"This is my boomstick!... And here's the rest of the tree!" [MitP]

[Maerok]

Bomard Oak
Huge Plant (Fire)
HD 10d8+50 (95 hitpoints)
Speed 20 ft. (4 squares)
Init: +5
AC 23; touch 13; flat-footed 18
(+5 Dex, -2 size, +10 natural)
BAB +7; Grp +19
Attack Slam +9 (2d6+4) or fruit toss +11 (see below)
Full-Attack 2 slams +9 (2d6+4) or 2 fruit tosses +11 (see below)
Space 15 ft.; Reach 15 ft.
Special Attacks Fruit toss, total combustion, rage
Special Qualities DR 10/slashing, plant traits, vulnerability to cold
Saves Fort +12 Ref +8 Will +7
Abilities Str 18, Dex 20, Con 20, Int 3, Wis 8, Cha 3
Skills Knowledge (nature) +9
Feats Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Improved Precise Shot, Weapon Focus (fruit toss)
Environment Temperate forest
Organization Solitary, pair, onslaught (1d4+4), or party (2 oaks and 1d6 treants)
Challenge Rating 10
Treasure Bombard extract, see below
Alignment Chaotic neutral
Advancement 11-14 HD (Huge), 15-18 (Gargantuan)

The scouts returns sooner than expected, bolting for the camp as you turn to ask him what was up the road. In a moment later, a fireball engulfs the trees to your left and what looks like a crimson-colored treant tears after the archer, flailing its arms to unleash a payload of explosive fruits.

A savage and distant relative to treants, this plant is a natural source of explosive power and the juices of its incendiary fruit could be refined to aid in making alchemist's fire. They prowl forests, usually in places already burned down, and destroy anything that doesn't belong. As they burn down some parts of the forest, it will grow back in time with even greener plants. These oaks are usually solitary but might associate with a few other oaks and some treants.

Fruit Toss (Ex): The oak can pick and toss its explosive fruits as an attack; it deals 1d6 fire damage per 2 HD within a 10 foot burst from the target, whether it be a creature or an empty space. The fruit can be thrown up to 60 feet as a ranged attack. Any creature of a size smaller than the boom boom oak must make a DC 20 Reflex save or be knocked prone (the DC is Constitution-based). Succeeding on the save avoids the fire damage.

Total Combustion (Ex): As a standard action, the oak can initiate a chain reaction from rows of fruits along its back and major limbs. This cataclysm deals 1d6 fire damage per 2 HD to all creatures and objects within 40 feet, consuming the oak in the process and launching various fruits to be detonated on impact. A DC 20 Reflex save is required to avoid the blast (the DC is Constitution-based). One random square per HD within 30 feet is struck by spare fruit and anything there takes another 1d6 fire damage per HD (requiring another Reflex save, but the DC is increased by 2). When slain, a bombard oak has a 10% chance to automatically activate this ability.

Rage (Ex): A bombard oak can rage as a barbarian of its HD.

Bombard Extract: The materials harvested from a deceased bombard oak can be used to negate the cost of making alchemist's fire, though it takes the same amount of time. Total Combustion ruins the usable remains.

[Jack_Simth]

First impression:

Alchemist's Fire, while it requires a mage to craft, is not a magic item and costs no xp to make.

But I'm tired.

[Icewalker]

That's pretty awesome. I like it, although I don't really like the name hugely.

Mitp vote: yes

[psychoticbarber]

I love it! I prefer "Bombard Oak" to "Boom Boom Oak" myself, but that's piddly naming stuff. You should figure out how a Druid might enchant a tree to be like this.

Edit: I'd vote yes, but I haven't submitted anything. Sorry!

[Poppatomus]

No longer an obstacle psychotic, at least so I am told.

[Maerok]

Well for the matter of naming, I'll just switch it over to the bombard one.

[Jack_Simth]

Possible problem:

They have an effective caster level for the thrown fruit based on their HD, but plant HD are +1 CR per 4 HD.

So the CR 13 Bombard Oak (+8 HD, +1 size) has two 18d6 attacks per round. There's no save for the damage, from the description. Two fruits, targeting the same square, deals 126 damage, on average, to everything within range.

What's normal HP for:
Wiz-13?
Rogue-13?
Cleric-13?
Fighter-13?

Without some fire protection, there's liable to be a few PC deaths, possibly for a big chunk of the party. Sure, it's only a 2nd or 3rd level spell.... but unless you know you're going to be facing one (or at least, fire critters) in advance, you've got problems.

[DracoDei]

I thought CR scaled proportionate to HD so if you doubled the HD you also double the CR? Certainly makes more sense to me that way...

[BisectedBrioche]

I like it, MitP: Yes

[Jack_Simth]

I thought CR scaled proportionate to HD so if you doubled the HD you also double the CR? Certainly makes more sense to me that way...

Nope. Different HD are worth different amounts, and most of a monster's CR normally comes from things that aren't tied to their HD - Stats, natural armor, spell-like abilities, and so on.

One of this critter's biggest powers is tied directly to its Hit Dice. And it has one of the least "valuable" HD as far as Challenge Rating is concerned.

[psychoticbarber]

No longer an obstacle psychotic, at least so I am told.

Really?

Well. If I'm allowed (Perhaps a Mod could back me up), then

MitP Vote: Yes

[Maerok]

Really?

Well. If I'm allowed (Perhaps a Mod could back me up), then

MitP Vote: Yes

"Hell, there are no rules here - we're trying to accomplish something."
-Thomas Edison


As for the rest of you, perhaps a higher CR is in order?

[psychoticbarber]

"Hell, there are no rules here - we're trying to accomplish something."
-Thomas Edison


As for the rest of you, perhaps a higher CR is in order?

Excellent quote, that.

Possibly it could do with the explosive attacks being 1/2 or 3/4 HD instead all of them.

[Maerok]

Hmm, well now its half for the Fruit Toss, and I've included Reflex saves as well.

[psychoticbarber]

Well, I'd have to test it against a party of 10th level adventurers, but it LOOKS good from here.

[Jaguira]

Not much for me to say critique-wise (I'm not good with DnD numbers), but I love the concept! I'm going to be an odd one out and say I liked "Boom Boom Oak" better then "Bombard Oak," but... Like someone said before me, "that's piddly naming stuff."

Anyways!

MitP: YES! (Assuming it's okay for me vote, that is.)

[DragonTounge]

Cool monster and I don't see any mistakes. You didn't even spell anything wrong!

MitP Vote: YES

[DracoDei]

Actually the name is mis-spelled... missing the second "B"...

[Doi]

Have to change the name of the monster in the description of "Total Combustion".

Mitp vote: yes

[TheEscapist]

It's a cool idea, but I was a little disappointed because the title of the thread and the name of the creature led me to believe I was going to be looking at a cannon-tree, rather than a grenadier tree. Still, I do like it, though I think CR 10 for a 10 HD creature with relatively few attack and defense modes might be a little high.

However, it's definitely worth noting that I'm hardly an expert on setting CR.

[Lord Iames Osari]

I like this too. MitP Vote: Yes.