Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Another_Poet 03-16-07, 05:18 PM	Reaper Vine Medium Plant HD: 5d8 (23 hp) Initiative: +5 Speed: 0 (see text) AC: 22 (+5 Dex +7 Natural); touch 15; flat-footed 17 Base Atk/Grapple: +6/+9 Atk: Claw +12 melee (2d6+3) Full Atk: Claw +12 melee (2d6+3) and Grapple; or Grapple and Pulp Space/reach: 5’/10’ Special Atk’s: Pulp, Knockdown Special Qualities: Heat vision 30’, Motion sense 30’, No vision/hearing, plant traits (but without lowlight vision), Natural Armour +7 Saves: Fort +6, Ref +5, Will +0 Abilities: Str 16, Dex 20, Con 10, Int 2, Wis 2, Cha – Skills: Hide +8 (+16 in crevice) Feats: Weapon Focus (natural weapon), Weapon Finesse, Improved Grapple Environment: Narrow crevices in wet caves Organization: Usually a large number are scattered over a single cavern or cave system. They never grow close enough together for both to attack the same prey at the same time (since if they did, they would attack one another). Challenge Rating: 3 Treasure: None Alignment: Always neutral Advancement: 4 HD large You remember these from Metroid Prime. They usually grew by narrow ledges you just had to jump onto, and were annoying early in the game. That’s about how they’ll function in my D&D module, too. Reaper vines are carnivorous plants that grow in dark, concealed crevices in wet areas. They have a single “eye” which can sense movement or heat within a 30’ radius. When it senses prey it waits, hidden in its crevice, for the prey to come within reach of its tentacle. The tentacle is tipped with a hard scythe-like claw and can be quite deadly. Intelligent races are at much less risk from reaper vines than small animals are, but even seasoned dwarves, drow and other underground races have a healthy fear of reaper vines. Where there is one there are usually a lot (in fact, some believe that each individual vine is part of a single large plant) and they are extremely adept at hiding themselves where least expected. Movement The reaper vine plant grows from a fixed location inside of a crevice. It cannot move from this position. However, its long claw-tipped vine can reach anything within 10’ of the opening of the crevice and can whip around quite quickly. Thus, a reaper vine can do any one or two of the following as a single move action: -Reach out from its crevice -Move to attack a creature in range -Withdraw from a creature it has been attacking -Withdraw to its crevice Combat When a reaper vine detects prey it first strikes with its claw and then attempts to wrap around the wounded prey to use its pulp attack. At this point most small animals are ready to become fertilizer. If a reaper vine is badly damaged by an animal it will give up on predation and attempt to simply knock the animal away. Since reaper vines often grow near ledges, this can be quite dangerous. Once combat ceases, the vine will immediately begin to shred its fallen prey with its claw and then wrap its tendril through the meat and begin absorbing nutrients through tiny pores. It will usually drag the prey as far into the crevice as it will fit. Eventually it will throw away anything it can’t absorb (bones, armour, etc.). Pulp: If the vine successfully grapples a creature it can proceed to pulp it. The vine does not provoke an attack of opportunity when attempting to grapple for this purpose. The grapple and the pulp attack can be done in the same turn if the vine is able to take its full attack; otherwise the pulp attack can be made at the beginning of the round after the successful grapple check. A vine can only pulp a creature once per turn, and can only pulp or grapple one creature per turn. Each time the vine pulps a creature, the creature takes 2 points of temporary Con damage from having its bones broken. If the creature survives it can regain these point at a rate of 2/week by resting (with appropriate casts on) or by having its wounds healed magically (regaining 2 points of Con for every 6 hp cured), or by any of the normal methods for reversing Con damage. Knockdown: The vine can smack a creature its own size or smaller (+11 to attack). If the attack hits, the target takes no damage but is sent flying 15’ in a direction of the vine’s choosing (straight lines only). If the target is stopped by any obstacles along the way, both the target and the obstacle take 1d6 damage. Wherever the target lands, it must make a balance check (DC 15) or fall prone. (Yes it is simillar to Awesome Blow.) Skills: A reaper vine has a +8 racial bonus to hide checks when it is fully withdrawn into its crevice. Reaper vines do not have any true sight or hearing and cannot make spot or listen checks. Because of their so-called “eye”, they become immediately aware of any creature that moves within 30’ of them as long as the creature is either visible to darkvision or putting out any amount of heat. Any effect that negates both of these conditions renders a creature completely invisible to a reaper vine. Likewise, anything that simulates these conditions (for instance, a rock thrown toward the vine or a fire magically started next to it) will be attacked by the vine for a round or two until it realizes it is not prey.
Kearif 03-16-07, 05:50 PM	This is not a CR 3 creature! A level 3 fighter with 18 strength wold have to roll an 18 to hit it! Drop the Natural armor down to 7 and you have a more reasonable CR 3 monster. Typically the ranges for D&D effects are divisible by 10. So, go either 40' or 30' for the heat and motion sense, not 35' Plup is a bad name for a special attack, it creates images of home-made orange juice not broken bones. Also, this should be in Monster's Lair not races.
Another_Poet 03-16-07, 06:02 PM	This is the kind of advice I needed! thank you. Sorry for posting in the wrong place. i didn't realise.