Plant creature article for Dragon

[BOZ]

i think this leads me to three groups. 1 being plants which are not necessarily even carnivorous, which someone could use for defense with minimal personal risk (if handled properly), 2 being plants which are immobile and not intelligent and could be used for defense with some notable personal risk, and 3 being plants which are mobile and/or intelligent and could be very risky and dangerous when used for defense without proper precautions.

1. razorvine, explodestool, boring grass, grab grass, retch plant, witherweed, amber lotus flower, burnflower, firethorn, pilfer vine, sword grass.
2. tri-flower frond, forester's bane, giant venus fly-trap, mantrap, giant pitcher plant, twilight bloom, bloodflower, dew fronds, sirenflower, somnastis plant, thornslinger.
3. hangman tree, vampire rose, giant sundew, archer bush, black willow, bohun tree, choke creeper, jupiter bloodsucker, singing tree, zombie plant, killer tree, sashalus, vampire moss.

 

[Shade]

That breakdown works, but how to make the themes exciting? Hmmm....

 

[BOZ]

the flavor text?

do you see anything that needs to be shifted around from one category to another?

my generic "plant creatures" idea probably needs to be merged into this somehow and then separated back out again. will need to think about that.

 

[BOZ]

I'm going to eliminate the third "Garden" variation. It just doesn't seem plausible that a druid or whomever would try to use any of those plants for defense or companions or anything. So, I'm going to take that one, mix it up with my generic plant creatures idea, and split it back up into two separate deals: carnivorous hunting plants, and then plant creatures which are more intelligent with different goals than simply eating. The arrangement won't change a lot, though.

Carnivorous hunters: hangman tree, whipweed, vampire rose, mandragora, giant sundew, archer bush, black willow, choke creeper, jupiter bloodsucker, singing tree, killer tree, sashalus, vampire moss

Plant creatures: hellseed, fungoid, vegepygmy/thorny/russet mold, dusanu, algoid, campestri, faerie phiz, aartuk, bohun tree, quickwood, zombie plant, clubthorn, helborn, gakarak, rekeihs

 

[Shade]

I could really see potential in the "plant creatures run amok" type of article. Tired of using shambling undead...use these vegetative villains instead!

 

[BOZ]

OK, I'm confirming my choices in going with the following 5 themes. I know there are other themes that are worthwhile, however I like the below themes best. If someone wants to send in some other ideas and work on them here on the CC forums, as always be my guest (and I may send in a second plant query sometime in the unforeseen future). the following conversions best conform to my ideas for conversions (plus our hellseed) that fit within each theme, and if you have any ideas for non-conversions to fit in each theme, now would be a good time to speak up. I will finalize the specific lists of monsters (some will be "alternates") before sending in an actual query.

Garden of Unearthly Terrors v1. (plants which are not necessarily even carnivorous, which someone could use for defense with minimal personal risk, if handled properly):
razorvine, explodestool, boring grass, grab grass, retch plant, witherweed, amber lotus flower, burnflower, firethorn, pilfer vine, sword grass.

Garden of Unearthly Terrors v2. (plants which are immobile and not intelligent and could be used for defense with some notable personal risk)
tri-flower frond, forester's bane, giant venus fly-trap, mantrap, giant pitcher plant, twilight bloom, bloodflower, dew fronds, sirenflower, somnastis plant, thornslinger.

Carnivorous hunters (plants that actively hunt living creatures):
hangman tree, whipweed, vampire rose, mandragora, giant sundew, archer bush, black willow, choke creeper, jupiter bloodsucker, singing tree, killer tree, sashalus, vampire moss

Miscellaneous Plant creatures (a variety of plant creatures, some malevolent, some benevolent, need a more cohesive theme idea that incorporates all of these):
hellseed, fungoid, vegepygmy/thorny/russet mold, dusanu, algoid, campestri, faerie phiz, aartuk, bohun tree, quickwood, zombie plant, clubthorn, helborn, gakarak, rekeihs

Underdark Plants (a variety of fungi and other plant creatures usually found underground):
carapace, kampfult, ascomoid, noran, zygom, cushion fungus, fireweed, chromatic mold, serpent vine

 

[Shade]

Miscellaneous Plant creatures (a variety of plant creatures, some malevolent, some benevolent, need a more cohesive theme idea that incorporates all of these):
hellseed, fungoid, vegepygmy/thorny/russet mold, dusanu, algoid, campestri, faerie phiz, aartuk, bohun tree, quickwood, zombie plant, clubthorn, helborn, gakarak, rekeihs

Vengeful Vegetation?

 

[BOZ]

IF you're serious... , that would cut some of those creatures out. the campestri and faerie phiz in particular are not very violent. of course, if we could stand to do without them...

 

[Shade]

I take these things VERY seriously.

Yeah, I suppose that would cut a few critters out. We could always pitch the leftovers as Plant Pals or Chlorophylanthropists.

 

[BOZ]

*thwaps Shade* get it together man, you're losing it!

Maybe I'll just avoid coming up with a specific theme other than "plant creatures" for that one, and it can be a general plant article like the one in #292, which not un-coincidentally featured a few conversions.

I'll start working on the query today.