Just a small thought that came to my mind. I thought of a tapeworm-like enemy that has a very rare chance of infecting you with a tapeworm debuff. When you get the debuff, you're unable to use/digest any item that involves drinking/eating said item. It only lasts for about 5 minutes. (May change as this keeps getting updated.) Description Digestworms can easily be killed like parasites, however they come in groups which can cause them to be troublesome. Some explorers have died from malnutrition due to having a Digestworm inside them consuming everything that the host eats/drinks. If the host dies, they die along with them. Because of their nature, Digestworms have caused one race to be nearly extinct before they have discovered the antidote and became technologically advanced. Years after the Digestworms' territories were invaded by different races, they became a little more intelligent and burrowed underground to create new territory for themselves. Different varieties of Digestworms were created a few more years later making them once again a troubling cause for most (if not all) races that live in the same planet(s) with them. Digestworms rarely hesitate to attack anyone that gets near their territory underground. Since most explorers must be digging into their territory, they burrow through the ground and can attack the explorer from out of nowhere making it very easy for them to get the nasty parasite inside their body. If the explorer were to survive and dig deep enough towards the center of the Digestworms' territory, they will encounter large areas with different varieties of Digestworms guarding their home, multiple female Digestworms planting their egg sacs to the ground for the new babies to be born, and possibly more. Benefits Although these Digestworms are aggressive, they are used by different races (unknown which races use these) to punish lawless citizens by letting the Digestworm go inside their body and eat everything that the criminal eats/drinks. When they have faced enough time with malnutrition, they will be given the antidote to get rid of it. (That is if they are still alive.) The Antidote There is an antidote that is poisonous to the Digestworm but not to you, however it does require a bit of stressful tasks for the host to do. Rumors have it that the antidote must be made by getting the required ingredients: (To be changed) 1. 3 Bottles of Venomous Spit from Venograsps (Name is a Work in Progress) 2. 5 Bottles of Water 3. An unknown chemical (To be changed) 4. 3 Purifying Substances (To be changed) After getting all of the ingredients, the antidote can be made by using a brewing station. Once the antidote has been digested, it's effects will kill the Digestworm inside and won't harm you! Though this could just be a rumor... More info coming later.
the debuff should be longer, like until you get an antidote, so that getting the antidote is top priority
Okay, now I see. The antidote is poisonous to the worm but not to you. Still thinking of how the antidote could be made besides getting it from a plant, but I'll keep your idea in mind just in case. EDIT 9/13: Added more to the description!
More info added to the description with a couple polishes to my previous edits. (I was a bit tired the last time I edited it, so it was a bit messy.:whistle Might possibly add more info about The Antidote next. (Nothing for me to add about the Benefits yet)
Added more info about The Antidote! (Many things may be changed, though.) My ideas for Digestworms is beginning to run thin. The least that I can do now is add more to benefits, description, and polish them. If you have any ideas and suggestions, don't be afraid to post!