Construct/Undead Overgrown With Plants

[PoeticallyPsyco]

How would you go about creating a mechanical representation of a construct or undead so ancient it's been overgrown with plants?

It's always seemed weird to me that Symbiotic Creature doesn't allow for this trope. Hivenest Monster comes closer, but only allows for vermin swarms inhabiting the host. And Woodling, the template for adding plant traits to creatures, also doesn't allow undead or constructs (though for a purely mechanical representation, you could convert a Woodling monster into a construct/undead, and it would retain its plant traits). I suppose you could just use a Topiary Guardian, but that's still not a perfect fit, and only works for an animal-shaped monster anyway.

What are your guys' ideas?

[Morty_Jhones]

I thionk for this stuation is going to be more copmplicated than you would like.

1st what is the base thing. and undead or a construct?

if its an undead then you can treat the overgrowth as armour or ignore it, espshaly if its normal plants

if its a construct then those plants could actualy be part of the construct and then are just unshaly ways of performing constuct mod.

[Maat Mons]

A warforged with levels in the Landforged Walker PrC?

[AnimeTheCat]

Here's the easy answers;

If you're the DM, ignore what creatures the templates you like can be applied to and just apply them. Who cares if you "break the rules", you're the DM.

If you're a player, talk to the DM and see what they're willing to change/concede on. Let them know your image and work out a solution together. Come with ideas, places you want to compromise on, and places you can't compromise on for the sake of your image.

100% I guarantee you one of those options will end in a playable solution. The rules are guidelines, play the game how you want to play it.

[unseenmage]

Plants count as objects for the purposes of spells.
So just Animate Objects on a root encrusted statue.

The Greater Humanoid Essence spell turns a Construct into a humanoid for the duration. Infest that humanoid with the appropriate plant transformation and you might wind up with a plant infested Construct after the spell ends.

[ShurikVch]

One of possibilities is to take a creature which is always covered in plants (like Moss Troll) and make it into a Construct or Undead

Geomancer PrC - Drift:
Stage 1
Your eyebrows become green and bushy.
Your hair becomes a tangle of short vines.
Stage 2
You sprout leaves and become photosynthetic.
Stage 3
Thorns grow on your body.
Stage 5
Your skin becomes tree bark.

Another possibility: use the Greater Humanoid Essence spell to temporary switch type from Construct to Humanoid, then - make it into a Symbiotic Creature with some Plant

Finally, for a Clay Golem: presuming if it was a result of the Summon Golem spell, you may say it doesn't appeared ex nihilo, but from the "natural" clay available on the site, and thus - got some fertile soil on top of the clay

[Psyren]

Pathfinder has the Seeded Creature (https://aonprd.com/MonsterTemplates.aspx?ItemName=Seeded) template that turns any corporeal living creature into an undead that is overgrown with fungi and creepers. The template is Lovecraftian themed and is typically bestowed by Xhamen-Dor, one of Golarion's pantheon of Great Old Ones.