Gastronok

gastronok j
HP	150
HD	20
XP	2131
Speed	5
AC	2
EV	1
Will	80
Attack1	40 (bite: plain)
Resistances	none
Vulnerabilities	none
Habitat	land
Intelligence	High
Uses	Starting equipment
Holiness	Natural
Size	Big
Type	giant slug, elephant slug
Flags	Unique No skeleton Spellcaster See invisible

A voracious and surprisingly intelligent slug, devoted to eating everything and everyone he comes across, with a pointed hat perched rakishly atop his head. He acquired the hat the same way he acquired his intelligence and his knowledge of spells: by consuming their former owner, a powerful wizard.

Useful Info

Gastronok is a unique elephant slug with access to some surprisingly dangerous spells. Although he's... sluggish, as you might expect, he can slow you down and speed himself up with surprising ease, and while spellcasters are usually weak in melee, he hits hard and has a massive HP pool. Coupled with 20 HD and 80 magic resistance, he can shrug off most debilitating effects quickly, giving you few methods for taking him out without a serious fight. On the plus side, Gastronok is almost guaranteed to leave behind an enchanted wizard hat (possibly with the intelligence ego) or even the Hat of Pondering (10% chance).

Spells: Airstrike (0-50), Slow, Swiftness, Summon Small Mammals, Cantrip

Location

• The Dungeon:8-13
• The Orcish Mines
• The Lair:1-3

Tips & Tricks

• Gastronok's Airstrike is unavoidable and powerful enough to mangle most lightly armoured characters, particularly if they're in the air when he casts it (+50% damage vs. levitating or flying targets). Keep yourself grounded while facing him to avoid a quick death.
• Although he ignores or shakes off most Hexes easily enough, powerful Conjurations still get the job done. Necromancers may want to hit him with Agony as well; although he may resist it a few times before it lands, it's still a huge amount of damage dealt.
• Being slowed while surrounded by summoned rats is dangerous, as Gastronok can simply pelt you with Airstrike from a distance as you claw your way out. It requires a lot of magic resistance to reliably resist his Slow, so wearing an amulet of stasis may be a good idea.
• While heavily armoured fighters or dodge-specialists can face him in melee, frail casters simply have no safe place to hide when fighting him. Remember that you can always run and face him later when you're more confident in your ability to nuke him quickly. For you Air Elementalists, Mephitic Cloud will work wonders on him.