Lock Lurker
The bane of thieves, lock lurkers are tiny creatures that are often placed among coinage to guard against intruders, although they have been known to be found in boots (particularly magic boots found in treasure piles), as well as under inkwells and pillows.
Most are copper in appearance but around 20% appear silver and 5% appear gold), and resemble a common piece of smooth, heavy currency. They have two rows of retractable, tiny legs on their undersides, as well as an iris of razor-sharp teeth, not unlike the mouth of an octopus. It's stinger is lightning fast, but usually remains hidden in the Ethereal plane.
Ethereal Stinger: The stinger targets creatures in both the Material Plane or the Ethereal Plane (until used the stinger resides in the Ethereal Plane). A target that is stung must make a Constitution check or be stunned for d2 rounds. In addition, any target stung by the stinger must make a save vs. poison or be poisoned and under an effect similar to a Slow spell. Creatures that fail the first saving throw must roll again at the end of the next round. If the second saving throw fails then the target is paralyzed in a rigid state for d6 hours time. This paralysis is a rigid muscle lock affecting all extremeties. A victim cannot be easily manipulated and can easily be hurt if moved. A lock lurker can sting 2d4+40 times per day before running out of poison, but their venom sacks and any food ingested are kept on the Ethereal Plane.
Ethereal Shift: A lock lurker can draw or withdraw its stinger, poison sacks and stomach from the Ethereal Plane to the Material Plane, but can not bring its entire body into the Ethereal Plane.
Basic Information
Ecology and Habitats
Lock lurkers are hermaphroditic, thus when two adult lurkers meet in the wild they mate, then go on their separate ways. The female lurker then lays a sack of d12x10 tiny eggs (60% of which are fertile), which hatch in d6 weeks, typically producing 3d6 offspring (which in turn eat the unhatched eggs and sometimes each other until they are fully formed and mobile). Adolescent lurkers have only 1 hit point and are the size of very small coins (they mature in two years time). Wizards are known to collect lurkers found in the wild to breed them).
Lurkers are usually placed as guards, but when one escapes into the wild, it does not so much hunt as lurk. Like some spiders, lurkers seem to prefer to lair in civilized areas, preying on insects, rodents, and other small pests.
Lurker venom is valued as an ingredient in inks, potions, and processes concerned with slow effects. Their bodies are a preferred ingredient in oil of etherealness, too, and a largely intact body is worth 2 gp (6 gp if the stinger is intact). Lock lurker venom (a clear, gummy fluid that smells like seaweed) brings about 10 gp per flask. Lurker egg sacks bring about 25 gp on the open market.
