Medium–Size Plant

Hit Dice: 3d8+6 (19 hp)

Initiative: –3 (Dex)

Speed: 5 ft

AC: 15 (–3 Dex, +8 natural)

Attacks: Leaf +3 melee

Damage: Leaf 1d6+1 and blood drain

Face/Reach: 5 ft by 5 ft/5 ft

Special Attacks: Improved grab, blood drain, smother

Special Qualities: Fire vulnerability, plant, blindsight

Saves: Fort +5, Ref –2, Will +1

Climate/Terrain: Any land

Organization: Bed (1–10)
Challenge Rating: 3

Treasure: None

Alignment: Always neutral

Advancement: 4–6 HD (Medium–size); 7–9 HD (Large)

This horrible plant is sometimes referred to as a vampire plant. It has small hollow thorns on the underside of its giant leaves that it uses to drain unwary victims of their blood. The blood–sensing leaves will move towards their prey silently and stealthily, sometimes to the point of uprooting the plant. The leaves of this plant are dark green with red veins, the stems are transparent, and the blood drained from a feeding can be seen flowing down the stem.

   The jupiter bloodsucker fears fire, and will move away from it if possible. The only way to permanently destroy this horrid plant is to bum it completely to the ground and then pull or dig up the roots and burn them also.

Combat

A jupiter bloodsucker prefers to place one leaf over a victim’s face smothering it to death while consuming its blood. The jupiter bloodsucker uses 1d3 other leaves to encircle a victim and hold it in place.

   Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, the jupiter bloodsucker must hit an opponent of up to Medium-size with its slam attack. If it gets a hold, it wraps its opponent in its leaves and drains blood.

   After a successful grab, the jupiter bloodsucker can try to attach its remaining leaves with a single grapple check. The opponent can escape with a single Escape Artist check, but the jupiter bloodsucker gets a +2 circumstance bonus for every leaf that was attached at the beginning of the opponent’s turn.

   Blood Drain (Ex): A jupiter bloodsucker deals 1 point of temporary Constitution per round per leaf attached. If reduced to Constitution 0, the victim has been completely drained of blood and dies.

   A creature that escapes heals Constitution damage at the rate of 1 point per hour.

   Smother (Ex):  A jupiter bloodsucker can, on a successful grapple check, cover the mouth and nose of its opponent. This deals suffocation damage (see the rules for suffocation on page 88 of the DMG).

   Fire Vulnerability (Ex): Jupiter bloodsuckers take double damage from fire attacks.

   Plant: Immune to poison, sleep, stunning, paralysis, and polymorphing.  Not subject to critical hits or mind–influencing spells and effects.

The Jupiter Bloodsucker first appeared in module B3 (Jean Wells, 1981).