Notafish
2018-04-13, 01:35 AM
I've been playing around with some setting ideas for a while now, and one idea that has kind of stuck with me is a place where plants are replacing humanoids as apex predators. I had been looking at the blights and shambling mounds in the Monster Manual, but then I decided that I wanted to try making a new monster, inspired by kudzu and other invasive vines (Vine Blight was close to what I wanted, but not quite). I'm a bit stumped on figuring out the CR, though - I was aiming for CR 1 or 2 (with more defense than offense, but believably deadly to commoners). I'd appreciate help with determining the CR, as well as feedback on the design. Thanks!
Plaguevine Shoot
Medium plant, neutral evil
AC 13 (natural armor)
HP 50
Speed: 30 feet, climb 30 feet
str 16 dex 13 con 9 int 1 wis 10 cha 1
Immunities: charmed, frightened, prone, restrained, stunned, blinded, deafened
Skills: Athletics +5
Senses: blindsight and tremorsense 60 feet (blind beyond this radius) Passive Perception 10
Challenge ?
Special Traits:
-Crawling vine: The shoot leaves a dormant vine trail (AC 13, 25 hp per five-foot section) as it moves. The vine trail is five feet wide and counts as difficult terrain. Its thorns will scratch exposed skin and tear loose clothing, but do not cause HP damage. Unless it is severed from its vine trail, the plaguevine shoot will not fly or levitate.
-Necrotic Reproduction: Active plaguevines can reproduce by spawning a new shoot from the corpses of the recently deceased. If a creature is killed by the vine's Strangle action, a new plaguevine shoot will erupt from the corpse 1d6 rounds after death. This does not destroy the corpse (nor does it sever limbs or destroy essential organs). However, the new shoot's vine trail will cover the body (the trail must be destroyed to recover the corpse).
Dormancy:A plaguevine shoot cannot remain active for more than one hour per 24-hour period and may only become active once per 24-hour period. When not active, plaguevine enters a dormant state, in which the formerly active shoot is indistinguishable from its trailing vines. Dormant plaguevine spreads like a non-magical invasive vine using seeds and runners. Seeds are contained in waxy inedible berries and can lie dormant for up to seven years. Dormant plaguevine is flammable, but not edible.
Photosynthesis: Plaguevine requires sunlight to survive. In direct sunlight, plaguevine can heal all hit points over the course of 24 hours, but it must remain dormant while doing so. Plaguevine withers and dies within 48 hours if it does not receive direct or indirect sunlight.
Actions:
-Strangle: melee attack, range 5 ft, one target, +5 to hit. The vine attempts to grow around a target of size Large or smaller. On a hit, thorny tendrils envelop the target; the target is Restrained and must make a DC 13 Strength saving throw at the end of each of their turns. On a failed save, they take 2d6 bludgeoning/piercing damage (1d6 of each). On a success, they break free and are no longer Restrained. The target can also break free if its restraints are destroyed. The restraining tendrils have 10 hp and an AC of 13. Unconscious targets automatically fail their saves.
-Thorn Flail: melee attack, range 5ft, one target, +5 to hit, 1d6+3 piercing damage.
-Relentless Growth: The plaguevine can use an action to force its way through natural obstacles, walls or locked doors less than five feet thick.
Plaguevine Shoot
Medium plant, neutral evil
AC 13 (natural armor)
HP 50
Speed: 30 feet, climb 30 feet
str 16 dex 13 con 9 int 1 wis 10 cha 1
Immunities: charmed, frightened, prone, restrained, stunned, blinded, deafened
Skills: Athletics +5
Senses: blindsight and tremorsense 60 feet (blind beyond this radius) Passive Perception 10
Challenge ?
Special Traits:
-Crawling vine: The shoot leaves a dormant vine trail (AC 13, 25 hp per five-foot section) as it moves. The vine trail is five feet wide and counts as difficult terrain. Its thorns will scratch exposed skin and tear loose clothing, but do not cause HP damage. Unless it is severed from its vine trail, the plaguevine shoot will not fly or levitate.
-Necrotic Reproduction: Active plaguevines can reproduce by spawning a new shoot from the corpses of the recently deceased. If a creature is killed by the vine's Strangle action, a new plaguevine shoot will erupt from the corpse 1d6 rounds after death. This does not destroy the corpse (nor does it sever limbs or destroy essential organs). However, the new shoot's vine trail will cover the body (the trail must be destroyed to recover the corpse).
Dormancy:A plaguevine shoot cannot remain active for more than one hour per 24-hour period and may only become active once per 24-hour period. When not active, plaguevine enters a dormant state, in which the formerly active shoot is indistinguishable from its trailing vines. Dormant plaguevine spreads like a non-magical invasive vine using seeds and runners. Seeds are contained in waxy inedible berries and can lie dormant for up to seven years. Dormant plaguevine is flammable, but not edible.
Photosynthesis: Plaguevine requires sunlight to survive. In direct sunlight, plaguevine can heal all hit points over the course of 24 hours, but it must remain dormant while doing so. Plaguevine withers and dies within 48 hours if it does not receive direct or indirect sunlight.
Actions:
-Strangle: melee attack, range 5 ft, one target, +5 to hit. The vine attempts to grow around a target of size Large or smaller. On a hit, thorny tendrils envelop the target; the target is Restrained and must make a DC 13 Strength saving throw at the end of each of their turns. On a failed save, they take 2d6 bludgeoning/piercing damage (1d6 of each). On a success, they break free and are no longer Restrained. The target can also break free if its restraints are destroyed. The restraining tendrils have 10 hp and an AC of 13. Unconscious targets automatically fail their saves.
-Thorn Flail: melee attack, range 5ft, one target, +5 to hit, 1d6+3 piercing damage.
-Relentless Growth: The plaguevine can use an action to force its way through natural obstacles, walls or locked doors less than five feet thick.