A Sore for Sight Eyes: The Gazeball

David VC descirbes “A Gazeball, a floating eye/gas spore hybrid that paralyzes you and drains your Intelligence until it explodes, after which 0-2 new gazeballs emerge from your skull...” For Dave and your reading (and gaming) pleasure, I therefore present:

Gazeball: Init –2; Atk Slam +2 melee (1d3) or infect –4 melee (0); AC 8; HD 4d8; fly MV 10’; Act 1d20; SP symbiotic spores, reproductive spores, slime, infestation, explosion, immune to mind-affecting, half damage from bludgeoning; SV Fort –5, Ref –4, Will –2; AL N.

A gazeball is a fungal horror which appears to be a large eye, floating in midair, perhaps due to some form of levitation. Rhizomatic growths at its apex appear almost like a crown of eyes, each at the end of a short tentacle-like growth. In fact, pustulant sacs in the gazeball’s mass create a volatile gas that provides lift, and the “crown of eyes” are designed to incubate, and eject the spores of, a secondary symbiotic fungi. The gazeball can shoot a line of symbiotic spores up to 30’ (Ref save DC 15 or suffer 1d3 temporary Agility damage).

When a target is paralyzed, or can barely move due to the symbiotic spores, the gazeball uses another growth to deposit its own spores on the victim. These spores are laid in a thick coat of slime over the victim’s face. The slime can be broken down by alcohol, or dissolves on its own after a period of 2d10 minutes. While the slime is present, the victim is blinded. During this period, the spores travel into the victim’s skull, where they infest the brain (a DC 20 Fort save prevents this from occurring). If the slime is washed off within the first 10 rounds, the victim gains a +1 to +10 bonus to the save, with the highest bonus indicated it is washed off within a single round.

The gazeball’s spores cause 1d3 Intelligence damage immediately upon infestation, and then cause 1d3-1 points of Intelligence damage each day thereafter. When damage causes a PC to fall to 10 Intelligence or less, the character’s entire head becomes tender. Thereafter, there is visible cranial swelling. If a victim falls to 0 Intelligence, roll 1d3-1. On a result of 1-2, the victim’s skull explodes, revealing new gazeballs equal to the number rolled (1 or 2) with 1 HD each. On a roll of “0”, the victim manages to defeat the infection, and slowly returns to normal. Otherwise, the infection can only be cured by magic or clerical healing (4 HD result or better).

A gazeball’s slam attack is only used in self-defence. The fungal creature is not looking for a meal, but for the chance to reproduce.

Finally, when damaged there is a percentage chance equal to the total damage taken that a gazeball will explode due to the weakening of the gas pustules. This causes 1d3 damage to all targets within 30’, who must also succeed in a DC 5 Fort save to avoid infestation with the gazeball’s spores. If there is an open flame within the radius of the blast, it causes a secondary explosion for 2d6 damage (Reflex save DC 10 for half damage; characters who take 6+ damage are set on fire). Each point of fire damage counts as 5 points when determining the chance of explosion.