Feeblestar

Feeblestars are small, five-legged starfish found only in the deeper parts of the ocean. Gray-green in color, they are about four inches in diameter from leg tip to leg tip when fully grown.

Combat: The normal feeblestar poses little threat to most marine life other than deep-sea mussels and clams. On shellfish, however, the feeblestar feasts well. Like other starfish, the feeblestar wraps its five legs around the shells of its prey, but rather than solely using brute strength to pry the shell open, the feeble star produces an enzyme that substantially weakens the creature inside. After a time, the feeblestar is able to much more easily pry the shellfish open and feast on the animal inside.

Habitat/Society: Normal feeblestars can be found in large colonies that inhabit the deeper levels of the ocean floor, feeding on the same clams and mussels that other starfish do. They are not as large or colorful as some other starfish, but this perhaps spares them from being consumed by predators, which prefer the feeblestars’ more brightly-colored cousins.

Ecology: The normal feeblestar is a natural creature of the deep oceans, existing as a part of the food chain there. Feeblestars reproduce as other starfish do, and they can survive the loss of one of their limbs, regrowing it in time.

Kuo-toan feeblestars

The kuo-toa long ago discovered the useful properties of feeblestars and began breeding them in special farms in their communities. The kuo-toan feeblestar has been magically modified so that it is larger, approximately eight inches in diameter when fully grown. In addition, this magic has resulted in a variety of feeblestar that has a much more potent enzyme, which is quite useful to the fish men as explained below. Depending on the size of the kuo-toan community, as many as sixty feeblestars – both adults and the much smaller adolescent varieties – can be found in the breeding cages at any given time.

The enhanced enzyme of the feeblestar affects more than just shellfish; it is strong enough to affect any creature of up to Medium size that fails a saving throw vs. poison. First, the enzyme weakens the victim with an effect identical to the 2nd-level wizard spell, ray of enfeeblement. Thus, the victim suffers from a Strength reduced to 5, with a -2 penalty to attack rolls and a -1 damage roll penalty. In addition, the enzyme secreted by the kuo-toan feeblestar creates an effect identical to the 4th-level wizard spell, emotion, specifically the sense of hopelessness.

The kuo-toans use their special breed of feeblestar when they go raiding for slaves in the territories of their enemies, finding that the feeblestars make their captives very docile and easy to control and transport. Attaching the feeblestars the to back of the necks of their new captives, they weaken them sufficiently to render them ineffective in combat. As well, the sense of hopelessness caused by the feeblestar makes the slave submit to the demands of their captors without any ability or desire to resist.

Prying a kuo-toan feeblestar from the neck of a victim kills the feeblestar, and the effects of its enzyme wear off 1d4 turns after removal.