BURBUR
by Ed Greenwood
FREQUENCY: Rare
NO. APPEARING: 1-4
ARMOR CLASS: 9
MOVE: 13?
HIT DICE: 1-1
% IN LAIR: Nil
TREASURE TYPE: Nil
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 bite (vs. mosses,
slimes, and molds only)
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 2-8 (targets
as above)
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Nil
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Immunities; also
see below
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard
INTELLIGENCE: Animal to low
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
SIZE: S (6 inches to 1? long)
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
Attack/Defense Modes: Nil
LEVEL/X.P. VALUE: I/14 + 1/hp
Burburs are small, curious-looking worm-
like creatures with large, glistening black
eyes, sucking tube-mouths of considerable
dexterity, tiny forelegs like
a sprite?s that
can climb, grip, and manipulate objects,
and a body that swells up like a balloon
when the animal is engorged.
Burburs are always hungry, and
consists entirely of slimes, molds, and
mosses - including all the sorts that are
highly dangerous to most other creatures. A
burbur can eat such things as olive slime,
green slime, obliviax moss, or brown, yel-
low, and russet molds (and any spores
produced by any of the above) without
harm to itself, and indeed prizes these deli-
cacies, attacking them in preference to more
common varieties of the species.
A burbur is immune to the attacks of
yellow musk creepers, zygoms, and violet
fungi, but does not find these things edible.
It is affected normally by oozes, jellies,
poisonous vapors, and other creatures or
spell attacks.
Burburs wander constantly in search of
food, and are sometimes encountered feed-
ing in groups of 1-4. They are valued by
adventurers, who may pay up to 1,000 gp
for a healthy specimen. They are docile
companions, and will not attack their keep-
ers, or stray, so long as they are fed regu-
larly (a full meal at least once a day). Once
every dozen years or so, a burbur will swell
up to double size, develop a second mouth
and set of legs, and split into two smaller
burburs. The creatures are ivory to yellow
in color, and are able to absorb or give off
moisture through their skins. They have a
spicy body odor, somewhat similar to the
smell of cinnamon.