Special Conversion Thread: Plants

[Cleon]

I might go with a slightly higher CR (2?), but it looks pretty good. Also, it seems weird to have both natural armor and hardness.

Well it's a weird monster converted by a weird character, so that's appropriate.

We can call the hardness "DR X/-" if it bothers you.

I stuck it in because its traps are its only means to damage opponents, so I didn't want them to be too easy to defeat.

I did think about giving the bladders a lower hardness than the main plant.

DR 3/- for the bladders, DR 5/- for the main body?

I'm also wondering about changing the "Once a creature exits, elastic action closes the hole; another trapped opponent must make their own escape." Since the original gave the bladders separate HD I wouldn't mind having it so a bladder releases all its captives once destroyed.

I only left the "closing the hole" bit in because I used a copy-and-paste of Swallow Whole as the basic. It doesn't really appeal to me, to be honest, so I'd rather change it to a door model:

So, how about changing:

A trapped creature can break free with a DC 20 Strength check, or cut their way out by using a light slashing or piercing weapon to deal 10 points of damage to the bladder (AC 12, hardness 5). Once a creature exits, elastic action closes the hole; another trapped opponent must make their own escape.

Into:

Each bladder has a lid with AC 12, DR 3/- and 10 hit points, the bladder's lid can be broken open with a DC 20 Strength check or cut open by

reducing the lid's hit points to zero (creatures trapped inside the bladder can only use light slashing or piercing weapon to cut their way free). Once a bladder's lid is forced open all creatures trapped inside can escape.

 

[Cleon]

Fantastic. How about we make the save DC higher. If it were an 8 HD creature with a Con score of 22 (like a tendriculous), the save DC would be 20.

I'd be fine with making it a higher DR. I was thinking of 18 or so.

Perhaps the CR should be a bit higher?

The problem is that it's only an 8HD monster "at root", as far as interacting with its victims goes it's a bunch of 2HD monsters, each of which only does a measly 1d4 damage per round - and only to creatures foolish enough to blunder into them. Once the first PC or two are sucked in, any left outside would probably hack away at the thing from a safe position until it's dead, meaning it's pretty much a "one trick pony".

 

[freyar]

It might be a one-trick pony, but it could be pretty deadly! I'd bump the CR a little.

And, yes, I prefer DR to hardness. Or else drop the natural armor and go with hardness.

 

[Shade]

Yeah, let's go with DR and maybe CR 3?

 

[freyar]

I'd be happier with that, too.

 

[Cleon]

Yeah, let's go with DR and maybe CR 3?

Well I guess I'd be alright increasing the CR to 3 provided we boost the acid damage. 1d4 per round is just embarrassing for a creature with that Challenge Rating. Maybe 1d4+4 or 1d6+6 acid?

I also added the line "It takes two weeks for the plant to replace a destroyed bladder."

Together with the previous proposals, we've currently got:

Giant Bladderwort (CR 3)
A giant bladderwort is a rootless water plant found floating in stagnant marshes. These carnivorous plants float just below the surface of the water, appearing to be a harmless mat of vegetation. It requires a DC20 Spot or Knowledge (nature) check to notice the plant is dangerous. A typical giant bladderwort is between 20 and 30 feet across.

Giant bladderworts trap prey inside translucent bladders about 4 feet across, each plant has 1d10+10 such traps, each bladder-trap occupies a separate 5-foot square. The bladders contain a partial vacuum, as soon as a creature bumps into a bladder it pops open and the water rushing into the vacuum will suck all creatures with 5 feet of the bladder into the trap unless they succeed at a [DC 18-20 Reflex save?]. The plant then releases digestive enzymes that do 1d6+6? points of acid damage per round to all organic creatures (or objects) trapped by the bladder. Note that since the bladder is flooded with water, any air-breathing creature trapped within it also risks drowning. A bladder can trap 1 Medium-sized creature, 2 Small creatures, 8 Tiny creatures, 32 Diminutive creatures or 128 Fine creatures.

Each bladder has a lid with AC 12, DR 3/- and 10 hit points, the bladder's lid can be broken open with a DC 20 Strength check or cut open by reducing the lid's hit points to zero (creatures trapped inside the bladder can only use light slashing or piercing weapon to cut their way free). Once a bladder's lid is forced open all creatures trapped inside can escape.

Each bladder can only trigger its trap once per day. It requires 24 hours for the trap to reseal its lid and restore its partial vacuum after the plant finishes digesting any meal it has trapped. It takes two weeks for the plant to replace a destroyed bladder.

Damage to the bladder-traps does not harm the plant, to kill a giant bladderwort its floating main body must be destroyed (AC 14, DR 5/-, 40 hit points).

 

[freyar]

9.5 points of damage per round? Sounds like a lot for a 3rd level character to deal with. How about 1d8 per round?

 

[Shade]

That's reasonable.

Added to Homebrews.

Are we satisfied and ready to move on?

 

[freyar]

I'm ready.

 

[Shade]

Here's the next one, which is quite similar, although I might be able to see this one as an actual monster since it makes an active attack roll...

Giant Butterwort
CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Any bogs, marshes, or swamps
NO. APPEARING: 1-6
ARMOR CLASS: 7
HIT DICE: 5
THAC0: 15
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1
DAMAGE/ATTACKS: See text
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Dissolving, surprise
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Nil
SIZE: M
MORALE: Average (10)
XP VALUE: 420

The giant butterwort grows in rosettes of 2-8 6’-long oblong leaves of pale yellow-green, having a greasy appearance and a faint, funguslike scent. The leaves of this plant rest flat against the ground and are difficult to see against the terrain ( -2 to victim’s roll for being surprised).

Combat: Anything walking over this plant’s leaves becomes stuck, due to the mucilage secreted by glands in the leaves. The plant then attempts to roll all of its leaves up and over its prey (attacking as per its hit dice), becoming a tight, leafy cocoon that fills with digestive fluid, causing 1-4 hp damage per round. Victims holding small, edged weapons when caught may cut themselves free by doing damage equal to half the total hit points of the plant. Attacks from outside inflict half the damage on the plant and half on the victim trapped inside. The mucilage may be neutralized with liberal quantities of alcohol.

Habitat/Ecology: One of the most adaptive of carnivorous plants, the giant butterwort is found from arctic to tropical areas, favoring acidic or alkaline bogs with moist to very wet soils.

Originally appeared in Dragon Magazine #167 (1991).