Spider Cactus

The spider cactus sits unmoving until a victim or victims are within range. Anyone that moves within 15’ of this deadly cactus is subject to attacks from its tethered projectile needles. Spider cacti can sense living creatures and anything with liquid. The spider cactus has 5-8 sets of barbed purple projectile needles and 3-18 larger green feeding needles. It always attacks with a set of 8 purple needles. They attack only one victim at a time. It takes three mintes to pull strands which miss back in and a full day before they can fire again. If some of the strands are severed, it does not use that set again until all eight are restored. Damaged needles regrow at the rate of three per week. In combat, the cactus first fires a set of purple needles, attempting to capture a victim. The victim is then dragged to the body and impaled on the feeding needles. The cactus feeds until it has drained all available liquid from the victim, and then releases the husk. Each cactus in range attacks with its purple projectile needles which can cause paralysis. The spider cacti are competitive - if one victim is in range of several cacti, it is fought over by all of them. If one victim is snared by several cacti, the cactus with the most needles in him is the one that finally gets him. However, the other cacti pull as long as they can until their needles finally rip out.

The spider cactus grows in patches, usually along roads where there is food. The spider cactus blooms when it rains, and within the same day thousands of eight-frond seeds are released. The first seed to hit the ground is the only one to sprout, quickly absorbing any liquid in the air. This means that a spider cactus patch usually only gains one new plant for every rainstorm. A young spider cactus grows at a rate of one foot a month until it reaches full growth.

Sand cacti have few natural enemies. It is perhaps the only creature that can even feed on kanks. If the needles are rendered ineffective (fire is the most likely way of doing this), the cactus can be tapped for its liquid. It produces a honey-like liquid, similar to the product of erdlu eggs. Up to a gallon of this liquid can be tapped from a spider cactus. This liquid provides both food and water. A gallon of this liquid can be used to replace one gallon of water, or it can be used to provide nourishment for up to four man-sized beings for one day.