Savage Plants

There are a number of magical, hostile plants which while innocent in appearance, are difficult to identify. Characters who encounter a hostile plant gain the ability to identify that species in the future.
 

Amber Lotus
These flowers look like golden water lilies as large as sunflowers growing in calm ponds or swamps; some varieties grow on vines that creep up tree trunks. Their attractive appearance and serene setting is deceptive to the viewer, giving no clue as to the flower’s true nature. The amber lotus flower responds to ground vibrations. When a creature approaches within 10 feet of the plant, its blossoms open, each spraying a cloud of pollen 40 feet in diameter. Any individual within the flower’s pollen cloud must make a successful saving throw vs. poison or fall fast asleep for 4D4 turns. Nothing can wake the victim sooner. The flowers can spray a fresh burst of pollen every 3D4 rounds. Creatures that are resistant to sleep and charm spells (such as elves, half-elves, and pegataurs) are equally resistant to the pollen of the amber lotus flower. Amber lotus flowers get their nutrition in the same way as normal plants; no unusual conditions are required for its health. The pollen spray is a defense mechanism to protect the flower from potential threats. Amber lotus flowers are often found growing with other deadly plants such as vampire roses, archer bushes, or killer trees. The amber lotus flower enjoy a symbiotic relationship with these, and other floral predators. The amber lotus flower incapacitates a victim, the other plants than kill it, and all benefit from fertilization resulting from the victim’s remains. Some humans and other intelligent creatures may cultivate this flower for protection around homes, forbidden places, temples, and so forth. Druids and elves sometimes use the amber lotus flower to guard sacred worship sites, and are rumoured to somehow train the plants to spray pollen only on strangers who trespass. The sleep pollen is prized by alchemists for sleep powders and even poisonous sleep salve that can be smeared on a weapon. A dozen amber lotus flowers are required to make enough sleep poison to fill one vial; such a vial contains enough salve to coat one short sword or the equivalent.

Archer Bush
Archer bushes have sickly green and brown leaves, stunted trunks, and thorny brown branches. They resemble common wild bramble bushes. Archer bushes are commonly found in woodlands, scrub areas, and occasionally in mountains.
Archer bushes are carnivorous. They attack by shooting a spray of small thorns at a victim, inflicting D4 hit points of damage per spray. The range of the spray is 20 feet. Each bush can fire up to three such sprays per day. The archer bush can uproot itself and move toward stricken prey. The trunk of an archer bush appears to be buried within a 3-foot-high pile of leaves and twigs. This debris actually conceals a huge mouth filled with hard thorns that are used to devour disabled prey. The mouth is never used in combat. Archer bushes sense targets by ground vibrations; thus, they can fire at invisible or otherwise camouflaged victims. Only creatures who approach in flight are spared an attack.
Clumps of archer bushes commonly fire in concert, as if cooperating in a primitive way, but this cooperation is based mostly on instinct. Encountering a single archer bush is rarely a great threat; a group of archer bushes, however, can be deadly. Druids sometimes cultivate and train archer bushes to guard their holy sites.

Black Willow
The black willow is a mobile, sentient tree of evil disposition. It is 90% unlikely that a creature will recognize a black willow as such, for they can alter their trunks and limbs to appear as normal trees of the various willow sorts. Sometimes they will have smooth trunks and broad, inviting limbs. Other times they will show safe-looking trunk cavities at their base or high on their upper trunk. Of course, treants can spot black willows instantly, but even druids cannot do so without magical aid (such as locate plants, for example). A black willow’s normal attack is with lashing, whiplike branches that cause 1d4 points of damage each, but it has two special attack forms, one of which is generally employed earlier. If a creature has climbed out on a safe-looking limb, the black willow generates an aura of drowsiness within a 20-foot radius, making tired creatures fall into natural sleep. No saving throw is granted for creatures that are already going to sleep (like travelers resting or adventurers camping for the night), but active creatures (like foraging animals and adventurers just passing through) get a saving throw vs. spell to avoid falling asleep. Note that no spell is actually cast, and no offensive action is taken by the black willow during this drowsiness attempt, so characters who save feel slightly tired and then press on. Creatures who fail the saving throw, or who are already tired, do not drop to the ground, but rather feel compelled to stop and rest for a while. A hole then opens underneath such victims, and one or more of them are taken into a hollow limb. The limb then tilts to slide them into the trunk cavity. The trunk’s safe-looking openings are also used to close and trap the victims in the digestive cavity of the trunk. The stomach is coated with sticky, nonflammable sap. Digestive sap then oozes up from the roots, filling the cavity at a rate of one foot per ten rounds until the entire eight-foot cavity is filled. The juice is acidic and inflicts D4 points of damage per round until death occurs. Complete digestion is indicated when the victim reaches -20 or more hit points; any attempt at resurrection is thereafter impossible. Creatures trapped inside the stomach can employ only short, sharp weapons because of the confined space. It’s impossible to cast spells from within a black widow, unless the caster is small sized or smaller. Maximum normal damage is only 1 point per round, but magical and Strength bonuses add to this. Therefore, rescue, if any, must usually come from outside. A black willow regenerates at the rate of 1 point per turn and is immune to electrical attacks only if its roots are grounded firmly.
Although it usually inhabits areas where normal willows grow, the black willow can be found anywhere a tree is believable, including underground lakes, abandoned ruins, and so forth. A few black willows have been discovered by accident in the sacred groves of druids, but only if the druid has been lax in his duties or has remained away from his sanctum for a very long time (possibly adventuring).
The black willow gets only a portion of its nourishment from sun, air, water, and earth. The monster is aggressively carnivorous, relishing elves, gnomes, and humans particularly. Treasure of any sort is sometimes found buried beneath this tree monster, along with bones and other immediately indigestible matter. Of course, this assumes victims have treasure that weak acid (+4 bonus to saving throws) could not digest. It also assumes the black willow has stayed in a locale for a period of weeks (very likely unless pickings have been poor recently). It is quite possible that the black willow is either a little-understood offshoot of the treants, or an evil perversion of the quickwood. Even druids are not sure one way or the other, and they spend many long hours debating such things whenever another black willow is sighted or suspected.

Bloodthorn
The bloodthorn, or vampire thorn vine, resembles a normal patch of thorny vines. A healthy adult bloodthom has a 10-foot-long yellowish brown trunk from which four tendrils spring. Each light green tendril is about 7 feet long and bears numerous slender, hollow thorns about an inch in length. When warm-blooded prey approaches, the bloodthorn’s tendrils lash out, making one attack as a 6 Hit Die monster. If successful, the barbed thorns attach to the victim and drain bodily fluids. The bloodthorn’s prey loses 25% of its maximum hit points each round, until the bloodthorn or its victim dies, or the victim breaks free. The draining process is very painful, and the victim must make a successful system shock roll each round or fall unconscious. The victim can pull free with a successful Strength check, though this causes an additional 1-2 points of damage. Each tendril requires 10 points of damage to sever: these points do not count towards the total from the central stalk’s Hit Dice. Bloodthorns are capable of limited movement and will creep towards heat and light, though open flame will cause one to recoil. Cold immobilizes the bloodthorn for 2-5 rounds. The bloodthom reproduces by shooting seed thorns away from itself after a good feeding (three or more man-sized victims). The seed thorn fly 10 to 20 feet and cause no damage if they hit. Any seedling growing near an adult plant will be killed before it can grow and compete. Wizards and alchemists can often find uses for this plant’s hollow thorns.

Blossomkiller
Blossomkiller is a very unique plant found in all vegetated areas. The plant has many different features, including its stalk, roots, tendrils, and flowers. A single blossomkiller plant occupies an area with a radius of up to 45 feet. The roots and vines of this plant stretch across the area, between, in, and around any other nearby plants. The stalk of a blossomkiller is the size of a large tree trunk, but as it grows it lays flat down on the ground, where it spreads out in all directions. The roots of the plant, which criss-cross the entire 45-footradius area, and are similar in nature to trip wires. The tendrils branch out from the roots and await an unsuspecting victim. The tendrils are two to three inches thick, from five to ten feet in length, and green in colour. Every five to ten feet, there is a group of four tendrils which sprout out from one of the blossomkiller’s roots. The flowers of the blossomkiller are large and bright yellow, with dark green stems and leaves. Within the area of the blossomkiller, there are any number of flowers, most often six to nine, spread out evenly throughout the area. The stamen of a blossomkiller flower looks like a pin cushion, and for good reason; it is from the stamen that this plant shoots quills that damage its targets. When a victim steps on any of the plant’s roots, the flowers shoot a spray of quills in all directions, entirely covering the area occupied by the plant. The quills carry on them a natural paralysis poison, and any creature or being hit by them must make a saving throw vs. paralysis. Those who succeed take D6 points of damage, but are otherwise unaffected. Those who fail take D6 points of damage and are paralyzed for 2 turns (20 minutes). When a victim is paralyzed, the blossomkiller’s tendrils move out and begin to wrap themselves around it. Each flower has only three hit points, while the roots have eight hit points each. The roots, tendrils, and flowers of a blossomkiller are not very sturdy, and are easy to cut.

Boring Grass
This grass has corkscrew blades that aggressively dig into any material that comes into contact with it. Magical protections, leather soles, and thick cloth delay the grass’s attack for one round as the grass moves through the protection; however, the grass cannot bore through metal. Penetrated materials do not count as protection, so a human in leather armour would have an effective Armour Class of 10 the second round of contact. Once the grass hits exposed flesh it burrows in, inflicting 5d4 points of damage each round it remains in contact. Further, the creature must save vs. poison or be paralyzed by secretions from the grass. Those making a successful saving throw are slowed to half their normal movement rate; this effect lasts for D4 days or until a neutralize poison spell is used to counter it. A victim can pull free of the grass with a successful Strength roll, but will take 2D4 points of damage.
Boring grass can be effectively damaged only by fire or by careful digging and removal from the soil.

Brambleweed
Brambleweed grows as a thick, twisted, tangled mass of thorny brown-grey vines. The bramble vine does not put forth leaves. The stems are the actual photos synthetic component of the plant. The ends of each vine are the only parts that grow. As the vine grows, the older part of the brambleweed hardens from lack of moisture. In this fashion, the brambleweed forms its own trellis as it grows. Although hardened from lack of moisture, the underbramble remains tough, creating a deadly defense for the newer shoots. Hardened brambleweed does not burn. Brambleweed is an excellent defensive plant/weapon. Many a creature has found death trying to reach a goal that lies on the other side of the tangled brambleweed mass. Death usually results from impalement or deep, bloodletting cuts caused by the thousands of razor-sharp thorns. Brambleweed has 100 1- 2” thorns per 10. square section. Each thorn does only 1 point of damage. The brambleweed does not make an attack, but if a victim is thrown into a section of brambleweed make an attack roll. On a successful hit, D100 is rolled to see how many thorns actually hit the victim, each one does a single point of damage. Once in brambleweed, most people die attempting to extract themselves.

Choke Creeper
The choke creeper, or strangler vine, is a long, thick vine with many branch vines, each capable of attacking. The vine is olive green in colour, and the main vine is almost 1-2 feet thick. Branch vines have flexible tendrils, allowing them to creep at 5 yards per round. They are attracted to light and heat. For each 20 feet of main vine it has 2 hps. In each 10-foot section of the main vine, there are four branch vines. A maximum of four branch vines can attack a single target. They appear to be normal vegetation and can usually grab unsuspecting victims. Victims can break free with a successful bend bars/lift gates roll; if the roll fails, they are held fast until the vine that holds them is severed. Seized victims suffer D4 points of damage per round, with a 10% chance per round (non-cumulative) that the choke creeper achieves a strangling grip. The victim dies after one round of strangulation. A choke creeper is immune to torch fire, but takes normal damage from hotter fires such as those caused by burning oil; hot fires make the vine move away. The creeper takes only 1 hp damage per die of cold damage, but cold stuns the all plant sections struck for D4+1 rounds. Electrical attacks do no damage; instead, they double the creeper’s movement rate for D4+1 rounds.

Clubthorn
Clubthorn is related to the holly tree and shares many of its physical characteristics. Often found growing alongside holly, clubthorn is 90% likely to be mistaken for it. Clubthorn grows to a maximum height of 20’. It acquires 1 HD each year after its first year of growth until it achieves its maximum number of hit dice. Clubthorn is an evergreen with glossy green leaves and bright red berries. The leaves are as stiff as boiled leather, with sharp spines along their serrated edges. The tree possesses a set of special rootlike tentacles concealed just beneath the surface of the ground, extending in a radius equal to half the tree’s height. When a suitable victim approaches, these roots erupt from the ground and wrap around the victim’s legs, holding him fast. The tree then attacks with its limbs, doing clubbing damage according to the age of the tree: 1-4 hp (×2) for a sapling, 1-6 hp (×4) for a young tree, 1-8 hp (×6) for a mature tree, and 1-10 hp (×8) for an old tree (the number in parentheses refers to the number of attacks the plant can make per round). Because of the hardness of its wood and bark, blunt weapons do only half damage against clubthorn. Also, like the holly, the inner bark of the tree contains a sticky substance, similar to birdlime, that causes edged weapons to become stuck when they cut into the tree. A successful roll to bend bars or lift gates is required to pull a weapon free. A vinegar solution will dissolve the gum. This tree feeds on the blood and decaying bodies of its victims through its roots. It is smart enough to move about 20-50’ away from the site of a kill after it feeds, so as not to scare or warn off potential prey (it moves otherwise only to escape fire). Attempts to cultivate clubthorn as a hedge plant for defensive purposes have met with mixed success, thanks to the tree’s mobility.

Dark Tree
Dark trees are native to the Shining South. The earliest reports of dark trees preying on humans begin 200 years ago.
Dark trees resemble cypress trees, but their bark is darker, and little moss grows on them. They have two deep black eyes, which are almost impossible to find unless one knows precisely where to look. They superficially resemble treants, but anyone who sees a dark tree can almost feel the palpable hatred and evil emanating from it. Dark trees have a superior Armor Class due to their bark-like skin. They are not especially susceptible to fire, for their bark is wet and slimy, and fire does not easily ignite it. Dark trees do suffer a -2 penalty to their saving throw versus any magical cold attack. In melee, dark trees can attack with their two arms, inflicting 3D6 points of damage per successful attack. If both arms hit, the dark tree has grabbed the victim. On the next round, the dark tree can attempt to bite the victim, with a +4 bonus to hit. A successful bite causes 4-24 points of damage, as the tree drains blood from the victim. Dark trees have the ability to cause confusion in a target, once per round, in addition to their normal attacks. This ability has a range of 50 feet. The target receives a saving throw versus spell to avoid the effect. During combat this has the same effect as a confusion spell, but is more insidious if cast on an unsuspecting target. It causes the target to completely lose his sense of direction, often becoming hopelessly lost in the jungle. Dark trees are 90% likely to be taken for small cypress trees when they are not moving. This blending effect is only 75% effective against druids, rangers, and other priests of nature.
Dark trees live deep in the jungles, under the forest canopy that keeps the direct sunlight off them. They are solitary creatures, delighting in tormenting an unsuspecting group of adventurers before moving in for the kill. Dark trees can exist by photosynthesis, but they prefer the taste of blood. They must feed well on blood, before they can bud. Budding is a process that takes one year. At the end of that time, the original dark tree breaks up into D4+1 identical dark trees.

Dew Fronds
Dew fronds are found in jungle areas, where they easily blend in with the tropical surroundings and foliage. When newly grown, each frond is three to five feet in length and is a yellowish-tan color. The fronds of this plant are usually encountered in groups of four, all growing out of a single stalk. A young plant has a radius of approximately 4 feet and is three to four feet tall. As it feeds, a dew frond plant grows at an alarming rate. A dew frond lives off of the blood of its victims. As it feeds on more blood, the plant grows, soon reaching a height of fifteen feet and having a radius of 20 feet. The dew frond feeds through use of its sharp, barbed fronds. As a creature passes by one of these plants, it will lash out with its fronds, cutting the creature. To the victim, it will seem like the frond simply shifted, as though moved by the wind, etc. When a dew frond attacks, it does 1d6 points of damage. When it cuts the creature, the barbs dig into its skin, causing the fronds to stick in the wound. The fronds then begin to draw blood from the victim at a rate of 1 hit point per two rounds, until the victim is either drained or breaks free. Breaking free requires three rounds. This can be done more quickly, but doing so results in the victim taking 1d6 points of damage. A young dew frond plant has 1 hit die and an AC of 10. For each ten hit points of damage a dew frond inflicts on a target, it gains 1 hit die, and its AC is reduced by 1 (to a minimum of AC 0). Also, a dew frond plant grows one foot in height for each hit die it gains. Thus, after inflicting ten points of damage, a dew frond would have 2 Hit Dice, an AC of 9, and be four to five feet tall. After inflicting 30 points, it would have 4 hit dice and an AC of 7. Note that the additional damage inflicted by quickly removing a frond from a wound does not count towards the plant’s growth.

Giant Sundew
A giant sundew appears to be a 3- to 4 foot-mound of grayish green, tarry ropes or rags. The air around one is fly infested and holds a thick odor like sweet syrup. Preferring shaded places in which to grow, the sundew has only hair-like roots that anchor it lightly in place. It can pull itself slowly along the ground using sticky tendrils. Due to the plant’s sticky exterior, missiles and fire-based attacks inflict only half damage. The sundew detects moving creatures by vibrations. When anything moves within 5 feet of it, it lashes out with its tendrils. Its body is covered with hundreds of tendrils, and a maximum of six can attack each creature in range, each round. The tendrils exude sticky globs of sap. For every three tendrils that attach to a victim, the victim suffers a -1 penalty to attack rolls. The sap contains a mild enzyme that inflicts 1 point of damage per round for each tendril striking the victim, regardless of whether or not the tendril is still attached. A successful open doors roll breaks a tendril; each tendril must be checked separately, up to once per tendril, per round. If a sundew’s attack roll is an unmodified 20, it has struck the victim’s mouth and nose, clogging them with sap; suffocation occurs in D3+1 rounds unless the sap is removed. The sap may be dissolved by vinegar or alcohol.

Grab Grass
Ranging 3 to 5 feet in height, grab grass looks like ordinary tall grass. Grab grass is able to move, and often gives the impression of swaying in a breeze. The grass attacks by wrapping long tendrils around unsuspecting victims and strangling them. The strangling process drains one point of Constitution from a victim each round. A victim who reaches 0 Constitution dies. The decomposing body then feeds the plant. Victims who escape the grass regain one point of Constitution per turn of rest. A victim can break free from grab grass with a successful bend bars roll. A grab grass patch has 1 Hit Die for every 5-foot square of area, and each Hit Die is worth a full 8 hit points. A 5-foot by 5-foot square of grass is mutilated into death for every 8 points of damage done to the grass. Since the grass sways of its own volition, PCs looking in the direction of the grass may notice its swaying in absence of a breeze. The DM may allow an ability check against Intelligence or Wisdom (whichever is higher) in order for the character to notice that something is not quite right.

Hangman Tree
This tree is named for its noose-like vines. Hangman trees are deciduous, resembling thick oaks with few branches and sparse foliage. Knot-like sensory organs are usually located high on the trunk. In the area where the tree’s main branches split off, there is an opening which leads to the creature’s acid-filled “stomach”. The lower trunk has a slash-like opening for the expulsion of indigestibles. Saplings can move at 6 feet an hour, while older trees can move only 2 feet an hour. Their shallow root systems and small number of leaves require them to supplement their diet by direct ingestion of protein, so each tree traps prey. During freezing weather, a taproot is put down and the tree is dormant.
A hangman tree can release a hallucinatory perfume at will, and it does so when prey is 30-80 feet away. Those who inhale the perfume believe the hangman tree to be a normal tree, or even a treant, depending on the mood of the tree. The tree attacks by dropping noose-like vines around prey. Although each tree has D4+5 appendages, it can control only three of them at any one time. It takes D8+12 points of damage to sever a vine; this is in addition to the damage needed to kill the tree. Vines are AC 5, while the main tree is AC 3. When in contact with a victim, the tree inflicts 1-3 points of damage per round as the vine tightens and lifts its prey (1,000-pound limit) to the opening in the upper trunk. This requires four rounds. One attempt at a bend bars/lift gates roll can be made to break free; victims who fail the roll cannot escape. On the fifth round after being picked up, the victim is dropped into the hangman tree’s stomach. The victim suffers 3D4 points of acid damage per round until dead, and is then digested. Escape from the stomach is impossible. Many sharp growths surround the top of the opening, they point inward and down. About three man-sized victims can fit in the tree’s stomach at one time. A hangman tree draws power from its environment. It has 5% resistance to magic per decade of age, up to a maximum of 95%. However, the tree is vulnerable to elemental attacks. Lightning that passes its magic resistance inflicts double damage; extreme cold shocks the tree into dormancy until it thaws. Darkness also causes it to slow its activities, so it functions at half efficiency (three attacks per two rounds). Hangman trees have no interest in treasure and, because they move constantly, it is unlikely that treasure would be found near one, although they do expel undigestible items periodically.

Kampfult
The kampfult, also known as the sinewy mugger, has a rope-like body with a central core that resembles the decayed stump of a cut-down tree. A kampfult has six attack appendages of about six feet in length and six movement appendages of one foot in length. These are spaced along the four-foot-long, stump-like body segment. Several creatures can be attacked at the same time. Once hit by an appendage, the victim is wrapped up until either the kampfult is slain or the victim frees himself (those with a Strength of 16 of more can free themselves automatically in one round; others must roll a successful Strength check). Only the central section of the creature need be attacked to kill the beast, but severing its tentacles can succeed in rendering a kampfult harmless. Each tentacle requires 2 points of cutting damage to sever and causes 1 point per round of constriction damage. All portions of a kampfult are considered AC 4. The monster can hold out or pull in its appendages in order to disguise itself, and when doing so it imposes a -3 penalty to its opponents’ surprise rolls. The kampfult originally inhabited thick woodlands where it disguised its rope-like body among vines and creepers. Unsuspecting prey would then be trapped as the kampfult looped its coils of vinelike appendages around the victim, crushing and strangling it to death. Actively hunted down by humans, the few remaining monsters of this kind are now typically found in ruins or dungeons. There, appearing to be ropes or nets, the monsters surprise the unwary. Kampfults are carnivorous but relatively weak. They prefer to attack small, solitary mammals, as these are usually the most vulnerable and require the least amount of work to secure. A kampfult spends much of its day capturing mice and squirrels for food; it rarely snags anything larger. The underside of a kampfult’s central core is soft and very porous. This portion of the monster is placed directly on top of any killed prey, and the kampfult accelerates the absorption process by spraying a decay catalyst on its food. This catalyst affects nothing but organic tissue, so any incidental treasure left over from deceased victims is always found beneath the stump area of a kampfult.

Killer Spruce Tree
A killer spruce is an ill-tempered tree that can stand no other kinds of life near it. It attacks all creatures passing under it by hitting downward and inward with its lowest branches, which are equipped with seemingly normal but unusually hard and strong needles. There is no way to distinguish a killer spruce from a normal spruce except to examine its needles carefully (at which point it will attack you anyway). Young killer spruce behave in all ways like normal spruces until they reach full treehood. All killer spruce show a marked preference for elven victims. If a killer spruce has been brought to zero or fewer hit points, it makes one final attempt to destroy its opponents by falling over onto them. Anyone hit by such an attack suffers 5-30 hp damage and must make a dexterity check on D20 or be trapped beneath the fallen spruce. A killer spruce does not care about treasure, but there might still be some valuables lying under it, left there by past victims at the DM’s discretion. Some of these fierce conifers (15%) also have a weak poison on their needles that requires a character to save vs. poison at +3. Anyone who fails the save falls into a comatose sleep for D4 turns and may be attacked at +4 to hit by the spruce. Attacking a killer spruce with blunt weapons does only one-quarter normal damage. A killer spruce is very susceptible to fire, and all such attacks are saved against at -4. Druids can only speculate as to how killer spruce originated, and they dislike the time they spend rescuing adventurers from their clutches.

Mantrap
This insidious relative of the much smaller Venus flytrap attracts prey by scent, entrapping and dissolving its victims in acidic secretions. It is a gigantic bush with towering stalks of purple blossoms, and huge green leaves at ground level. During daylight hours the mantrap releases pollen continuously; all creatures who approach to within 60 feet must make a successful saving throw vs. poison or become attracted to the odor. Those attracted proceed to the body and voluntarily climb into one of the D4+1 leaf traps on the plant. Once entered, a leaf trap closes, firmly entrapping the victim (no chance of escape). The victim cannot be pulled free until the plant is destroyed. Its acidic secretions destroy the victim quickly, inflicting damage per round equal to the victim’s AC (discounting Dexterity bonuses). Regardless of the adjusted AC, the victim takes at least 1 point of damage per round. Items exposed to the acid must roll a saving throw once per round against the effects; all metal items receive a +2 bonus. The fascination with the mantrap is so strong that, once a being is enthralled, it takes 24 hours for the effect to wear off. The fumes from burning the plant counteract the effect. Because of its powerful attractive ability, the nectar of mantrap flowers is an ingredient in a philter of love.

Poisonweed
Poisonweed is found within forest areas. Along the roots of this weed grow large, beautiful flowers, bearing bright orange-colored petals and light green-tinted leaves. The flowers of a poisonweed plant are from four to six inches in diameter and are very hard to miss. A single poisonweed plant will bear up to 30 flowers, which are spread over a 20 foot radius. These flowers tend to extend out towards foot trails and paths which are commonly used by animals and man-sized travelers in the forest. At the center of a flower is a poison sac, filled with poisonous dust. As a victim touches or brushes against one of these flowers, a large cloud of poison is released into the air affecting all within 15 feet of the plant. Every being inside the affected area must save vs. poison or fall fast asleep, taking D6 points of damage as they do so. Those who successfully save remain conscious, but still take the damage. Once asleep, the victim is covered with the dust, which, as the victim breathes it, continues to keep him unconscious. Once the victim is asleep, the poisonweed roots quickly grow around and on its body, until it is completely entangled by them. It takes 3 turns for a poisonweed plant to completely entangle a victim. The poisonweed roots then secrete a corrosive enzyme that slowly eats away at the victim’s flesh, eventually killing it. These corrosive enzymes do D10 points of damage per round. Poisonweed plants are difficult to kill, since each time they are hit, they disperse another cloud of poison dust. Each flower on a given plant can generate two clouds of dust before its poison sac is emptied. This means an average plant can create up to 60 poison clouds before being depleted. For each new cloud created, any creatures within the area of effect must again save vs. poison or be rendered unconscious. Each poisonweed flower has only 2 hit points, but the whole plant has a total of 80 HPs. Poisonweed is immune to cold attacks, but takes double damage from fire-based ones. When a poisonweed plant is killed, it will automatically disperse as many poison clouds as possible before it dies. The only known method of safely killing a poisonweed plant is through the use of defiler magic. When the life source of the plant is drained, it is unable to disperse its dust clouds, and, like all plant life within range of defiler magic, is instantly killed.

Retch Plant
The retch plant, or globe palm, appears to be a typical palm tree, except that each always has D4+4 globe-like, coconut-sized fruit growing at its top. Each globe is membranous, taut, and blue, violet, or lilac in color. Walking under a retch plant makes it 20% likely that one of the globes will fall. If there is solid contact against the tree trunk (banging against it, running into it, or climbing it) 1d4+1 of the noisome fruits plop down. Randomly choose the target attacked; they are AC 10 against this attack. When the globes strike, they burst, and a nauseating fluid is splashed over a 5-foot radius. Those 5-9 feet from the impact have a 25% chance of being splashed. The sticky, foul fluid causes creatures to vomit and retch for the next three rounds. In addition to being nauseated, victims are at half normal Strength for one hour. No saving throw is allowed against either effect of the fluid. Creatures splashed must be washed in alcohol (including drinkable types) or they are more likely to attract carnivores in the area, doubling the frequency and chance for success of encounter checks. The odor is discernible within a 50-foot radius, and it persists for 1d4 hours unless removed as above.

Shambling Mound
Shambling mounds, or “shamblers”, appear as heaps of rotting vegetation. They are actually an intelligent form of vegetable life, roughly humanoid shaped, with a height of six to nine feet and a girth of about six feet at their base (legs to waist) and two feet at their summit (the “head”).
Shambling mounds are fearless attackers and are perhaps the most deadly form of plant life known. Their huge armlike appendages inflict 2-16 points of crushing damage each time they hit, and an unlucky victim hit by both arms in the same round is entangled in the slimy vines and rotting vegetable matter of the creature. Entangled creatures suffocate in slime in 2D4 rounds unless the shambler is killed or the victim breaks free (on a successful bend bars/lift gates roll). The shambler’s powerful attacks are supported by a combination of defenses that make shambling mounds invulnerable to most normal attacks. The vast amounts of thick vegetation covering the important inner body protect the shambling mound very well, thus its AC of 0. All edged and pointed weapons that strike the shambling mound successfully cause only one-half damage since the blows are greatly weakened as they pass through layer upon layer of cellulose fibers and slime. Since shamblers can collapse themselves at will, crushing weapons inflict no damage at all upon them. Fire-based attacks are ineffective against the wet and slimy shambling mounds, and cold-based attacks cause only one-half (if saving throw is failed) or no damage (if saving throw succeeds) to the creature, due to their essentially vegetable nature. Lightning actually causes a shambling mound to grow in size if used against it (add one foot in height, 1 Hit Die, and appropriate hit points for each lightning-based attack it is subjected to).
Spells that normally affect plants are effective against shambling mounds. Spells such as plant control and charm plant have proven the most successful so far.
Shambling mounds often lie in shallow bogs waiting for hapless creatures to walk on top of them. The usually surprised beings (-3 penalty to their surprise rolls) are struck and smothered often before they can even call for help.
Shambling mounds are almost totally silent and invisible in their natural surroundings (-3 penalty to opponents’ surprise rolls). They are not above creeping slowly into the camps of unsuspecting travelers at night. They are excellent swimmers as well. Shambling mounds are only found in regions of dense rainfall and vegetation. Dismal swamps, marshes, and rain forests are their favorite climes, but some wet subterranean places also serve as shambled lairs. They are solitary beasts, only rarely living in the same area as other shamblers – usually only in areas where the food source is constant (e.g., near famous ruins or abandoned gold mines, etc.). The shambling mound is an animate clump of vegetation with a small brain-like control center located deep within the “chest” cavity. Decapitating a shambling mound, therefore, does not harm it in the least. Since a shambling mound’s “limbs” are merely aggregated clumps of vine and moss, the removal of one or more of them does not hamper the creature either. Remaining vines along the torso will join together to form a new limb by the next round. Only when enough of the shambling mound has been hacked away will the creature die. Note that a wounded shambling mound need only retreat to a dense clump of wet foliage to heal. It will rise again in 12 hours, fully healed. It is likely to be very angry as well. Since shamblers gain power from electrical attacks, it is suspected that there may exist some shamblers that are vastly larger than the common ones seen thus far.

Singing Tree
The singing tree is an odd plant creature that lures animals to rest nearby, then drains their blood to feed itself. The singing tree appears to be a normal deciduous tree with uniquely shaped leaves. Each leaf of the tree sings with a lovely voice, the hundreds of them blending into a beautiful chorus. When it is hungry, the tree joins the chorus of higher-pitched leaves, adding its own bass line. When the tree uses its bass line, all mammalian creatures within 100 yards must roll saving throws vs. spell; those who do not succeed feel compelled to stop for a bit and rest in the shade of the tree. When a potential victim rests beneath the tree, several leaves fly off the tree to attack. At any time, the tree can send a number of leaves equal to its hit points. However, unless ravenously hungry, the tree sets only a few leaves on any one victim (typically D6 leaves per victim), to avoid notice. Each leaf flutters down from its branch, appearing to fall naturally The small twig that connects the leaf to the tree also serves as a feeding tube, which the leaf inserts into exposed skin. For victims charmed by the tree’s music, the small pain of insertion is not noticed. After draining 1 hit point of blood, the leaf flutters away, then seems to rise on a breeze back into the tree’s branches. There, it reattaches itself to its branch, and feeds the blood to the tree. To remain healthy, the tree must each day consume a number of hit points of blood equal to its normal total. Each leaf has 1 hp. Killing them individually is quite inefficient, for the tree has a number of leaves equal to ten times its hit points. If the tree is attacked with an area effect spell, such as a fireball, all leaves not attached to the tree are killed, if they are within the spell’s area of effect. In addition, a number of leaves on the tree equal to the total damage inflicted are also killed. The tree rolls saving throws as indicated by its Hit Dice, with normal effects for success. Attacking the tree causes it to send all its leaves to attack. Besides their blood drain, the fluttering leaves can cause obscurement, lessening opponents’ attack rolls by -2. If the tree is killed, individual leaves die in D10 rounds.
In the wild, singing trees grow in secluded places far from humans and other intelligent beings. They use their music to lure unintelligent animals close, so they may feed upon them. The tree’s leaves vibrate in the wind; combined with their natural magic, this makes a lovely sound. Each leaf has a unique “voice”, and the tree’s music is indescribably beautiful. When the tree adds its lower tones, the song becomes very attractive and calming. Each singing tree has its own territory, of about 100 yards in any direction from the bole. When a seed is produced (only once every five years), the tree sends a pair of leaves to take it far away, so it may claim another territory. If the seed is planted in a singing tree’s territory, the adult sends leaves to block sunlight from the sapling, and to attack the smaller tree’s leaves. This keeps the tree’s competition low. In addition, if several singing trees grow in close proximity, they soon over-hunt the area, and several of them die, leaving only the strongest. They live for centuries if well-fed. Since the first singing tree was returned to civilization two generations ago, some wealthy individuals have tried to procure specimens for their own gardens. Many owners feed their trees, but others keep their trees hungry, so they will serve as guardians. A tree that is kept hungry turns feral eventually, sending all its leaves to attack any warm-blooded creature that enters its territory. A singing tree in the wild is similar to other predators, feeding on prey animals and facing few enemies of its own. Animals that damage wood are its greatest enemies. To bring a tree to civilization, one of the rare seeds must be captured, or a tree must be carefully removed from the surrounding soil, with little damage to the roots. Transportation must also be gentle, and the tree must not be exposed to rapid changes in temperature or to extreme temperatures. Capturing a healthy adult tree also requires facing its music and bloodsucking leaves. A seed or a healthy tree can bring as much as 50,000 dollars from an interested buyer.

Snapper-Saw
This plant, also called foresters’ bane, has a central bush with several greenish-white berries that are plump, smell delicious, edible, nutritious, and rich in protein. Several broad, dark green, ribbed leaves radiate out 5-7 feet from the bushy center, which hides D4+2 tough, purple, saw-like stalks with thorny projections. A healthy plant has six saw-stalks, while damaged specimens have less. Creatures stepping into the radius of the low-growing ribbed leaves risk attack. The leaves snap up one or two victims; armor is ignored for this attack, though dexterity and magical bonuses to AC are counted. A victim must make a successful Strength check to pull free. A creature caught by the snapper leaves is attacked by the saw-stalks, even if the victim breaks free in the same round in which it was caught. Each saw-stalk attacks once per round for D4+1 points of damage, shredding the victim so its flesh and blood feed the snapper-saw. Clutched prey does not receive Dexterity adjustments to AC, though armor and magical protection apply normally. Saw-stalks are AC 4 and require D8+16 points of damage a piece to sever. Each snapper leaf is AC 7 and takes D8+8 points of damage to sever. These hit points do not count toward the total of the central bush’s Hit Dice. The central bush is AC 9, but it is completely protected from outside attack when the snapper leaves are up. A victim held by the snapper leaves can attack the saw-stalks or the central bush, but only with small piercing weapons. Lost leaves and stalks grow back in 2d4 weeks unless the central plant is slain.

Strangling Vines
Strangling vines are roughly 25 feet in length, usually stretched between three or four trees, most often crossing over footpaths and trails in the forest. The vines have approximately ten leaves per five-foot section; these leaves conceal sharp thorns. The stalk of a strangling vine is brownish-green in color, while the leaves are a shiny, moss-like, deep green. A strangling vine usually lies drooping between trees, waiting for a victim to pass by. As a suitable prey passes beneath the vine, it will drop suddenly and wrap itself around the prey’s neck, strangling it. It will then attempt to pull the victim off the ground, hanging it until it dies. Because a strangling vine looks natural in its surroundings, creatures attacked by it suffer a -1 penalty on their surprise rolls. When a strangling vine attacks, its first strike causes D10 points of damage, due to the plant’s long thorns. Each round after that, when the vine is attempting to strangle its victim, the vine’s prey takes 1d6 points of damage. Breaking free of a strangling vine is difficult, requiring a Strength check be made with a -5 penalty. This may only be attempted one time by the victim.

Thornslinger
Thornslingers are carnivorous, spidery, white plants with dew-covered, pale yellow blossoms. They average about 8 feet in diameter and lie very close to the ground. Thornslingers attack living creatures by firing thorns. Each thorn has a range of 30 feet and causes 1 point of damage. Since a large number of thorns are shot in a spread pattern at intended targets, being hit by one or more thorns is automatic. Damage from the thorns is 2D4 to any creature within 30 feet, once per round. They have virtually inexhaustible supplies of thorns, and are found in close clusters. Since the shower of thorns is their only defense, thornslingers are often found in out-of-the-way places, such as pits or inaccessible caves, or growing on brick and stone walls. The leaves and central stem of a thornslinger are covered with a strong adhesive sap. Those who touch it are held fast if they have Strength 13 or less, until they are freed or digested. Characters with Strength 13 or greater can break free in D4 rounds. Once a victim is caught by the dew, the thornslinger secretes digestive acids, causing 1-3 hp damage per round. Thornslingers are not very flammable, but flame causes normal damage. Open flame is extinguished after one round and oil burns for only two rounds.

Triflower Frond
The deep green stalks of this plant are topped by trumpet-shaped flowers of vivid orange, bright yellows, and intense red; other color combinations are possible, but rare. Each flower has its own function. The orange one shoots 2d4 pollen-covered tendrils, each 3 feet long; any creature struck must make a successful saving throw vs. poison or fall into a coma for D4 hours. The plant’s sensitive rootlets tell the yellow blossom where to find the slumbering victim; the yellow bloom bends over and shakes down a shower of sticky enzyme that causes 2D4 points of damage per round until washed off (damage is reduced by 1 point per flask of water; complete immersion in water removes the sap in one round). The red blossom extends tendrils into the victim, draining body fluids at a rate of D6 points of damage per round.

Twilight Bloom
This plant, also known as the purple blossom plant, is a tall, thick-stalked plant which strongly resembles a palm tree. It has a scaled, branchless brown trunk topped by drooping, fern-like green foliage. Scattered among the foliage are several cup-like purple flowers with silvery stamens. The flowers point towards the sun when it is out, and close up completely at night. Around the base of the plant are its roots, which resemble a fine, mossy mat. The twilight bloom gives off a very pleasant scent. The vibrations of any creature passing beneath it causes the plant to droop one of its blossoms, dropping a small amount of syrupy poison from the flower. A successful attack roll indicates the poison has landed on the victim, who must make a successful saving throw vs. poison or die instantly. Decomposing prey feeds the twilight bloom’s root network. The twilight bloom reproduces like other plants. Insects are immune to its poison, but are attracted by its scent. If the poison is harvested safely, it remains potent for a full day.

Vampire Rose
Vampire roses appear as bushes of white roses of extraordinary beauty. An average of 2D12 roses are on each bush, although the number of blooms does not affect the bush’s abilities. Despite their innocuous appearance, vampire roses can uproot themselves and move about slowly in search of prey. The thorny stalks of the vampire rose are whipped at victims to inflict D8 points of damage. The thorns are hollow, and once the stalk has struck successfully, the vampire rose automatically drains blood in subsequent rounds, causing D8 points of damage each round. While the thorns perform this gruesome task, the rose blossoms emit a hypnotic fragrance. Victims must make a successful saving throw vs. spell or lose all will to fight, allowing the plant to drain blood until the victim dies. A clear-headed victim can break the vampire rose’s grip with a successful open doors roll. Freeing oneself causes an additional D8 hit points of damage as the victim’s flesh is ripped by the thorns. If any portion of a vampire rose is successfully severed while it drains a victim’s blood, the flower lets out a horrifying shriek and blood sprays out of the cut stalk. Any character of less than 5th level who witnesses this for the first time must make a saving throw vs. poison or be struck with fear as per the spell. Subsequent attacks on the flower have the same effect, but a viewer who has succeeded a saving throw need not roll again. After a victim is completely drained of blood, the vampire rose’s petals turn from pure white to blood red. Vampire roses are often found in old graveyards. Not surprisingly, some of the flowers can be found near the crypts of vampires.

Viper Vine
Viper vines are thick (three inches in diameter), rope-like vines that are brownish green in color. They are a type of carnivorous plant indigenous to tropical forests, 90% indistinguishable from normal vines. Viper vines hang from trees, trailing their ends on the ground to snare unwary animals. They have two forms of attack. The first is constriction as they wrap around their victim, much like snakes, causing D4 points of damage per round. A successful bend bars/lift gates roll is required to free oneself from the constriction. The second attack is a paralyzing poison exuded from the skin onto the ensnared creature (successful saving throw vs. poison to avoid). Viper vines can control this poison, generally not using it until after having constricted their victim for D4 rounds. The paralysis lasts for 2D4 rounds.
Viper vines are immune to all blunt weapons.

Whipweed
A whipweed has two stalks, thin and whip-like with a few appendages that look like small leaves. When fully grown, the stalks are up to 15 feet long, though smaller specimens are just as common. The stalks are connected to a spheroidal base that contains a small brain and is equipped with eight small legs; the creature is thus capable of limited movement and can pull the root-like appendages up underneath itself to permit locomotion. A whipweed attacks anything that moves within range of its stalks, each stalk capable of inflicting D10 points of damage. The stalks will attack two different victims if two are in range. Damage inflicted upon the stalks do not count toward the body’s hit point total. If the body is destroyed (reduced to 0 hit points or below) the whipweed dies but the stalks go into a mad frenzy for one round before they go inert. During this time they attack three times each and each attack inflicts double the normal damage if successful. The whipweed hates sunlight, so it is usually found underground or in the heart of deep forest. It draws its sustenance from the remains of animal prey, though it has no mouth and its food appears to be absorbed by the stalks and transferred internally to the body. Its need to embed its roots into the earth is not fully understood. It is certain that the creature can survive apparently indefinitely in rocky areas containing virtually no soil, and a small crevice in a rock appears to be quite sufficient to cater to its need to root from time to time. This strange creature was originally named in the belief that was a plant; though it displays behavior that supports this theory, it also has many qualities that are not plant-like (though druidical spells relating to plants affect it).

Witherweed
This weed appears as a dried-out patch of grass or weeds approximately 20 feet square. Weeds twice this size have been found, and larger ones are theoretically possible. The witherweed attacks with its many equally spaced fronds. An average specimen has D12+12 so positioned that at least one frond can attack each person confronting it. A frond hit drains 1d4 Dexterity points from its victim. A successful saving throw vs. poison cuts in half the number of points of Dexterity lost. Any victim drained of the maximum of 4 Dexterity points in a single hit also suffers a nervous seizure – total collapse for two rounds, followed by a further five rounds during which he attacks with a -2 penalty to his attack rolls and moves at 75% of his normal rate. He loses all Dexterity bonuses during this seven-round period.
A victim becomes incapacitated if his Dexterity is reduced below 3, and dies if it is reduced to 0 or below. Half of the Dexterity points lost are recovered by surviving victims naturally at the rate of 1 per day, but the remainder can only be regained by the casting of a cure disease spell on the victim. The witherweed is dry and is therefore easily burned, but it produces a toxic smoke while burning. Anyone inhaling the smoke must roll a successful saving throw vs. poison or die in D4 rounds. The fire burns and the smoke streams forth for one round per square foot of vegetation. Only a strong wind blows the heavy, oily smoke away. Otherwise it forms a cloud of volume equal to nine times the area of the witherweed and takes at least four hours to dissipate.

Wood Woad
Wood woads are powerful humanoid-shaped guardian plants. Each wood woad contained the soul of a creature that (willingly or otherwise) gave up its life in order to eternally perform a given duty. The ritual that created a wood woad consisted of removing the heart of a living person, planting a seed into it and placing it inside a cavity in a tree. The sacrificed creature's body was buried in the vicinity, and the tree was then bathed with the sacrifice's blood. After three days, a wood woad would sprout from the ground nearby, ready to receive its orders, which it would then follow forever or until otherwise relieved. Wood woads that were freed from their duties sought others to serve and protect, and would commonly ally themselves with druids and treants. Their bodies resemble those of powerfully built but twisted men, composed entirely of bark-covered wood. Their hands end in gnarled, branchlike fingers, and their feet are masses of black roots. A wood woad has the power to enter trees as a dryad can, but it can also use this ability to teleport from tree to tree. This similarity to the dryad's ability has led some to think that wood woads are the male version of the race, but they are in fact plants, and they reproduce through seeds much like a treant does. Wood woads cannot carry most treasure items with them when they move from tree to tree; after defeating a foe, they often carry useful items some distance away to hide them in a hollow tree or under a stump. Although dimwitted, wood woads have an excellent memory for where such caches lie, and they return to them to retrieve better weapons or useful items when they spot intruders. Such caches are often guarded by a thick wooden door that a wood woad opens and closes with its warp wood ability. This power allows a wood woad to twist dead wood and wooden objects, and a forest occupied by a wood woad is often marked by frequent instances of its past uses of the ability. Wood woads attack any creature not native to their forests. They charge foes from some distance away, using their treewalk ability to cross the distance swiftly. After they warp their foes' wooden weapons and strike a few blows, wood woads flee and watch to see if their enemies go away.
 

Bestiary