Vugoo
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Size/Type | Small Humanoid |
| Hit Dice | ½d8 (2 hp) |
| Initiative | +0 |
| Speed | 20 ft. (4 squares) |
| Armor Class | 12 (+1 size, +1 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 12 |
| Base Attack/Grapple | +0/-7 |
| Attack | Hand axe -2 melee (1d4-3); or sling +0 ranged (1d3-3) |
| Full Attack | Hand axe -2 melee (1d4-3); or sling +0 ranged (1d3-3) |
| Space/Reach | 5 ft./5 ft. |
| Special Attacks | ― |
| Special Qualities | Darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, light sensitivity, mind link |
| Saves | Fort +0, Ref +2, Will +1 |
| Abilities | Str 4, Dex 11, Con 10, Int 5, Wis 12, Cha 7 |
| Skills | Hide +2, Move Silently +2, Spot +1 |
| Feats | Run |
| Environment | Underground |
| Organization | Gang (4–9), band (10–15), or tribe (16–100 plus 1 psion of 2nd-4th level per 32 adults) |
| Challenge Rating | 1/6 |
| Treasure | No coins; 50% goods; no items |
| Alignment | Always lawful neutral |
| Advancement | By character class |
| Level Adjustment | +0 |
Description
An ugly little humanoid with a stooped posture shuffles forward, holding a crude weapon in its hands. It has a protruding belly and an overly large head that curves back across its goitered neck. Its brown flesh has only a sparse covering of hair.
Physically, the vugoo is less than impressive. They have stooped shoulders, a protruding belly and short, knobby limbs. Their heads somewhat resemble a large, slightly curved bean, bending back over their scrawny, goitered neck. Although they wear little in the way of garb other than a breach cloth, their tough, mud-colored flesh provides a measure of protection against wounds. The vugoo tribes live off roots, tubers, mushrooms, seeds, insects, and small game. They will consume just about anything they can readily catch.
Due to their unusual mental nature, when several vugoo are within 100 ft. of each other they are able to link mentally and increase their collective intelligence. When alone, they are very dull-witted creatures and barely able to employ the weapons they carry. As more vugoo gather together, however, they grow craftier and are able to employ improved tactics. In the presence of an entire tribe the vugoo can become very devious foes.
Combat
Vugoo are almost always found underground and they have adapted well to these dark surroundings. Their weapons are primitive, consisting of slings, flint-tipped axes, small spears, and knives. They sometimes wear animal hide wraps for protection, but they have never learned to make or employ shields.
Their mental link allows them to coordinate attacks even when out of sight of each other and their enemies. They have no leaders as such, relying instead on rapid consensus to make decisions.
Light Sensitivity (Ex): Vugoo are dazzled in daylight or within the radius of a daylight spell.
Mind Link (Ex): Due to their unusual mental nature, when several vugoo are within 100 ft. of each other they are able to link mentally and increase their collective intelligence. For each doubling of their numbers within the 100 ft. radius the intelligence of each vugoo increases by +2, up to a maximum of +10. They are also able to use this mind link as a form of telepathy to communicate silently with each other.
Vugoo Society
These diminutive creatures are almost always found gathered in small tribes within an underground mushroom forest. The vugoo live in hunter-gatherer tribes, and the only reason they achieved any degree of sophistication is due to their ability to join mentally with their fellows. This ability makes them collectively smarter than the sum of their parts, and in turn makes them more formidable in battle than you would otherwise expect.
Typically the vugoo tribes live in the shelter of a ring of mushrooms about a forest clearing. They know how to create fire and they can manufacture crude stone or bone tools and weapons. The crafts understood by vugoo tribesmen include basket weaving, weaving, leather-working, pottery, and trap-making. Their religion is primitive, usually involving some simple burial rites and the ritual killing and eating of their foes to please their ancestor spirits. The vugoo are mute, and they lack any form of written language.
Vugoo Characters
A Vugoo's favored class is barbarian. Vugoo psions are relatively common, but depend on the collective intelligence of their clan to employ many of their abilities.