Chaotic Evil Small Humanoid (giant) (3-ft, 18-lbs)
FREQUENCY: Rare
NO. APPEARING: 10-100
SURPRISE: 33% — Others +34%
SENSES: infravision
ARMOR CLASS: 6
MOVE: 9" — climb trees 15"
HIT DICE: 1 (hp 5)
% IN LAIR: 30%
TREASURE TYPE: Q (x5)
THAC0: 19
MELEE: 2 claws (1d3 each) or by weapon
MISSILE: by weapon
SPECIAL ATTACKS: none - Hits As: normal
SPECIAL DEFENSES: none
WEAKNESS: light sensitivity
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard
INTELLIGENCE: Low to Average (5-10)
MORALE: +5%
SAVES: Poison 14, Petrify 15, Wand 16, Breath 17, Spell 17
LANGUAGES: Tasloi, can communicate with primates (pidgin Common, 5%)
LEVEL: I (XP 10 + 1 per hp)
Tasloi are long-legged, flat-headed humanoids. They walk in a crouching posture, touching their knuckles to the ground from time to time. Their skins are a lustrous green and are thinly covered with coarse black hair. Their eyes are similar to a cat's and are gold in color. Their feet are long and prehensile. Often they can be heard at night, speaking in their high and whispery voices.
Living in steamy tropical forests, these creatures are rarely seen by man. Shy and malicious, they prefer to lurk in the tree tops where they may surprise the weak and unwary. Adapted to life above ground, they are slow and clumsy when forced to earth, adopting a semi-erect posture. They are quick and nimble in the arboreal passageways, however.
They have infravision and are suited to dark jungles. Full daylight will cause a -1 on their to-hit rolls.
Masters of stealth, tasloi surprise on a 1-4 (1d6).
They may also hide in shadows 75% of the time.
They normally attack from above, trying to capture if possible. If they gain surprise, they will use their nets. If a party is too vigilant or prepared, the tasloi will attempt to wear down the group through short, sudden attacks followed by retreat.
Weapons carried are as follows:
small shield and javelin (AC 5)
club and javelin
short sword and small shield (AC 5)
javelin and net
short sword and net
javelin and lasso
20%
40%
10%
15%
10%
5%
When using a shield, the armor class of the tasloi becomes 5. Javelins and shields are customarily carried on their backs when they travel through the trees.
Tasloi speak their own tongue and can also speak the languages of monkeys and apes. About 5% of their kind have also learned a pidgin Common that they use when trading.
Tasloi will eat anything, but they particularly like all kinds of flesh, especially humans and elves. If possible, tasloi will attempt to steal the dead of an enemy after an attack.
The tasloi live in loosely-structured bands of several families. For every band of 70 or more, there will be a chief (5 HD). There is a 30% chance that any band will have a shaman. Tasloi shamans may advance up to 5th level.
When found in their lair, in addition to the males, there will be 70% females and 50% young. Females will fight as normal tasloi, but the young will not fight at all.
The lair will consist of a series of 1-6 large trees with 4-24 platforms 50-100 feet from the ground. All the trees will be connected by vines and ropes. There is a 60% chance of the tasloi having 1-6 trained giant spiders and a 20% chance of their having 2-8 trained giant wasps. It is said the tasloi are able to ride wasps great distances.