| Tiny Aberration | |
|---|---|
| Hit Dice: | ½d8 (2 hp) |
| Initiative: | +4 (Dex) |
| Speed: | 15 ft. (3 squares) |
| Armour Class: | 16 (+2 size, +4 Dex), touch 16, flat-footed 12 |
| Base Attack / Grapple: | +0/-11 |
| Attack: | Touch +6 melee (attach) |
| Full Attack: | Touch +6 melee (attach) |
| Space/Reach: | 2½ ft./0 ft. |
| Special Attacks: | Attach, parasitism, puppetry |
| Special Qualities: | Detect thoughts |
| Saves: | Fort +0, Ref +4, Will +3 |
| Abilities: | Str 5, Dex 19, Con 11, Int 1, Wis 12, Cha 12. |
| Skills: | Listen +2, Spot +2 |
| Feats: | Weapon Finesse |
| Environment: | Any land or underground |
| Organisation: | Solitary or cluster (2-5) |
| Challenge Rating: | 2 |
| Treasure: | None |
| Alignment: | Usually neutral evil |
| Advancement: | 1 HD (Tiny); 2 HD (Small) |
| Level Adjustment: | — |
Friendleeches are parasitic organisms of uncertain origin that grant their hosts greater physical strength, albeit at a tremendous psychic cost.
The friendleech is like a flatworm in outline, although it has a cluster of five tentacles at either end of its pale blue, unsegmented, fluke-shaped body. It typically measures two feet in length and three inches in width, and has no eyes or mouth. Its tentacles appear to be the closest thing it has to sensing organs. The friendleech reproduces by budding; it has a number of warts sprouting from its head. These warts are immature friendleeches hive off every two months.
Friendleeches are only semi-intelligent and thus have no language of their own and are incapable of speech.
Combat
Friendleeches are not effective physical combatants unless they are attached to larger creatures.
Attach (Ex): If a friendleech scores a successful touch attack, it latches onto the opponent's body. An attached friendleech has an AC of 12, but holds on with great tenacity. Friendleeches have a +12 racial bonus on grapple checks (already figured into the Base Attack/Grapple entry above).
An attached friendleech can be struck with a weapon or grappled itself. To remove an attached friendleech through grappling, the opponent must achieve a pin against the friendleech.
Parasitism (Su): As soon as it attaches itself to a target, the friendleech grants its victim a +2 enhancement bonus to Strength. However, for every day it remains attached, the host must make a Fortitude save (DC 11) or take 1d4 points of Wisdom and Charisma damage. Furthermore, the host must make a Will save (DC 11) to notice this ability score damage.
Puppetry (Su): If its host's Wisdom or Charisma scores have been reduced to 0, then the friendleech is able to assume direct control of its victim's body. The puppet remains unconscious throughout this ideal, either in a catatonic state or a nightmare-filled sleep, depending on which of its Wisdom and Charisma scores are at 0. For the purposes of determining the effects of this state on the host creature's abilities, refer to the magic jar spell in Core Rulebook I. During this time the friendleech does not instruct the puppet to eat or drink, remaining attached until its host dies or a new host can be found.
Detect Thoughts (Su): Friendleeches are telepathic, and their ability to find potential hosts can be considered equivalent to a continually active detect thoughts spell.