A-to-Z Challenge, Z: Zathoa (New Oe/BX/1E Monster)

Zo here we are, at the tail zend of the A-to-Z zogging challenge. I have some thoughts on the whole thing, but feel like I have enough of them to warrant their own post that isn't constrained to a single letter. Instead, let's just get to today's monster--one that ironically began life as the Á Bao A Qu. I'll be honest. I needed a Z monster and renamed it for that sole reason. I'm not too proud to admit it. And I'm not ashamed that a creature like this is a pain in the ass to deal with in combat (having to check every round to see if its stats change and then dealing with it if they do.) The only thing I'm ashamed of is the fact that "zathoa" just sounds too much like "zathura" (no offense to Jon Favreau.) But it's Z day, and there's no time left to change it's name.

Zathoa

DESCRIPTION Zathoa (sing. and plural) are creatures that resemble a walking octopus with a dozen disc-like eyes that appear a deep obsidian color (and eliminate attack from behind bonuses.) Normally, zathoa utilize four of their tentacle legs for locomotion, while the other four are used for manipulation and feature spiked tips which deliver a deadly poison on any successful “to hit” roll (unless a proper saving throw is made.) Zathoa are peculiar in that their coloration shifts based on internal biochemical processes, moving in a prismatic progression from red to violet to blue to green to yellow to orange and back to red. Every turn, there is a 10% chance that a zathoa’s coloration will change. When it does so, it will either progress to the next analogous color (50% chance), or revert to the previous color. As a zathoa’s body chemistry shifts through the spectrum so does its abilities. During these shifts, the zathoa sees modifications in its “to hit” rolls (based on ability to focus,) poison effectiveness (based on chemical toxicity,) saving throws (due to the production of an adrenaline-like chemical,) and armor class (based on a temporary “hardening” of its skin.) When a zathoa is at is reddest coloration, it is defensively weaker but offensively stronger, and while at its greenest coloration is defensively strongest but offensively weakest. The derivations per its coloration are as follows: color saves as AC "to hit" poison kills in red fighter:12 3 +3 1-4 turns violet fighter:13 4 +2 2-8 turns blue fighter:14 5 +1 3-12 turns green fighter:15 6 +0 4-16 turns yellow fighter:14 5 +1 3-12 turns orange fighter:13 4 +2 2-8 turns

Oe/1E STATS FREQUENCY: Very rare NO. APPEARING: 1-4 ARMOR CLASS: See below MOVE: 18” HIT DICE: 12 % IN LAIR: 50% TREASURE TYPE: H NO. OF ATTACKS: 4 DAMAGE/ATTACK: See below SPECIAL ATTACKS: See below SPECIAL DEFENSES: See below MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard INTELLIGENCE: Animal ALIGNMENT: Neutral SIZE: L (40’ tall) PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil Attack/Defense Modes: Nil BX STATS ARMOR CLASS: See below HIT DICE: 12** MOVE: 180’ ATTACKS: 4 DAMAGE: See below NO. APPEARING: 1-4 SAVE AS: See below MORALE: 10 TREASURE TYPE: H ALIGNMENT: Neutral