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173. Spongiam Petram
More commonly known as sponge rock, is not actually a rock. Instead, it is a type of fungi. It can be found on the sides of mountains in arid environments.
It is known for its rock like hardness when it is dry and its sponge like texture when it is wet. When dry, it has the appearance of a smooth sandstone rock typically like that of the mountain it is on. This makes the sponge rock blend into the mountain and look like the natural environment. When wet, it has a sponge like texture and turns a deep red color.
It survives by absorbing bacteria that is washed down the mountain when it rains. Once inside, the bacteria find themselves in an environment in which they can reproduce. The sponge rock then feeds on the excess bacteria effectively farming its own food source inside itself. This makes it effectively immortal.
Once dry, the outside grows hard into a shell made up of tiny little spores. When it rains, the spores are then washed down the mountain where new sponge rocks can grow. It takes sponge rocks roughly 3-5 years to be fully mature and grow the size of a grapefruit.
Sponge rocks are sought after by chefs from all over the world for their unique flavor profiles created by the unique bacteria profiles inside of it. Different mountainsides give them unique flavors and they are prized much like wine, making some varieties incredibly valuable. Many chefs will make expensive dishes such as sponge rock soup or sauté sponge rock.
In arid lands with sparse water sources, travelers have also been known to carry Sponge rock fungi with them as a sort of "poorman's canteen", and can extract water from it for long periods of time before it goes dry.
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174. Angelwing Lark
The Angelwing Lark is a small ground-dwelling songbird that has ivory-colored feathers but with a bright-yellow streaking pattern across its plumage . Angelwing Larks are omnivorous and spend a majority of their time on the ground foraging for insects, seeds, grasses, leaves, buds, fruits, and flowers. However, unlike any other lark of its kind, this lark has 4 wings. It has two primary wings just like any other lark, but it also has two secondary wings that protrude from the aft end of its rib cage, and these two secondary wings are half as large as its primary wings. When they take flight, they resemble seraphs or a cherubs with their wings spread out.
Although Angelwing Larks are not rare, many people consider them to be good omens for safe travels and prosperous harvests when they see them in flight.
175. River Squid
This cephalopod is aptly named for its choice of hunting and breeding grounds: rivers. The size of this squid varies greatly, reaching full mature growth between 10 and 60 lbs (with a maximum length of 1 meter), and their maximum weight depends on how plentiful their diet is during the first year of their life. It has a 5 year lifespan, and will only mate once in its life and then die shortly afterwards. While this squid can exist quite easily in the ocean, it prefers to hunt in rivers for fish, crustaceans, and even other smaller cephalopods, and it is exclusively a nocturnal hunter that prefers to hunt on the surface of the water.
The hunting and anti-predator methods for this particular species of squid are quite extraordinary, because it has the supernatural ability to enhance and reflect moonlight with its body to emit a series of flashing colors from its skin in order to befuddle its predators' and preys' ability to attack/escape as a per the Bungle spell. It can use this ability once every 1d4 rounds, but it only affects creatures with 4HD or less.
River Squids are almost always solitary, and will typically attack other River Squids that attempt to hunt in its territory.
176. Messenger Masa
This maize-like plant has many uses, but is primarily used as a common crop for food. It can also be used as a deodorant while hunting in windy conditions, as well as some medicinal uses for easing coughs, colds, and sore throats. Unlike other species of corn or maize that prefer warmer temperatures, this particular maize only grows in cold climates and frozen tundras. However, the most impressive quality of Messenger Masa comes from the spell-like ability of the Tassel at the top of the Stalk; it can be used for creating messages that float on the winds to a desired recipient. The Tassel is covered in the male flowering pollen of the maize, but if someone takes a handful of these individual pollens, they can then whisper a message into them similarly to a Whispering Wind spell, and then release it into the wind. The male pollens magically travel to the desired recipient, deliver the message, and then scatter to the wind in search to pollinate. The Messenger Masa will usually repollinate its tassel in 3-5 days.
People in warmer climates have pen-pals, but people in the frozen tundras have Masa-pals.
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178. Vampire's Bane
Vampire's Bane is a species of garlic that has the unique ability of smelling like already-weaponized garlic, and has an extremely potent and overwhelming smell even to normal humanoids. Farmers use this particular strand of garlic to keep rabbits, deer, moles, mice, and other pests away from their gardens, orchards, and crop fields, but the most notable use of this plant is against Vampires and similar creatures. Normal garlic will simply keep a Vampire at bay because the smell is intolerable, but this may be overcome with a 25DC Will Save. But Vampire's Bane offers no such Save for a Vampire to overcome it in this respect; the Vampire has no option but to flee an area that has been laced with this smell (treat as Panicked while within 15ft of it, No Save). Furthermore, if a Vampire is exposed to this strand of garlic and does not have the ability to flee, such as by being splashed with water that has been laced with it, or by falling into a pit trap that has been laced with it, the Vampire must succeed at a DC25 Will Save or become Nauseated while they are exposed and for another 1d4 Rounds after becoming unexposed (and they are still treated as Panicked until becoming unexposed). Vampires are so inhibited by the nausea that this strain of garlic causes that they cannot even return to their Gaseous Forms until they are out of its area.
Vampire's Bane is not fit for consumption amongst most humanoid races either. However, competitions are held in some regions of the world that are similar to Spicy Food Contests, except the Winner is determined by the Last Man Standing for eating dish after dish that have been prepared with this garlic. It is not for the faint of heart, because contestants exhibit symptoms like: Uncontrollable Putrid-smelling Flop-sweats; Intense Burning of the Mouth, Sinuses, Throat, and Stomach; Headaches; Nausea; Swelling of Lymph Nodes and Glands; Shaking and Twitching of Hands, Fingers, Toes, and Feet. In some cases of prolonged or extreme exposure, it can also cause Blurred Vision and eventually temporary Blindness, and when this occurs, the amount of Vampire's Bane consumption is potentially fatal. That is why these competitions also have a host of doctors standing by and monitoring the contestants. The doctors are merely a formality though, because the only cure for the symptoms is to stop eating it.
Warm Goats milk and a blanket somewhat helps, but only as a “comfort” for the childish weeping, crying, and sobbing.
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179. Ghostflowers.
These withered looking vines only grow on gravestones, cenotaphs and cairns, or wild across ancient battlegrounds. They appear to be dry and dead, but on certain nights when the moon is new (on the anniversary of an ancient battle or memorable death, more often than not), white flowers similar to a morning-glory unfurl. These flowers produce a faint smell similar to old musty incense, and are completely incorporeal, and can only be touched or gathered by someone who has the ghost touch property, making them particularly rare, expensive and exotic decorations for arcanists the world over. Even when cut, the flowers remain in full bloom and vibrant, so long as they never are exposed to sunlight, which makes them fold up and fade away forever. (So those who have the special tools required to gather them, a ghost touch blade of some sort, and a ghost touch amulet of mighty fists that allows them to handle the cut flowers with their hands, must also store them away from sunlight until they get them to their buyer, who must also store and display them somewhere sunlight will never reach.)
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180. Buttles. These small beetles dwell in a hilly region famous for it's red rivers (from rich iron deposits in the area), and dominant halfling population. Through some quirk of metabolism, the beetles deposit the iron particulates they absorb through the local environment into their shells, in distinct patterns that are rarely repeated, and some say are unique to each individual beetle, no two alike. Eventually the concentration of metal gets too heavy, and the beetle can no longer move, at which point it molts and abandons the metal carapace, which halflings collect and use as buttons (or other small metal ornaments, such as assembled into necklaces).
Some part of the deposition process also coats the iron with a shiny coating that protects it from oxidation, although they must be oiled fairly frequently after they are abandoned by the beetle, or these buttons will begin to rust, and stain whatever clothing they adorn.
It is considered particularly lucky among the halflings to find two shells with the same unique pattern, indicating that they came from the same beetle, possibly shed a year apart. (How long the beetles live in the wild is unclear, and they do not thrive in captivity, usually dying within a month.)
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181. Monksberry Bush
This bush produces fruit that are similar to blackberries, except they're a deep, dark reddish color, and has strange properties concerning health and the adverse effects associated with aging. Consuming a single berry is the equivalent of eating an entire meal, and causes you to ignore the physical detriments of being middle, old, or venerable for 24 hours, as per the spell Greater Age Resistance.
182. Dragonapple
Dragonapples are fruit, but they are not edible. Not even close. Rather, they're like mostly-harmless "colored apple grenades" that correspond to the various colors of dragons. Red = Fire, White = Cold, Green = Acid, Gold = Fire, Silver = Cold, Black = Acidic Water, Crystal = Sonic, etc. Treat them as splash weapons that deal 1d6 non-lethal damage to a 5ft square and 1 non-lethal damage to all adjacent squares. These are quite popular with the kids.
183. Trickster Pixie Mint
This permanently-invisible, somewhat-sentient Mint plant makes Sense Motive checks against any creature that approaches within 60ft, and then does its best to foil whatever plan they have. (Blindsense 60ft.)
Constant: Invisibility
At-Will: Detect Good/Evil/Law/Chaos, Detect Thoughts, Permanent Image, Dimension Door (100ft max, itself only), Dispel Magic
While this plant has no ability to directly harm a creature, harm may befall them indirectly as a result of playing its tricks. Due to the nearly impossible task of catching one of these plants and successfully harvesting its mint, its mint is extremely rare and valuable.
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184. Dragonberries. A single dragonberry bush grows an assortment of berries, most an unpleasant brown in color (and these berries are the only fertile ones, and have a bitter sour taste like an unripe grape). The rarer berries can be red, blue, green, white or black, with each bush growing one or two of each, depending on the size of the bush. If eaten, the imbiber gets a rush of that elemental energy, feeling a rush of warmth, an electrical tingle, a chill, or a spicy burning sensation, and sometime within the next 1d4 rounds belches forth a breath weapon of that energy type. (This is involuntary, when it comes, it comes!) The breath weapon does a single hit point of the appropriate elemental type and is either a line 15 ft. long and 5 ft. wide (acid or electricity), or a 10 ft. cone (cold or fire). Dragonberries can be eaten within 24 hours of being picked, but do not preserve, not even magically, rotting away after 24 hours. A single dragonberry bush produces magically potent berries only twice per year, once at the beginning and end of summer. The waxy leaves of the dragonberry bush can have their wax carefully removed and makes an excellent coating material that renders paper, cloth or leather goods resistant to weathering or environmental damage from temperature, moisture or corrosion.
(Kept the damage 'inconsequential' in keeping with the intent of the thread.)
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185. Vacuupine
This porcupine-like rodent is covered in sharp, magical quills that protect them against predators. This particular rodent creates quills on its back that are infused with Vacuumancy, creating an effect similar to a Treacherous Teleport spell except it affects non-willing targets. When a predator approaches, the Vacuupine will attempt to deter its potential predator by raising its quills on edge and chatter its teeth as a warning; and if the predator comes any closer, the Vacuupine will swing its tail and attempt to strike the predator with its quills. If a predator is struck by a quill, it immediately becomes under the effect of a Treacherous Teleport, and causing the predator to become teleported against its will and suffer some mishap. Predators are usually not so lucky as to only get stuck with 1 quill though, and can "teleport-bounce" multiple times, and also suffering multiple mishaps.
New quills grow rapidly, usually growing roughly 0.5mm - 1mm per day until they reach their full length. Vacuupines are slightly larger than their porcupine cousins, and can weigh between 45-65lbs.
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Re: #184 - Y'know what might be cool? The waxy outer coating on the leaves could have a genuine in-game bonus specific to the rare berries found on that bush. Like, a bush with a few red berries yields a substance that, if processed correctly (DC 20 Craft: Alchemy) grants the item coated a +1 Alchemical bonus to saves against Fire damage.
I had thought of that, but wasn't sure if the game still tracked fiddly stuff like item damage. But yeah, a not-crazy-expensive 'treatment' used on the outer surfaces of expensive things like spellbooks, scroll tubes, etc. to help protect their contents from environmental damage or brief or indirect exposure to the acid/cold/electricity/fire energy types seemed like a neat thing.
186. Waterwalk Lilies
[SNIP]
As these plants only flourish in swamps, marshes or wetlands grippli have taken to calling these "hopping pads" and cultivate them in patters to make a game out of jumping from one to the next as part of a race or a scavenger hunt.
It would be neat if the grippli cultivate sections near the entrances to their communities where a certain percentage of lily pads are these, but certain others, known to those living in the community, are normal lily pads, so anyone pursuing them or moving at haste via these pads will plunge into the water by stepping onto the wrong pad!
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188. Phonktophines
Phonktophines are a type of bioluminescent phytoplanktonic organism that look like a very small, cyan/teal-colored shrimp; they live in euphotic, intertidal zones near the ocean surface where there is enough light to allow photosynthesis, and they are considered to be "macroplanktonic" size because they're approximately 6-12cm long. At dusk and dawn (but not day or night), they emit a soft, pulchritudinous cyan- and teal-colored light as a form of chemiluminescence that is reminiscent of the light caused by aurora borealis, except this light appears no more than 1.5-2 meters above the ocean surface. Due to living so close to the surface, Phonktophines are considered both Marine and Aeroplankton, and can become airborne from sea spray and waves crashing, and then carried by the current of the wind (but only for short distances due to their size/weight).
Great thinkers and researchers have debated ad nauseum as to whether this creature is an animal or a plant, because it uses photosynthesis (plant trait) but also has motility (animal trait) to propel/swim towards the ocean surface and stay out of deeper waters, while bioluminescence can be either an animal or plant trait. But one thing both sides agree upon is that this plant/animal seems to serve only one purpose: to be eaten by whales, fish, and bivalve mollusks (filter feeders such as clams, oysters, cockles, mussels, and scallops) that reside in the epipelagic zone of the ocean, and that they are crucial to the food chain.
188. Phonktophines are typically found together in large groups, and create "rivers" and "lakes" of cyan and teal light on the surface of the ocean during the hours of dusk and dawn. They do produce this chemiluminescent light during the daytime hours as well, but sunlight is a strong enough light source as to drown it out so that it cannot be seen.
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193. Pop mice.
Small rodents found on prairies and plains, these rodents are typical in size and appearance to normal field mice in most ways. They survive mostly on insects, augmented by the odd legume. When startled, the high protein diet of the mouse results in a rather loud 'pop' (think of popcorn popping) as the gas build-up from the diet is quickly expelled. Combined with their innate leaping abilities, a pop mouse can easily launch itself six feet into the air or up to ten feet horizontally to avoid predators. Tales about of travellers on the plains startling fields of the mice that then popped up out of the grasses in a recurring wave. This ability is usable only once per day at best, as it takes time for the mouse to generate enough gas to propel themselves this way. Plains cats have been seen playing games in the fields with pop mice before eating them, trying to catch them in midair.
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189. Disco Fire Beetles
Just like regular fire beetles, but the gland that emits light from their heads is covered by several translucent membranes which refract different patterns and waves of light. Essentially, when excited these creatures put on a light show. Mites have trained Disco Fire Beetles to react in time with musical rhythms to add color pallets and shifting patterns to their raucous moots.
Love the idea of Mites breeding different strains of fire beetles to get different colors of light, and trading them back and forth between Mite colonies.
"Ooh, the Rotted Stump clan! They have the best purples. Your task is to acquire some of them for our clan. Buy them. Trade for them. Steal them. Kill the Rotted Stump clan and take them. I don't care!"
"Uh, aren't they your people?"
"Pfft. We are Sodden Rush clan! Rotted Stump are inbred heretics! If they didn't have the purples, nobody would even invite them to clan moots."
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173. Spongiam Petram
More commonly known as sponge rock, is not actually a rock. Instead, it is a type of fungi. It can be found on the sides of mountains in arid environments.
It is known for its rock like hardness when it is dry and its sponge like texture when it is wet. When dry, it has the appearance of a smooth sandstone rock typically like that of the mountain it is on. This makes the sponge rock blend into the mountain and look like the natural environment. When wet, it has a sponge like texture and turns a deep red color.
It survives by absorbing bacteria that is washed down the mountain when it rains. Once inside, the bacteria find themselves in an environment in which they can reproduce. The sponge rock then feeds on the excess bacteria effectively farming its own food source inside itself. This makes it effectively immortal.
Once dry, the outside grows hard into a shell made up of tiny little spores. When it rains, the spores are then washed down the mountain where new sponge rocks can grow. It takes sponge rocks roughly 3-5 years to be fully mature and grow the size of a grapefruit.
Sponge rocks are sought after by chefs from all over the world for their unique flavor profiles created by the unique bacteria profiles inside of it. Different mountainsides give them unique flavors and they are prized much like wine, making some varieties incredibly valuable. Many chefs will make expensive dishes such as sponge rock soup or sauté sponge rock.
In arid lands with sparse water sources, travelers have also been known to carry Sponge rock fungi with them as a sort of "poorman's canteen", and can extract water from it for long periods of time before it goes dry.
194:Fake rocks
These small to large rocks are part tumbleweed. During dry spells they detach from their roots and roll about with the wind. When it finally rains their seeds take root in any available soil. They have become very popular in rock gardens and around temples of chaotic deities. The taste is invariably smokey like mesquite. Knowledge nature 20 to tell from real boulders.
167. Maybe Ankhroot could be used instead of a 5,000gp diamond for Raise Dead? They're probably worth the same on the black market.
Actually, the base does not subsume expensive material components. The diamond dust is still required. Of course, the GM has final say on this so you could do what you want.
Actually, the base does not subsume expensive material components. The diamond dust is still required. Of course, the GM has final say on this so you could do what you want.167. Maybe Ankhroot could be used instead of a 5,000gp diamond for Raise Dead? They're probably worth the same on the black market.
Yeah, I would allow it, but only as long as they spend 5,000gp on Ankhroot. The material itself (Diamond vs. Ankhroot) isn't that important to me, but the GP cost is. So as long as these are equivalent costs, I would allow it as a substitute.
192. Abacus Shrubs
It is a fact that trees count their age by the rings found inside the wood of their trunks. Abacus Bushes on the other hand develop knots or nodules in consecutive horizontal patterns where their roots meet the soil. These nodules count the passage of time for the long-lived Abacus Shrub and can be dissected to reveal tell-tale signs within showing notable environmental events such as floods, fires survived, or severe damage to the plant.
Stolen so hard... I love this.
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196. Mist Fairies
Mist Fairies appear as nothing more than puffs of softly-swirling mist, and they're nearly impossible to spot even when right next to them. They have a penchant for being the "invisible friends" of children who play near forests. It is unknown as to whether these creatures are actually fairies or Fey, but they are named as such because oftentimes they accidentally lure children into the woods to later be found by Feykind (so it is assumed that they are indeed Fey of some kind). However, these creatures only affect certain children with their playfulness and giggling; great thinkers and researchers have noted that children who grow up to be Paladins, Warpriests, and Life Oracles have a disproportionately high chance to be lured into the forest by one of these creatures and then subsequently found by Feykind. Some great thinkers and researchers have even written dissertations about whether these Mist Fairies have limited prophetic powers, specifically the prophetic power to see greatness in younglings
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197. Amber Banyan Tree
Normal Banyan Trees drop roots from their branches, and Amber Banyan Trees do the same, but before they actually drop roots from their branches, they drip amber-colored sap from its branches that droop as one continuous strand of cocoon-shaped gel down to the earth, and once it reaches the ground, it "rubberizes", forming a mostly-solid but gooey-liquid spire of amber sap between the ground and the branches. Once this spire of amber sap is complete, then the roots begin to grow out of the branch and down around the spire of amber sap. This gooey sap spire acts as both a solid structure for the roots to climb down, as well as a nutrient delivery system for the new roots once they begin to grow, which allows it to grow even in the harshest of earth types and climates, including over solid rock and frozen tundra where root systems from other tree species would be incapable of penetrating and taking root. Most animals have to stay away from Amber Banyan trees because the amber sap drips from these trees every few feet, and it is extremely sticky, but also because they are usually inhabited by large colonies of Amber Wasps who use the amber sap as a food source and building material for their hives.
Amber Banyan Trees are entirely reliant upon wasps and bees for reproduction and protection, as it has no way of sending its seeds without the aid of such insects to carry them. And even still, reproduction is tough, and that's why this species of tree is so rare. While they can exist in even the harshest climes and earth types, it is their nascent beginning that is the most likely time they will die; they must always start the germination process in the crevices of a host tree and with ambient weather temperature being a constant 55-65degreesF for a period of several weeks. Even when this ideal condition happens, the host tree rejects the Amber Banyan because it sees it as a parasite, and then begins stealing its nutrients causing it to die anyway, and there is only a 0.01% chance that the host tree actually allows the Amber Banyan to live. However, once the Amber Banyan has survived its infancy, it acts as a beneficial parasite to its host tree by providing it with nutrients via its constantly dripping amber sap.
Most Amber Banyan Trees that are 100 years or older can grow to be the size of small forests around 1-2 acres on average, but they are indeed one singular organism.
The largest Amber Banyan Tree is named Aeyar'idryl , The Tree of Bloodlines, and it is over 2815 acres wide in diameter (4.4 square miles); it exists in the Kamouraska Highlands as a Natural Wonder of the World , because the next largest Amber Banyan isn't even a fraction of that size, although it is still an impressive 5.5 acres wide. Unfortunately, Aeyar'idryl hasn't been visited by a non-Druid or non-Royalty humanoid in over a millennia due to being inhabited by a race of sentient Amber Wasps called the Vespidai, who are known as the Keepers of Bloodlines.
198. Amber Wasps
Amber Wasps are roughly 0.3-1.0 meter in length depending on worker or warrior, and warriors have a particularly potent venom that produces an instant anaphylactic shock, swelling of the throat, and intensely rapid heartbeat, and then subsequent death within 10 minutes. There are no known cures to this venom, and they are extremely territorial; Amber Wasps will attack in large swarms if anything or anyone that gets close to their food source , which is usually about 0.25 of a mile radius from their Amber Banyan Tree, except for Druids or members of Royal Bloodlines. Thankfully for humanoid populations, Amber Wasps have an accelerated metabolism that requires them to eat at almost all hours of the day, and they can never be more than an hour away from their food source, which is a nectar-like secretion called Amberdew that Amber Wasp Workers create from sugar-rich amber sap that can only be produced by Amber Banyan Trees. This makes this wasp non-migratory to say the least, and since Amber Banyan Trees grow so slowly, this results in almost zero unprovoked confrontations with humanoid populations. They are figuratively "shackled" to their Amber Banyan Tree.
Amber Wasps are quite rare due to the extremely limited number of Amber Banyan Trees in the world, and even rarer still because not every Amber Banyan Tree is home to a colony of Amber Wasps. But, their renown for indiscriminate deadliness is known far and wide, and humanoid settlements and societies that live near these colonies have clearly marked perimeters of "no-go zones" as to respect their space.
199. Wolpertinger
Often confused with Feykind, Wolpertingers are a genus of Animalia that have a wide range of species, as these creatures are typically amalgamations of inter-species breeding or the product of wild and unconventional evolutions. They often appear as rodents/hares/felines/wolves with antlers/horns, or deer/elk with bushy squirrel tails, etc. Some of these creatures even have feathered wings like that of a grouse or duck. They typically range in size from Tiny to Large.
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201. Wandering Wallaroo
The Wandering Wallaroo is an asexual marsupial from the Macropod family (large foot) that looks similar to a rabbit or a kangaroo, and they reproduce via their Clone spell-like ability, which they can use 1/day. It is a form of "magical parthenogenesis", but instead of taking 2d4 months for a fully grown clone like the Clone spell, this process only takes 2d4 days, and joeys will usually only spend the first 18-24 hours in their parents' marsupium pouch before joining the herd. Adult Wandering Wallaroos usually weigh between 35-45lbs and stand about 2 to 2-1/2 feet tall and can live up to 15-20 years. They have a herbivorous diet consisting of alfalfa, shrubs, vegetables, and grasses (especially seeking out ryegrass).
Wandering Wallaroos are herd animals that reproduce and grow to adulthood phenomenally quickly, and therefore are in a constant state of migration in search of new grazing land. Some farmers have domesticated these wallaroos to butcher and sell at markets and boast considerable profits.
Despite their incredible rate of reproduction, Wandering Wallaroos only have to deal with Overpopulation issues every once in a Blue Moon because they have many natural predators, to include but not limited to: wild dogs, wolves, leopards, tigers, hawks, eagles, humanoids, foxes, alligators, and crocodiles, as well as a litany of carnivorous dire animals. But, in the event that Wandering Wallaroo populations get too large, they typically bisect their herd into two herds and begin their migrations in different directions.
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202. Chucaboon
This tree-dwelling rodent is the size of a common mouse and it has a long, thin, and dexterous prehensile tail that is roughly 10x the length of its own body. It uses this tail in a variety of ways: firstly, for swinging itself from branch to branch or from tree to tree as well as hanging from branches while it sleeps; secondly, it can reach for, grab, and hold things like nuts or fruit; and thirdly, the Chucaboon uses their tail during mating season to attract a mate. Males will outstretch their tail and point it straight up in the air as a courtship ritual, and females typically choose the male Chucaboon with the longest, most dexterous, or most attractive tail.
Chucaboons are notorious thieves and cannot resist stealing and hording shiny objects, even taking obviously harmful or suicidal actions to acquire such items. Ironically, they never steal from other Chucaboons though. Chucaboons have the ability to hide their shiny treasures on the Ethereal Plane similar to the Secret Chest spell, except their horded items travel with them, and Chucaboons can access them at any time.
It is not uncommon for several Chucaboons to perform a "raid" on someone's home, swinging in through the window to make off with mirrors, metal plates and cups, fancy cutlery, coins, glittery items, keys, metallic wind chimes, ornaments, and other shiny baubles and objects.
203. Qicidae
Also known as the "Qi of the Forest", or sometimes called "Qi Qi's" by children as a diminutive name, this insect is like a cicada that is roughly 6 inches long, except it does not have wings. They have six legs for crawling around, but they hardly need them, because they have the supernatural ability to become absorbed by any plant, tree, or vine, even magically-created effects such as Entangle or Wall of Thorns, and then teleport themselves to any other plant, tree, or vine within 500ft, and this ability functions similarly to the Tree Stride spell for all other intents and purposes. They can use this supernatural ability at will as a move action. Furthermore, Qicidae have no natural predators because they benefit from a constant Hide from Animals that affects both animals and humanoids.
Qicidae are naturally reclusive and enjoy a certain amount of camouflage, so they typically live in tall forests that block sunlight, or in other areas with lots of natural shade. Because Qicidae are so adept at hiding, teleporting, and camouflage, people believe that seeing one is a great omen that means you will soon be introduced to someone who will become a lifelong friend.
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204. Mage's Fumewort
This spring ephemeral flowering plant can be found absolutely everywhere and is a welcome sight for any spellcaster looking to restock their spell component pouch. It is easily spotted and located due to its red, pink, light blue, green, and purple glittery flower, and usually grows about 10-16 inches tall.
Using this flower's pollen as a substitute reagent for ground mica when casting Glitterdust removes the blindness effect but instead causes an instant allergic reaction in the ears, nose, and throat, causing the victim(s) to be unable to speak, hear, or smell for the spell's duration.
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205. Shadow Cive This perennial flowering plant receives its nutrients from shadow and can usually be found in deep caverns, or on the surface but only in areas that have a close connection with the Shadow Plane. It produces edible leaves that are commonly used as spices. Surface-dwelling Commonfolk have spread folklore, rumors, and old wives' tales regarding this particular plant, and many believe that the souls who cannot find their way to their final resting place are the "seeds" of this plant, and to eat one is considered an evil act; dwarves constantly argue with surface-folk over these baseless claims. Drow, Dwarves, Svirfneblin, and Duergar consider this spice to be a delicacy even though it is quite common throughout the Underdark.
206. Cauliron Bark The Cauliron tree has a deep blue colored bark that can be ground into a powder and used as a spice, and due to its "sharply-sweet" taste, it is commonly used in baking pastries and desserts.
207. Annabella's Galangal This ginger-like spice is commonly used in curries and was a notorious favorite of Queen Annabella Rhodridega the I. She was the first ruler of her dynasty and before she died, she ordered that all records of it's true name be destroyed, and then she renamed it after herself. It is said that her personal chef prepared every meal she ate using this galangal in some form or another.
208. Redfang Bittercap While this mushroom is not considered a poison, it ought to be. It is so bitter that it causes violent, seizure-like convulsions that are intense enough to crack ribs and in rare cases, can even break the spine. It is a black and brown mushroom that has a distinctly bright red dot on the center of its cap that looks like a fang, and warns animals not to eat it.
209. Dreamleaf The leaves of this plant can be steeped in hot water and drunk like tea, and this causes a soporific response based on the dose. Mild doses can be used as a sleep aid to cause drowsiness, and more powerful doses can be used as a surgical anesthetic to knock a person unconscious for several hours.
210. Wildmallow Vine This vine produces an extraordinarily sweet, sugary fruit that is both popular with children and bakers. The fruit is cream-white in color and about the size of a marble.
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211. Dragonfish This is one of the largest "fish" in the ocean, growing up to 60ft in length and weighing roughly 60 tons, although unconfirmed sightings have reported some that are even larger than this. They have many characteristics of dragons, such as a thick dragonhide and a large toothy maw, but they do not have wings nor are they intelligent, and they do have a tail but it resembles the tail of a fish.
Dragonfish are omnivorous and they are considered an apex predator, but they typically eat crustaceans, fish, seals, birds, squid, turtles, sea snakes, dolphins, and even sharks. It is rare for a Dragonfish to attack humanoids because they don't consider them a food source, although it has happened from time to time. Dragonfish have also mistaken small ships for food, but as soon as they get a mouthful of wood they lose interest quickly.
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212. Statica Striga
This species of owl has the unique ability to generate an intense magnetic field as it glides through the air towards its prey that helps in both noise cancellation and subduing its prey. A Statica Striga's feathers are specifically designed to generate friction and vibration when it glides, which creates a magnetic field that continues to gather static until it reaches its prey, and then it delivers a potent Electrostatic Discharge that causes instant nervous system paralysis, and has the appearance of a small lightning bolt that reaches out a split second before being grasped by its talons. Static Striga pose no threat to humanoids, but have been known to attack them in defense of their young, their mate, or their hunting grounds. Humanoid victims of Statica Striga are mostly unsuspecting joggers, hikers, or lumberjacks, and oftentimes escape without injury; deaths from Static Striga attacks are extremely rare. Their diet consists of hares, rodents, insects, spiders, earthworms, snails, fish, reptiles, amphibians, ducks, various gamebirds, and other small mammals.
There are 3 species of Statica Striga; they are known as Thane Striga, Squall Striga, and Tempest Striga, or colloquially "Thanes", "Squalls", and "Tempests". Thanes are the smallest of the 3 species at 1.5-2.5lbs while Tempests are the largest at 7-8lbs, and Squalls are about 4-5 lbs.
Wizards often use these Statica Striga as familiars. (Use Owl entry, except add (Ex) Static Discharge: Touch Attack that causes Paralysis for 1d4 rounds, No Save, SPECIAL: Prior to using this ability, the Statica Striga must glide through the air for a minimum of 3 rounds to generate the requisite Static energy. After 3 rounds of gliding, it holds this Static energy indefinitely or until it touches anyone or anything as per the normal Touch Attack rules).
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212. Statica Striga
Love this one, but I'd probably tone it down to slow for 1-3 rounds, instead of paralyze, so that it remains useful for hunting, but isn't quite so great for a familiar ability.
Alternately, keep the paralysis effect, but limit it to only work on creatures of the same or smaller size class, so that it's great for zapping tiny rodents and similar prey, but not for paralyzing grizzly bears or the like. :)
212. Statica StrigaLove this one, but I'd probably tone it down to slow for 1-3 rounds, instead of paralyze, so that it remains useful for hunting, but isn't quite so great for a familiar ability.
Alternately, keep the paralysis effect, but limit it to only work on creatures of the same or smaller size class, so that it's great for zapping tiny rodents and similar prey, but not for paralyzing grizzly bears or the like. :)
212. Yeah I agree, maybe it should be something like this:
Three sizes larger: No effect
Two sizes larger: Entangle 1d3 rounds
One size larger: Stagger 1d3 rounds
Same or Smaller Size: Paralyze 1d3 rounds
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213. Cyclonebeak Shrike
This 12-inch bird, also known as a "Bloodletter Bird" or a "Butcher Bird" as a cautionary name for their particularly gruesome hunting habits, has a 3-inch beak that is curved together in a spiral-like elongated corkscrew, and the edges intersect at the end to form a sharp pointed tip. These birds typically hunt in packs of 5-25 Shrikes, and they attempt to dive-bomb and ram their prey with their 3-inch cyclone- or helix- shaped beaks, and then fly away to perform another dive-bomb. The beak is especially designed to perforate thick hides and cause open wounds that cannot easily be closed, and the prey eventually bleeds to death. While these birds are omnivorous, they typically favor being carnivorous when able.
When not in packs, these Shrikes will hunt grasshoppers, crickets, beetles, lizards, mice, frogs, and other small birds, but will also eat fruits, nuts, and seeds.
Large packs of Cyclonebeak Shrikes (20 Shrikes+) are especially known for their fearlessness in being willing to attack just about anything and anyone regardless of its size, and do pose a significant threat to humanoids when in large numbers.
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214. Ironweb Spider
There are several species of Ironweb spiders, ranging from the size of a human's fingertip to the size of a human's palm. These spiders are venomous, but this venom is only deadly to their prey, which are typically insects. Humans who have been bit by Ironweb Spiders only have mild skin irritation and itching. What is truly iconic about an Ironweb Spider is the strength of the silk it creates for weaving its web, being strong enough to even withstand blows with a weapon from an adult humanoid and the web stays in-tact. The webs are easily burned away with fire, though.
215. Frostfang Tarantula
This 28-35lb tarantula primarily dwells in cold environments and usually hunts for fish, snails, worms, turtles, frogs, small birds, mollusks, beavers, otters, snakes, and other spiders, and it typically hunts around rivers, streams, and lakes before they've become frozen over. It has the unique ability to create frost on anything that its feet touch, which gives it a distinct advantage when hunting on and around watery environments, because it can "skitter" across the top of still and slow-moving water with astounding ease. This tarantula also has no physical fangs, so it creates them out of frost, and they appear like 3-4 inch icicles where its fangs should be. These tarantulas are not venomous per se, but they do inject their victims with a sub-zero cold fluid that enters the bloodstream and emulates the Fatigue and Stagger conditions as per the Frostbite and Frigid Touch spells (but does not emulate the damage from the spells).
216. Quicksand Tarantula
This patient tarantula takes several days to form its trap. First, it will dig a 4-5ft wide, 2-3ft deep pit out of dirt or sand for its trap usually near a water source, and once this pit has been dug, it will repeatedly engorge itself with water and then bring it back and spew the water out in this pit-- and during this time, it is lacing the water in this pit with its own gooey-like substance from its saliva. Once it has filled this pit with its saliva-laced watery mixture, it will then take all of the dirt that it dug up previously, and place it back into the pit as well; and with this mixture of sand/dirt, water, and saliva, it results in a gooey fluid-like dirt trap that looks exactly like the earth around it. The tarantula now only need to wait for an unsuspecting victim. Victims that enter the pit become trapped in the gooey substance which acts like a vacuum similar to quicksand, and they cannot get out without help.
217. Chymifying Spider
The Chymifying Spider is a species of Huntsman spider and can have a legspan of up to 13-15 inches wide, and is most known for its unique way that it hunts and kills its prey; it uses its impressive speed to run down its prey and then spews its chyme and digestive bile at them, and this chyme is laced with cytotoxic, neurotoxic, and cardiotoxic venom. This chyme causes the victims to not only become digested alive, but experience instant shutdown of cardiovascular and nervous systems as the chyme and venom work tandemly to quickly break down the victim at the cellular and molecular level. These spiders are not a serious threat to humanoids, but will attack if cornered or threatened; if this spider does spew its chyme on a humanoid, it is extremely painful but usually do not cause fatalities. Humanoid victims have reported that it is an equivalent pain level to being sprayed or doused with boiling water or acid.
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218. Dreamcatcher Spiders These spiders haunt areas frequented by psychic or occult casters, and have a surreal look, with a marking on it's thorax that looks vaguely like a stylized woman's face, and long spindly legs with feather-like protrusions. They are drawn to sleeping humanoids in particular, and silently spin a web over a sleeping person, 'catching' their dreams, which are reflected in the web for any person nearby to view. (The spider will not spin a web in the presence of waking folk, being easily startled, but falls into a trance at the center of the web once the nearby sleeper begins to dream and can be watched at that point without waking the spider.) The sleeper wakes up with a strange lassitude, and does not gain the full benefits of a night's sleep (counts as interrupted) on any night where a Dreamcatcher Spider has stolen their dreams. A single Dreamcatcher Spider only steals dreams once a month, at most, and leaves to lay a sack of eggs after a successful night's dreamtheft. Dreamcatcher Spiders are frail, and a single hit point of damage will shred a 'dreamweb' and kill the spider.
If a hag is interested in stealing dreams, they are probably a Dreamtheif Hag... at which point, they don't need to use any spiders, since they have their own Dream Theft special attack.
And if you have earned the attention of a Dreamtheif Hag, you probably have bigger things to worry about than losing sleep.
Especially if that Dreamthief Hag happens to have 10 levels of Sanguine Sorcerer and all 10 levels of the Souldrinker prestige class... she is going to steal your soul...
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218. Dreamcatcher SpidersCan someone recover their dreams? Like, could a dreamer be woken and slay the spider, then reclaim the dream in some way so they get their night's sleep back? Or better yet...
What would happen if a hag crept up using Invisibility and placed a hungry Dreamcatcher Spider near an unsuspecting villain. Near the end of the night however, rather than have the spider absorb that dream energy from their web or whatever, at the crucial moment the hag snatched up and crushed the spider, then ate the web with the caught dream still stuck inside it. What would happen?
OMG, this is such a fun thought exercise...
Ooh, that is fun. I hadn't really thought about it, other than others being able to view the dreams in real time by watching.
Perhaps one could gather up the web (or just the spider, if done within 24 hours, before it 'digests' the stolen dreams) and distill it into an elixir and drink it to experience the stolen dreams (or reclaim them, for the original person in question).
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218. Dreamcatcher Spiders These spiders haunt areas frequented by psychic or occult casters, and have a surreal look, with a marking on it's thorax that looks vaguely like a stylized woman's face, and long spindly legs with feather-like protrusions. They are drawn to sleeping humanoids in particular, and silently spin a web over a sleeping person, 'catching' their dreams, which are reflected in the web for any person nearby to view. (The spider will not spin a web in the presence of waking folk, being easily startled, but falls into a trance at the center of the web once the nearby sleeper begins to dream and can be watched at that point without waking the spider.) The sleeper wakes up with a strange lassitude, and does not gain the full benefits of a night's sleep (counts as interrupted) on any night where a Dreamcatcher Spider has stolen their dreams. A single Dreamcatcher Spider only steals dreams once a month, at most, and leaves to lay a sack of eggs after a successful night's dreamtheft. Dreamcatcher Spiders are frail, and a single hit point of damage will shred a 'dreamweb' and kill the spider.
It is said that you cannot lie while dreaming. Some use Dreamcatcher Spiders as interrogative aids to solve murders and other crimes, while other cities and states have banned this practice for ethical reasons.
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It is said that you cannot lie while dreaming. Some use Dreamcatcher Spiders as interrogative aids to solve murders and other crimes, while other cities and states have banned this practice for ethical reasons.OMG freaking YES!
If you're using Golarion or the setting's deities, imagine a Desnan Inquisition that specifically uses Dreamcatcher Spiders in this way. Unlike some more brutal inquisitions they don't rely on torture or fear but rather on guile and intuition.
I like this idea because dreams are also hella subjective and wrapped up in symbolic imagery, so it's not even close to being a slam-dunk, and requires all sorts of interpretation and training to be a dream-judge in this manner. Which I like.
Divination methods that are fuzzy and easy to misinterpret are the best. :)
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219. White Fever Sundew
This medium-sized oceanic carnivorous plant is an un-rooted, flowering plant that resides on the surface of the ocean and generally wanders wherever the waves take it, and it spreads its kelp-like tendrils both under the surface and along the top of the surface in a wide array, and if one were to view this plant from underneath the water, it looks similar to an "upside-down dome of outstretched strands of kelp with an alluring, bright-white flower on top". These kelp-like tendrils are actually glandular tentacles topped with sticky secretions that are cleverly disguised as harmless kelp, and when fully-grown have a maximum radius of about 2.7 feet to 3.5 feet. White Fever Sundew typically favor any prey they can get their tendrils wrapped around, and these are typically creatures that weigh 0.5lbs to 5lbs, such as minnows, seahorses, crustaceans, some larger insects, and various sea-faring birds. Once a prey has touched the glandular tentacles, they wrap up quickly as to ensnare them, and begin releasing a potent venomous mucilage that is similar to the Glass Urchin Venom (Contact Poison, Fort DC 13 Onset 1/rd. for 6 rds, 1d2 Wis damage and Confused for 1rd., 2 saves) with various enzymes to begin the digestion process. Victims usually succumb to death from the venom in a matter of minutes, but if they're somehow able to resist it, they either die from exhaustion/drowning, or through asphyxiation within 10-15 minutes, as the sticky mucilage also attempts to coat the victim entirely, and eventually clogs their breathing apertures and spiracles.
The White Fever Sundew doesn't just rely upon chance for its prey to come within its grasp, as its central bright white flower and glandular tentacles under the surface of the water both release an intoxicating aroma that causes a similar effect as a Philter of Love (Will DC: 13) to entice their victim with "Platonic Adoration" up to 100ft away. Those who have succumbed to this act as if "Drunk with Love" for the central White Flower, and people have named this drunkenness as having "White Fever", and usually have to physically drag them away from swimming towards it.
The White Fever Sundew rarely causes fatalities amongst humanoids, but it has caused some to be heckled with raillery for falling in love with a flower. Alchemists typically harvest these flowers and its glandular tentacles as a reagent for making the wondrous item "Philter of Love".
220. Dire White Fever Sundew
This gargantuan-sized version of White Fever Sundew can spread its glandular tentacles up to a 25ft to 30ft radius, and operates quite like its small-sized cousin, except its prey range from salmon to sharks, and its Glass Urchin Venom is more potent (Contact Poison, Fort DC 16 Onset 1/rd. for 6 rds, 1d4 Wis damage and Confused for 1rd., 2 saves). The Dire White Fever Sundew similarly produces an intoxicating aroma from its flower and glandular tentacles out to 120ft (Will DC: 16).
This Dire White Fever Sundew has caused several fatalities amongst humanoids, and local city and state authorities have been known to shut down entire beaches as to prevent people from venturing out into the ocean when large pods of multiple Dire White Fever Sundews are passing through.
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221. Trepid Rat
This sightless rodent weighs 5lbs. to 8lbs. and has a hyperactive metabolism that requires it to have 22 hours of sleep per day, and for the 2 hours it is awake, it must eat its own body weight in sustenance just to maintain its own weight. However, due to its hyperactive metabolism, it also has the extraordinary ability to create vibrations through its feet and then analyze the area around it, allowing it to find food quickly (Tremorsense 60ft). Its teeth are near-indestructible, and its diet consists of just about everything from garbage to wood, and even metallic ores such as lead, iron, and gold. Its tremor-senses are so acute that it can even see through mundanely and magically hidden crevices and secret doors as if under a constant (Ex) Detect Secret Doors effect.
Some adventurers keep Trepid Rats for pets to aid them in finding treasure, but they are in high demand and extremely expensive, and once these creatures DO find treasure, they have to be stopped quickly before the eat the whole loot cache. Despite these benefits, ironically, Trepid Rats are horrifically skittish creatures, and are frightened by just about anything and everything that is larger than them. Furthermore, they require special adamantine sleeved-gloves to handle them, because to them, everything is food, including their master's fingers, hands, and forearms.
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Underdark theme!
222. Deep Stag/Does
This hoofed ruminant mammal is highly similar to a common deer, except unlike their surface-dwelling cousins, Deep Stags and Deep Does have evolved to have hairless albino skin and translucent antlers as a defense mechanism to be harder to see by predators with Darkvision. Although they receive no benefits while moving, whenever a Deep Stag or Fawn is staying still and not moving, they are treated as Invisible to creatures that see with Darkvision, as per the spell Invisibility (vs. Darkvision creatures, not moving: +40 Stealth, moving: +0 Stealth). Creatures with low-light and normal vision are unaffected by this (Ex) Extraordinary Ability.
223. Duarghmusk
These deep-dwelling herd animals resemble musk-oxen that weigh roughly 25,000lbs. to 30,000lbs. and have shaggy dark-brown coats, and have large "Y"-shaped horns. While there are many wild herds throughout the Underdark, Duarghmusk are most commonly found as domesticated pets of Duergar and Drow. They are highly empathetic creatures; Duarghmusk have the extraordinary ability to put others at ease and to relieve tension and stress with their soft guttural groanings and growlings that are somewhat-reminiscent of the purr of a large cat . Duarghmusk have their own form of "Sign Language" that they use to communicate with their herds via their spell-like ability Dancing Lights; they can even communicate with their masters using these Dancing Lights, and can convey over 300 commands, emotions, and various forms of empathy, similar to how a Gorilla uses Sign Language with their hands and fingers.
224. Pepper Lichen
This aposematic lichen is orange at its base and darkens to red towards its tips, and the end of its tips are a bright white, and radiates a low amount of glowing light and heat as to scare off any would-be predators. This lichen is extremely spicy and is painful to eat, so many animals throughout the Underdark know to steer clear of this plant. However, Svirfneblin consider this lichen to be a piquant flavor and add it to many of their cultural cuisines. Svirfneblin also refine Pepper Lichen into a concentrated wine-like beverage called Poppori, and consuming Poppori can produce powerful hallucinations and visions.
225. Crag Ants
These 25mm-30mm underdark-dwelling ants have strong mandibles that bubble with acidic saliva and are able to chew through solid stone and rock; they create their hives within the stony walls, floors, and ceilings of the cavernous Underdark. Crag Ants are quite large compared to other ants, and their hunting habits are to run down, surround, and swarm their prey, and tear them apart with their powerful acidic mandibles.
226. Meenka Lichen
This jet-black lichen grows near underground lakes, streams, and rivers and has a pleasant mint taste.
227. Wispquat
This white-as-a-ghost, naturally-glowing species of kumquat is a carnivorous fruit that grows on small, ghost-white leafed trees, and exudes a sweet-smelling adhesive secretion on its skin. Insects and other vermin are attracted to the glow and sweet smell of the fruit and then become stuck to its skin, where they are slowly digested. Wispquat trees have the ability of Lifesense (120ft), and when they sense a true predator, they can cause themselves and the fruit to dull their glow and become invisible, as per the spell Invisibility.
228. Cleanser Rays
Cleanser Rays are coin-sized flying aberrations that appear similar to manta rays, and typically stay away from large open caverns but rather prefer to reside in tunnels and caverns with small ceilings. They fly to the top of the ceiling and wait for animals or humanoids to walk underneath them, and then release from the ceiling as to land on the "victim". Once they've landed on a "victim", they begin to eat bugs and lice in their hair and skin. Each time they find a meal, they release an appreciative "chirp chirp!".
229. Chronolichen
This cream-white and light-blue colored lichen prefers to grow on cavernous ceilings in moist, damp caverns, especially near underground waterfalls that produce mist and fog. Instinctively, every 24 hours on the exact second, this lichen produces a white and light-blue phosphorescent glow for exactly 1 hour, allowing creatures and plants nearby to have circadian rhythm.
230. Echo-Reflection Spider
This spider exclusively preys upon cavernous creatures that use Echolocation and Sound for navigating the Underdark, as its web is designed to reflect and bounce sound in such a way as to confuse them into landing into the web. The Echolocation-using victim produces its sound, but instead of mapping the surrounding area properly with the reflecting sound, the victim sees a "cone of safe space to fly" that leads directly to the web. This spider feeds upon any creature that ends up in its web, but is especially adept at killing bats.
231. Voltaic Eels
This cavernous cousin of the electric eel has a unique form of motility because it has extraordinary control over magnetic fields, poles, and electricity. To an untrained observer, they would swear this creature was flying, but really they're "magnetically gliding" or "magnetically surfing" over magnetic fields that the Voltaic Eel creates to be the polar opposite of its skin. The Voltaic Eel breathes air or water so it hunts in both, and just like an electric eel, it shocks its potential predators and prey.
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232. Nimbus Warthog
This "cloudwalking" species of pig has specially evolved lungs that fill a series of air bladders located throughout their body and has several retractable membranes in its skin which acts as a patagium that fan out to allow it to "swim through the air" and glide in areas of strong humidity and high concentrations of water vapor as if under an Airwalk effect. Nimbus Warthogs have significant difficulty "swimming through the air" in areas with low humidity or fog, but they can still glide somewhat. So, they typically reside in rainforests and other naturally foggy forests and habitats. They are crepuscular and omnivorous creatures, but primarily float up to feed on fruits, leaves, and berries in tall trees, but will also eat ground-based grasses, seeds, rootstalks, tubers, and bulbs, and even scavenge dead creatures and decaying bones.
233. Dirigible Frogs
This species of frog doesn't wait for insects to come to it, it goes up to them. Dirigible Frogs inflate themselves with air and begin to float towards their prey, and then use their long tongues to quickly snatch an insect. It is quite common for these frogs go "up and down and up and down" several times while feeding; they float up, snatch an insect and float down a few feet, then inflate themselves again, and float back up for another snack.
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234. Kelpwheat
A staple crop of any underwater community, Kelpwheat is used in a variety of underwater cuisines, especially amongst Merfolk and Aquatic Elves. Wild Kelpwheat can grow up hundreds of feet, and typically does not stop growing until it reaches the surface of the water. But when Kelpwheat is grown for regular consumption by a farmer or a community, it is typically harvested when it reaches around 30-40ft tall.
235. Bladeweed
This underwater grass grows similar to grass in the surface world, but when it gets to be 5ft long it begins to become hard and rigid, and can cut like a razor (treat like Wall of Thorns spell for moving through it or if forcefully moved into it). While it typically only grows to about 10-15ft tall, some of the largest and longest Bladeweeds can reach 25ft. It is common for small fish, crustaceans, and invertebrates to make patches of Bladeweed their home as a natural defense against larger predators.
236. Giant Nightshadow Mangroves
This species of mangrove is a halophyte like other mangroves, except unlike its cousins, these can grow to be over 60ft tall, and during the hours of dawn, dusk, and daylight, as well as during full and gibbous moons, this particular mangrove can become invisible by bending strong light sources around its bushess; they can only be truly seen at night time and only when the moonlight is scarce. Many coastal tribes and fishing villages make these mangroves their homes due to their large size and their ability to grow hundreds of feet into the ocean like a jetty of sorts. These coastal tribes-folk enjoy being able to fish from their own homes and balconies while benefiting from natural shade from the hot sun. Giant Nightshadow Mangroves are indigenous to areas that are least affected by tides, so typically these grow close to the equator and do not migrate towards the poles.
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Oh wow, I love these two in particular!
229. Chronolichen
This cream-white and light-blue colored lichen prefers to grow on cavernous ceilings in moist, damp caverns, especially near underground waterfalls that produce mist and fog. Instinctively, every 24 hours on the exact second, this lichen produces a white and light-blue phosphorescent glow for exactly 1 hour, allowing creatures and plants nearby to have circadian rhythm.
Perhaps it responds to ultraviolet wavelengths passing through the earth from the distant sun, either to large doses of it, causing it to 'glow' in response at exactly noon, when the energy is most intense, or in reaction to a dearth of UV, so that it instead begins to glow at exactly midnight, when the UV is at it's lowest because the sun is furthest away?
230. Echo-Reflection Spider
This spider exclusively preys upon cavernous creatures that use Echolocation and Sound for navigating the Underdark, as its web is designed to reflect and bounce sound in such a way as to confuse them into landing into the web. The Echolocation-using victim produces its sound, but instead of mapping the surrounding area properly with the reflecting sound, the victim sees a "cone of safe space to fly" that leads directly to the web. This spider feeds upon any creature that ends up in its web, but is especially adept at killing bats.
I like the side-notion of a spider that twangs it's taut-strung webs as bats are flying by to create disorienting 'music' that spoofs their sonar and makes them more likely to fly into the webs and become lunch!
"I hear banjos. Paddle faster!"
237. Firefrogs These tiny plain-colored tree frogs live in symbiosis with a luminescent bacteria that colonize their mouths. When they open their mouths late at night, a pale light shines forth (various pastel shades of green, blue and violet have been observed), and attracts small insects, which they snatch out of the air with their tongues and devour, the insect providing nourishment both to the frog and the bacteria colony inhabiting it's mouth. Due to the bacteria producing more light the more it is fed, firefrogs keep an insect stored away in their cheek as they sleep over the day, and then begin crushing it in their mouth at the start of the night so that the bacteria can begin to feed and glow, otherwise they will start the night with no 'glow.' Once they have attracted a few insects, their glow will be most intense, and they will begin to seek out other brightly glowing frogs to mate, with the brightest glows indicating the most successful feeders with the healthiest bacterial colonies. And then, as the night winds down, they'll catch one more insect and stuff it in their cheek 'for later,' so as to start the whole process again tomorrow night.