FROGHEMOTH

A froghemoth has a yellow underbelly; undersides of the rear legs and tentacles are a pale yellowish color. Sides are light green and back and upper legs and tentacles are mottled green. The ocular appendage is yellow-green, as are its 2 nostril stalks. Eyeballs are amber with a greenish tinge, and the slit, vertical pupils are bright green edged with orange.

Huge and weird, froghemoths are found only where there are large swamps or relatively shallow (100 feet or less) bodies of fresh water containing large life forms that serve as prey. Normal hunting/attack modes are from ambush.

The monster will float with its body submerged, retractable eye-stalk thrust up to its full 3-foot height to just break water, nostril stalks likewise, and the 4 tentacles thrust ahead, possibly near shore, to seize unwary victims. Each of the 4 is about 15 feet or more in length.

The tentacles of a froghemoth are very strong and covered with a thick, leathery hide. The body of the monster is only slightly less well-protected than its tentacles, and while 1 of those members requires from 19-22 hit points to sever or disable, the creature's body can withstand a full 16 hit dice of damage (16-128 points) before the creature is actually slain. Injured members heal or regenerate in 2-5 weeks.

Another ambush mode is for the monster to crouch amid shielding vegetation, and, when prey comes within range, it thrusts its head forward and lashes out with its 10-foot long, barbed tongue (18/50 Strength) and captures the prey.

The tongue retracts instantly, dragging the victim to the toothy maw to be swallowed whole on a score of 19 or 20 (14-20 if size S); otherwise, damage will be 5-50 hit points from biting/chewing.

Meanwhile, the monster will use its tentacles to damage the resisting prey and any creatures assisting it.

If a victim seized by tongue attack is not surprised (1 or 2), the 1d6 result (3, 4, 5, or 6) is compared to a 1d8 result (1-8) rolled for the speed and accuracy of the froghemoth. If the victim's score equals or exceeds the froghemoth's, it can attempt to grab some stationary object and resist being drawn to the monster's mouth. If such an object is within reach, a successful grabbing and holding will result.

Unless the prey's Strength exceeds 18/50, it must compare its 1d6 score to the froghemoth's 1d8 score each round after being seized. Any result which is less than the 1d8 score indicates the victim's hold is broken, and it will be bitten or swallowed instantly.

The tongue held creature cannot attack the tongue, but associates can attack it. The tongue is the most vulnerable attack appendage, taking only 12-16 hit points to sever. 

If a froghemoth's tongue is severed, it will attack for 2-5 rounds with its tentacles, doing double damage (10-16 hp) with each. 

If it is still opposed by active opponents thereafter, it will retire to submerge and heal itself.

Creatures swallowed whole suffer an immediate 4-16 points of damage from digestive juices. They can attack the stomach of the monster only with dagger or similar short, stabbing weapons, excluding short swords. Each successive round inside the stomach inflicts another 4-16 points of damage. 

The victim is unconscious after 2 rounds. When hit points equal -10 or less, the victim is digested and totally gone. Resurrection of any sort is not then possible.

Normal fire will not harm a froghemoth, but very large fires or very hot ones will cause half-normal damage and drive the monster back for 1 round. Burning hands will not drive a froghemoth back unless 10 or more points of damage are so inflicted, but a fireball, flame strike, etc., will. 

Electrical attacks do only 1 point per die of damage and slow the creature to one-half normal movement and attacks for 1 round. Other forms of attack result in normal damage.

Movement in water is fairly rapid, the webbed rear feet kicking to thrust the monster forward. In marsh or swamp, a froghemoth moves by lying on its belly and sliding along, propelled by rear legs and tentacles. On dry land, movement is by short, vaulting hops, the tentacles thrust well ahead, the legs lifting the body forward and up.

Froghemoths are solitary except during spring mating season. In late spring, females lay only 10-100 eggs of about 1 foot in diameter. These eggs are left in shallow water, and when the tadhemoths hatch, about 90% are eaten by their earlier-hatching fellows or by other predators. The few survivors search for deeper waters to grow in for a period of 3 years to adulthood. Survival rate is about 1-4%.

Tadhemoth Stage. The immature froghemoth grows about 1 foot per month for 6 months, then slows by 60% until maturity. The early form has 4 fins in the pectoral area and 2 in the rear. The creature is fish-like and has a vicious bite (2-8 hit points). After 6 months, the pectoral growths begin lengthening into tentacles, while no discernible change occurs in the rear members until the last month or two of its tadhemoth stage, when these appendages lengthen into thick, bowed legs with webbed toes. After initial growth, the creature's mouth enlarges considerably and its damage score is from 3-24, 4-32, or 5-40, depending on size. A tadhemoth is wholly aquatic and has gills. It swims at a rate of 16"