Giant Snail
by Jamie BatyRC 204
Large Vermin
Hit Dice: 9d8+9 (49 hp)
Initiative: +1 (+1 Dex)
Speed: 15 ft. (3 squares)
Armour Class: 22 (-1 size, +1 Dex, +12 natural), touch 10, flat-footed 21
Base Attack/Grapple: +6/+15
Attack: Tongue +10 melee (1d12 +5) or Acidic Spit +6 ranged touch (see below)
Full Attack: Tongue +10 melee (1d12 +5) or Acidic Spit +6 ranged touch (see below)
Space/Reach: 10 ft. /5 ft.
Special Attacks: Acidic Spit
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60ft., Damage Reduction 15/piercing, Shell Cover
Saves: Fort +7, Ref +4, Will +1
Abilities: Str 21, Dex 12, Con 13, Int -, Wis 6, Cha 3
Skills: Hide -3*, Listen +2, Spot +2
Feats: ---
Environment: Any forest
Organisation: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 6
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 10-18 HD (Large); 19-27 HD (Huge)
Level Adjustment: -
The giant snail is a close relative of the giant slug, except that it has a large, tough shell protecting its body. They are typically around 15ft long, but may grow up to 30ft long. They eat just about anything.
If a giant snail is killed and cut open, there is a 10% chance that its stomach contains a gem, gold item, or 2d6+1 gold coins. All other metals dissolve in the snail's corrosive stomach juices.
Combat
Giant snails prefer to attack with their Acidic Spit attack, but will attack with their sharp tongues if foes get close enough. If in danger, they will retreat into their shells.
Acidic Spit (Ex): Each round, a giant snail may make an acidic spit attack as a full round attack against any foe with 45ft (5ft per HD). The attack causes 12d4 acid damage (16d4 for a Huge snails). A victim that makes a Reflex save vs DC 15 (Con based) takes half damage. If the victim rolls a 1 for his saving throw, it is a critical failure and an item maybe damaged by the acidic spit (see Items Surviving After a Saving Throw in the SRD).
Damage Reduction (Ex): A giant snail has damage reduction of 15/piercing.
Shell Cover (Ex): A giant snail may pull its body completely into its shell. This move-equivalent action gives the creature improved cover: a +8 bonus to AC, +4 bonus to Reflex saves, and the snail effectively gains the Improved Evasion ability. The giant snail may not attack while in its shell.
Skills: A giant snail has a +4 racial bonus to any Spot and Listen checks. *A giant snail has a +12 racial bonus to all hide checks when it is underground.
Vermin Traits: Vermin are mindless - they have no intelligence score and are immune to all mind-affecting effects. They have no sense of morality and are always neutral. They have 60ft. darkvision and any treasure they possess (which is usually none) consists of the property of former victims.
Snail Shell Armour and Shields
Armoursmiths can work with the shells of giant snails to produce armour or shields of masterwork quality. One snail shell produces enough material for a single suit of masterwork scale armour for a creature the size of the snail. By selecting only choice pieces of shell, an armoursmiths can produce one suit of masterwork banded mail for a creature one size smaller, one suit of masterwork half-plate for a creature two sizes smaller, or one masterwork breastplate or suit of full plate for a creature three sizes smaller. In each case, enough shell is available to produce a small or large masterwork shield in addition to the armour.
Any armour made of snail shell provides the wearer with an acid resistance of 10. Snail shell shields give the bearer a +2 bonus to all saves made against acid-based attacks.
Because snail shell armour isn't made of metal, druids can wear it without penalty.
Snail shell armour costs double what masterwork armour of that type ordinarily costs, but it takes no longer to make than ordinary armour of that type.
Snail shell has 20 hit points per inch of thickness and hardness 10.