|3.5| Death Plants of Death

[Deth Muncher]

So, I'm trying to think of something to do for my campaign (of which there is a journal floating around), and in the nearish future, the PCs will be heading into a jungle akin to what's known in the GRIM DARKNESS OF THE FAR FUTURE as a deathworld. I'm aware of Topiary Guardians - which are fine and dandy, and I'll be using them later. At the moment, however, I'm looking for more natural plants (if that makes sense). I'm looking for vines that choke you, flowers that launch seeds at you or eat you, et cetera et cetera. I'm also totally down for Homebrew - I think there was a competition for death plants a while back, but I don't remember. Thoughts?

[sonofzeal]

A lot can be accomplished by raising HD (and corresponding boosts to size category), especially if you take the limits off. A 16HD Huge Polar Bear could lay an impressive beatdown for CR 7. Still easily thwarted with magic, but something like that might drive home the point that you do not mess around here.

Anyway, here's some plants for you.

[Deth Muncher]

A lot can be accomplished by raising HD (and corresponding boosts to size category), especially if you take the limits off. A 16HD Huge Polar Bear could lay an impressive beatdown for CR 7. Still easily thwarted with magic, but something like that might drive home the point that you do not mess around here.

Anyway, here's some plants for you.

Ho. Ly. Crap. That is a rather large list.

Also, increasing size to give bonuses? Can anyone say housecat? :P Capable of slaughtering entire armies of wizards.

But anyway. What's the main site for that search?

[JellyPooga]

Hmm...are you looking for animated planty things in a similar vein to the Topiary Guardians, or more mundane plant life that will kill you? Or both, for that matter? An obvious contender (because it's right there in the MM) is the Assassin Vine. Nasty if used right. Other than that, my MM-Lore is a littel rusty, so I can only suggest things from the depths of my botanical and mythological knowledge. Here's just a couple to be thinking with:

1) Snap (Venus Fly) Trap. I'm sure there must be rules for a giant (and much more animated) version of these daddies somewhere in a published sourcebook. If not, they're quite easily replicated as a trap encounter. If the thing is big enough, you can describe the 'trap' as being like a small valley or canyon!

2) Pitcher Plants. Easily made into a deadly pit trap type scenario with mild acid at the bottom to swim in. For some extra flavour, shove a couple of frantic monsters or animals trying to escape slow digestion for the PC's to contend with as they try to escape the slippery walls.

3) Flypaper Traps. Little more than a sticky floor, really. Probably the least immediately deadly trap, but it's entirely possible that some of the local fauna has learned that it can often find easy prey languishing in the plants grasp...

4) Lotus. As obvious as it sounds, having a tempting plant or fruit that incapacitates the eater/smeller (sends them to sleep, gives hallucinations, etc.) is a nasty snare for the unwary, especially if the party is running low on rations (or has been surviving on the tasteless pap produced by the Create Food/Drink spell for the past couple of weeks). Similar to Flypaper traps, the danger from these comes mostly from predators, even if the PC's are careful enough to avoid the snare itself.

[Tvtyrant]

My favorites are the Battlebriar, Night Twist, and Orcworts. The Orcworts are awesome when combining them with Topiary Guardians; you can make Worg ridding Orcs with the Worgs and the Orcs made of plants!

[hamishspence]

Plants that aren't on the big list:

Expedition to the Demonweb Pits
Viper Tree, Elder (p212-213)

MM5
Burrow Root (p14-15)
Demonthorn Mandrake (p30-31)
Fetid Fungus (p56-57)
Verdant Reaver (p196-197)
Vinespawn (p198-199)

Sandstorm
Ironthorn (p166-167)
Porcupine Cactus (p179-180)
Sagaro Sentinel (p181)
Tumbling Mound (p191)

[sonofzeal]

Ho. Ly. Crap. That is a rather large list.

Also, increasing size to give bonuses? Can anyone say housecat? :P Capable of slaughtering entire armies of wizards.

But anyway. What's the main site for that search?

Main site here: http://monsterfinder.dndrunde.de/


Advanced Housecat (CR 6)
Large Animal
12d8+48 = 102 hp
Initiative: +4
Speed: 60 ft.
Armor Class: 11 (-1 size, +2 NA), touch 9, flat-footed 11
Base Attack/Grapple: +9/+24
Full Attack: 2 claws +15 melee (1d6+7) and bite +10 melee (1d6+7)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./5 ft.
Special Qualities: Low-light vision, scent
Saves: Fort +12, Ref +8, Will +8
Feats: Weapon Finesse(B), Scorpion's Resolve, Improved Initiative, Improved Grapple, Martial Study: Rabid Wolf Strike, Martial Study: Wolverine Stance
Str 24, Dex 10, Con 18, Int 3, Wis 10, Cha 6

Tactics: Initiate a grapple, then go crazy with Wolverine Stance, otherwise, hit and run with Rabid Wolf Strike and superior speed.

Analysis: Rather weak for CR 6, honestly. Good against a single enemy, but damage output isn't high and AC is terrible, so it'll likely go down before causing too much pain. Starting at "Tiny" and Str 3 puts you too far behind to do much of anything useful. A "Huge" version" might be more competitive, especially with Snatch.

[sonofzeal]

Super-Advanced Housecat (CR 8)
Huge Animal
16d8+48 = 168 hp
Initiative: -1
Speed: 70 ft.
Armor Class: 12 (-2 size, +5 NA, -1 dex), touch 8, flat-footed 12
Base Attack/Grapple: +12/+31
Full Attack: 2 claws +21 melee (2d6+11) and bite +16 melee (1d8+11)
Space/Reach: 15 ft./10 ft.
Special Qualities: Low-light vision, scent
Saves: Fort +16, Ref +9, Will +9
Feats: Weapon Finesse(B), Scorpion's Resolve, Improved Natural Attack, Improved Grapple, Martial Study: Rabid Wolf Strike, Martial Study: Wolverine Stance, Snatch
Str 32, Dex 8, Con 22, Int 3, Wis 10, Cha 6

Tactics: Same, except using Snatch to initiate the grapple via a claw attack

Analysis: Comparable with a Dire Tiger, higher Str/Con but lower Dex. No Pounce, but there's ways to remedy that. Damage output is now considerably more respectable, especially in the grapple. Buckets of HP mitigate low AC. Still, for all that work you could just have had a Dire Tiger and been about on par.

[Volthawk]

Well, here's some of Tribble's homebrew that might be nice (that would fit into a dangerous jungle; I discounted things like the Blizzard Willow or the Arcadian Holly, since they're wintery, not jungle-y, and the Holly has the good subtype):

- Pollen Mother (template) - Good for beefing up some plants, and to have some kind of planty leadership, I guess.

- Cranny Creeper - Might be fun in a 'mess with the players' way.

- Dewmoss - Now they can't even tell what plants are normal and what will try to kill them when their backs are turned.

- Teaxi - For plantlife that won't try to kill them straight away, but is still not a normal plant.

[Divayth Fyr]

I think there was a competition for death plants a while back, but I don't remember. Thoughts?

This?

[Adumbration]

"The jungle around you is humid, hot and stinking, but ahead, in the distance, you can see a sunlight pouring in. Suddenly the verdant, lush forest around you gives a way to a clearing - an enormous field of yellow flowers, growing so intertwined that no ground or grass is visible. The sky is blue with a few white clouds. Far, far in the distance you can see the edge of the jungle again. To your left and to your right, the field continues as far as your eye can see. The scent of the flowers carried by a gentle breeze is intoxicating. You sigh from relief."

Say, who's going first? Just out of curiosity.

"So, Sam, as your brave warrior takes a few tentative steps into the field, he discovers that the field of flowers is not, in fact, a field. Rather, it is a swamped, shallow and slow river. What's your swim check again?"

Option A: You have a boat. Congratulations, have a random encounter from one of the rare, elusive aquatic monsters that inhabit this river.
Option B: The river is swamped, but has a few solid footholds. Survival checks to find the path across. What's that, a hellwasp swarm?

Don't know if this is useful, just something the sprung to mind when I thought of it a little.

[JellyPooga]

"The jungle around you is humid, hot and stinking, but ahead, in the distance, you can see a sunlight pouring in. Suddenly the verdant, lush forest around you gives a way to a clearing - an enormous field of yellow flowers, growing so intertwined that no ground or grass is visible. The sky is blue with a few white clouds. Far, far in the distance you can see the edge of the jungle again. To your left and to your right, the field continues as far as your eye can see. The scent of the flowers carried by a gentle breeze is intoxicating. You sigh from relief."

Say, who's going first? Just out of curiosity.

"So, Sam, as your brave warrior takes a few tentative steps into the field, he discovers that the field of flowers is not, in fact, a field. Rather, it is a swamped, shallow and slow river. What's your swim check again?"

Option A: You have a boat. Congratulations, have a random encounter from one of the rare, elusive aquatic monsters that inhabit this lake.
Option B: The lake is swamped, but has a few solid footholds. Survival checks to find the path across. What's that, a hellwasp swarm?

Don't know if this is useful, just something the sprung to mind when I thought of it a little.

Option C: Everyone make Fortitude checks! The flowers scent is highly intoxicating, resulting in hallucinations and/or a drunken stupor.

"What's that? A hellwasp swarm!?! Get it off, get it off!"

"Geoff...it's a bannana. Quit flapping or you'll have us all in the water!"

[Logalmier]

Option C: Everyone make Fortitude checks! The flowers scent is highly intoxicating, resulting in hallucinations and/or a drunken stupor.

"What's that? A hellwasp swarm!?! Get it off, get it off!"

"Geoff...it's a bannana. Quit flapping or you'll have us all in the water!"

This. Making a table of possible hallucination is really fun. Then, when they're all poisoned, roll to see what your players hallucinate.

[Deth Muncher]

This?

Yep, that.

Also, Orcworts make me chuckle. But I thought Orcs were a fungus? Or maybe that's just Orks.

[OracleofWuffing]

I remember running some Dread Blossom Swarms (MMIII) a long time ago to some entertainment. I think they at least have that whole "natural plants" vibe going on, what with poisonous dust and stabby roots. Though, I guess they mainly posed a threat because that group had subpar fort saves and... Oddly enough... Didn't have one or two really good ways to prevent poison.

[Ason]

This may be a bit simplistic, but you could also simply reflavor traps to be plant-based in nature. Instead of a Wide Mouth Spiked Pit with Poisoned Spikes, it's a new kind of pitcher plant. Instead of a Ceiling Pendulum, it's a swinging Drosera plant that attempts to latch onto players until they die. Instead of a Crushing Room, it's a Venus fly trap hidden inside a hollowed-out tree to be inconspicuous. Instead of a Ghoul Touch Trap, it's an advanced form of Australia's "stinging tree". In addition, many of the fruit-bearing plants are poisonous, and a number of them are designed to mimic nearby edible plants in order to trick creatures into eating their fruit, dying quickly nearby and serving as fertilizer.

None of those are monsters, for in fact all of them are immobile and simple, but they could add another layer to your world.

EDIT: Wow, I totally missed a previous post that was almost exactly like mine. I can't even call "swordsaged" in this situation. My bad.

[Arcane_Secrets]

Stats to be worked out later

Death Lilies: The pollen secretee by the flowers both stimulates hunger and tempts victims to eat the prominent and showy roots of the plant, which kills them quickly and turns them into fertilizer for the entire plant, or group of plants.

Ocular Moss: A bizarre species of plant which only grows upon the eyeballs of its victims, slowly causing them to lose their sight as it parasitizes them to fuel its own growth and spread.

Plasm Trees: The sap from the trees that falls upon victims and makes contact with exposed flesh actually mutates them, turning them into wood and eventually into a new plasm tree seedling wherever they finally die.

Siren Flowers: While they appear innocuous and similar to water lilies (if a disturbing blood-red shade), they are actually a form of carnivorous plant that projects images and sounds of drowning animals or people to lure carnivores or would-be rescuers. Once in the water, the submerged roots of the flower actually entangle and drown the victims, allowing the rest of the plant to digest them.

[AslanCross]

The Ironglass Rose.

A crystalline vine that SHOOTS DEATH LASERS FROM ITS FLOWER. It also happens to be PSIONIC.

EDIT: Link added.

[Deth Muncher]

This may be a bit simplistic, but you could also simply reflavor traps to be plant-based in nature. Instead of a Wide Mouth Spiked Pit with Poisoned Spikes, it's a new kind of pitcher plant. Instead of a Ceiling Pendulum, it's a swinging Drosera plant that attempts to latch onto players until they die. Instead of a Crushing Room, it's a Venus fly trap hidden inside a hollowed-out tree to be inconspicuous. Instead of a Ghoul Touch Trap, it's an advanced form of Australia's "stinging tree". In addition, many of the fruit-bearing plants are poisonous, and a number of them are designed to mimic nearby edible plants in order to trick creatures into eating their fruit, dying quickly nearby and serving as fertilizer.

None of those are monsters, for in fact all of them are immobile and simple, but they could add another layer to your world.

EDIT: Wow, I totally missed a previous post that was almost exactly like mine. I can't even call "swordsaged" in this situation. My bad.

You know, you bring up a good point - these deathplants CAN just be reflavored traps. Other than what you mentioned, I wonder what other plants could be refluffed. (Also, Stinging Tree? Freaking Australian plants. EVEN THE PLANTS KILL YOU. Of course, that's exactly what I'm going for, so good on you. :P)

The Ironglass Rose.

A crystalline vine that SHOOTS DEATH LASERS FROM ITS FLOWER. It also happens to be PSIONIC.

EDIT: Link added.

Fwhat. I'm using this. I'm using the hell out of this.

I remember running some Dread Blossom Swarms (MMIII) a long time ago to some entertainment. I think they at least have that whole "natural plants" vibe going on, what with poisonous dust and stabby roots. Though, I guess they mainly posed a threat because that group had subpar fort saves and... Oddly enough... Didn't have one or two really good ways to prevent poison.

Good point - I should look at the PCs' ability to deal with poison. They DO have two Druids, but they're obviously not high enough level to deal with poisons or anything.

[akragster]

You could have an encounter set on some lily pads that sink shortly after being stepped on. It would probably work best if they were fighting several flying creatures (or aquatic), and the Lily pads had odd placement. Cue some hilarious failed acrobatics and swim checks.



Also, while you're making new plant enemies, why not consider throwing in new plant-based items? Rare fruits that give temporary buffs, pods that release thousands of seeds upon bursting (poisoning and potentially suffocating anyone near it), a cutting of a sentient tree that the mother will go to any lengths to reattain. The sky is the limit with oddly themed items.

[Beelzebub1111]

Four words:
Wolf-In-Sheep's-Clothing. They will see it coming, and they will still fall for it.

Honestly? look at the "Garden" floor of Barrier Peaks. Great stuff in there.

I actually created a monster that I looked all over for in but can't find. I called it a Moss Worm. It was resistant to fire, and if fire damage was dealt to it, it would release an inhaled poison. But the kicker was that, it would swallow you whole, and instead of killing you slowly, it would trap you forever while it slowly digested you over a lifetime. It only did 1d6 bludgeoning and 1d6 acid damage, but would impose a cumulative -1 penalty on attack and damage rolls to escape its gullet each round you attempted to do so. one of the treasures inside was an elf old with a ring of minor acid resistance and a ring of regeneration who was still alive after hundreds of years.

[AslanCross]

If you look at the other Mind's Eye articles in the WOTC archive, you can find other psionic plants/fungi.

[Deth Muncher]

Question: On the Ironglass Rose, it said that "The Save DC is Constitution-Based." Does that mean that they calculated the save using the Ironglass Rose's score, or that the save should be made using a Reflex save with Con instead of Dex? O_o I think the former, just checking.

[Waker]

The saves DC is based off the rose's Constitution score. Meaning that if you advanced the roses HD, gave it a template or in some other way increased it's Con modifier, the save would increase by the same amount.

[Deth Muncher]

The saves DC is based off the rose's Constitution score. Meaning that if you advanced the roses HD, gave it a template or in some other way increased it's Con modifier, the save would increase by the same amount.

Ah. Gotcha. Now it makes sense. Also, the other plants from that article are pretty wonderful - and I'm glad it's got some for all kinds of CRs.

[thubby]

many monsters can be made into plants with minimal changes.

darkmantle comes to mind. just change its darkness to fog cloud and paint it green.

[sonofzeal]

Ah. Gotcha.

Also note that you get +1 DC for every 2 HD, and that it takes 4 HD to go up +1 CR. Stack Ability Focus on top of this, and DCs can get ridiculous.

[Deth Muncher]

many monsters can be made into plants with minimal changes.

darkmantle comes to mind. just change its darkness to fog cloud and paint it green.

Heh. Yes. Yes indeed.

Also note that you get +1 DC for every 2 HD, and that it takes 4 HD to go up +1 CR. Stack Ability Focus on top of this, and DCs can get ridiculous.

Gack. That's just silly.

[Noedig]

Have you read Death World by Steven Lyons? Awesome dangerous plants in animals in there.

[Deth Muncher]

Have you read Death World by Steven Lyons? Awesome dangerous plants in animals in there.

I have not, nor will I have the ability to by the time this will be happening. To the summaries!