I never have luck w/these "critique" threads, but once more into the breach...
A flat basket containing several balls of innocuous yarn and chord suddenly springs to life. The tangling thread expands violently in every direction with malicious intent.
Animate Basket of Yarn/CR 1/2
XP 200
N Tiny construct
Init +2 Senses darkvision 60, low-light vision; Perception -5
DEFENSE
AC 18, touch 14, flat-footed 16 (+2 Dex, +4 natural, +2 size)
hp 5 (1d10)
Fort +0, Ref +2, Will -5
Defensive Abilities DR 5/Slashing; Immune Construct Traits
OFFENSE
Speed 15 ft.
Melee slam +1 (1d2-2) plus Grab
STATISTICS
Str 6, Dex 14, Con -, Int -, Wis 1, Cha 1
Base Atk +1 CMB +1 CMD 9
SQ 1 construction point
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Construction Points
Baskets of yarn have 1 construction point.
ECOLOGY
Environment any
Organization solitary, pair, or group (3-12)
Treasure Value none
Which inevitably leads us to:
The tangled mass before you is an impossible mess; yarn, thread and chord writhing and hurtling in every possible direction. There can be no doubt that its tendrils are lethal and that you are the next victim for its spun fury.
Animate Yarn Swarm/CR 3]
XP 800
N Tiny construct
Init +2 Senses darkvision 60, low-light vision; Perception -5
DEFENSE
AC 18, touch 14, flat-footed 16 (+2 Dex, +4 natural, +2 size)
hp 36 (3d10+20)
Fort +0, Ref +2, Will -5
Defensive Abilities Immune Construct Traits; Swarm Traits
Weaknesses Swarm Traits
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft.
Melee Swarm (1d6) plus Grab; Constrict
Space 10’; Reach 0’
Special Attacks Entangle
STATISTICS
Str 6, Dex 14, Con -, Int -, Wis 1, Cha 1
Base Atk +3 CMB - CMD -
ECOLOGY
Environment any
Organization solitary, pair, or group (3-12)
Treasure Value none
Now I made the first to arrive at the second, and I'm using the swarm in a 5-room dungeon as follows:
Setup: party arrives at a dressmaker's shop which is under assault. This adventure is intended for 1-3 APL groups.
Rm 1/The party is outside the shop looking for a way in. All exterior entry points are stuck (DC 13 Str check).
Rm 2/Once inside the chambers of the shop and work area on the ground floor are blocked by several Animate Baskets of yarn (4 in each area). These creatures are currently squeezing the life out of sever of the dressmaker's apprentices; any attacks into the swarm may do 1/2 damage to the apprentices
Rm 3/An Animate Yarn Swarm creates a gauntlet on its way to the dressmaker's private workshop upstairs
Rm 4/Arriving in the workshop the PC's don't find the dressmaker; instead an Animate Construct Loom (haven't statted yet) seems to be controlling everything that's happening
Rm 5/In a closet the dressmaker is found hiding. She denies all involvement by all clues will point to her as the culprit.
So...please critique.
I think it's fine. The AC is kind of high, but coupled with 5 hp it shouldn't be that bad. I would also add DR 5/Slashing or Fire.
At Neil Diamond Battle Cat: I thought about your DR suggestion but ultimately decided not to; per RAW:
Spells, spell-like abilities, and energy attacks (even non-magical fire) ignore damage reduction.
Now I've seen some kinds of fibers that smolder w/out catching on fire, but in general you're right; most yarns and chords are susceptible to flame. As such, maybe Vulnerability to Fire might be more appropriate to represent this weakness?
@ Lover of good metal: I'm glad to have evoked a reaction - that's all I wanted.
You see what's going on is this:
An evil fey has tricked a lonely Korred into turning itself into a goat. Said evil fey has also made a bargain w/a goatherd: he must care for and shear this goat and in return his fortunes will change. However, as payment for the goat "the sweetest thing you know will fade and sour."
Every time the guy shears the goat his daughter ages. The wool he gathers is better than any produced through the whole town, so he's making a killing selling it. However to his horror his daughter is becoming an old crone before his eyes. In the meantime the Korred's "wool" is possessed with his rage over his current predicament, so the fibers are running amok.
When the PCs get involved, there has been a grisly murder at a sewing circle, there's the above attack at the dressmaker's shop and then raw bales vandalize a teamster's cart and nearly kill the man.
If the PCs just go and kill the goat, they kill the daughter. If however they shear the thing completely; that is claim every scrap of wool fro the goat's body it will return to its normal form. There will be several clues plus the farmer's own story to help explain all of this. However just restoring the Korred doesn't save the girl; to do that they still need to break the bargain w/the evil fey.
I haven't quite figured that part yet but I suppose I'll have it soon enough. In true roleplaying fashion, they might just go at it and destroy it which I'd allow, but I want to come up with some RP way out of the bargain as well, just in case.