Monster of the Week: Hell Snail

Iron-shelled behemoths

Hell snails are 15’ long gastropods inhabiting large hot springs, like those found in geyser basins. They metabolize the minerals found in the spring water, so they don’t have to eat. Their tough shells are composed primarily of iron extracted from their pools.

A snail might spend its entire life in and around a single hot spring, never traveling more than 20’ from the edge, except to mate. Typically, no more than two hell snails will inhabit a given spring, but a small colony may be found in a cluster of pools.

When it comes to creatures other than their own kind, hell snails are highly territorial, and will drive off or kill intruders. They drag the bodies of the slain into the water, to be dissolved in the harsh environment, adding to the mineral solution which sustains them.

Hell snails spend most of the time submerged in their pools, and surprise on a 1-3 on a d6.

A hell snail attacks with its sharp, rasping tongue, or by spitting a stream of acid up to 45’. The first acid attack will always miss, as the snail ranges on its target. Subsequent attacks are resolved normally.

A successful acid attack will dissolve magical armor in one turn, and normal armor in one round. Successful attacks on unarmored characters will do damage equal to the snail’s current hit points (Save vs. Dragon Breath for 1/2 damage).

The bottom of the hot spring in which a hell snail resides is often covered with the coins, gems, jewelry, and/or magical weapons left over from the dissolved bodies of its victims. Retrieving this treasure can be a challenge—submersion of any part of the body in the pool does 2d8 points of damage per round, due to the heat, and the corrosive characteristics of the water.

Armor Class: -3
Hit Dice: 9*
Move: 60’ (20’)
Attack(s): 1 bite/1 spit
Damage: 1d12/as dragon breath
No. Appearing: 1-2 (1-8)
Save As: F4
Morale: 10
Treasure Type: Nil/B
Alignment: Neutral
XP: 1600