The Coins Are Watching... (PEACH)

[Fax Celestis]

Coinbug
Size/Type: Diminutive Vermin
Hit Dice: 1d8-1 (3 hp)
Initiative: +3
Speed: 10'
Armor Class: 20 (+4 size, +3 Dex, +3 natural), 17 touch , 17 flat-footed
Base Attack/Grapple: +0
Attack: Sting +4 melee (1 + Venom)
Full Attack: Sting +4 melee (1 + Venom)
Space/Reach: 1 ft./1 ft.
Special Attacks: Sting, Venom
Special Qualities: Vermin Immunities, Darkvision 30'
Saves: Fort +1, Ref +3, Will +3
Abilities: Str 1, Dex 16, Con 8, Int -, Wis 16, Cha 8
Feats: Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus (Sting)
Skills: Hide +10, Jump +10, Move Silently +10, Disguise +10*
Environment: Underground
Organization: Family (2-6); or Hive (20-100)
Challenge Rating: 1/2
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 1-7 HD (Diminutive)
Level Adjustment: -

You open the chest, and inside you find a plethora of coins: gold, silver, platinum. You reach in to inspect one and it jumps onto your forearm, its six legs latching onto you and a small stinger sinking into your wrist.

Coinbugs, as they are known to the thieves and merchants who come across them most, are small predators that have evolved to look similar to the large quantities of treasure available in the world. Males look like gold coins, while females look like silver or platinum coins. Their young appear to be small gold or silver nuggets before hatching and are fully grown when hatched.

A coinbug can draw its legs and stinger up inside it, effectively appearing as a coin.

Coinbugs and mimics have developed an odd symbiotic relationship, and as such, coinbug venom does not affect mimics. Likewise, a mimic's digestive acids do not affect coinbugs. Mimics frequently have several coinbugs living in their mouths, as an added kicker for when unsuspecting prey opens its lid.

*A coinbug has racial bonuses to Hide, Move Silently, and Jump, as displayed here. The +10 Disguise only applies while in, around, or on a pile of coins.

Combat
Sting
The coinbug's stinger inflicts 1 point of damage and injects its opponent with a potent venom, detailed below.

Venom (Ex)
Coinbug venom deals an initial damage of paralysis and unconsciousness and a secondary damage of 1d6 Con damage with another 2d4 hours of unconsciousness. The save DC is 16 and is Constitution based.

Extracting coinbug venom is a long and arduous process, though it is frequently worthwhile.

Vermin Immunities
Like all mindless vermin, coinbugs are immune to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects).

Darkvision
A coinbug has darkvision out to 30'.

[InaVegt]

*points to draconomico for very similar monster*

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Boy thats a vicious creeper. Maybe a bit too vicious. With its AC most 1st levelers could touch it. A Half-orc Fighter with a strength of 20 and Weapon Focus could jussst barely get it with a roll of 13 or higher. Non-optimized fighters or anything with a lesser BAB are unlikely to be able to touch it.

Then while they are flailing at it the thing would be knocking the lot out for half the day (being about the strongest poison I've yet seen).

I'd say lower the effectiveness of its poison or the party is going to be wiped out.

[TheOOB]

I think that venom is a little powerful for a CR 1/2 monster, as a single does of it can essentially remove a target from battle, or worse, set up the character for a coup 'de grace.

[Fax Celestis]

Boy thats a vicious creeper. Maybe a bit too vicious. With its AC most 1st levelers could touch it. A Half-orc Fighter with a strength of 20 and Weapon Focus could jussst barely get it with a roll of 13 or higher. Non-optimized fighters or anything with a lesser BAB are unlikely to be able to touch it.

Then while they are flailing at it the thing would be knocking the lot out for half the day (being about the strongest poison I've yet seen).

I'd say lower the effectiveness of its poison or the party is going to be wiped out.

How much would you lower it? I mean, I like the unconsciousness bits, because then they (and the associated mimic) can feed.

What if I were to take away its natural armor bonus instead, lowering it's AC to 17 (17 touch/14 flatfooted)?

EDIT: And/or make the poison an initial of 1d6 Con, with a secondary of paralysis/unconsciousness for 2d4 hours?

[TheOOB]

the poison is still very nasty. I'd do something like this. DC 12, initial fatigued, secondary unconsious for 1d4 hours. Remember the creature is only CR 1/2, which means that a party of four level 1's should have very little difficulty fighting them.

Its not just the effect of the poison that was too nasty (CON damage from a 1/2, no way), but its DC was too high. The creature should have an almost non-existant chance of posioning a fighter unless there is a bunch of them and their waiting for him to roll a 1.

[Fax Celestis]

the poison is still very nasty. I'd do something like this. DC 12, initial fatigued, secondary unconsious for 1d4 hours. Remember the creature is only CR 1/2, which means that a party of four level 1's should have very little difficulty fighting them.

Its not just the effect of the poison that was too nasty (CON damage from a 1/2, no way), but its DC was too high. The creature should have an almost non-existant chance of posioning a fighter unless there is a bunch of them and their waiting for him to roll a 1.
Then maybe a better course of action would be to raise the CR. What do you think? 4? 5?