Cornstalker

Description

The cornstalker is a short, lithe humanoid from an unknown outer plane. The cornstalker's body is completely void of any natural skin, but the uniform matt black of its muscles and bones gives it the appearance of an outer body covering. The cornstalker's wiry arms end in two sickle-like claws that are actually bony extensions of its ulna and radia and an opposable thumb similar in appearance to the claws only smaller. Its spindly legs each end in a foot consisting of two large round toes in front and a small talon behind. The cornstalker's head is sunk down between its shoulders. Two bony ridges protect its tiny, sunken eyes, and a similar ridge surrounds the cornstalker's mouth. Dozens of minute inward-pointing teeth situated inside are used to strip an entire corncob in one efficient motion.

Inhabitants of the prime-material plane rarely, if ever, see this form of the cornstalker; instead, they know the cornstalker as a horrible "shambling mound" of cornstalks. The actual cornstalker is folded up in a fetal position within a thick hide of cornstalks which closely resembles a shambling mound.

Cornstalkers are not violent if approached carefully; however, they have never been known to converse with anyone except some witches and even then it is in some strange, undecipherable tongue.

Combat

Immediately after the cornstalker arrives on the prime-material plane, it chooses a cornfield and sets about feeding and magically constructing a protective covering of cornstalks. (Use the alternate statistics when in this form.) This hide is formed of cornstalks magically bonded together and the this covering responds to the commands of the cornstalker. Initially, this protective hid has 8 Hit Dice. One Hit Die is added for each week the cornstalker spends feeding in the cornfield. (A cornstalker will rarely spend two months or more in a cornfield.) While so protected, the cornstalker is 90% undetectable by visual means (including infra-vision) as long as it remains in a cornfield. In addition, the cornstalker can collapse its hide at will, becoming completely undetectable by normal means even if trod underfoot.

Although normally passive, the cornstalker is far from defenseless, and if forced into combat, the cornstalker will attack with two arm-like appendages formed out of the cornstalker's protective covering. Blunt weapons will not harm the hide and edged weapons do the hide only one-half damage. Fire does double damage to the hide as well as igniting it. Of course, the fire may also ignite the entire cornfield.

The cornstalker itself cannot be harmed by weapons and most magic while within its protective hide. It can be attacked directly once its artificial skin is destroyed. When the hide has taken sufficient damage, the remaining layers will collapse to the ground with the cornstalker still hidden inside. The cornstalker is 25% likely to plane-travel back home at this point. Otherwise, it will erupt from the heap 2-5 rounds later, fight its tormentors until seriously wounded, and then plane-travel home. Outside its protective hide of cornstalks, the cornstalker is still a formidable opponent. It is immune to fire and electricity, takes half or no damage from cold and has 70% magic resistance. Additionally, it can only be harmed by magical weapons. None of the defenses just mentioned are transferred to the hide, and the hide should be treated as a separate monster when determining hit points and overall combat effectiveness. Only when the hide is destroyed do the statistics and defenses of the actual cornstalker become relevant.

Plant control and similar spells have no effect on the cornstalker or its hide. A successful dispel magic cast against the hide of the cornstalker (treat against 15th level magic) will disrobe the cornstalker, collapsing the magically bonded corn. Anti-magic and anti-plant shell have also proved effective in acquiring a similar effect.

Habitat/Society

Nothing is known about the cornstalker's home plane or its life there. Cornstalkers always appear as solitary creatures when on the prime-material plane. When they do appear on this plane, it is always to feed on the ripe corn of autumn. The first hint that a cornstalker is present is usually an eerie glow of blue-white hue and a brief flurry of whirling cornstalks originating from the middle of the cornfield. This is the cornstalker forming its protective hide of cornstalks.

Peasants have given the cornstalker an undeserved reputation as an evil and malignant creature. Too often, the oppressed farmer sets off to track down the perpetrator destroying his crop, only to be slain by the cornstalker after the farmer attacks it. Other times, the resting cornstalker awakens to find its potential meal being destroyed by harvesting farmers and becomes quite angry. (Yes, it works both ways.) In its attempt to simply stop the destruction of its food, the cornstalker inadvertently discovers the frailty of the human body.

Quite a legend has grown up (bad pun intended) around the cornstalker. Farmers and sages alike are left to ponder the aftermath of a cornstalker's visit. The usual explanation is that some evil spirit invaded the cornfield in order to create chaos and mischief, although the exact legend will vary from culture to culture or even community to community. Some sages speculate that cornstalker are the creations of a powerful Ravenloft lord and were once used to beleaguer "his" citizens. These same sages further contend that one or two cornstalkers escaped that realm and now roam the outer planes. Although there is little direct evidence to corroborate this theory, witches, who garner their powers from outer planer creatures, seem to have a strange kinship with cornstalkers. The exact nature of this relationship is unknown -- witches and warlocks are secretive about most things and this is no exception.

Ecology

Cornstalkers are not of this world and have no natural place in it. They are a bane to corn-farmers but normally do not interact with and avoid beings of the prime-material. The cornstalker will strip about 10-15 cornstalks a day from normal feeding.

When a cornstalker departs the prime-material, it leaves behind its protective hide of corn; the magical bonds keeping the cornstalks intact for about a week before it looses its magic and the cornstalks break apart and decompose. These magically bonded "carcasses" are of great value to alchemists and researching mages if they are brought to them fresh and undamaged. Such a "carcass" will bring anywhere from 2,000-4,000 g.p.

The cornstalker has no known natural enemies -- except the occasional irate farmer.