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~Nye~
2012-05-10, 12:02 PM
Hey guys!
Recently I have been fleshing out my world for a new D&D campaign I'm running, it's a horror based adventure which is starting with a few low level encounters and then when I feel my PC's are competent enough I will use the ravenloft adventure guide, because I have been told by many people from each edition that ravenloft is fun, I've never played it nor have any of my players!

So here's the problem, my first big encounter is within a house, which is having it's deeds read to the party and a number of NPCs. Seems normal enough, one of the PC's inherits the house but then goes missing and appears in a dream world where it's slightly more morbid version of wonderland. Meanwhile, the PC's left in the real world start looking for her. The vilain in this was gonna be a lemure illusionist who basicly tells a sadistic tale of the rights of the house where he murders or makes the owner suffer as much as possible.

So I was thinking new parts of the houe seem to appear from the mist everyday, the final encounter was that gonna be held within a hedge maze. But within the center is a giant tree, but I don't really know what kinda tree creature I wanted to be at the center. I want it to be horrifying and either have the faces on differant parts representing those who have gone missing over the years or have them hanging from the trees.

hamishspence
2012-05-10, 12:26 PM
There's quite a lot of evil tree monsters in 3.5.

Orcwort (MM2) is CR 20, and it has pods that become small humanoids called Wortlings that bring back food- usually livestock and humanoids, to feed it.
http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/mm2_gallery/88268_620_97.jpg
Fiend Folio has the Yellow Musk Creeper (not a tree but similar size) - CR 4- that eats brains and turns those that survive the process into zombie-like plant creatures loyal to it.
http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/ff_gallery/50152.jpg

Also the Ironmaw (CR 13) which has wounding tendrils that also cause Illness (Con loss)
http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/ff_gallery/50095.jpg
MM3 has the Night Twist (CR 12) which attracts creatures via its Song of Despair.
http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/mmiii_gallery/83026.jpg
Expedition to the Demonweb Pits has the Elder Viper Tree (CR 9) which has snake heads at the end of its branches.
http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/demonweb_gallery/103927.jpg
These are all Huge (except the Orcwort which is Colossal), land dwelling, and tree-ish.

Larkas
2012-05-10, 12:27 PM
Hmmmm... How about Yellow Musk Creeper?

EDIT: ninja'ed!

hydraa
2012-05-10, 01:27 PM
Kalamar: Dangeorus denizens p146: Treant, Undead CR 7

Malimar
2012-05-10, 01:37 PM
You want "horrifying", we can give you horrifying (http://www.somethingpositive.net/sp05042002.shtml).

We can also give you less horrifying. In addition to hamishspence's suggestions, Fiend Folio also has the Ironmaw and the Bloodthorn, Dragon Compendium has the Bonetree, and Monsters of Faerun has the Dark Tree.

hamishspence
2012-05-10, 01:48 PM
Main reason I didn't pick the Bloodthorn is it's a bit on the small side and looks more like a bush than a tree.

http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/ff_gallery/50121.jpg

Dark Tree is certainly big enough though- and is in Shining South if you can't find Monsters of Faerun.

MoF version:
http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/mof_gallery/MonFaePG32.jpg
Shining South version
http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/ssouth_gallery/84368.jpg

nedz
2012-05-10, 01:57 PM
Orcwort
Night Twist
Elder Viper Tree

Since all of these are trees, for extra hilarity, they are valid targets for an awaken spell.

I'm not sure about Ironmaw though, where is it from ?
(I mean source - not a forest:smallsmile:)

Incidently the Night Twist's Dispair Song had a range of at least 75 miles, at least until they fixed this in the Errata.:smallcool:

~Nye~
2012-05-10, 01:58 PM
Cheers guys!!
I thought originally of a yellow musk creeper, but I didn't think it was the kinda thing for the climate :( Though I was maybe gonna alter it. I might go with the bloodthorn as thr picture was pretty grim. If any of you guys have watched fern gully, the night twist is kinda like the big creepy tree that toxic guy lives in...

The hillbilly tree is awesome... favourited!

thanks hamish, those pictures were great!

~Nye~
2012-05-10, 02:01 PM
Visually, I like the night twist, I might nerf it a wee bit so a bunch of lvl 4s can kill it... Or subtley offer somthing to help kill it.

hamishspence
2012-05-10, 02:11 PM
I want it to be horrifying and either have the faces on differant parts representing those who have gone missing over the years or have them hanging from the trees.
Sounds like the Death's Head Tree:
http://www.lomion.de/cmm/deaheatr.php

Haven't seen a 3.0 or 3.5 statblock for it yet. EN World has statted up quite a few things though, some of which are trees:

http://creaturecatalog.enworld.org

~Nye~
2012-05-10, 02:30 PM
That's perfect!
I might work on a rework right now, maybe add some of my own drawings :D

hamishspence
2012-05-10, 02:38 PM
WoTC's Monster Mayhem archive is 3.0 and has a couple of tree monsters- the Flesh Mulcher tree, which throws dangerous pods, and the Root of All Evil.

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/arch/mm