Known in the ancient tongues of the Shattered Domains as the Tal’Zari, do not be fooled by their size. In the harsh expanses of the desert, these stealthy rodents are often deadlier than a manticore, for they strike in the dead of night at a traveler’s most precious resource: their supplies. Their fur is the exact color of dust and dried blood, making them nearly invisible against the ruined landscape.
- Armor Class: 14 [5]
- Hit Dice: ½ (2 hp)
- Attacks: 1 × Bite (1 hp)
- THAC0: 19 [0]
- Movement: 150’ (50’) / 30’ (10’) Burrowing
- Saving Throws: D12 W13 P14 B15 S16 (F1)
- Morale: 5
- Alignment: Neutral
- XP: 5
Special Abilities
- Absolute Camouflage: Their fur mimics the exact coloration and texture of the abrasive desert sand and badland rocks. They surprise opponents on a roll of 1–4 on a d6.
- Silent Scavengers: They move with supernatural quietness. When invading a camp at night, they are completely silent; guards must be actively watching the supplies to notice them, and sleeping characters have no chance of waking up from their movement alone.
- Resource Thieves: A swarm of Tal’Zari can silently chew through leather waterskins, sealed ration pouches, and thick canvas backpacks. For every turn they remain undetected in a camp, a group of mice will consume, contaminate, or ruin 1d4 days’ worth of rations or water for the party.
Combat & Tactics
Desert mice abhor combat. Their entire survival strategy hinges on remaining completely undetected. If discovered, they immediately scatter, using their burrowing speed to dive beneath the loose sands or slip into impossibly small cracks in the badland rocks. They will only bite if physically cornered or grappled, inflicting a mere scratch before desperately trying to wriggle free. Their true danger lies not in physical combat, but in the devastating loss of life-saving supplies during a long hex crawl.
Habitat
During the blistering heat and scouring winds of the day, the Tal’Zari lie entirely submerged under the loose sands of the desert or deep within excavated holes beneath the rocks of the badlands. They only emerge at night when the temperatures drop, turning the dunes into their hunting grounds to seek out food and moisture.
Society
They possess no true society, operating purely on survival instinct. However, they naturally congregate in large numbers where resources are found, moving as a loose, fluid swarm over a sleeping camp. Once their bellies are full or the water is drained, the swarm dissipates, each mouse retreating to its own isolated burrow beneath the sands before dawn.
Ecology
They occupy the absolute bottom of the food chain in the Shattered Domains, serving as the primary prey for giant scorpions, geckos, and opportunistic predators. Despite this, they thrive by being the ultimate opportunists. They survive off the scarce condensation found on cold dungeon walls and, more importantly, by exploiting the provisions of anyone foolish enough to travel the desert regions without posting a vigilant night watch.
Featured In: Issue #0 – The Hollow Tower
These stealthy resource thieves are the perfect nighttime encounter to add tension to any desert hex-crawl. If you want to test your players with a fully realized, table-ready adventure featuring classic OSR threats and resource management, you can find the complete module available below.
