MONSTROUS PLANTS

Monstrous Plant Traits. A monstrous plant is a vegetable creature. Note that regular plants, such as one finds growing in gardens and fields, are not creatures, but (in this game) are treated as objects, even though they are alive. All monstrous plants can sense creatures with senses akin to infravision; Some plant creatures have other senses as well (if noted). Monstrous plants are immune to all mind-affecting effects unless specifically noted. Effects relying on senses (vision, hearing, olfaction) and breathing do not affect plant creatures. Plant creatures are immune to paralysis, poison, sleep effects, and stunning.  Plant creatures ignore all illusion effects except [seeming] effects. Most plant creatures (unless noted otherwise) have damage resistance against piercing weapons, only taking 1 hp of damage per successful strike.

Hit Dice. A bloodthorn is a long vine with 4 tendrils per 10-ft. section and 4 HD per 10-ft. of length. A 40-ft. vine is considered to be average size with smaller (minimum 10-ft) and larger specimens in existence. When attacking a bloodthorn, the attacker can select to attack a tendril or a 10-ft section of the vine. In order to destroy one 10-ft segment of vine, the vine segment must take 20 hp of damage and all tendrils must be destroyed or an additional 24 points of damage done to the 10-ft segment. Once done, the segment is destroyed/severed and the remaining segments operate independently (and have hit dice based on overall remaining length).

Tendril. Each 5-ft long tendril can be individually targeted by melee attacks and each takes 6 hit points before being destroyed. Tendrils can attack any creature in melee range of the vine. Tendrils that strike a creature will blood drain (see below). Tendrils are attracted by light attacking those with light sources first.

Vine. A vine is the main "trunk" of the creature and can creep along slowly (and none of the creature, tendrils or vine, is considered immobile).

Blood Drain. Any target hit by a tendril that has bodily fluids will take 25% of their current hit points in blood drain damage. If struck while at 0 hit points or lower, the target will die at the end of that round. Blood drain damage can be healed as would any other damage and the wounds do not bleed after the strike.

Energy Resistance. Tendrils (and vines) take normal damage from fire and will recoil from (not attacking) a creature carrying open flame or any extreme heat source. A bloodthorn that is hit with an electricity effect will not take damage but will heal (even growing new tendrils and vine lengths) an amount equal to the electricity damage done. Magical (or extreme) cold causes only 1 point of damage per die but will paralyze tendrils in the area of effect for 1d4+1 rounds (no save).

Age Categories. Each choke creeper has 8 age categories (roughly 10 years apart although a fully mature creeper can survive hundreds of years). Hit points and size are a function of age category: Each category grants 1 hp per hit die, 10-ft of trunk length and vine length plus 8-ft.

Vines. A choke creeper will have 8 vines extending from each 10-ft section of trunk and 16 toward the root end. Each vine has 2 HD, hit points based on age category, and a length of 8-ft plus 1-ft per age category. Damage to vines do not affect the trunk. A vine can attack any creature within melee range of where it lies and can detatch, moving at a rate of 5-ft per round. Vines are attracted to light and movement within melee range of any other vine. Vines will not move more than 10-ft from the trunk and will return, dragging unmoving prey (if any), to the root-end of the trunk.

Trunk. A choke creeper's trunk has 25 HD but no attacks on its own. Hit points and size are based on age category.

Energy Resistance. A choke creeper is unaffected by torch-size or smaller sources of fire/heat, but takes damage normally from larger/hotter fires such as burning oil (or magical fires). In addition, vines will stop attacking and will move away to at least 10-ft from the fire source (or more if heat is radiating further). Magical (or extreme) cold causes only 1 point of damage per die but will paralyze vines in the area of effect for 1d4+1 rounds (no save). Magical (or extreme) electricity causes no damage and causes any vines affected to move at double the normal movement rate (10-ft per round).

Constrict. A vine that hits will automatically constrict (grapple) the target, causing 1d4 damage when it constricts and ongoing each round thereafter. Any grapple result of Neck strangle-hold or better will be an automatic strangle.

Main Plant. The main plant is located in the center mass and appears as a bushy center. Creatures attacking the center mass will damage the main plant (5 HD).

Leaves. Broad, tough leaves with sinewy ribs radiate 5-7 feet from the main plant. These leave will entrap and creature stepping among the leaves. Creatures can target the leaves individually. Each can take 1d8+8 hp before being severed/destroyed (average 12 hp). Damage to a leaf does not harm the main plant.

Stalks. A large number of saw-toothed stalks hide in the center mass. A number of these flexible stalks whip out to cut any creature entrapped by the leaves. Creatures can target the stalks individually. Each stalk can take 1d8+16 hp before being severed/destroyed (average 20 hp). Damage to a stalk does not harm the main plant.

Entrap. Any creature walking among the leaves will have their limb or limbs entrapped by leaves slamming together (no save). The creature is considered hindered and restrained. As a complex activity, an entrapped creature can attempt (d%; 5% per point of Strength) to break free.

The forester’s bane is a huge, immobile, and carnivorous shrub. Closer inspection reveals large, tough leaves radiating from its central stalk. These dark green leaves hide a number of purple serrated stalks inside its body. At the center of this low-growing shrub is a 3-foot diameter yellowish orb from which sprout many small green branches. Each branch has small, sweet smelling (and tasting) berries of various colors growing from it.

When a living creature moves near a forester’s bane’s leaves, it attempts to grab the creature. Trapped creatures are subjected to attacks by several serrated stalks that slash and cut until the opponent escapes. The forester’s bane releases a trapped victim when either it or the victim is dead, or the leaf holding the victim is destroyed. The snapper saw can also attack with its stalks without first entrapping an opponent.

Lightning Bolt. 4/day (minor) If the plant takes damage, it will generate a bolt of lightning, 80-ft by 5-ft that originates from itself, targeting the creature that damaged it. All in the area of effect take 30 points of electricity damage (no save). The plant can generate the lightning bolt once every other round to a maximum of 4 uses per day.

The leprous yellow-gray and ugly scarlet colors of this intelligent plant belie its peaceful and inoffensive nature, as do its spiky leaves, bloated, bottle-like stems, twitching tendrils and writhing roots. If any intelligent creature comes within 5-ft of this creature, thinking questioning thoughts, the plant will communicate telepathically, mentally giving the creature assurance that it is friendly to it, and warning it of any dangerous plants or creatures in the area. If attacked, it will defend itself and not communicate further.

Globe Fruit. Walking underneath a globe palm may (d%; 01-20) to cause it to drop a globe fruit. Actually contacting the trunk (hitting it or attempting to climb) causes the plant to drop 1d4+1 globes. Each globe has a taut membraneous skin and is blue, violet, or lilac in color. When they strike they burst, and a nauseating fluid is splashed over a 5-foot radius covering creatures in the area of effect. Creatures adjacent to the area may (d%; 01-25) be splashed. The sticky, foul liquid will cause creatures splashed to vomit and retch (nauseated) for the next 3 rounds and weakened for 1 hour thereafter (no save). Weakness means the creature loses 50% of it's Strength score (rounding down; treat exceptional Strength as 19; e.g. If affected, the creature will have a 9 Strength). A creature without a Strength rating will have the equivalent of a 5 Strength (-2 penalty to melee attacks, -1 penalty to damage per attack, Minor/Major Strength checks at 15%/0% respectively). Creatures splashed must be washed in alcohol (wine, beer, brandy, etc.) or be much more likely to attract carnivores in the area at double the normal frequency of checks, with double probabilities of encounter. The odor is discernible (and very unpleasant) within a 50-foot radius. It persists for 1d4 hours if not washed off.

The retch plant, or globe palm, is found only in warm climates. It is a typical palm tree, except that each constantly has from 5-8 globe-like, coconut-sized fruit growing at its top.

Enzyme. [acid] If any creature becomes prone next to the plant, another flower (normally yellow) will droop over it and release a spray of enzyme on it. This acidic compound will dissolve anything organic at a rate of 2d4 acid damage per round (damage occurs at the end of each round) thereafter unless washed off with liquid (such as water). Each 16 oz. of water/liquid used to wash the victim will reduce the acid damage by 1 point per round until 128 ounces of liquid are poured on the victim (or they are immersed).

Fluid Drain. If any creature becomes prone next to the plant, another flower (typically red) will extend a set of hollow tendrils that will pierce the target and will drain 1d6 hp worth of fluid from the creature each round. These tendrils can only affect a helpless target.

Poisonous Pollen. [sleep] Any creature contacted by a tendril must save vs Poison of fall asleep in a coma-like slumber at the foot of the plant (save negates for that tendril).

Tendrils. [melee] One of the flowers (usually orange in color) will attack any creature coming within melee range with 2d4 tendrils. These are contact attacks and if successful, the tendril brushes poisonous pollen on the target.

Tri-flower fronds are carnivorous plants found in warm (and rarely temperate) forests. They are immobile plants that reproduce by releasing seeds into the air and allowing either the wind (or creatures who happen to come into contact with them) to carry them wherever they go. Seeds take root once they touch the ground, and within a few months, a new tri-flower frond appears.

A tri-flower frond stands about 5 to 8 feet tall. While the orange, red, and yellow flower combination is the most common, other color combinations have been reported, including white, gray, and pearly silver-gray, and golden brown, deep brown and russet.

Poison Attack. [melee] Anyone walking near the plant causes it to shake droplets of a sticky poison down on them. There is no attack roll but anyone near the plant has a chance (d%; 01-25) of having flesh contact the poison and must make a save vs poison or fall in a coma and die. Those perishing will nourish the plant.

The twilight bloom, also known as a purple blossom plant or purple death, is a very rare species of poisonous plants. Twilight blooms resemble small palm trees with purple flower toward the top. The trunks are thick and scaled with no branches. The foliage at the top are frond-like that droop a short distance. Roots are visible on the surface around their base, but appear to be a delicate mat of moss. Within the foliage tops of this plant grow purple, cup-shaped flowers with silver stamen. The sap of these flowers is very sweet and exudes an pleasant scent. It is this sap that the plant shakes on to passers-by.

Camouflage. A wolf-in-sheep's-clothing can imitate a setting to put prey at ease and draw it in, such as a bunny on a stump. The success of the camouflage is determined by the surprise dice.

Grab. A root that damages a creature will automatically grab (grapple) the target (the plant is not considered grappled). The root will then drag the creature to the maw next round so it can be bitten. The target can attempt to break free, attack the root, or resist the pull. To resist being pulled, as a major action, the creature can roll a d100; the chance is 1% per point of Strength above 12 (d%; Success is equal to or less than the number). While Exceptional Strength is not counted, if a victim with Exceptional Strength or higher succeeds resisting the pull, they may (d%; equal to or under the Exceptional Strength percentage or automatic for Strength scores of 18/00 or higher) break the root off, rendering it unusable.

Roots. The creature has a total of 12 roots, each able to attack creatures within 20-ft of the body/stump. A root can be severed with 20 points of chopping damage.

A wolf-in-sheep’s-clothing appears at first to be little more than a tree stump sitting in a clearing, perhaps with a small animal sitting atop it. Only when a predator comes close does it become clear that the small animal is in fact long dead, given false life by tendrils springing up through its form, but by then it’s too late, as the wolf-in-sheep’s-clothing drags the would-be hunter into its waiting maw.

Though intelligent, these monsters see little need for the company of others. Their method of reproduction is as hideous as their tactic of using corpses as lures, for they implant their parasitic eggs in living hosts, giving their spawn a fresh meal to eat upon hatching.

YELLOW MUSK CREEPER

See Yellow Musk Creeper