[4e] Players getting into my plants...

[DiscipleofBob]

So running a level 6 game, 5 or 6 PC's at any given time. Their current path puts them en route with a stupidly powerful druid using a tree of life to corrupt nature to her own twisted ends.

What I currently need are a bunch of plant monsters, plant encounters, plant hazards, etc. for a level 6 party.

Any suggestions?

If it helps, the party makeup is as follows.

Human fullblade-wielding fighter
Human aerialist rogue
Tiefling infernalock
Half-Elf controller-esque bard
Shifter druid with focus on wildshape

A 6th might be joining us, who's expressed interest in either a swordmage, avenger, or ranger, most likely elven.

[FoE]

Vine Horror and Dryads. Those are in the first MM.

Ambush Vine. That's in the second MM. There's a variety of low-level types in there. If you don't have that book, PM me and I'll see what I can do.

I'll see if I can think of some plant-themed hazards ...

[AgentPaper]

If you need more plant-type monsters than you can find, you can easily pick another monster you like and then just re-fluff it to be plant-themed.

[Myshlaevsky]

If you need more plant-type monsters than you can find, you can easily pick another monster you like and then just re-fluff it to be plant-themed.

Or just make your own. It's simple enough.

[DiscipleofBob]

Or just make your own. It's simple enough.

I know that much. I'm just having trouble coming up with some good ideas is all.

[Milskidasith]

Here's an idea:

Corrupted Flora Template.

A creature with the Corrupted Flora Template has it's subtype changed to plant.

It retains armor and weapon proficiencies, BAB, skills, and it's original saving throws. The creature gains all the other features of the plant type. (http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/SRD:Plant_Type).

In order to have this template, a creature must have been preplanned by the DM and corrupted by a tree of life ontrolled stupidly powerful druid. If the Tree of Life or the druid dies, they lose this template and are knocked unconcious for 1d4 hours.

Apply to a troll or two, throw in some plant monsters, and boom, endgame encounter.

EDIT: Crap, I read this as 3.5e. Not sure if that works in 4e.

[Myshlaevsky]

I know that much. I'm just having trouble coming up with some good ideas is all.

Venus fly traps.

Long, planted vine creatures that restrain the PC's. Plant-man fascimiles with long spiked vine tongues that they stab out with at range.

A carnivorous tree, complete with massive, bloody jaws.

Mutant animals and humanoids with plant parts and limbs.

Myconids.

Fungal infections or organisms that replace a creature's brain.

Swarms of venomous insects that tend and protect the plants.

Flowers or other plants that emit blooms of poisonous cloud.

Plants that grow amidst and animate dead bodies.

Plants that spit thorns, or that use thorned limbs like saws.

[Sstoopidtallkid]

I read this thread title and immediatly thought it was a "DM's girlfriend" story.

Carry on.

[arguskos]

I actually thought it was going to be a story about players lighting up the DM's weed and smoking it during sessions.

What's that say about you and I, eh, Sstoopidtallkid?

[Sstoopidtallkid]

I actually thought it was going to be a story about players lighting up the DM's weed and smoking it during sessions.

What's that say about you and I, eh, Sstoopidtallkid?

That our gaming sessions should be a lot more fun.

...Saturday, right?

[Lycan 01]

First, I totally misread the title. Then, upon seeing what it really said, I thought you were going to be complaining about bored players messing up your decorative plants. But this... This, I cannot help with.


Oh wait, I got one...


A vine-encrusted Gazebo.

[Myshlaevsky]

Just had the thought of something like a kind of foetal arbor, where the genetic material harvested from devoured humanoids is used to produce fleshy sacks of blood and bile. These half-alive creatures hang from the boughs of twisted, sickle-bladed trees.

Inside the hollow trunks of the trees live hundreds of bloodsucking insects/aracnids/bats/whatever takes your fancy. These creatures live off the biological produce of the trees and attack in swarms to defend them. Spiders would be a bonus as they could web up the area to prevent those wo enter from leaving.

[arguskos]

That our gaming sessions should be a lot more fun.

...Saturday, right?

Actually, probably Sunday (since S can't be here on Sat).

[Rockphed]

Plant Zombies! creatures brought to a semblance of life by having plants grow in them!

[Jothki]

Some sort of moving moss. Kind of like a slime, but mossy instead of slimy.

[bosssmiley]

Some sort of moving moss. Kind of like a slime, but mossy instead of slimy.

Obliviax (aka Memory Moss). Was that particular dreamstealer ever updated to 3E?

The Greenbound template from Lost Empires of Faerun, and the Blightspawned template from Unapproachable East are good go-to materials for druidic plant ick. Searching for "plant" in the WOTC monster index might also be useful.

There's also the Redneck Tree, which finally put me off 3E.

[shadzar]

Are they supposed to be interacting with this druid now or is he in place for later?

If he is meant to be more powerful than them, then do not hesitate to TPK.

I mean what would you do in the event a 1st level party went right towards an ancient dragon? You wouldn't go easy on them cause the dragon wouldn't.

In older editions of D&D it was spelled out to the DM the simplicity of letting the players know by various things that this course of action would result in a hopeless fight that would cost them their lives. Then if they insist...kill them.

If they are not supposed to be interacting with this druid yet, then you should put something in place to tell them, they need to be avoiding it, and once you give enough hints, if they fail to adhere to the warnings.....kill em.

[DiscipleofBob]

A lot of good ideas so far, the Arboreal Gazebo I'm now trying to find a reason NOT to use it's so awesome. Also, the redneck tree? Sounds like it should belong in a FATAL game [/squick]

Are they supposed to be interacting with this druid now or is he in place for later?

If he is meant to be more powerful than them, then do not hesitate to TPK.

I mean what would you do in the event a 1st level party went right towards an ancient dragon? You wouldn't go easy on them cause the dragon wouldn't.

In older editions of D&D it was spelled out to the DM the simplicity of letting the players know by various things that this course of action would result in a hopeless fight that would cost them their lives. Then if they insist...kill them.

If they are not supposed to be interacting with this druid yet, then you should put something in place to tell them, they need to be avoiding it, and once you give enough hints, if they fail to adhere to the warnings.....kill em.

Well, not so powerful that they can't beat her. She's only one of the lieutenants of the BBEG (backstory includes normally powerless eladrin chick corrupted by BBEG, given lots of power, and merged into said life tree to control nature blahblahblah) So yea, this is supposed to be next.

[Etcetera]

On the subject of plant zombies, in a 1 edition book (either MM or FF) they had rules for a plant called the yellow musk creeper that turned creatures into zombies. There's 3.5 version here, so you could use that to make a newer version.

[Tiki Snakes]

Suprised that no-one seems to have posted this yet;
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x...rcamp/20080630

A small handfull of Dangerous plants. Not monsters per say, but might come in handy?

[Mando Knight]

Also, look into H3 Pyramid of Shadows. According to the Compendium, there's some Arboreans in there... natural humanoid (plant) creatures. Well, three natural humanoids, and one natural animate.

[Another_Poet]

Hmm, I was all excited to get to post two of my creations: the reaper vine and the pumpkinhead. But then I realised you are playing 4e so posting my 3.5 monsters will do you little good. :(

Here are the basic ideas at least, in case you want to rip them off:

Reaper Vine (as seen in Metroid)

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This vine hides in crevices in solid rock. It can sense both movement and heat; if either one comes within 15' of the crevice, it whips out and strikes with its scythe-like tip. It can make a melee attack with the scythe, or it can use Improved Grab to grapple the victim and, on the next round, Constrict them like crazy. Alternately it can use Awesome Blow to hit the victim and send them flying, a dangerous attack since it typically grows along narrow ledges over deep ravines. It wants to use its victims as fertiliser, however, so it will only try to knock them away if they have severely damaged it.

Pumpkinheads (homage to Ogre Battle)

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Small sized creatures that look like vaguely humanoid plants with carved jack o' lanterns for heads. Preferably they emerge from a strangely coloured mist over a pumpkin patch, granting them concealment.

They are weak combatants but they have two powerful supernatural abilities. At-will they can target a single enemy with Pumpkin Smash, forcing a Fortitude save. On a failed save the target's remaining hit points are halved. If the target has only 1 hp remaining, this has no effect, i.e., it cannot drop the character to 0. When the target is hit by this, they have a vision of a cackling jack o' lantern and a wave of coldness washes through them.

Once per day, a Pumpkinhead can use Pumpkin Shower. The pumpkinhead chooses a 4-square area, and 3d4 ghostly pumpkins rain down on that area. Each one target a random square in the chosen area. Any creature in that square must make a Fort save or have their hp halved, as per Pumpkin Shower.

[Lord_Ventnor]

Perhaps you can throw some corrupted Wilden into the equation as well?

[DiscipleofBob]

Arboreans and Wilden are a little too sentient or at least sentient-looking for what I'm going for, but I like the Reaper Vine. I think the Assassin Vine might be the 4e equivelent, but it's a good idea nontheless.

Love the articles on plant hazards. Even if most of them are desert-based, I can refluff that. Just the stuff I'm looking for.

[1of3]

Arboreans and Wilden are a little too sentient or at least sentient-looking for what I'm going for (...)

I'd say: How cool is that? Not only he is animating plants, he subjugates sentient plant creatures! 300% more evil.

[Dyllan]

I'm surprised no one's mentioned Twig Blights. I don't know if they've been updated to 4e, but you could easily convert them from 3.5, or just refluff something else into a twig blight.

You can find them in the 3.0 Monster Manual 2, or in the 3.0 module Sunless Citadel.

[Doc Roc]

Splinter. Waifs.


Oh my freaking gosh. Splinter waifs. You'll need to redo their statblock, but that was never what made them scary.

[BobVosh]

First, I totally misread the title. Then, upon seeing what it really said, I thought you were going to be complaining about bored players messing up your decorative plants. But this... This, I cannot help with.

I'm glad I'm not the only one to think of this.

Refluffed undead work very well for this. Also don't forget that a lot of plants can do that "pheromone" stuff, and you can easily throw bugs into it. Or have a sleep trap, etc.

[FoE]

Oh my freaking gosh. Splinter waifs. You'll need to redo their statblock, but that was never what made them scary.

I am intrigued. I've never heard of splinter waifs.

[DiscipleofBob]

Indeed. Tell me more about these splinter waifs and twig blights.