Hotworm

The Hotworm is a little worm-like being which lives in very hot areas, preferring those with volcanic activity. Its stone-like skin has a reddish color, which seems to shift and shine, matching the temperatures in the surroundings. The Hotworm actually radiates heat to its surroundings.

COMBAT
Damage done by a Hotworm is never done on purpose, they don't even fight back if attacked, although adventurerers have many times cursed these little beasts when they walked through volcanic areas. The hotworms can always be seen as a living carpet lying on the ground in the warmest area, covering an area of about 15 * 15 feet, while they are feeding on the minerals which the ground contains. They are easy to avoid, since they move very slowly, but if someone happends to step on such a carpet of Hotworms by accident, that person suffers 2d6 points of damage for each step taken on the carpet ( ironshoed boots halves the damage ). If anyone is foolish enough to touch a Hotworm barehanded, he will suffer 1d4 points of heat damage. Furthermore, if anyone should pick up a Hotworm without any protection against heat or fire, he will suffer 2d4 points of damage for each round he is holding the worm, and will probably end up with a scorched hand after 3 rounds which will then be useless for a day or so.

HABITAT/SOCIETY
Hotworms don't take interest in their surroundings, they only live to feed themselves on the volcanic minerals in the groun below them, so the only problem they can give, besides covering a tunnelfloor and prevent easy travel, is if you happend to carry large quantities of minerals. In this case, all Hotworms in the area will crawl towards you at maximum speed ( although that's not so fast ). All Hotworms are asexually, a single Hotworm reproduces once a month by suddenly and without warning splitting into two identical Hotworms. This can only take place when the surrounding heat comes above 100 °C and the Hotworm is well-fed.

ECOLOGY
Clever adventureres have found a few ways to use the Hotworms. If about 10-15 of them are kept in a fire- and heatproof box and are fed regularly, they will generate enough heat to keep a small room warm during the winter. Such a Heat-Generater can cost as much as 1500 GP at the open market. Another way to use the worms, is to release them in volcanic areas, where there will be a 5% chance each day ( not cumultative ) that you will see them dig up some interesting minerals, like Platunim, Mithrill metals or Rock Chrystal, which can be mined, provided the Hotworms don't eat it.