FREQUENCY: Rare
FREQUENCY: Rare ([Temperate Wilderness Forest])
FREQUENCY: Very rare ([Temperate Wilderness Swamp])
NO. APPEARING: 1-5
ARMOR CLASS: [SB]
MOVE: [SB]
HIT DICE: 2 to 6
% IN LAIR: 100%
TREASURE TYPE: [SB]
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1 point
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Lignification
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Immune to certain spells (see below)
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard
INTELLIGENCE: Non-
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
SIZE: S (2-3' across)
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
    Attack/Defense Modes: Nil
LEVEL/X.P. VALUE:
    1 HD = II | 45 + 1
    2 HD = III | 65 + 2
    3 HD = III | 90 + 3
    4 HD = III | 125 + 4
    5 HD = IV | 165 + 5
    6 HD = V | 275 + 6

Barkburrs: Barkburrs are a form of animated plant that arise spontaneouslywithin
a wood or forest in ordertodefend it. They are anatomically
similar to limpets, having a very hard, woody carapace (armor class 0)
which shields a soft woody interior (armor class 8).

They will always be encountered in their lair, which will consist of 1 or
more oddly shaped trees (the metamorphosed remains of past victims;
see below). The barkburrs attach themselves to a tree where they are
very hard to distinguish from ordinary burrs. Only druids and rangers
have anychance of recognizing a barkburrforwhat it is(4%chance plus
1% per level). Such lairs will normally be on pathsthrough a wood where
travellers are likely to pass.

Barkburrs are extremely sensitive to actions which conflict with the
interests of the forest they live in and are capable of detecting such an
act (basically anything which a druid would find abhorrent) occurring
within a radius of 1 mile. Theywill attackany humanoid creature coming
within 20 feet if it has performed such an act within a radius of 1 mile
and/or if its alignment includes an evil component.

A barkburr attacks by leaping suddenlyfrom the supporting tree towards
its intended victim who may be up to 20 feet away. Because of its
camouflage it will always gain surprise unless recognized. It will
attemptto attach itssoft underside to the victim's body and then insert a
sharp, barbed tube (inflicting 1 point of damage). For determining the
success or failure of this whole attack routine (which takes but a single
round) it should be treated as a single attack by a 6 hit dice monster.

If the attack fails, the barkburr falls to the ground where it is practically
helpless (see below). If the attack succeeds, in the next round the
barkburr will begin to inject a lignifying poison into the victim. This
injection will continue for up to 2 rounds plus 1 round for each of the
barkburr's hit dice. Each round the victim must save vs. poison or
lignification will set in. Lignification involves a rapid transformation of
the victim into a small tree: feet become roots, body and legs the trunk,
and head and arms branches. The transformation takes 1 turn, and once
started it will not cease even if the barkburr is killed and/or removed.
Most of the victim's equipment close to his body(c1othes. armor, etc.) is
enclosed by bark, but some (e.g., a sword, a shield or a ring) may remain
hanging from a branch or be caught in the roots. Of the gear which is
enclosed, all but magical items, gold, silver, platinum, and gemswill be
absorbed into the wood of the tree over a period of 2-7 hours

A barkburr may be removed from its victim (before or after lignification
has set in) by killing it, applying fire, or by force. Attacks on the barkburr
are made against its armor class 0 carapace, and attacks which miss
should be rolled again against the victim's armor class. The application
of fire has a 15% cumulative chance per round of dislodging the bark-
burr, which takes only 1 point of fire damage per round from fire applied
to the outer carapace, but the victim will take fire damage unless protected.
It is not possible to remove a barkburr by pulling it directly away
from the victim, but pulling or pushing it sideways will succeed if a roll of
5d10 or less than the total strength being applied. This latter method will
inflict 1-10 points of damage on the character, if successful, as the
barbed poison needle is torn out. A maximum of 3 people, including the
victim, can act together to attempt to remove a barkburr in this way.

On the ground a barkburr is almost helpless; unable to leap from this
position, it can only crawl at 1 /2" and is easily flipped over to reveal its
armor class 8 underside. Fire applied to the underside inflicts normal
damage.

Since they have no minds as such, barkburrs are immune to spells such
as charm monster or sleep.

Once lignification has set in the barkburr will cease injecting poison and
use the victim as a platform from which to launch an attackon any other
eligible victim within 20 feet. Note, however, that a barkburr is only
capable of injecting poison for a total of 2 rounds plus 1 round per hit die
each day. Note also that the poison is only effective if injected by a
barkburr.

Once lignified, a creature begins a further transformation into a form
which is safe from the point of view of the wood. This process takes as
many days as the victim has levels or hit dice, and during this time the
victim remains helpless in tree form (having armor class 10 and its
original number of hit points). At the end of the period the victim either
remains fixed in its tree form or undergoes a rapid metamorphosis into a
woodland creature or a druid. The final form adopted is determined by
rolling a percentile die and consulting the following table:
 

01-50	ordinary healthy tree (which grows to full size within 3 months)
51-70	adult badger
71-80	adult giant weasel
81-90	treant (7 HD)
91+	druid (1st level, abilities: S, I, D, Co - as before; W14, CH16)

A creature who adopts any final form other than that of the druid will
have no desire whatever to leave the wood and will resist attempts to
make him do so.

Only a full wish will restore a creature to its original form once the
transformation is completed. While the transformation is still in progress,
however, the victim may be restored by means of a wish, limited
wish, polymorph other, turn wood or plant growth (cast backwards).
Neutralize poison has a 30% chance of success plus 5% per level of the
caster. Note that any of these spells (including neutralize poison) will
negate the initial lignification process if cast before it is completed (Le.,
within 1 turn). Cure disease, remove curse, dispelmagic, etc., will have
no effect. Restored creatures will have lost 1 level or hit die for each full
day spent in tree form.

Barkburrs grow as a result of absorbing the energy levels of their
victims, and they reproduce by budding. There is a 50% chance that a 6
hit dice barkburr will have 1 or 2 2-hit dice offspring budding from it
which will attack independently.

Direburrs: Unwholesome woods and forests will produce direburrs that
will attack any humanoid coming within 20 feet regardless of his past
actionsoralignment. The resultsof theirattacksarethesame asforthe
ordinary barkburr except thatthe final form adopted bya lignifiedvictim
is always a dry, dead, leafless tree which cannot be restored by any
means short of a full wish. Otherwise, direburrs are identical to barkburrs
in all respects.