BORING GRASS (CR 3)

Boring grass is an unusual type of carnivorous grass that feeds on the blood of living creatures.  This grass usually appears in large patches of up to 6 - 10 feet in diameter.  The grass is not intelligent, but a single patch has a sort of communal life, and can sense anything moving around in it.  It can appear in any temperate land, and often among other sorts of grass or vegetation.  Travelers are likely to miss it and walk right into a patch, but if they are actively searching, a Spot check (DC 12) will reveal the dangerous nature of the boring grass.

   The blades of this grass are very hard and shaped like corkscrews.  Any sort of pressure placed on the grass causes the blades in contact with any material to turn, and dig aggressively into it.  The attack can only be delayed for one round by materials meant to protect flesh, such as leather soles, thick cloth, and magical protections; after the first round, these materials are effectively destroyed.  The grass cannot bore through stone or metal, but it can break bones.

   Boring grass will burrow into exposed flesh, causing 5d4 points of damage per round of contact.  Poison secreted by the grass will seep into the open wounds, paralyzing the creature for 1d4 days unless a successful Fortitude save is made (DC 15).  Those who save successfully are affected as by a slow spell for the duration of the poison, or until a neutralize poison spell is administered.

   Anyone taking damage from the grass is partially skewered and immobile.  A normal Strength check may be attempted each round to pull free of the boring grass, but the victim will take an additional 2d4 points of damage from the blades ripping back out of the flesh.  Boring grass is immune to most damage and has the usual immunities of plants, including being immune to mind-influencing effects, poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, and polymorphing.  Boring grass cannot be flanked, and is not subject to critical hits.  It can be destroyed quickly by burning, or can be carefully dug out of the soil.

Boring grass first appeared in the second Monstrous Compendium Annual MCA2 (1995).