I present.... Thorn Elemental!

A great humanoid figure measuring some good ten feet height appears for the tenth time this morning at the corner of Gerard’s eye... Madsen has already suggested it might be some illusion created by the place, or by the fey sorceress they are hunting, most probable the latter, Divastra had messed with their senses before, so...
*UGH*
Three freak, foot-long wooden needles thick as a crossbow bolt, lodged on Gerard’s side... Seems like it wasn’t an illusion, before he is able to turn to face it directly, somehow, the figure has covered the distance between them, and is now beside them, in all it’s majestic might, reeking some weird black fog from within the intertwined brambles...

The claws formed by thorns at the end of the creature’s arms twitched and opened wide...

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THORN ELEMENTAL
Large Plant [Evil]
Hit Dice: 9d8+45 (90 hp)
Initiative: +3
Speed: 40 ft.
Armor Class: 20 (-1 size, +3 Dex, +8 Natural)
Base Attack/Grapple: +6/+15
Full Attack: Needles +9 ranged (3d6+5) or 2 Claws +11 melee (2d6+5)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks: Needles, Spell-like abilities, Thorns
Special Qualities: Brittle, Darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, plant traits, regeneration 5, spell resistance 20, Enhanced Woodland Stride
Saves: Fort +11, Ref +6, Will +7
Abilities: Str 20, Dex 16, Con 20, Int 14, Wis 19, Cha 16
Skills: Hide +21, Listen +16, Move Silently +17, Spot +16
Feats: Improved Natural Attack (claw), Stealthy, Weapon focus (Needles), Weapon focus (Claw)
Environment: Any forest or marsh
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 9
Treasure: No coins, no goods, quadruple items
Alignment: Neutral Evil

Elemental spirits bound with death fey into thorns, bushes, and brambles, mostly dead wood but also green leaves. So it is that Thorn Elementals are created.

With exacting instincts and the insight of the fey spirits they were given life from, they despise any non-plant life, but don’t actively hunt creatures, most of the time they create their own thorn gardens over which they reign silently. Usually they prefer to remain in their chosen domain, which they defend with terrible might... a Thorn Elemental’s domain might span miles of forest.

The only ones who have been known to be able to traverse a Thorn Elemental’s domain unscathed are Dark Fey... But even their bodies have served more than once as fertilizer.

Combat
Brittle (Ex): Takes 1D6 bludgeoning damage at the end of any round in which it has been involved in a Grapple.

Needles (Ex): The range for this attack is 100 feet, with no range increment.

Spell-Like Abilities: Caster level 13. The save DCs are Charisma-based.
At will – Magic Fang, Wood Shape (DC 15);
3/day – Entangle (DC 14), Warp Wood (DC 15)
2/day – Poison (DC 16), Thorn Tempest (as Ice Storm, but thousands of thorns erupt from nearby vegetation, all damage dealt is piercing damage)
1/day – Wall of Thorns (DC 18)

Thorns (Ex): Anyone caught in a grapple with a Thorn Elemental receives 1d8+5 piercing damage per turn (and whenever he attempts to break free from the grapple).

Regeneration (Ex): Fire and acid deal normal damage to a Thorn Elemental.
A Thorn Elemental that loses a limb or body part can reattach it by holding the severed member to the stump. Reattachment takes 1 minute. If the head or some other vital organ is severed, it must be reattached within 10 minutes or the creature dies. A Thorn Elemental can regrow lost body parts.

Skills: Due to their entire body made out of brambles, Thorn Elementals get a +8 bonus to hide in forested areas.

Enhanced Woodland Stride: A Thorn Elemental may move through natural thorns, briars, overgrown areas, and similar terrain at its normal speed and without suffering damage or other impairment. This also applies to thorns, briars, and overgrown areas that are enchanted or magically manipulated.


The primary reason for people stumbling into a Thorn Elemental's domain (apart from the usual naivity from city-dwellers) is the usual naivity from city-dwellers, in search of the fabled treasures held in the precise center of a Thorn Elemental's domain.
Actually, said treasure is just a lure for the Thorn Elemental to deliver more death; the secondary tool in this aspect is the sporadic expansion of its domain.

Some say they are just governed by insane bloodlust, others say they use the blood from "intruders" to feed "offspring" they might create, but others, druids namely, whisper of assimilation of souls, forbidden by the natural laws but effectuated by these creations of shadow. What they do with these assimilated souls, is unknown... by most.

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Comments, criticism, contributions: welcome

Keep out the flames and caustic comments:
Fire and acid deal normal damage to a Thorn Elemental.

I'd like to suggest something.

Thorn Wave. The Thorn Elemental may teleport to any area he can see within 25+5 feet per 2 hit dice. Any creature caught between the starting and ending square takes 1d6 damage per hit die, and may reflex save to halve this damage.

Basically the elemental reduces it's body to elemental form and flings it at the target location, doing that damage to anything in the way. I used it on a Lava thing I brewed. I like it.

I'd like to comment on something.

Usually large claws do 1d8. Since he has imp. nat. attack, shouldn't it do more? Or does he have small claws. I'd lower the CR by 1 or 2. And why is he packing so much treasure?

Oi Oi! coments!

On the claws: Yes, maybe it should do more, but the base creature (medium) had claws which dealt 1d4 damage, so... Plus, I don't think it really needs to deliver a great amount of damage per attack...

Now, the treasure thing doesn't have a solid basis... 'tis more along the lines of: having expansive domains through which people aren't able to pass alive, therefore the great amount of treasure...

I like the "Thorn Wave" idea, but maybe I should take something out...

Land Outcast said:

Now, the treasure thing doesn't have a solid basis... 'tis more along the lines of: having expansive domains through which people aren't able to pass alive, therefore the great amount of treasure...

Click to expand...

Does the thorn elemental make a point of taking those things home with it? Or do they just leave the stuff there?

Hum... let's see...

The primary reason for people stumbling into a Thorn Elemental's domain (apart from the usual naivity from city-dwellers) is the usual naivity from city-dwellers, in search of the fabled treasures held in the precise center of a Thorn Elemental's domain.
Actually, said treasure is just a lure for the Thorn Elemental to deliver more death; the secondary tool in this aspect is the sporadic expansion of its domain.

Some say they are just governed by insane bloodlust, others say they use the blood from "intruders" to feed "offspring" they might create, but others, druids namely, whisper of assimilation of souls, forbidden by the natural laws but effectuated by these creations of shadow. What they do with these assimilated souls, is unknown... by most.

I like it

However, I would cut Treewalk to just eliminating the cost for movement through natural vegitation and drop the 'goes twice as fast' bit. Easier to give it a base move of 40 to reflect the speed. When in its natural terrain this will be about twice as fast as the hindered puny humans it is chasing.

Spell alibilities.. Chill metal? not sure.
I have HR'd versions of Entangle up through a couple different levels which would be a better fit.. and make for some really nasty encounters

Your flavour text could probably be backed up by an [Evil] tag.. if you use alignment that is

The Thorn Wave thing.. I don't know. I see this being as more of a force of nature gone bad... big, nasty, and bashes you. It already has the Thorn Tempest for the area effect nastyness.

As a big Grapple monster, Improved Grab might be a good addition, dropping Wpn Focus(needles) in exchange.


Possible?
- How about starting Small and building it up. That way lower level parties can get in the fun. Every 3 HD it gains a size increase, meaning your Large guy fits in nicely.
- Then you could have it calve off a new critter when it hits Huge size, splitting into 1 small and 1 Large critter... ooh.. nasty!
Just avoid calling them Thorny Tribbles


Cool critter.. too bad my Druid party folded.. I could have had lots of fun with this nasty thing!

Yay! Replies!

The Treewalk you suggest would fit better with current mechanics (no thinge doubes your speed). consider it done

[Evil] to the core

Chill metal: was just giving it the spell-like abilities my homebrewed Eldritch Creature template gives, so of course it could be wiped out in favor of:
HRed Entangle?

I'd replace Treewalk with the druid's Woodland Stride ability, simply enough. Otherwise I think it would take damage from strolling through normal thornbushes, which wouldn't make sense for a thorn elemental.

The 'thorn wave' idea I wouldn't agree with using, but if it were done, it shouldn't be called, or handled as, teleportation. Teleportation in 3E means traveling through the Astral Plane to instantly reach another point on the plane they departed from.

The Thorn Tempest's note should state that the all the damage it deals is piercing. Also, by its description, I'd suggest the note include mention that it can only be used if a moderate or significant amount of inanimate vegetation is within the area of effect.

Chill Metal I would replace with Warp Wood, as per the druid spell.

Environment should probably be listed as "Any forest or marsh" I think.

As far as the critter's Treasure is concerned, if you feel it should have significant treasure, then it should probably at least make a bit more sense in its form. I'd suggest a treasure line of "No coins, no goods, triple items", maybe quadruple items instead of triple though. I don't much see how a thorn elemental could carry coinage, gems, and jewelry.

Lastly, I'm of the same opinion as others that the claws and thorns should deal a bit more damage, as a Large plant with Improved Natural Attack. I'd suggest 1d10 or 1d12 base damage for those attacks. 1d8 is fine but just doesn't seem quite appropriate for such a critter as this.

I haven't done any significant checking or calculations yet to see if CR 9 is appropriate for this critter, but my gut says it's accurate enough.

Land Outcast said:

Yay! Replies!

Click to expand...

Man, maybe I should move my thread over from the Homebrews to the House Rules. HR certainly gets more views and apparently, more responses.

Anyway, looks neat. Heh. Guess I don't have much more to say than that.

Wow, thanks Ark!

I'm still doubting about the claws...
you see, originally it was a medium critter with "Needles (1d12) or 2 claws (1d4)"... but it's turned to be more of a melee monster... so maybe said change would be in order...