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NOW LIVE! Into the Woods--new character species, eerie monsters, and haunting villains to populate the woodlands of your D&D games.
Special Conversion Thread: Plants
- Thread starter Shade
- Start date
Cleon
Legend
Yes, I prefer the standard grapple check to climb out (vs Climb checks), the silly elastic action to close the hole, etc.
Okay then, let's use that and get on with the stats.
I cut down the DR from a treant's 10/slashing to 5/slashing, since I don't think these things should be as tough as a walking oak tree.
It's all pretty straightforward now apart from the question of how much damage it does with its "whip". Do we treat it like an actual whip [1d4+7 nonlethal?], regular damage like a tendriculos's tendril [1d4+7?], or a no-damage grapple like the original [special?].
Pitcher Plant, Giant
Large Plant
Hit Dice: 5d8+20 (42 hp)
Initiative: -2
Speed: 0 ft. (0 squares)
Armor Class: 14 (-1 size, -2 Dex, +7 natural) touch 7, flat-footed 14
Base Attack/Grapple: +3/+12
Attack: Tendril +7 melee (1d4+5)
Full Attack: Tendril +7 melee (1d4+5)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./0 ft. (20 ft. with tendril)
Special Attacks: Drowning, improved grab, swallow whole
Special Qualities: Blind, damage reduction 5/slashing, tremorsense 20 ft., plant traits
Saves: Fort +8, Ref -1, Will +1
Abilities: Str 21, Dex 6, Con 18, Int -, Wis 11, Cha 3
Skills: —
Feats: Blind-Fight (B)
Environment: Any?
Organization: Solitary or cluster (2–8)
Challenge Rating: x
Treasure: 10% coins?
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 6-8 HD (Large); 9-15 HD (Huge) [based on Tendriculos]
Level Adjustment: —
Combat
Blind: Giant pitcher plants are immune to gaze attacks, visual effects, illusions, and other attack forms that rely on sight.
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a giant pitcher plant must hit a creature at least one size smaller than itself with its tendril attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can try to swallow the opponent in the following round.
Swallow Whole/Drowning (Ex): A giant pitcher plant can try to swallow a grabbed opponent by making a successful grapple check. The interior of the plant is a vase filled with digestive fluids, each round the opponent takes 1d4 points of acid damage and must succeed on a DC15 Swim check or sink under the fluid and risk drowning. A swallowed creature can climb out of the vase with a successful grapple check. This returns it to the plant’s maw, where another successful grapple check is needed to get free. The inside of the vase is lined with needle-sharp spines that do 2d4 piercing damage to the opponent for every grapple attempt they make to escape. A swallowed creature can also cut its way out by using a light slashing or piercing weapon to deal 25 points of damage to the giant pitcher plant's interior (same AC and DR as the plant's exterior). Once the creature exits, elastic action closes the hole; another swallowed opponent must cut its own way out. A Large giant pitcher plant's interior can hold 2 Medium, 8Small , 32 Tiny, 128 Diminutive or 512 Fine opponents.
Last edited:
Shade
Monster Junkie
Cleon
Legend
1d4+5 is fine by me.
Blast it, I got the Hit Dice wrong. It should be HD: 5d8+20 (42 hp), not 5d8+25.
You can get pitcher plants in quite northerly latitudes. There are species of Sarracenia in central Canada (and it gets pretty cold around their during the winter!), and I vaguely recall there are others in Scotland and the Scandinavian countries.
Still, most pitcher plants are found in nice temperate forests and jungles, so "any temperate or warm land" is fine by me.
I was wondering about CR2, since they only do 1d4 damage per round to victims they're digesting. If we go for CR3 I feel we should probably boost the acid damage.
Make it "metallic or stone only" and I'll back you.
Shade
Monster Junkie
Yeah, I supposed the risk of drowning is enough to tip it over to CR 3.
Updated. I believe we're finished.
Let's tackle one that's clearly a monster next...
Helborn
CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Subtropical and tropical swamps and jungles
FREQUENCY: Very rare
INTELLIGENCE: Low
TREASURE TYPE: Z
ALIGNMENT: Neutral evil
NO. APPRARING: 1
ARMOR CLASS: See text
MOVEMENT: 3
HIT DICE: 8
THAC0: 13
NO. OF ATTACKS: See text
DAMAGE/ATTACKS: See text
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Spell-like powers, continuous damage
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Nil
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 30%
SIZE: L (10’-12’ tall)
MORALE: Champion (16)
XP VALUE: 2,000
The helborn is a sentient, carnivorous plant with spell-like powers. It is also able to use a telepathic, nonverbal empathy within 60’, allowing it to communicate with potential prey. All attempts to cultivate it have ended tragically. A mature helborn consists of a large, 4’-long head (AC 1) formed by two lobes like hinged clamshells. The trunk (AC 3) contains the plant’s stomach, and from the trunk grow from 4-12 large tendrils (AC 5).
The helborn can uproot itself, then travel short distances by using its roots to grasp objects and pull itself along. It is very cunning and uses treasure as a bribe or as a lure to trick prey into coming within reach of its tendrils. The helborn might also try to nonverbally convince its victims that it wants to help them in return for “food.”
Combat: The tendrils of the helborn are each able to club for 1-6 hp damage. A tendril can also wrap around an attacker on a to-hit roll, then crush for 1-4 hp damage per round thereafter. Each AC 5 tendril can sustain 8 hp damage before severing or breaking; this does not affect the plant’s own hit-point total. A tendril can lift a man-sized victim.
Prey is placed inside the helborn’s mouth, where the victim is held in place by the spines lining the inside of the lobes. If the prey struggles while inside, it receives 1-3 hp damage per round from the spines. A mild enzyme causes 1 hp damage per round for four rounds after the victim enters the mouth, after which the victim is moved down into the plant’s stomach where digestion continues. Inedible materials are later regurgitated and expelled. The inside of the head is AC 5, and small edged weapons (short-sword size or less) may be used to inflict one-quarter of the plant’s total hit points in order to escape.
There are four stages to a helborn’s growth, each stage taking a year to reach. A seedling consists of the head (6” across with 1 HD) surrounded by a rosette of leaves. The head of a young plant (2 HD) is 1’ across, and there appear the beginnings of a trunk; some of the young plant’s leaves have become tendrils capable of a weak grasp, easily broken by medium-size or larger creatures. The subadult plant (4 HD) stands 6’-8’ high, with a head 2’ across and tendrils capable of 1-3 hp clubbing or 1-2 hp crushing damage. Mature plants live about 11-20 years.
Helborn plants gain certain spell-like abilities as they grow (each power is usable once per day). A helborn seedling possesses ESP; as a young plant, it can use hypnotism; a subadult plant can use domination; and a mature helborn possesses mass suggestion. These powers duplicate the mages’ spells of the same name cost at the 12th level.
Helborn are rarely encountered by those who do not dwell in swamps, and so have little effect on the world at large. They prey on all creatures except other plants, tolerating no rivals near them. In turn, they are attacked only by communal creatures who can amass the magic and military might to destroy them.
Originally appeared in Dragon Magazine #167 (1991).
Updated. I believe we're finished.
Let's tackle one that's clearly a monster next...
Helborn
CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Subtropical and tropical swamps and jungles
FREQUENCY: Very rare
INTELLIGENCE: Low
TREASURE TYPE: Z
ALIGNMENT: Neutral evil
NO. APPRARING: 1
ARMOR CLASS: See text
MOVEMENT: 3
HIT DICE: 8
THAC0: 13
NO. OF ATTACKS: See text
DAMAGE/ATTACKS: See text
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Spell-like powers, continuous damage
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Nil
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 30%
SIZE: L (10’-12’ tall)
MORALE: Champion (16)
XP VALUE: 2,000
The helborn is a sentient, carnivorous plant with spell-like powers. It is also able to use a telepathic, nonverbal empathy within 60’, allowing it to communicate with potential prey. All attempts to cultivate it have ended tragically. A mature helborn consists of a large, 4’-long head (AC 1) formed by two lobes like hinged clamshells. The trunk (AC 3) contains the plant’s stomach, and from the trunk grow from 4-12 large tendrils (AC 5).
The helborn can uproot itself, then travel short distances by using its roots to grasp objects and pull itself along. It is very cunning and uses treasure as a bribe or as a lure to trick prey into coming within reach of its tendrils. The helborn might also try to nonverbally convince its victims that it wants to help them in return for “food.”
Combat: The tendrils of the helborn are each able to club for 1-6 hp damage. A tendril can also wrap around an attacker on a to-hit roll, then crush for 1-4 hp damage per round thereafter. Each AC 5 tendril can sustain 8 hp damage before severing or breaking; this does not affect the plant’s own hit-point total. A tendril can lift a man-sized victim.
Prey is placed inside the helborn’s mouth, where the victim is held in place by the spines lining the inside of the lobes. If the prey struggles while inside, it receives 1-3 hp damage per round from the spines. A mild enzyme causes 1 hp damage per round for four rounds after the victim enters the mouth, after which the victim is moved down into the plant’s stomach where digestion continues. Inedible materials are later regurgitated and expelled. The inside of the head is AC 5, and small edged weapons (short-sword size or less) may be used to inflict one-quarter of the plant’s total hit points in order to escape.
There are four stages to a helborn’s growth, each stage taking a year to reach. A seedling consists of the head (6” across with 1 HD) surrounded by a rosette of leaves. The head of a young plant (2 HD) is 1’ across, and there appear the beginnings of a trunk; some of the young plant’s leaves have become tendrils capable of a weak grasp, easily broken by medium-size or larger creatures. The subadult plant (4 HD) stands 6’-8’ high, with a head 2’ across and tendrils capable of 1-3 hp clubbing or 1-2 hp crushing damage. Mature plants live about 11-20 years.
Helborn plants gain certain spell-like abilities as they grow (each power is usable once per day). A helborn seedling possesses ESP; as a young plant, it can use hypnotism; a subadult plant can use domination; and a mature helborn possesses mass suggestion. These powers duplicate the mages’ spells of the same name cost at the 12th level.
Helborn are rarely encountered by those who do not dwell in swamps, and so have little effect on the world at large. They prey on all creatures except other plants, tolerating no rivals near them. In turn, they are attacked only by communal creatures who can amass the magic and military might to destroy them.
Originally appeared in Dragon Magazine #167 (1991).
freyar
Extradimensional Explorer
This is one of the more interesting plants I've seen in a while; I wonder why it never got a more official treatment (even in the ToH or something).
First thoughts: let's ditch the stages of growth, as the younger ones don't seem to do much. It sounds like the tendrils have imp grab and constrict, and there's a modified swallow whole. The SLAs are a nice touch.
First thoughts: let's ditch the stages of growth, as the younger ones don't seem to do much. It sounds like the tendrils have imp grab and constrict, and there's a modified swallow whole. The SLAs are a nice touch.
