Catoblepas
catoblepas Y 
| |
|---|---|
| HP | 56-97 |
| HD | 14 |
| XP | 800 |
| Speed | 8 |
| AC | 10 |
| EV | 2 |
| Will | 93 |
| Attack1 | 36 (gore: plain)
|
| Resistances | None |
| Vulnerabilities | None |
| Habitat | Land |
| Intelligence | Animal |
| Uses | Uses nothing |
| Holiness | Natural |
| Size | Big |
| Type | yak, catoblepas |
| Flags | Fake spells Warm-blooded Silence immune |
| A sluggish black buffalo, its hide encrusted with dull scales. It carries its hog-like head just above the ground, protected by a stiff mane of bristles, joined to its body by a neck as long and loose as an emptied intestine. Man and beast alike would be wise to steer clear of this creature, as its fearsome breath is known to turn flesh into stone.
“So passed he over into the island, taking with him the two brothers of Anaxius; where he found the forsaken knight attired in his own livery, as black as sorrow itself could see itself in the blackest glass: his ornaments of the same hue, but formd into the figures of ravens which seemed to gape for carrion: only his reins were snakes, which finely wrapping themselves one within the other, their heads came together to the cheeks and bosses of the bit, where they might seem to bite at the horse, and the horse, as he champed the bit, to bite at them, and that the white foam was engendered by the poisonous fury of the combat. His impresa was a Catoblepta, which so long lies dead as the moon (whereto it hath so natural a sympathy) wants her light. The word signified, that the moon wanted not the light, but the poor beast wanted the moon’s light.” |
Contents
Useful Info
Catoblepi are enormous yak-genus monsters, bigger and bulkier than even death yaks. Although they move slowly, they hit very hard and can incapacitate characters at range with their petrifying breath attacks. These breath attacks create clouds of calcifying dust that may slow you and eventually petrify you if you remain standing in them. At that point, the catoblepas will take advantage of your inability to move by dealing gruesome damage in melee. Fortunately, unlike most yaks, they do not appear in packs, though one Lair:8 layout places them near herds of yaks and death yaks, and Polyphemus has one in his flock. They can occasionally be found in the deeper portions of the Lair and occasionally in the middle-to-lower portions of the Dungeon.
Spells
| Spell set | |
|---|---|
| Slot1 | Petrifying Cloud (2d6) |
| Slot2 | Petrifying Cloud (2d6) |
| Slot3 | none |
| Slot4 | none |
| Slot5 | none |
| Slot6 | none |
Tips & Tricks
- Although no equipment provides petrification resistance, characters with high experience levels have a better chance of resisting petrification, and the clouds will not affect you unless you end your turn standing in one (if you get hit, just step out of the clouds as quickly as possible). It's fairly easy to avoid being turned to stone, but this makes kiting more difficult.
- Fighting them in open areas gives you more room to maneuver around their petrifying breath. If you encounter one in a tunnel, consider luring it out into the open.
- Their breath attacks can affect monsters, too. With careful footwork, you can turn the clouds of calcifying dust to your advantage.
- Calcifying dust will block LOS like a scroll of fog. If you encounter a catoblepas along with a dangerous ranged monster, you might be able to use this to your advantage.
- Remember that their breath attack does small amounts of damage when it hits you. The damage is largely negligible in most situations, but if you're low on health, few deaths are as frustrating as being downed by catoblepas breath during a hasty retreat.
- If you are on a stairway when hit by the calcifying dust, be aware that if you use the stairs, you will be fully petrified on the next floor.
History
In 0.14, catoblepi will occasionally be found in Labyrinths.
