Archer Bush

[BOZ]

We can use the version in the CC as a guide; however, since it is similar to what was used in the ToH we should strive not to make our version too much the same.


B3 - Palace of the Silver Princess
Archer Bushes
Armor Class: 9
Hit Dice: 1
Move: 0
Attacks: 1 (10-40 needles per round)
Damage: 1 Point per 10 needles
No. Appearing: 1-100
Save As: F1
Morale: 12
Treasure Type: Nil
Alignment: N

These bushes are more of a nuisance than anything else. They grow wild, quickly killing almost everything else that grows near them. The only plant capable of sustaining its life among archer bushes is the jupiter blood sucker and it is commonly found with them.

Archer bushes defend themselves by shooting small thorns at whatever disturbs them. These thorns grow along the branches of the plant and number in the thousands. The bush releases only the thorns on a branch that is disturbed. The thorns are a problem for magic-users and others who do not wear armor. The small thorns work their way into the skin within one day, causing swelling and infections. An infected character suffers - 2 on to hit rolls. A cure light wounds from a 3rd level cleric will cure the swelling and infections.

Some peasants or men of the woods occasionally hide treasures in the midst of many archer bushes. They simply shield themselves from the thorns by hiding behind a large makeshift shield, piece of wood or a clump or rocks, casting a handful of rocks at the bushes, entering the growth, hiding their valuables and then leaving the bushes before they have time to grow new thorns. Thorn growth takes only 1 turn. Sometimes these bushes are used to hide openings in caves or other types of entranceways.



AC9 - Creature Catalogue
Archer Bush
Armour Class: 7
Hit Dice: 2
Move: 3" (1")
Attacks: 1 thorn spray
Damage: 1-4
No. Appearing: 0 (1-20)
Save As: Fighter: 1
Morale: 12
Treasure Type: V
Intelligence: 0
Alignment: Chaotic
XP Value: 20

Archer bushes have sickly-looking green leaves, stunted trunks and thorny brown branches. They do not grow underground (except, perhaps, in well-lit caverns or near cave-mouths), but may be found in woodland, areas of scrub and occasionally in mountainous regions. These bushes are carnivorous, and attack prey by shooting a spray of several small thorns at their victims (D 1-4 per spray). The range of one of these sprays is 20 feet, and each bush can fire up to three such sprays per day. In order to eat, an archer bush can uproot itself to move towards its prey. The trunk of an archer bush look like a 3-foot-high mound of leaves, but these leaves also conceal a huge mouth filled with extra-hard thorns. These thorns are used like teeth to devour prey once it is dead.



DMR1 - Creature Catalog
Archer Bush
Armor Class: 7
Hit Dice: 2 (S)
Move: 3' (1')
Attacks: 1 thorn spray
Damage: 1d4
No. Appearing: 0 (1d20)
Save As: Fighter: 1
Morale: 12
Treasure Type: V
Intelligence: 0
Alignment: Chaotic
XP Value: 20

Monster Type: Lowlife (Rare).

Archer bushes have sickly-looking green leaves, stunted trunks and thorny brown branches. They do not grow underground (except, perhaps, in well-lit caverns or near cave mouths), but may be found in woodland, areas of scrub and occasionally in mountainous regions. These bushes are carnivorous, and attack prey by shooting a spray of several small thorns at their victims (for 1d4 points of damage per spray). The range of one of these sprays is 20 feet, and each bush can fire up to three such sprays per day. In order to eat, an archer bush can uproot itself to move towards its prey. The trunk of an archer bush looks like a 3-foot-high mound of leaves, but these leaves conceal a huge mouth filled with extra-hard thorns. These thorns are used like teeth to devour prey once it is dead.

Terrain: Mountain, Open, Woods, Jungle.



Mystara Monstrous Compendium

Archer Bush
CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Temperate plains or forests
FREQUENCY: Rare
ORGANIZATION: Solitary
ACTIVITY CYCLE: Day
DIET: Carnivore
INTELLIGENCE: Non-(0)
TREASURE: V
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
NO. APPEARING: 1d20
ARMOR CLASS: 7
MOVEMENT: 3
HIT DICE: 2
THAC0: 19
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1d4 (thorn spray)
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Nil
SPECIAL DEFENCES: Nil
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Nil
SIZE: S (3' tall)
MORALE: Steady (12)
XP VALUE: 35

Archer bushes have sickly green and brown leaves, stunted trunks, and thorny brown branches. They resemble common wild bramble bushes. Archer bushes are commonly found in woodlands, scrub areas, and occasionally in mountains.

Archer bushes are carnivorous. They attack by shooting a spray of small thorns at a victim, inflicting 1d4 hit points of damage per spray. The range of the spray is 20 feet. Each bush can fire up to three such sprays per day. The archer bush can uproot itself and move toward stricken prey.

The trunk of an archer bush appears to be buried within a 3 foot high pile of leaves and twigs. This debris actually conceals a huge mouth filled with hard thorns that are used to devour disabled prey. The mouth is never used in combat.

Archer bushes sense targets by ground vibrations: thus they can fire at invisible or otherwise camouflaged victims. Only creatures who approach in flight are spared an attack.

Clumps of archer bushes commonly fire in concert, as if cooperating in a primitive way, but this cooperation is based mostly on instinct. Encountering a single archer hush is rarely a great threat: a group of archer bushes, however, can be deadly.

Druids sometimes cultivate and train archer bushes to guard their holiest sites.

 

[demiurge1138]

Alright, let's see... non-intelligent by the former versions, but we're told they cooperate and they used to have a chaotic aligment. It could be possible to give them an Intelligence score at the brink of sapiency (say, 3) and a chaotic neutral alignment (and yes, I know in BD&D, chaotic = evil).

According to the Palace of the Silver Princess version, creatures struck by the thorn volley take a -2 on to-hit rolls. This feature seems to have been dropped in later incarnations, but I like it. Fort save or be sickened, lasts 10 minutes or so? A neutralize poison spell would take care of it, of course.

Tremorsense, as per the ToH version, seems appropriate for their detection by ground vibrations.

Do we keep the 2 HD? Or do we account for HD inflation in 3.5? Giving it 3 HD would open up the possibility for two feats, and giving it Point Blank Shot and Precise Shot isn't a bad idea.

Also, why can't its super-hard thorns be used in melee? If we want to do a straight-up conversion of the original, I can see leaving it out, but to me this calls for a bite attack. Probably wouldn't do as much damage as the thorns, used only in emergencies... but it just seems like something it should logically have.

Are we going for the wild bramble bush look or the pile of dead leaves look? The former seems a lot more reasonable to me. Perhaps we could make a note that they often camouflage themselves by burying themselves in leaf litter, bonus to Hide checks made in forested areas.

Demiurge out.

 

[Aspect of BOZ]

You'll notice that the B3 version is statted somewhat differently than the version(s) used by the Creature Catalog books, which are likewise somewhat different from the 2E Monstrous Compendium. Therefore, we have a range to pick from for certain aspects, but should consider all relevant sources before deciding.

As for intelligence and alignment, consider this... in B3, the creature is Neutral and gives no indication whatsoever as to whether or not it has any intelligence. The CC books call it "Chaotic" (probably to accentuate its dangerous nature) but admit that it has no intelligence and work purely on instinct. The Mystara MC reverts them back to Neutral alignment and maintains the non-intelligent aspect. I can't see any reason to give it an intelligence score.

The Vaults of Pandius version of the archer bush does retain a version of the sickening aspect of the plant, even if the ToH version does not. We can certainly make use of that ability even if it was not used past B3.

Tremorsense is a gimme. I'm wondering, though, if we should make the plant totally blind? It doesn't attack flying creatures, so I'm going by the assumption that tremorsense is its only sense.

We should go with at least 2-HD. I'm willing to consider a slight increase, by comparing with other converted creatures.

I'd be willing to give it a bite attack, but only if we give it no Reach. That way it would have to be right up on something to bite.

The bush look suits the name and seems to be the most-referenced appearance. It seems to be leafy as well, so maybe a combination of the two ideas?

 

[demiurge1138]

A leafy bush certainly works, as does the bite-with-no-reach. Blind makes perfect sense, actually, giving it immunity to visual attack forms as well (should it also be deaf?). I can understand where you're coming from on the no-intelligence front, but it bears pointing out that the ToH version gives it animal intelligence (2). I just thought it would be interesting to make it semi-intelligent, especially in the light that druids sometimes use them as guardians. Although that mention of "men of the woods" tricking them into guarding their treasure doesn't speak highly for their intelligence, admittedly.

Are we going to be retaining any aspect of them having only a limited capacity of thorns?

Demiurge out.

 

[Aspect of BOZ]

B3 states that they grow new thorns in one turn (10 rounds?), though the later three sources all say only 3 volleys per day. We can use either or both.

See the assassin vine for sensory possibilities. We can make it deaf, too, leaving tremorsense as its only sense.

 

[Mortis]

B3 states that they grow new thorns in one turn (10 rounds?), though the later three sources all say only 3 volleys per day. We can use either or both.

Could treat it like a breath weapon, so the thorns grew in d6+4 rounds? Or something similar.

Regards
Mortis

 

[demiurge1138]

I say the archer bush should have enough thorns for a few volleys at a time (three?), and then needs to wait a minute in order to regrow enough thorns for the next volley.

Demiurge out.

 

[Aspect of BOZ]

actually, that's the exact set-up i was thinking of, so it must be right.

 

[Aspect of BOZ]

The stunted trunk of this wild bramble bush pokes out from a tall mound of leaves and twigs. Sickly green and brown leaves hang from its gnarled branches. Small thorns cover these branches, pointing out in every direction.

 

[demiurge1138]

Sounds good to me. Bonus to Hide checks in forest environments?

Demiurge out.