Khedar was walking through the woods with his companions and happened to spot a curiousity – a golden necklace with a huge ruby pendant hanging inside the hollow bole of a tree. Being possessed of equal doses of caution and greed, as is generally requisite for adventurers, he picked up a stick to prod the necklace in an attempt to get it out. At this point, the trap was sprung.
The edges of the hole collapsed down onto the stick, followed by the waft of a horrid rotting smell. From the hole erupted a huge, waxy, yellow form, which proceeded to gobble its way up the stick and onto Khedar’s arm. He began screaming in horror and waving his arm wildly, while the monster extended its full length and chewed its way up to his shoulder, flinging its mandibles wide as several fangs erupted from its lips and sank deep into the meat of his shoulder. Khedar’s scream cut off abruptly as a tranquil look came over his face.
Khedar told his companions that everything was fine, not to worry, and then flexed his consumed arm, now skinned with the full length of a giant slug (the stick was nowhere to be seen. The tail formed two fingers and a thumb, which Khedar used to grip a rock and fling it several hundred yards over the tops of the trees. He turned to his friends and smiled broadly if somewhat distantly, which is when the smell hit the rest of the party.
Over the next few weeks, Khedar’s strength was greatly increased with his new limb, so much so that he switched sword hands to better slice open goblin skulls, but the stench and sight of the slug where his arm once was meant he spent a lot of nights sleeping in barns outside the inns his companions were carousing in.
One morning, though, he awoke to find the slug turning a sickly pale color and going completely stiff and immobile. For two days, the slug seemed to be dying. The slug’s skin turned translucent, under which Khedar could see movement around what he was shocked to realize were the bones of his arm. The remains of the slug finally started to moult a few mornings later. Once the connection with the fangs was broken, Khedar screamed in revulsion and was compelled to run, straight from bed, into the forest, where he yanked off the remains from his side. Hundreds of tiny slug babies burst out and squirmed off into the forest.
After blinking in horror and wonder for a moment, Khedar noticed his arm, which was simply bone and tendon, hardened beyond iron and fully mobile. As he articulated his new ghastly limb, a jangling sound accompanied a golden necklace sliding down his arm to his wrist.
Slug Arm
Slugs hide at eye-level, mouth agape, with a shiny bit of bait hanging in their throats (either imitated with biology or actual purloined treasure). Will attempt to swallow an arm in order to digest its meat to feed its unborn young. Sinks fangs to deliver narcotic and uses telepathy to manipulate the host into acceptance and gratitude. If the trap doesn’t work, slug will either try to scurry off or continue to try for arms, legs or even head. Legs are uncommon but have similar effects to below. Head will almost certainly mean death but you do you, Discerning GM.
While adult slug is still intact on an arm, +2 STR for checks involving that arm. Horrible stench and disgusting sight generally makes you persona non grata in society, functionally -3 CHA. Require twice the rations daily for duration. Lasts 1d4+2 weeks. Due to telepathic bond, the host will allow no harm to come to the slug (2 HD, high AC).
In moulting phase, arm is totally stiff and unusable. Lasts 1d4 days.
After adult has died, only bones and tendons remain up to the shoulder, but they’re as usable as a normal arm. Bones and tendons are as strong as steel. Permanent +1 STR for checks involving that arm. Arm looks both ghastly/horrific and also rad as hell, YMMV on reaction checks.