| Climate/Terrain: | Any ocean |
|---|---|
| Frequency: | Uncommon |
| Organization: | Solitary |
| Activity Cycle: | Day |
| Diet: | Carnivore |
| Intelligence: | Non- (0) |
| Treasure: | Nil |
| Alignment: | Neutral |
| No. Appearing: | 1-4 |
| Armor Class: | 3 |
| Movement: | 3, Sw 15 |
| Hit Dice: | 16 |
| THAC0: | 5 |
| No. of Attacks: | 1 |
| Damage/Attack: | 2-20 |
| Special Attacks: | Nil |
| Special Defenses: | Nil |
| Magic Resistance: | Nil |
| Size: | G (60' long by 40' wide) |
| Morale: | Steady (11) |
| XP Value: | 8,000 |
Named after a similar creature from Sumatran legends, this is basically a giant sea turtle 60' long and 40' wide. It has a mouth so wide that it splits the head in two when it opens (one report claims the inside of the mouth is a brilliant red color), large eyes, and a shell whose front slopes up and backward in front, then slants down toward the rear. The scales on the front are hardly noticeable, while those to the rear of the shell are so large they have been compared to roofing shingles. Sometimes fleshy filaments are reported hanging around the mouth. There are only a few reports of this beast, the last in 1960. Oddly for a reptile, it is found in cold temperate areas. However, really large reptiles lose heat more slowly than their smaller fellows, and the Leatherback turtle does travel far to the north.
If it exists, the Father-of-all-the-turtles is probably an enlarged descendant of the Cretaceous sea turtle Archelon. Stats are those from the MC3, with the following exceptions: 16 HD; THAC0 5; DAMAGE/ ATTACK 2-20; SIZE G (60' long by 40' wide); XP VALUE 8,000.
by Gregory W. Detwiler