Urchin (Dungeons & Dragons)
| Urchin | |
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A land urchin |
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, the urchin is a type of monster.
Publication history
The black urchin, the green urchin, the red urchin, the silver urchin, and the yellow urchin first appeared in White Dwarf #9 (October 1978). In White Dwarf #15 readers were asked to vote for their top ten "Fiend Factory" monsters. The top ten, including the urchin, were later reprinted in Best of White Dwarf Articles (1980). The black urchin, the green urchin, the red urchin, the silver urchin, and the yellow urchin appeared in the original first edition Fiend Folio (1981).[1] The land urchin first appeared in the second set of Monster Cards (1982). The land urchin also appeared in the original AD&D first edition Monster Manual II (1983).[2]
The black urchin, the green urchin, the land urchin, the red urchin, the silver urchin, and the yellow urchin appeared in the second edition of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons in Monstrous Compendium Volume Two (1989),[3] and were reprinted in the Monstrous Manual (1993).[4]
Description
The urchins constitute a family of marine creatures which resemble 3-foot diameter balls of various colors with thousands of radiating 3-inch long spines. An urchin fires its spines at opponents, causing damage. An urchin is usually found in a saltwater habitat, but an urchin has a rolling locomotion on land and is capable of moving at high speed by this means. A dead urchin can be broken up quite easily, and its body contains a gem that varies in value and color according to the type of urchin.
Types
The black urchin is the most common type of urchin, and is more of a dark gray color than black. It can fire one spine at a time.
The green urchin is a pale green in color and can be very difficult to detect by sight in water. It can fire two spines at a time.
The red urchin is a dull red color although its spines have black tips. It can fire three spines at a time, which carry venom which will put the victim to sleep temporarily.
The yellow urchin is colored a very pale yellow with light green tips on its spines; like the green urchin, it is very difficult to see when in water. It can fire four spines at a time, which carry venom which will paralyze the victim for a few minutes.
The silver urchin, the rarest of urchins, is a dull silver color with black tips on the spines. It can fire five spines at a time, which carry venom that acts on the victim's nervous system and puts him into a catatonic trance for a few days.
The land urchin is a land-dwelling distant cousin of the sea urchin, who spine-covered body could be mistaken for a bush. The land urchin is a scavenger that consumes virtually anything edible. Its small mouth is located on its underside, and its rasping tongue can saw through armor to gather food. This shy creature attacks only when approached, and defends itself by shooting its spines which paralyze the victim for several minutes. To flee, a land urchin can release a dark gas cloud. A land urchin has no front or back, and its five spindly legs can rotate to allow movement in any direction.
References
- ↑ Turnbull, Don, ed. Fiend Folio (TSR, 1981)
- ↑ Gygax, Gary. Monster Manual II (TSR, 1983)
- ↑ Cook, David, et al. Monstrous Compendium Volume Two (TSR, 1989)
- ↑ Stewart, Doug, ed. Monstrous Manual (TSR, 1993)