Ankheg

Ankhegs are large (from 10' to 20' long)^[1][2] insectoid burrowing creatures. Strange chirping noises may be heard right before an Ankheg emerges to attack. It is generally recommended that low-level parties use extreme caution in areas where they are known to thrive, and to fight only one or two at a time. They generally attack very quickly, with either melee or ranged attacks, both of which contain acid and are easily capable of doing ~20 damage per hit. When one is killed, it will drop some high-quality treasure along with an Ankheg Shell. The shells may be sold for a large sum, but transporting them poses significant difficulty, as each shell weighs 100 lbs.

Tactics[]

Combat[]

It's risky to attack an ankheg with a character with low hitpoints.

Kagain at level 3 or 4 will have enough hitpoints to survive a hit from an Ankheg. He also has good saving throws.

Ankhegs are especially vulnerable to the Wand of Sleep (usable by nearly any companion) and the mage spell Sleep. The priest spell Command can help too.

If an ankheg is not asleep, beware its lethal ranged attack. Oil of Speed allows a melee fighter to approach quickly. Having at least one backup fighter can help.

To inflict damage quickly on Ankhegs:

• Boost Strength with a Potion of Frost Giant Strength or Potion of Fire Giant Strength.
• Boost THAC0 and hitpoints with a Potion of Heroism.

Other party members can use ranged weapons such as bows.

To protect a tank melee fighter:

• Boost Dexterity to 18 with a Potion of Agility or Gauntlets of Dexterity.
• Wear Splint Mail, or ideally Ankheg Plate Mail / Full Plate Mail.
• Wear a Large Shield.
• Boost AC and saving throws with Ring of the Princes.
• Boost AC vs missile with Senses of the Cat.
• Boost AC vs crushing with Destroyer of the Hills.
• Protection From Acid (protection scroll) can reduce acid damage.

Shells[]

Assuming you find more than a few, there are two people you can sell them to - one within the city of Baldur's Gate (Fenten), the other in Beregost (Smith Taerom) offering the creation of a unique Ankheg Plate Mail, which in BG1 prevents any future sales of such shells to him (not in EE). In any case, you will have to haul the 100 lbs. stacks, which is when companions with high Strength can be really helpful, such as Dorn (500 lbs), Minsc (320 lbs) and Shar-Teel (250 lbs).

To increase Strength and therefore carrying capacity:

• Violet Potion from Carnival allows one character to carry 1600 lbs.
• Cleric spell Strength of One allows each character to carry 250 lbs

Lastly, each character may carry 20% more than their maximum capacity and still stay mobile, albeit significantly slowed. In Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn you can have Cromwell at Athkatla Docks fashion Ankheg Plate Mail from it for 5000.

Locations[]

Baldur's Gate[]

They are primarily found in the Farmland Area North of the Friendly Arm, though will rarely appear on the outskirts of Gullykin and the Area North of Carnival. As with most mobs, they spawn in numbers proportional the strength of one's party. At lower levels a party should only encounter one per spawn, while a group averaging level 5 may encounter three, and only the most advanced parties will encounter more.

Baldur's Gate II[]

They will rarely appear in the Windspear Hills area, but likely alone. Along with a higher level party, they're no longer such a significant threat.

Corrupted Ankheg[]

Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition – Shadows of Amn (2013)
This icon indicates content from the Shadows of Amn campaign of the Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition. A nest of six corrupted ankhegs can be found to the east of the great tree by some glowing crystals at the bottom of Resurrection Gorge during Dorn Il-Khan's quest.

Trivia[]

• The offical website for the original game, now archived, had – in addition to some combat-related statistics – the following information about ankhegs:^[1]

  The ankheg is a burrowing monster usually found in forests or choice agricultural land. Because of its fondness for fresh meat, the ankheg is a threat to any creature unfortunate enough to encounter it.
  
  The ankheg resembles an enormous many-legged worm. Its six legs end in sharp hooks suitable for burrowing and grasping, its powerful mandibles are capable of snapping a small tree in half with a single bite. A tough chitinous shell, usually brown or yellow, covers its entire body except for its soft pink belly. The ankheg has glistening, black eyes, a small mouth lined with tiny rows of chitinous teeth, and two sensitive antennae that can detect movement of man-sized creatures up to 300 feet away.

  The size was given as 10 to 20 feet long.

Gallery[]

External links[]

• Ankheg on the Forgotten Realms Wiki, a wiki for the Dungeons & Dragons campaign setting Forgotten Realms.

References