Flawder

Flawder are peaceful, snail-like nomads which live in aquatic environments. They look much like upright snails, but do not have spiral shells. Their shells are quite beautiful. Each tribe has a different, distinctive pattern and color combination.

Flawder have two eyes, which bob at the tips of eyestalks sprouting from their heads. Below the eyestalks is a pair of tentacles, which they use to feed themselves and to wield tools or weapons. A flawder’s mouth is a round hole with several rows of blunt teeth inside.

Flawder speak their own language, a beautiful, musical tongue.

Combat: Flawder prefer to avoid combat, but will fight to defend themselves and their tribe. Only about half of the flawder encountered will be armed, and the others will flee at any sign of trouble, fighting only if cornered. An unarmed flawder can bite for 1-2 points of damage at -1 to its attack rolls.

For every 20 flawier encountered, there will be a 2 HD group leader. This leader will use spells as a 2nd-level wizard. A tribe has a 3 HD chief who is a 3rd-level spellcaster. DMs should choose spells randomly from the schools of abjuration, conjuration/summoning, divination, or enchantment/charm.

All flawder have exceptionally tough shells. While they are Armor Class 7 to frontal attacks, their shells are AC -3.

Habitat/Society: Flawder live in small, nomadic tribes which travel the floors of seas or large lakes. They do not swim, but slide along the ground. They cannot breathe air, and will “drown” after 3-12 minutes out of water. A flawder chief rules absolutely, normally leading the others about in search of food. In rare instances, a chief will lead the tribe to attack a particularly dangerous predator.

A flawder chief will sometimes (20%) have a familiar. A familiar might be a normal fish, crab, lobster, cuttlefish, squid, or sea horse; roll on a d6 to determine which. All familiars have good, wide-angle vision, and all can sense underwater sounds or vibrations from great distances. Crabs, lobsters, and some fish can attack for 1-2 points of damage. Cuttlefish and squid can release inky clouds, blinding opponents for 1-2 rounds. All are 6-18” long and have the same statistics as those listed in the 2nd Edition Player’s Handbook under the find familiar spell.

The spells of the flawder leaders are inscribed on flat pieces of shell about 6” in diameter. All the leaders share this “spell book”, which is carried in a small net by a specially chosen common flawder. Tribes may also carry 1-20 similar shells on which they have recorded histories, legends, and songs.

Flawder are hermaphrodites. With the participation of another adult, any flawder can produce 3-12 soft eggs which will hatch in 6 weeks. They can reproduce at any time, and their young grow to adulthood in 6 months. An immature flawder has the same statistics as a normal adult, but is only 1-3’ tall. They reproduce often, leaving eggs at many places throughout their territory, which helps preserve their race and replenish their easily decimated population.

Flawder are nervous around almost any other aquatic race, but will sometimes associate with tritons, mermen, or aquatic elves.

Barring predators, flawder can live for up to 40 years.

Ecology: Flawder artifacts consist only of their writing shells and their flint daggers.

Flawder are quite tasty, and are therefore hunted by many other races, including unknowing or less civilized intelligent beings.

If they travel or are transported to a place without predators, they will reproduce at an alarming rate, eating all plant matter in the area, upsetting the normal ecosystem and causing the eventual death by starvation of the tribe.

Though they collect no treasure, they swallow small rocks to aid digestion. Any flawder has a 10% chance to have 1-4 rough gemstones in its gullet. These, plus their fine shells which can sell for up to 500 gp, also serve to make them desirable as prey.