Need A Small, Odd, Deceptively Innocuous Creature

[Palanan]

For an upcoming encounter I need creatures which are small enough to seem innocuous and trivial individually, but will start coming at the PCs in numbers when the PCs are trying to deal with other things.

Ideally I’d like something that’s suited for a swamp/rainforest environment. I’m going for something like compys, but don’t want to use them because they’re so well known. I’m open to anything from official Paizo content, possibly 3.5, the odder and freakier the better. What creatures could work here?

[Metastachydium]

It's 3.5 (obviously, as it's coming from me), but if you can get past that, Monsters of Faerûn has the one, ultimate answer to this question: the Gibberling. Gibberlings are nocturnal, 3 ft. tall bipedal things that look like, well, what a bat would look like if someone forgot to tell it its clade decided to turn those arms into wings. They live underground – OR in forests, where they often sleep communally under the litter or a thin cover of ground during the day.

Individually and at face value, the Gibberlings are a joke. They have a single 1d3 bite, no stat bonuses (and a few penalties) and are mostly just somewhat annoying, imposing a -2 on Concentartion checks by constantly, well, gibbering. But they are rarely encountered individually. In fact, they prefer to prowl by the hundreds, are immune to mind-affecting effects, can squeeze into a single square in threes during combat and can accrue morbid competence bonuses on grapple checks simply by swarming opponents.

[H_H_F_F]

I wonder if someone ever adapted the Edge Chronicles to D&D. The description you gave reminds me of Wig-Wigs, which freaking terrified me as a child.

You could use the mob template to easily convert any old single, pathetic creature into a scary horde. Not sure if pathfinder has one, 3.5's is in the DMGII.

[Metastachydium]

You could use the mob template to easily convert any old single, pathetic creature into a scary horde. Not sure if pathfinder has one, 3.5's is in the DMGII.

PF1 calls theirs Troop. If memory serves, it's strictly better than 3.5's Mob.

[loky1109]

Yeah, Mob is really poorly written.

[Kol Korran]

How about... Gremlins?

They look quite pathetic, cowardly and misshapen, but they are cruel and mischievous little buggers, with many different types, but with odd, strange and frustrating abilities. Some of them have abilities that work in larger groups.

Link:
https://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/fey/gremlins/

[Gorthawar]

Myconids came to my mind. Surely those sweet little mushrooms do no harm until they blow their spores and get their big brothers to beat you up.

[Beni-Kujaku]

I believe the Stirge hasn't been mentioned yet. Small‚ weird‚ annoying alone and dangerous together. What's not to love?
Alternatively‚ some Aoa droplets can be fun to fight to avoid the "fireball‚ the enemy group is dead". Or Swindlespitters‚ for juicy poison stacking.
If you want something truly weird‚ minshredder larvae might be good‚ a lot of small critter all eating away at your wisdom can make a player (and their character) crazy.
Also‚ do you know about vargouilles? Deliciously creepy and weird (literally a flying head with bat wings)‚ it has a poison with no initially visible effect‚ but that makes all vargouille-inflicted wounds unhealable by magic‚ for a good "oh sh*t" moment when the players get submerged and they try to heal. Youmight want to tone down the scream‚ though‚ as it may just take one or several players directly out of the fight.
Or you could go with Giant Ants. It makes.sense thzt they'd work together and Improved Grab makes them fun to fight in group.

[Faily]

There's also the classic Wolf-in-Sheep's-Clothing (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/aberrations/wolf-in-sheep-s-clothing/) monster.

[Vizzerdrix]

skiurids. Evil shadow squirrels. Mm5 or 4.

[Fero]

Shocker Lizards. Put them in a room full of pipes etc so it is hard to target individual lizards but they can still help each other. Ideally set up a situation where they are neutral or hostile based on the party's interactions. Put a shambling mound or two in the room for bonus points.

[lylsyly]

Jermlaine from MM3 or Beguilers from ther forgotten realns (and I forget which book they arer in ;-D)

[Maat Mons]

Mockingfey?
Pipefox?
Pooka?
Sagari?
Dweomercat Cub?

[aglondier]

An adorable little spider monkey...with a couple of levels in rogue...maxed out bluff and pick pockets...flees at the first hint of aggression...returns when they least expect it...


...saves their arses at least once...


...steals odds and ends at the least opportunity...