Crystal Critter

Found in and around caves, particularly ones where gems and crystals can be mined, crystal critters are among the most friendly of subterranean creatures. Their pure white bodies are pudgy and oval shaped, and are slightly smaller than a grown human's hand. Despite living in caves, their large, watery black eyes are not bothered by daylight, and so these creatures will sometimes venture a short ways out of their cave homes. An array of microscopic suction cups on the creature's six, tiny, rounded feet allow it to scuttle along cave walls and ceilings, and the crystal growths that sprout from their backs come in a wide variety of pastel colors, emitting a very faint light in the dark caves they call home.

Crystal critters are extremely docile, spending their days nibbling dirt off of cave walls and then snuggling together for naps once they've eaten their fill. Friendly by nature, crystal critters have been known to approach humanoids and nuzzle them in greeting, before quickly scuttling away to snack on the loose dirt kicked up by those humanoid's footsteps. Sadly, this friendly behavior towards humanoids has resulted in a large majority of crystal critter colonies being decimated by poachers looking to harvest the crystals that grow on these creature's backs.

While far too friendly towards humanoids for their own good, crystal critters are smart enough to avoid creatures that are more obviously dangerous. When a purple worm, an umber hulk or a blue dragon is burrowing nearby, crystal critters will be quick to flee, rapidly wriggling their bodies to burrow their own escape routes. Mines that operate near crystal critter colonies will often use the movements of these creatures to determine if their current mining direction is currently free of subterranean monsters.

With the DM’s permission, a person who casts the find familiar spell can choose to conjure a crystal critter instead of one of the creatures listed in the spell's description.


Creator's Note: Yes, this creature was inspired by the Pokémon; Snom, and it's popularity in the Pokémon community. For DMs that have a highly chaotic party that loves cute things but also desperately needs more money, I recommend having them encounter a colony of crystal critters and enjoy watching them agonize over whether to kill them for profit or keep them all as pets.