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Leperflesh
2006-09-10, 04:35 AM
Description:
Fuzz Fingers are tiny, fluffy white caterpillars, with a unique ability to generate a seemingly endless supply of stiff, sticky, fluffy white fuzz. If disturbed, Fuzz Fingers quickly roll up into a ball, leaving nothing but fuzz exposed. Their natural predators (birds, small mammals) find them very difficult to eat, due to the fuzz getting stuck on mouths, beaks, talons, and so forth. Some humans seek them out for use as a spell component or for alchemical experiments.

Fuzz Fingers are the larval form of a fairly ordinary white moth. Usually posing a mere nuisance, they can occasionally infest a crop - the only mundane way to eradicate them is to burn the crop.

Stats:
Fuzz Finger
Fine Vermin
Hit Dice: ¼ 1d8 (1 hp)
Initiative: + 0
Speed: 6 inches. (0 squares)
Armor Class: 14 (+4 size), touch 14, flatfooted 14
Base Attack/Grapple: -/
Attack: none
Full Attack: none
Space/Reach: 0 ft./0 ft.
Special Attacks: none
Special Qualities: Mindless, Darkvision, Sticky Fuzz
Saves: Fort +x, Ref +y, Will +z
Abilities: Str 1, Dex 10, Con 10, Int -, Wis 10, Cha 2
Skills: -
Feats: -
Environment: Temperate forests and plains
Organization solitary, colony (8-16), or swarm (17+)
Challenge Rating: 1/8
Treasure: none
Alignment: always Neutral
Advancement: -
Level Adjustment: -

Mindless
As vermin
Darkvision
As vermin

Sticky Fuzz (ex)
Fuzz Fingers are covered with fluffy sticky white fuzz, which serves as a natural defense mechanism. Even the lightest touch causes clumps of fuzz to detach from the creature, sticking to whatever has disturbed them. Although the fuzz is not toxic, it is very difficult to clean off, and can quickly cause a hand to become a useless, fuzz-covered clump. A Fuzz Finger can regenerate Sticky Fuzz as quickly as it is lost, seemingly never running out. Sticky Fuzz is very sticky, but can be scrubbed off using a solvent such as alcohol. If left alone, the stickiness of the fuzz wears out after approximately 12-24 hours, leaving behind easily-scraped-off gunk.

Each time a creature touches a Fuzz Finger, they suffer a cumulative -2 penalty to all skill attempts using that appendage, due to the Sticky Fuzz. In addition, there is a cumulative 20% chance that the creature causes its appendage to get stuck to whatever it was attempting to handle (depending on skill attempt used. DM's judgement applies). A strength check with a DC equal to 10 plus 2 per cumulative touch is needed to tear free of a stuck object. Fuzz accumulates until there is a total -8 skill penalty (80% sticking chance with DC 18 STR check to break free), at which point the appendage becomes useless for any activity, hoplelessly covered in a large sticky ball. A pint of alcoholic liquid can be used to free any appendage that has become stuck to another object, with no roll necessary.

[hr]

These guys are problematic, in that I'm not sure they deserve even a 1/8 CR. Technically I suppose someone particularly foolish could off themselves by attempting to eat several of them, though... or maybe if they were allergic to the fuzz? I would have simply labelled them CR 0, but I found no precedent for that in the PRD and didn't want to set one.

As always, your feedback is requested (positive or negative). Thanks

-Lep
[hr]
This is a submission for the Monsters in the Playground (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=homebrew;action=display;num=11557461 87) project.
[hr]
Edits from feedback, 9.10.2006

Fizban
2006-09-10, 02:10 PM
Well, the bat has no attacks but is still a CR 1/10, presumably because you could combine them creatively to increase a threat. These are more threatening in that manner, so some CR is warranted, but you should also describe how much fuzz accumluates per touch, what it's effects are (as in how much before the hand is uesless) etc.

Spelluck
2006-09-10, 02:33 PM
A few questions I'd like would be life cycle... What do they turn into afterwards?

Reason I sorta like these, is that they can become a number of tools... Everything from really fast handcuffs (shake a bag of them and dump them out over a pair of hands?) to a really nasty trap (trip into that hole, I dare you!).

Perhaps expand thier size, so as they mature they become larger(more area of effect for fuz-stickiness)? Mature into ugly butterflies that are worthless?

Last question is exactly how sticky is it? Superglue sticky? Characters get thier hands stuck together, the warrent ripping flesh if they dont clean it with alchol?

Just some thoughts.

Leperflesh
2006-09-10, 03:39 PM
Thanks for the feedback, guys. I've made updates to address the points you raised. I don't want them to get much larger - I like them as appearing to be fairly small, innocuous critters.

Thanks

-Lep