Special Conversion Thread: Plants

[Shade]

Bloodflower
CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Temperate and subtropical marshes and jungles
FREQUENCY: Rare
ACTIVITY CYCLE: Any
NO. APPEARING: See text
ARMOR CLASS: 10
HIT DICE: 1 hp per bloom
THAC0: 20
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1
DAMAGE/ATTACKS: See text
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Narcotic perfume, blood drain
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Nil
SIZE: S (1’-tall bush)
MORALE: Average (9)
XP VALUE: 65

The blooms of the bloodflower plant are a pale, almost translucent, white. As the plant feeds, the petals become slowly pink, eventually flushing to a deep, rich red. After four turns, digestion is completed and the plant is ready to feed again. The wild bloodflower grows in clumps of 2-5 bushlike plants.

Combat: The flower exudes a fast-acting narcotic perfume that is effective within a 5’ radius. Victims must save vs. poison or fall asleep immediately. If the victim falls within 2’ of the plant, the plant stretches out and attaches a set of 6” –long spiny underleaves to the victim's body. These leaves then drain blood from the victim, doing damage each round equivalent to the plant’s hit points. If the victim is not removed from the vicinity of the bloodflower, he remains unconscious and the plant continues to feed until the victim dies. If removed from the area of the plant’s perfume, the victim regains consciousness after one turn. Healing may occur in any normal fashion.

Habitat/Ecology: Because the plant blooms both day and night, the domestic species is sometimes used as a passive defense and may be found scattered about in flower gardens or in huge beds surrounding important buildings or cities. Individual potted flowers are kept in treasure rooms as traps for the unwary.

Originally appeared in Dragon Magazine #167 (1991).

 

[Mortis]

Bloodflower

Reminds me of the vampire rose or vampire vine with the addition of the narcotic perfume.

Regards
Mortis

 

[Cleon]

Bloodflower

Hmm, we could do these as a hazard but I know Shade'll prefer a monster.

So, a Tiny Plant with Blood Drain and narcovenom?

Does each plant have a single bloom?

If so, the "The wild bloodflower grows in clumps of 2-5 bushlike plants" would suggest [FONT=&quot]½[/FONT]d8+1 for the Hit Dice.

I'm thinking we should borrow some stuff from the SRD Stirge:

How's this for a start:

Bloodflower
Tiny Plant
Armor Class: 10 (+2 size, -2 Dex), touch 10, flat-footed 10
Hit Dice: [FONT=&quot]½[/FONT]d8+1 (3)
Special Attacks: Attach, blood drain, poison
Special Qualities: Blind, mindless, tremorsense 10 ft.
Abilities: Str 3, Dex 6, Con 13, Int —, Wis 8, Cha 6

Attach (Ex): If a bloodflower hits with a tendril attack, it uses its thorns and suckers to latch onto the opponent’s body. An attached bloodflower is effectively grappling its prey. Bloodflower have a +12 racial bonus on grapple checks (already figured into the Base Attack/Grapple entry above).

An attached bloodflower can be struck with a weapon or grappled itself. To remove an attached bloodflower through grappling, the opponent must achieve a pin against the bloodflower.

Blood Drain (Ex): A bloodflower drains blood, dealing X points of Constitution damage in any round when it begins its turn attached to a victim. A bloodflower will continue draining blood until its victim dies or it it is removed from its victim.

 

[Shade]

I'm so predictable.

1/2d8+1 sounds good.

 

[freyar]

Looks like a pretty good start, and it may not really need anything else.

 

[Cleon]

Looks like a pretty good start, and it may not really need anything else.

Yes, it's a pretty simple monster.

I'll flesh it out some more:

I'll give it a 5 ft. reach since it can attack victims overcome by its 5-foot radius poison cloud. Speaking of which, should we tweak the name of that attack?

Narcotic Cloud? Poison Cloud? Sedating Perfume?

I like Narcotic Perfume.

Do we want to give it some Camouflage so people will wander close to it without realizing it's a threat?

Bloodflower
Tiny Plant
Hit Dice: ½d8+1 (3 hp)
Initiative: -2
Speed: 0 ft. (immobile)
Armor Class: 10 (+2 size, -2 Dex), touch 10, flat-footed 10
Base Attack/Grapple: +0/-12
Attack: Tendril -2 touch (attach)
Full Attack: Tendril -2 touch (attach)
Space/Reach: 2½ ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Attach, blood drain, narcotic perfume
Special Qualities: Blind, camouflage?, mindless, tremorsense 10 ft.
Saves: Fort +3, Ref -2, Will +5
Abilities: Str 3, Dex 6, Con 13, Int —, Wis 8, Cha 6
Skills: —
Feats: —
Environment: Temperate or warm forests and swamps
Organization: Solitary or clump (2-5) ?
Challenge Rating: ?
Treasure: Incidental, like a spider ?
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: ?
Level Adjustment: —

Attach (Ex): If a bloodflower hits with a tendril attack, it uses its thorns and suckers to latch onto the opponent’s body. An attached bloodflower is effectively grappling its prey. Bloodflower have a +12 racial bonus on grapple checks (already figured into the Base Attack/Grapple entry above).

An attached bloodflower can be struck with a weapon or grappled itself. To remove an attached bloodflower through grappling, the opponent must achieve a pin against the bloodflower.

Blind (Ex): [use the standard description]

Blood Drain (Ex): A bloodflower drains blood, dealing X points of Constitution damage in any round when it begins its turn attached to a victim. A bloodflower will continue draining blood until its victim dies or it it is removed from its victim.

Camoflage (Ex): [use the standard description with DC20 and Knowledge (nature) or Survival as substitute skills for Spot?]

Mindless (Ex): [use the standard description]

Narcotic Perfume (Ex): Bloodflowers constantly produce a perfumed sedative gas. Any creature that comes within a 5 foot radius of the plant must succeed at a DC X Fortitude save every round or fall unconscious for Y minutes.

 

[Shade]

Narcotic perfume appeals.

No need for a "mindless" entry. It is assumed with Int -.

The proposed organization, treasure, and giving it camouflage all appeal.

Why is it blind? I didn't see anything in the original writeup, unless I missed it.

Added to Homebrews.

 

[Cleon]

Why is it blind? I didn't see anything in the original writeup, unless I missed it.

No, there's nothing to specify it's blind in the original writeup, but then there's nothing saying it has eyes either.

It just seemed more appropriate making it sightless. I'd be OK swapping the tremorsense to blindsight if you are worried about the miss chance.

 

[Cleon]

Narcotic perfume appeals.

Thanks. So, what duration do you fancy for the sleepy-time? The original says it lasts a turn, which is 10 rounds. Shall we keep that, or have a randomised equivalent with a similar average like 2d4+5 rounds or 3d6 rounds?

What blood drain rate do you fancy. 1d4 Con like a Stirge?

The original drains 2-5 hits per round, which is more than the AD&D Stirge's 1-4, but I feel 1d4 Con is OK.

 

[Shade]

Let's stick with low-light vision like most plants, plus tremorsense.

1d4 Con and 2d4+5 rounds appeal.