I wound up wasting most of the day playing Half Life 2, and after a run-in with these guys, I thought "Wow, what a creepy, cool monster to throw at my players some day" - and so I banged out some stats and thought I'd share with you guys.
The Balanus is a stationary ceiling-dwelling predator found on planets across the galaxy, most notable for its unusual method of catching prey - using its long sticky "tongue". A Balanus is little more than a large mouth full of two rows of sharp teeth, with a long string-like appendage dangling out of its maw. This strand secretes a surprisingly strong natural adhesive that can bond to whatever it comes in contact with. The Balanus uses this "tongue" to snare and lift its prey; the appendage is often strong enough to support the weight of an adult human.
Balani cannot differentiate between living and inorganic items that become stuck to their tongues, and can be tricked into hauling in barrels, pallets and other debris commonly found in their vicinity. Upon attempting to consume these items, the Balanus will find them unpalatable and release them, showing that they can dissolve their own adhesives if need be.
Balani attach themselves to ceilings or the undersides of overhangs, from which they lower their sticky tongues. Although Balani can be found in a wide array of environments, they seem to prefer damp, dark areas.
BRAWN: 3
AGILITY: 2
INTELLECT: 1
CUNNING: 2
WILLPOWER: 1
PRESENCE: 1
Soak Value: 5
Wound Threshold: 20
Skills:
Brawl: 3
Cool: 3
Perception: 2
Stealth: 4
Viglance: 3
Equipment:
Grabbing Tongue (Brawl; damage 4, critical 3, ranged [Engaged]; ensnare 2)