Shade
Monster Junkie
Duruch’i-lin, Ch’i-lin
CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Temperate forests
FREQUENCY: Very rare
ORGANIZATION: Solitary
ACTIVE TIME: Any
DIET: Special
INTELLIGENCE: 18 (Genius)
TREASURE: Nil
ALIGNMENT: Lawful good
NO. APPEARING: 1
ARMOR CLASS: -2
MOVEMENT: 24 (ground or water), Fl 36
HIT DICE: 16
THAC0: 5
NO. OF ATTACKS: 3
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-10/1-10/3-18
SPECIAL ATTACKS: See below
SPECIAL DEFENSES: See below
MAGIC RESISTANCE: See below
SIZE: G (75’)
MORALE: Fanatic (18)
XP VALUE: 18,000
Duruch’i-lin, Duru
CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Temperate forests
FREQUENCY: Very rare
ORGANIZATION: Solitary
ACTIVE TIME: Any
DIET: Special
INTELLIGENCE: 18 (Genius)
TREASURE: Nil
ALIGNMENT: Lawful good
NO. APPEARING: 1
ARMOR CLASS: 0
MOVEMENT: 36 (ground, water, clouds), Fl 48
HIT DICE: 13
THAC0: 7
NO. OF ATTACKS: 3
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-6/1-6/2-12
SPECIAL ATTACKS: See below
SPECIAL DEFENSES: See below
MAGIC RESISTANCE: See below
SIZE: G (60’)
MORALE: Fanatic (18)
XP VALUE: 15,000
The duruch’i-lin is one of the worlds most beloved creatures. Though seldom seen by man, the appearance of these creatures is always associated with longevity, health, and good fortune. The female duruch’i-lin is a “ch’i-lin.” The male is a “duru.”
A ch’i-lin is larger and more powerful than her male counterpart. Superficially, she resembles a giant version of the common unicorn. It is not unusual for a ch’i-lin to attain a height of 100 feet or more, though she is more commonly 50-75 feet tall. The ch’ilin’s coat is a riot of color, with splotches of red, yellow, black, white, and blue. Her belly is always brilliant yellow. She has the tail of a horse, the long jaws of a wolf, and a blunt, fleshy horn about 5 feet long extending from her forehead. Her voice sounds like the tinkling of silver bells.
Duruch’i-lin can speak all human languages, as well as the languages of all forest creatures.
Combat: The ch’i-lin is normally passive and docile, and resorts to violence only as a last resort. Her horn is too blunt to gore an opponent, but she can use it to fire magic bolts six times per round, each one aimed at a different target. A ch’i-lin’s magic bolts have a +4 attack bonus and cause 3-18 (3d6) hit points of damage. She can plane shift and become invisible at will, and can cast both crystalbrittle and bless once per round. Though loathe to engage in physical combat, ch’i-lin can inflict 1-10 hit points of damage from two hoof attacks and 3-18 (3d6) hit points of damage from a bite.
The ch’i-lin is immune to all poisons, as well as all death, charm, and hold spells. She makes saving throws as if she were a 20th level wizard. An aura of golden flame surrounds her, acting as a permanent deflection spell. A ch’i-lin can walk on water as easily as she can walk on land.
A character who touches the horn of a living ch’i-lin gains the ability to cast an omen spell; this ability lasts for one hour.
Habitat/Society: The ch’i-lin has an affinity with all living creatures. She is especially fond of creatures of the forest, with whom she shares a strong bond of friendship and trust. She has no permanent lair, and prefers to roam the wilds in the company of her animal friends. When desiring privacy, she usually plane shifts to another plane of existence, where she may meditate in solitude for up to 10 years at a time. The ch’i-lin tends to shun the civilized world, but she often makes an appearance when an especially benevolent ruler or wise sage is about to be born.
The first ch’i-lin was a blending of the bodies of two creatures, the ch’i (a stag with silver antlers and emerald eyes) and the lin (a war horse with a golden coat whose every step cracked the earth). Both creatures are now extinct.
Ecology: A ch’i-lin seldom walks on the ground, fearing she will accidentally trample an innocent insect or damage the vegetation. She eats only minerals and drinks only from the purest of streams. Her horn, when ground into a powder, can be used as an antidote for any poison. The coat of a ch’i-lin retains the properties of deflection even after the creature’s death, and is highly prized as material for protective clothing.
Duru
The duru is a smaller, faster, and less powerful version of the ch’ilin. He is identical in outlook and appearance to his female counterpart, except that his belly is blue and his protective aura is silver. He fires only three magic bolts per round, which have a +2 to-hit bonus and cause 2-12 (2d6) points of damage.
The courtship ritual of the duru is long and complex. When a duru finds an agreeable ch’i-lin, he introduces her to an assembly of forest animals, including at least one representative of every species in his territory. (The territory usually covers 10,000 sq. miles or more.) If the animals accept her, the male then introduces the chi’i-lin to representatives of the Celestial Bureaucracy. If they approve of the mating, the pair retires to another plane of existence, where they spend no less than five years sharing every detail of their life histories. The couple gives birth to a single infant, raising it in this alternate plane until it reaches maturity (about 50 years). When the child has matured, all members of the family go their own way.
Originally appeared in Monstrous Compendium Kara-Tur Appendix (1990).
CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Temperate forests
FREQUENCY: Very rare
ORGANIZATION: Solitary
ACTIVE TIME: Any
DIET: Special
INTELLIGENCE: 18 (Genius)
TREASURE: Nil
ALIGNMENT: Lawful good
NO. APPEARING: 1
ARMOR CLASS: -2
MOVEMENT: 24 (ground or water), Fl 36
HIT DICE: 16
THAC0: 5
NO. OF ATTACKS: 3
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-10/1-10/3-18
SPECIAL ATTACKS: See below
SPECIAL DEFENSES: See below
MAGIC RESISTANCE: See below
SIZE: G (75’)
MORALE: Fanatic (18)
XP VALUE: 18,000
Duruch’i-lin, Duru
CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Temperate forests
FREQUENCY: Very rare
ORGANIZATION: Solitary
ACTIVE TIME: Any
DIET: Special
INTELLIGENCE: 18 (Genius)
TREASURE: Nil
ALIGNMENT: Lawful good
NO. APPEARING: 1
ARMOR CLASS: 0
MOVEMENT: 36 (ground, water, clouds), Fl 48
HIT DICE: 13
THAC0: 7
NO. OF ATTACKS: 3
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-6/1-6/2-12
SPECIAL ATTACKS: See below
SPECIAL DEFENSES: See below
MAGIC RESISTANCE: See below
SIZE: G (60’)
MORALE: Fanatic (18)
XP VALUE: 15,000
The duruch’i-lin is one of the worlds most beloved creatures. Though seldom seen by man, the appearance of these creatures is always associated with longevity, health, and good fortune. The female duruch’i-lin is a “ch’i-lin.” The male is a “duru.”
A ch’i-lin is larger and more powerful than her male counterpart. Superficially, she resembles a giant version of the common unicorn. It is not unusual for a ch’i-lin to attain a height of 100 feet or more, though she is more commonly 50-75 feet tall. The ch’ilin’s coat is a riot of color, with splotches of red, yellow, black, white, and blue. Her belly is always brilliant yellow. She has the tail of a horse, the long jaws of a wolf, and a blunt, fleshy horn about 5 feet long extending from her forehead. Her voice sounds like the tinkling of silver bells.
Duruch’i-lin can speak all human languages, as well as the languages of all forest creatures.
Combat: The ch’i-lin is normally passive and docile, and resorts to violence only as a last resort. Her horn is too blunt to gore an opponent, but she can use it to fire magic bolts six times per round, each one aimed at a different target. A ch’i-lin’s magic bolts have a +4 attack bonus and cause 3-18 (3d6) hit points of damage. She can plane shift and become invisible at will, and can cast both crystalbrittle and bless once per round. Though loathe to engage in physical combat, ch’i-lin can inflict 1-10 hit points of damage from two hoof attacks and 3-18 (3d6) hit points of damage from a bite.
The ch’i-lin is immune to all poisons, as well as all death, charm, and hold spells. She makes saving throws as if she were a 20th level wizard. An aura of golden flame surrounds her, acting as a permanent deflection spell. A ch’i-lin can walk on water as easily as she can walk on land.
A character who touches the horn of a living ch’i-lin gains the ability to cast an omen spell; this ability lasts for one hour.
Habitat/Society: The ch’i-lin has an affinity with all living creatures. She is especially fond of creatures of the forest, with whom she shares a strong bond of friendship and trust. She has no permanent lair, and prefers to roam the wilds in the company of her animal friends. When desiring privacy, she usually plane shifts to another plane of existence, where she may meditate in solitude for up to 10 years at a time. The ch’i-lin tends to shun the civilized world, but she often makes an appearance when an especially benevolent ruler or wise sage is about to be born.
The first ch’i-lin was a blending of the bodies of two creatures, the ch’i (a stag with silver antlers and emerald eyes) and the lin (a war horse with a golden coat whose every step cracked the earth). Both creatures are now extinct.
Ecology: A ch’i-lin seldom walks on the ground, fearing she will accidentally trample an innocent insect or damage the vegetation. She eats only minerals and drinks only from the purest of streams. Her horn, when ground into a powder, can be used as an antidote for any poison. The coat of a ch’i-lin retains the properties of deflection even after the creature’s death, and is highly prized as material for protective clothing.
Duru
The duru is a smaller, faster, and less powerful version of the ch’ilin. He is identical in outlook and appearance to his female counterpart, except that his belly is blue and his protective aura is silver. He fires only three magic bolts per round, which have a +2 to-hit bonus and cause 2-12 (2d6) points of damage.
The courtship ritual of the duru is long and complex. When a duru finds an agreeable ch’i-lin, he introduces her to an assembly of forest animals, including at least one representative of every species in his territory. (The territory usually covers 10,000 sq. miles or more.) If the animals accept her, the male then introduces the chi’i-lin to representatives of the Celestial Bureaucracy. If they approve of the mating, the pair retires to another plane of existence, where they spend no less than five years sharing every detail of their life histories. The couple gives birth to a single infant, raising it in this alternate plane until it reaches maturity (about 50 years). When the child has matured, all members of the family go their own way.
Originally appeared in Monstrous Compendium Kara-Tur Appendix (1990).
