Temporal Glider

CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Temporal Prime

FREQUENCY: Uncommon

ORGANIZATION: Solitary

ACTIVITY CYCLE: Any

DIET: Special (see below)

INTELLIGENCE: Average (8)

TREASURE: Nil

ALIGNMENT:Neutral

NO. APPEARING: 1/2d6

ARMOR CLASS: -2

MOVEMENT: 15

HIT DICE:6 to 10

THAC0: 15 to 11 {15 minus 1 for every HD over 6)

NO. OF ATTACKS: 1

DAMAGE/ATTACK: 5-20

SPECIAL ATTACKS:Nil

SPECIAL DEFENSES: Half damage from non-magical weapons

MAGIC RESISTANCE: 20%

SIZE: Large-Huge (12-18 feet)

MORALE: Average (10)

XP VALUE: 4,000-10,000

Gliders are large, lifelike creatüres that drift along in the empty spaces of Temporal Prime or close to the surface of a timestream. Thev never travel to reality, although there is much speculation that ihey could do so if they ever were to have the desire. Each looks like a large black manta ray wvthout any sort of tail—basically one giant wlngspan. The Ups of these "wlngs" flex slightly, but motion appears to be thought generated.

Habitat/Society: Gliders travel alone, and they have no fixed piace that they retum to. They simply roam Temporal Prime constantly like a shark in deep waters. While they are intelligent, temporal gliders have absolutely no interest in treasure and are never found with any.

Although they must feed on something somehow. They have never been seen eating, and they never interact with other creatures by choice. They are a mystery to most adventurers, and only the most curious or antagonistic bother wilh these indifferent creatures.

Some chronomancers have fit that bill nicely, though, and through their researches,they have found that what temporal gliders are actually doing as they drift among the mist-smoke is continuously feeding. They do this much in the way that a great whale sifts plankton through its mouth.

Temporal gliders possess the abiliiy to travel belween the timestreams of different planes, and when a glider disappears within a large cloud ol mist-smoke, it has siippcd directly to an alternate plane within the same reality. They are feeding on Ihe change in temporal forces that exisf along tiie borders of different timestreams, the temporal tides. The confllctlng forces do not bother them at all, but if a creature managed to catch a ride on the back of one of these gliders, the forces would still affect them. Such a trip would likely rip any hitchhiker to pieccs in the process.

Combat: Gliders defend themselves if attacked, which is the only way they enter combat. They only have one means of attack. They ram their heads into those attacking them, and they can perform this maneuver only once per round. Their skin is extremdy tough in nalure, and nonmagical weapons only do half damage against them (this includes any strength bonuses. which are also halved). They are also likely to use theirtimestream slipping ability to escape if the combat goes badly. Any creature wdthin 20 teet of a glider that slips into another ttmestream must save vsrod/staff/wand or take 5-50 (5d10) hit poinis of concussion damage from the backlash of ihe raging temporal tides. A creature riding on the glider is subject to ihe creative control of the Dungeon Master. Rest assured that the trip is never a pleasant one, and if the gliders unwelcome travellng companion should snmehow manage to survive the trip and yet lose hold of the glider, he may have a difficult time getting back home from whatever random plane's timestream the glider ends up depositing the hapless soul upon.

Gliders can be forced into submission if fhe charactcr manages to convey its intentions to the creature and then only strikes for nonlethal damage. Normally the character must manage to get onto ihe glider's back (a dexterity check after being rammed, with a -5 modifier to the check) and then continue to cause submission (nonlethal) damage.

The glider probably slips through several dilferent time-streams during this proess, placing the character at considerable risk. The character should he forced to make another Dexterity check (without a penalty) for each of the planes the temporal glider slips into. The transfer is never a pleasant process. If the foolhardy soul manages to survive the harrowing experience,the temporal glider eventually submits and agrees to carry the time traveler wherever he wishes.

It is rumored that a limitednumber of harnesses have heen invented for the purpose of subdueing these ceratures. After all, controlling a steed that can shift between the planes at will can be quite useful. However, none of these legendary harnesses have ever been found in reality, although itsimprobable that a persnn would ever recognize one when presented with it.

Temporal gliders do not bear their servtce willingly. Given the opportunity to escape, they do so at once. They are especially wont to do this when their rider returns to reality for a period of time. There is a good chance that when the chronomancer retums to look for Ihe glider,the creature mav well be long gone