Shade
Monster Junkie
Search is Int-based, from which it has a -4 penalty. 
Moving on...
Pilfer Vine
FREQUENCY: Rare
No. APPEARING: 1 patch
ARMOR CLASS: 6
MOVE: 1" (main plant), 9" (vines)
HIT DICE: 1-10
% IN LAIR: 100%
TREASURE TYPE: See below
NO. OF ATTACKS: Variable
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-4 per vine
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Strangulation
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Resistances to blunt weapons and cold
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard
INTELLIGENCE: Semi-
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
SIZE: S to M
PSIONIC ABILITY Nil
Attack/Defense Modes: Nil
LEVEL/X.P. VALUE: II to VII / 22
+ 1/hp to 2250 + 14/hp
Pilfer vines are sentient plants that have an unusual affinity for bright, shiny items. They are usually encountered in jungles or forests when wild, but the plant may also be found near a settlement or monster lair, for it otherwise would have little chance to acquire the items it has such an intense desire to filch. Why a pilfer vine “steals” is a question no one has been able to answer, as it will take things for which it has no possible use.
A pilfer vine is able to find shiny objects with visual organs located upon its broad leaves. The images that the organs receive are transmitted to its vegetable brain, which is surrounded by a tough mass of twisted vines. The plant is color-blind. Two mobile tendrils are possessed for each hit die that it has. These tendrils can reach out up to 5’ away and can lift up to 5 gp in weight per vine.
A pilfer vine’s base chance to steal any item from a being is 70%. Some of the modifiers to this chance are: victim standing still, 0%; walking, -20%; running, -60%; sleeping, + 15%. More modifiers can be devised if needed. A victim will notice the attempt if the die roll is 25% or more over the number needed to pilfer an item. Characters of 5th level and above have an increased chance to foil the attempt; subtract 1% from both the base chance to steal and notice the theft for each level over the 4th. Thus, if an 8th-level fighter was the victim, the base chance of a successful theft is now 70% - (8-4)% = 66%) and the person will notice the attempt on a roll 21% over what is needed. Tendrils can dig into pouches, backpacks, and the like to find items, and more than one tendril can help steal an item. Lifting an item from a victim takes 1 round per attempt. If the plant is successful in stealing a random item from someone, it will hide the item amongst the gnarled vines of the main plant.
A pilfer vine will attack only if attacked first. It can lash out with its whiplike vines, doing 1-4 hp of damage per strike and gaining one attack for each mobile tendril it possesses. Up to six vines may attack a man-sized creature at a time. A vine can take 5 hp damage from edged weapons before it is severed and becomes useless. These hit points are in addition to those of the plant’s central body. The plant.s structure makes it resistant to blunt weapons, which do 1 hp of damage plus magical bonuses per strike.
When a tendril’s “to hit” roll in combat is a natural 20, the vine has wrapped itself around the victim’s neck. The creature so hit takes 1-6 hp damage, and will continue to take this damage each round until the vine is broken (only possible by those with 18+ strength; use one-half of exceptional strength rounded up as the base number) or severed. A being with a 19 strength has a 75% chance to snap the vine, and 20 strength or greater means automatic success at breaking the vine. Fire (magical or non-magical) does double damage to pilfer vines. Because of this, a pilfer vine will never send its tendrils towards anyone carrying a torch or other heat source. A pilfer vine takes normal damage from electricity, but cold only does half damage and slows the plant’s movements by 50% for 2-5 rounds.
A pilfer vine’s treasure is hidden in or around the plant. It consists of treasure types Qx2 (gems of less than 500 gp base value), and 20-200 coins of various types. There is a 40% chance for the plant to have 1-4 pieces of jewelry, and a 10% chance for a small magic item (dagger, scroll in metallic case, glass potion bottle, etc.) to be present. There will also be various shiny items such as bits of broken glass, metallic darts, small mirrors, holy symbols, etc. from 5-20 in number.
Sometimes a druid or magic-user will grow and feed a pilfer vine, as well as supply it with shiny items, in return for the protection of his or her abode. Being semiintelligent, the pilfer vine will recognize its benefactors and not steal from them or their friends, if so instructed (though it takes time for the pilfer vines to understand that, even using speak with plants spells).
A pilfer vine is a large mass of tangled and twisted vines, not unlike those of a creeper. The vines of the plant are dull green or greenish-gray in color, while the leaves are broad and of green-brown coloration. Tiny, dark splotches appear on the leaves; these are the sensory organs used to see bright objects. The plant is almost always found coiled about a tree, column, post, or pillar.
Originally appeared in Dragon Magazine #101 (1985).
Moving on...
Pilfer Vine
FREQUENCY: Rare
No. APPEARING: 1 patch
ARMOR CLASS: 6
MOVE: 1" (main plant), 9" (vines)
HIT DICE: 1-10
% IN LAIR: 100%
TREASURE TYPE: See below
NO. OF ATTACKS: Variable
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-4 per vine
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Strangulation
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Resistances to blunt weapons and cold
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard
INTELLIGENCE: Semi-
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
SIZE: S to M
PSIONIC ABILITY Nil
Attack/Defense Modes: Nil
LEVEL/X.P. VALUE: II to VII / 22
+ 1/hp to 2250 + 14/hp
Pilfer vines are sentient plants that have an unusual affinity for bright, shiny items. They are usually encountered in jungles or forests when wild, but the plant may also be found near a settlement or monster lair, for it otherwise would have little chance to acquire the items it has such an intense desire to filch. Why a pilfer vine “steals” is a question no one has been able to answer, as it will take things for which it has no possible use.
A pilfer vine is able to find shiny objects with visual organs located upon its broad leaves. The images that the organs receive are transmitted to its vegetable brain, which is surrounded by a tough mass of twisted vines. The plant is color-blind. Two mobile tendrils are possessed for each hit die that it has. These tendrils can reach out up to 5’ away and can lift up to 5 gp in weight per vine.
A pilfer vine’s base chance to steal any item from a being is 70%. Some of the modifiers to this chance are: victim standing still, 0%; walking, -20%; running, -60%; sleeping, + 15%. More modifiers can be devised if needed. A victim will notice the attempt if the die roll is 25% or more over the number needed to pilfer an item. Characters of 5th level and above have an increased chance to foil the attempt; subtract 1% from both the base chance to steal and notice the theft for each level over the 4th. Thus, if an 8th-level fighter was the victim, the base chance of a successful theft is now 70% - (8-4)% = 66%) and the person will notice the attempt on a roll 21% over what is needed. Tendrils can dig into pouches, backpacks, and the like to find items, and more than one tendril can help steal an item. Lifting an item from a victim takes 1 round per attempt. If the plant is successful in stealing a random item from someone, it will hide the item amongst the gnarled vines of the main plant.
A pilfer vine will attack only if attacked first. It can lash out with its whiplike vines, doing 1-4 hp of damage per strike and gaining one attack for each mobile tendril it possesses. Up to six vines may attack a man-sized creature at a time. A vine can take 5 hp damage from edged weapons before it is severed and becomes useless. These hit points are in addition to those of the plant’s central body. The plant.s structure makes it resistant to blunt weapons, which do 1 hp of damage plus magical bonuses per strike.
When a tendril’s “to hit” roll in combat is a natural 20, the vine has wrapped itself around the victim’s neck. The creature so hit takes 1-6 hp damage, and will continue to take this damage each round until the vine is broken (only possible by those with 18+ strength; use one-half of exceptional strength rounded up as the base number) or severed. A being with a 19 strength has a 75% chance to snap the vine, and 20 strength or greater means automatic success at breaking the vine. Fire (magical or non-magical) does double damage to pilfer vines. Because of this, a pilfer vine will never send its tendrils towards anyone carrying a torch or other heat source. A pilfer vine takes normal damage from electricity, but cold only does half damage and slows the plant’s movements by 50% for 2-5 rounds.
A pilfer vine’s treasure is hidden in or around the plant. It consists of treasure types Qx2 (gems of less than 500 gp base value), and 20-200 coins of various types. There is a 40% chance for the plant to have 1-4 pieces of jewelry, and a 10% chance for a small magic item (dagger, scroll in metallic case, glass potion bottle, etc.) to be present. There will also be various shiny items such as bits of broken glass, metallic darts, small mirrors, holy symbols, etc. from 5-20 in number.
Sometimes a druid or magic-user will grow and feed a pilfer vine, as well as supply it with shiny items, in return for the protection of his or her abode. Being semiintelligent, the pilfer vine will recognize its benefactors and not steal from them or their friends, if so instructed (though it takes time for the pilfer vines to understand that, even using speak with plants spells).
A pilfer vine is a large mass of tangled and twisted vines, not unlike those of a creeper. The vines of the plant are dull green or greenish-gray in color, while the leaves are broad and of green-brown coloration. Tiny, dark splotches appear on the leaves; these are the sensory organs used to see bright objects. The plant is almost always found coiled about a tree, column, post, or pillar.
Originally appeared in Dragon Magazine #101 (1985).
