Rolling brown ball?

[DiscosDead]

i was wandering around foraging with one eye on the mini-map and the other on the game looking for good things to find and bad things to avoid, when a big (at least 4x the size of the red X that designates my position) brown ball appeared on the mini-map. It had fuzzy edges an was moving around quickly. I approached it, and in game it was a fairly smooth-looking brown ball moving much faster than I could rolling around somewhat erratically.

Have I just encountered a URO (Unidentified Rolling Object)?

Any ideas as to what it might be?

[MurdochEx]

That would be a tumbleweed, my friend. Right click it to make your guy auto-follow it and catch it. It's an inspirational.

[Kandarim]

http://salemwiki.info/index.php/Tumbleweed

and a pretty good inspirational when you're starting out, too: easy source of cloak&dagger, natural philosophy and stocks&cultivars for the first few skills you need. Gotta catch them all!

[DiscosDead]

Dang! I wish I'd known. I was unsure whether to catch it or run from it, and I've been knocked out so many times and lost my inventory that I chose "better safe than sorry." Thanks for clearing it up for me - good luck to all!

[BubbaMKII]

Dang! I wish I'd known. I was unsure whether to catch it or run from it, and I've been knocked out so many times and lost my inventory that I chose "better safe than sorry." Thanks for clearing it up for me - good luck to all!

You'll run into lots, don't worry.
Here's a tip to actually be able to click them.
Right click them in the map.
Not sure if that works in the default client but it does in ender's.

[Wournos]

Have I just encountered a URO (Unidentified Rolling Object)?

This made me laugh. Yeah, catch them! They are very nice study objects.

[fabbra1975]

Have I just encountered a URO (Unidentified Rolling Object)?

This made me laugh. Yeah, catch them! They are very nice study objects.

I'd also suggests turning on "Run" or "Wander" otherwise it would outpace you. Tumbleweeds are common in plains, not in forests. Have a good luck !

[Wournos]

Have I just encountered a URO (Unidentified Rolling Object)?

This made me laugh. Yeah, catch them! They are very nice study objects.

I'd also suggests turning on "Run" or "Wander" otherwise it would outpace you. Tumbleweeds are common in plains, not in forests. Have a good luck !

Not really necessary. They have a habit changing direction suddenly while "on the run" and will often do a 180°, make contact with the character and ending up in the inventory.