Lowish CR plant beatsticks?

[danielxcutter]

As title. "Lowish" here means under CR 8, and preferably around CR 4~6 if possible.

Also, must be Large or larger.

[Zanos]

Shambling Mounds, Trendriculous, and Treants are in the SRD.

[Fouredged Sword]

Well, right off the bat you have the CR 8 treant. Nice huge plant that is little more than a high strength stack of HP slapped on a huge plant chassis. It automatically comes with two buddies in the form of animated trees if you face one in a forest.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Awaken (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/awaken.htm) gives a tree the stats of an Animated Object (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/animatedObject.htm), but it has an Int score so it gets skills and feats. That's Huge size and 8 HD at CR 5, or Gargantuan size and 16 HD at CR 7.

At either size give it Power Attack, Snatch (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsterFeats.htm#snatch) (slam instead of bite/claw), and Improved Snatch (Draconomicon) if it's Huge. They have no Dex bonus to AC and can't be sneak attacked, so there's not really any drawback for grappling an opponent.

Power Attack has some funny interaction with grappling (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/combat/specialAttacks.htm#grapple). Per Improved Grab (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/specialAbilities.htm#improvedGrab) (which Snatch grants), "If the creature does not constrict, each successful grapple check it makes during successive rounds automatically deals the damage indicated for the attack that established the hold." This is pretty much the same thing as the "Damage Your Opponent" action under "If You're Grappling" in the general grapple rules. A slam attack or unarmed strike is a melee attack and deals melee damage, so that melee damage roll benefits fully from Power Attack. Grapple checks are not attack rolls, so the penalty from Power Attack doesn't apply to those.

A CR 5 Huge awakened tree (+6 BAB) can Power Attack for -6 and take a full attack action to roll grapple checks to damage the creature it's grappling (at +19/+14), dealing 2d6+13 damage each time.

A CR 7 Gargantuan awakened tree (+12 BAB) can Power Attack for -12 and full attack to roll grapple checks to damage the creature it's grappling (at +31/+26/+21), dealing 2d8+22 damage each time.

If you give it Constrict per the Animated Object entry (A flexible animated object such as a rope, vine, or rug... so it would depend on the type of tree), each grapple check from a Huge tree is 4d6+20 instead, and from a Gargantuan tree it's 4d8+32 instead.

Don't forget that wood has Hardness 5, and if it has another feat available it should get Improved Natural Attack. I don't think an awakened tree should have a higher CR than an animated object for having feats/skills, since animated objects can move very fast or even fly, and have special attack options like Blind and Trample, for no increase to the CR.

[ShurikVch]

CR 5
Arborror (Polyhedron #147)
Verdant Reaver (archive.wizards.com/dnd/files/excerpts/mm5/VerdantReaver.zip)

CR 6
Briarvex (Monster Manual IV)
Ironthorn (Sandstorm)
Thunderspiker (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/fw/20050211a)

CR 7
Dark Tree (Shining South)
*Greenbound Troll (Lost Empires of Faerûn)
*Lion Topiary Guardian (Monster Manual III)
Twilight Guardian (Dragon Magic)
Warbound Impaler (Monster Manual III)

*Speaking of - you may try to apply Greenbound or Topiary Guardian to some other creatures

[Darrin]

Also:

Vine Horror (FF): CR4.

Demonthorn Mandrake (MMV): CR5.
Udoroot (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/monsters/udoroot.htm) (XPH): CR5.

Vinespawn (MMV): CR7.

[Thurbane]

Name

Book
Page

Type

CR



Myconid, Junior Worker
MM2
155
Plant, Tiny
1/2


Yellow Musk Zombie Orc
FF
191
Plant, Medium
1/2


Twig Blight
MM2
197
Plant, Small
1/3


Twig Blight
SC
32
Plant, Small
1/3


Fetid Fungus
MM5
56
Plant, Medium
1


Myconid, Average Worker
MM2
155
Plant, Small
1


Porcupine Cactus
Sa
179
Plant, Small
1


Shrieker
MM
113
Plant, Medium
1


Volodni
Una
80
Plant, Medium
1


Myconid, Elder Worker
MM2
155
Plant, Medium
2


Needlefolk
MM2
158
Plant, Medium
2


Wizened Elder
MM4
180
Plant, Medium
2


Assassin Vine
MM
20
Plant, Large
3


Bloodthorn
FF
23
Plant, Large (Extraplanar)
3


Gas Spore
LoM
148
Plant, Large
3


Myconid Venom Spore
EU
221
Plant, Medium
3


Phantom Fungus
MM
207
Plant, Medium
3


Topiary Guardian, Boar
MM3
174
Plant, Medium
3


Tumbling Mound
Sa
191
Plant, Medium
3


Violet Fungus
MM
113
Plant, Medium
3


Wortling
MM2
165
Plant, Small
3


Ascomoid
Du
105
Plant, Medium
4


Green Warder
Mon
57
Plant, Medium
4


Myconid, Guard
MM2
156
Plant, Medium
4


Vine Horror
FF
185
Plant, Medium (Aquatic)
4


Wood Woad
MM3
196
Plant, Medium
4


Yellow Musk Creeper
FF
190
Plant, Huge
4


Demonthorn Mandrake
MM5
30
Plant, Large (Extraplanar)
5


Udoroot
XPH
214
Plant, Huge (Psionic)
5


Verdant Reaver
MM5
196
Plant, Large
5


Briarvex
MM4
26
Plant, Large
6


Ironthorn
Sa
166
Plant, Large
6


Myconid, Circle Leader
MM2
156
Plant, Large
6


Shambling Mound
MM
222
Plant, Large
6


Swarm, Dread Blossom
MM3
45
Plant, Tiny (Extraplanar, Swarm)
6


Tendriculos
MM
241
Plant, Huge
6


Dark Tree
Mon
31
Plant, Huge
7


Dark Tree
ShS
62
Plant, Huge
7


Myconid, Sovereign
MM2
156
Plant, Large
7


Topiary Guardian, Lion
MM3
174
Plant, Large
7


Vine Spawn
MM5
198
Plant, Large
7


Warbound Impaler (Lesser Battlebriar)
MM3
15
Plant, Large
7


Burrow Root
MM5
14
Plant, Large
8


Teant
MM
244
Plant, Huge
8

[ShurikVch]

Root of All Evil (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/mm/20021221a) CR 8

Verminvine (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/fw/20030531a) CR 3

Dungeon #82 have Choke Creeper; it's not a single creature, but whole EL 6 encounter - consisting of the Main Vine (20 HD Gargantuan Plant, but no attacks and no CR), and eight Branching Vines (each is 2 HD, CR 1, Str 20); they aren't separate creatures: Branching Vines have no Wis or Cha, and if Main Vine dies - all Branching Vines would die as well