Slug, Giant

Giant slugs are huge, omnivorous mutations of the small and benign garden slugs. Their highly developed mouths are capable of chewing flesh and well as plants, and they spit a highly corrosive acid on their food. Most giant slugs are pale gray, with dead white underbellies.

Combat: Giant slugs can bite for 1d12 points of damage, but their main attack form is their corrosive acid saliva. The acid is spat at a single target and corrodes any organic tissue (plants or animals). It will also destroy equipment (saving throw vs. acid). The acid inflicts 4d8 points of damage (successful saving throw vs. breath weapon for one-half damage). Giant slugs can use this breath weapon every round (its acid stores are never used up). Slugs are not very accurate with this attack; the first shot has only a 10% chance of hitting. The success of subsequent shots depends on the distance to the target - the base chance of hitting is 90% at a distance of ten yards, with a -10% penalty per additional ten yards. If the slug misses, the acid hits 10 feet from the desired target (determine randomly which direction). Note that giant slugs are impervious to this acid spittle.

Giant slugs are immensely strong and can batter down doors and wooden buildings in seconds. They have no bones and can squeeze through holes and crevasses normally impassible to much smaller predators. For example, a party of adventurers might seek cover in a large stone building, while taunting the slowly approaching slug behind them. To their astonishment, the huge creature enters through the same doorway the party did and begins to send acid everywhere.

The rasping tongue of a giant slug enables it to burrow through 1 foot of earth or 6 inches of wood per round, making most standard barricades useless against it.

Because of their lack of bones and their thick, rubbery hides, giant slugs are not harmed by blunt weapons or spells that cause crushing or impact damage. Only edged and pointed weapons and magical attacks, can harm a giant slug.

Habitat/Society: Giant slugs can be found in any wet and dark environment, including deserted dungeons, swamps, and rain forests. Giant slugs are solitary creatures and speak no language. They are barely sentient, exhibiting only rudimentary instinctive reactions when confronted.

Ecology: No one has ever found a good use for giant slugs, except maybe as huge garbage disposals. They have no known predators. They will eat anything - plants, carrion, garbage - but prefer warm, living flesh when they can catch it. Since giant slugs have such huge appetites, they rarely attack smaller creatures, such as squirrels and monkeys, which they have a hard time seeing anyway. Even on a good day, they must usually supplement their feedings with some vegetation.

Normal slugs have a nasty reaction to salt when it is sprinkled on them. They dry up and die in 1d4+1 rounds. It is unlikely that this technique is adaptable to the giant variety, but some fabrication and summoning spells might be adaptable if there ever seemed to be a need for it.

For now, giant slugs remain a very real danger in jungles, forests, and dungeons everywhere.