Oculus Inferni

A vicious oculus with a single large eye, toothy mouth, and color-changing carapace

Basic Fantasy Field Guide Omnibus

Armor Class	17
Hit Dice	9* (+8)
Number Appearing	1
Attacks	1 bite or fireball
Damage	2d6 bite or fireball
Movement	Fly 30'
Save As	Fighter: 9
Morale	8
XP	1150
Treasure Type	I

The Oculus Inferni is a particularly vicious form of oculus. Each has only a single large central eye and a large toothy mouth arranged below it, much as the oculus rex (below), but the oculus inferni has no additional eye stalks at all.

The carapace of the oculus inferni has the ability to change colors. While this ability is basic and rather crude, combined with their silent flight ability it grants an otherwise-unsurprised oculus inferni the ability to surprise opponents on 1-3 on 1d6. When battle is joined, the monster’s hide changes to a brilliant orange-red color.

The oculus inferni will often choose to fly too high to be reached when fighting opponents who have only melee weapons (or who prove to have formidable melee attacks). Though it is vicious and aggressive, this monster is smart enough to choose to attack in ways where it cannot in turn be attacked.

Special Abilities

Color-Changing Carapace: Combined with silent flight, grants surprise on 1-3 on 1d6. Hide changes to brilliant orange-red when battle is joined.

Fireball: Can project a fireball (as the spell) from its eye once per round. The first fireball launched does 9d6 points of damage; each subsequent round this damage declines by one dice, i.e. 8d6 on the second round, 7d6 on the third, and so on, to a minimum of 3d6 per fireball. If the oculus inferni has the opportunity to rest, it increases its damage potential by two die in each round it does not use the power, to a maximum of the original 9d6 points of damage. This is often when the monster chooses to bite an opponent, if it thinks it can do so without suffering significant injury.

Fire Immunity: Immune to all normal fire, as well as magical fire from spells of 3rd level or lower. Suffers only half-damage from more powerful fire-based attacks.

Eye Vulnerability: Attacks directed at its main eye may disable it, if damage equal to one-third of its original hit points is inflicted. The main eye will, however, regenerate when the monster’s total hit points return to at least two-thirds of normal.