Cacti, Barrel, Various

Cactus, Shoot-Spine Barrel

Shoot-Spine Barrel Cactus

A shoot-spine cactus has hundreds of spines, set in rows along the many vertical ridges which corrugate its surface. It is unlikely that it would run out of spines during the course of a battle. An entire new set of spines can be regenerated in only six to twelve hours (by species.)

Given the shoot-spine's limited sensory system, each cactus can focus only one projectile spine at each target per round at long range. At short range, each cactus can aim one projectile per square foot of target per round. (A Humanoid of between two and eight foot of height presents roughly one square foot of target per foot of height, adjusted up or down a square foot or two for being stout or slim.) At short range, a shoot-spine cactus can aim one projectile per hit point the cactus has left to fight with per round. Obviously, while the cacti are of limited danger at a distance, approaching them closely is not recommended.

Some 10% of shoot-spine barrel cacti are symbiotic with Shoot-Seed Symbiont, which SEE. In these cacti, the spines are actually elongated, hard, and sharp-ended seed pods. When they puncture prey, the seeds are injected. 2-7 days later, the seeds germinate - inside their victim. Growing, their spines eviscerate their victim from the inside out. The corps makes a perfect compost pile for the young cacti.

Cactus, Sand-Squirt Barrel

Sand-Squirt Barrel Cactus

The sand-squirt has access to practically unlimited sand; it can keep its jets firing continually, like fire hoses.

In the desert, any source of liquid must be considered. The sap of the sand-squirt is so bitter, only those with the hardiest constitution can keep it down. Those already weakened are sure to be purged by it. As a result, the sap does have some limited medicinal value.

Cactus, Blowing Barrels

Blowing Barrel Cactus

The barrels can bounce along like giant spiny beach balls, making very long leaps or they can loft themselves upward and be blown about at local wind speed - no matter what their direction. Some suggest that their surface acts as a sail and the spines as air-keels.

The interior of a bowling cactus is mostly air; within the tough skin is an open volume, with only threads remains of the flesh that filled it when it was in pillar form.

Once they have absorbed their prey, they return to their parent patch and feed the sessile pillars there.

Cactus, Barreling Barrels

Blowing Barrel Cactus

Small barreling barrels, the size of a 50-gallon drum, weigh between four and five hundred pounds. Taller prey, struck in the legs, is easily knocked over. As the prey is knocked over, the barrel rolls over it like a spike steamroller. The larger barrels, which may exceed a dozen foot in diameter, need not bother striking lesser prey down; that's automatic.

Cactus, Bouncing Barbed Barrel

Bouncing Barbed Barrel Cactus

Being heavy, their full-body bashing strikes often knock prey over. When this happens, the cacti jump up and down on the prone prey; they are spine-armored underneath as well as above. The effect of being bumped in to or jumped on by a bouncing barbed barrel is similar to being struck with a titanic club studded with innumerable daggers.

Bouncing barbed barrels are known to travel in search of water. Frequency varies by species; some groves travel up to a dozen miles daily to a regular water source; those wise in the ways of the desert recognize their tracks as a sign that water is near. Others, generally larger varieties, need only refresh themselves with water once a year. Carnivorous varieties may rely solely on the juices of their prey to quench their hydraulic needs.

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Last update Apr 4, 2006