhem and bloodshed. The archer gargoyle is a loner and avoids contact will all others of its kind.
Ecology: The archer need not eat, drink, or sleep. Unlike other types of gargoyles, the archer has a profound destructive impact on its surroundings, because its tendency to kill every creature and person in its territory, leaving the carcasses to rot. Special hunting parties are often immediately organized to eliminate the menace of a roving archer when one moves into the area.
(Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume Three version.)
