Wooded Grappler
Huge Plant
Hit Dice: 6d10+20 (45 HP)Initiative: 5 (+1 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative)
Speed: 0 ft.
AC: 15 (+1 Dex, +6 Natural, -2 Size)
Attacks: Slam + 8 Melee
Damage: Slam 1d6+8
Face/Reach: 5ft. by 5ft./10ft. (25 feet with vines)
Special Attacks: Improved Grab
Special Qualities: Constrict 1d6+8, Blindsight, Camouflage, Root Acids (1d6)
Saves: Fort: +6, Ref: +3, Will: +1
Abilities: Str: 22, Dex: 12, Con: 14, Int: 1, Wis: 10, Cha: 10
Skills:
Feats:
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 4
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Neutral
Advancement: 7 - 18 HD Gargantuan, 19 - 30 HD Colossal
DESCRIPTION
The wooded grappler is a feared creature and always avoided by those who know where they dwell. However, the only way to really know where one dwells is by either seeing someone or something else get eaten, or escape being eaten yourself, and it isn't too many people that have done that. The wooded grappler lies in wait on the forrest floor. When not attacking the creature is almost impossible to see. It has vines that snakes across the forest floor, drapped in trees, or hidden in bushes. These vines sprout up out of the ground in a 10 to 15 feet radius around the massive body that is at it's center. The vines can be anywhere between 15 and 30 feet in length. When the creature captures prey it opens a large mouth that looks much like a flower with yellow peddals and red spikes sticking up in it's center. When not attacking this flowery mouth is pulled into the body and the pedals flold up and flex dirt on top of it so that it is almost impossible to see.
Below the surface of the ground is a truly massive body. There are two sections of "roots" below the surface. The section closest to the surface acts as a "killing jar" once prey is captured. This section is half full of a natural acid that helps to disolve the prey that are captured. The upper section is also contracts and releases to help break up the prey that are captured. These contractions continue until the creature is dissolved. An astute Ranger may notice the vibrations in the ground around the creature while these contractions are occuring. The contractions usually only occur for a day, maybe a day and a half (depending on how large the prey was).
The lower root section is what will interest most adventurers. This is where the remains of the victims are dumped once all of the nutrients have been absorbed by the upper root system. Most of the remains consist of bones, hooves, horns, and hair - but occasionally the wooded grappler snaggs some unwary adventurer, wizard, or noble and this can make the wooded grappler's lower root system something to be desired.
COMBAT
The wooded grappler waits patiently for it's victims to appear. Some of the more sinister races plant them along fake trails to get rid of troublesome company. It's vines will be strung along the ground, or snake up from the ground to hang in trees, or they may even be subtly hidden under a bush. As soon as a victim gets near the center of the plant (within 5 feet of the mouth) the vines will then spring up from their dormant possitions and attack the prey. The plant doesn't usually attack until the victim is between the center of the plant and the vines, that way it can attack with all of it's vines if neccessary. Once the attack begins the wooded grappler will try to grab it's prey with the vines and constrict it's victim until the victim quits moving (death or unconsciousness). Once the victim stops moving the wooded grappler will open it's flower-like maw and drop the motionless victim inside. The maw will then close and retract back to the top of the first root system, creating even surface with the ground. The acids will begin working on the victim and the contractions of the upper root will help to break the victim apart while also shuffling dirt back onto the creatures maw to aid in camoflauging it.
EXTRAORDINARY
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability the wooded grappler must make a hit with it's slam attack.
Constrict (Ex): A wooded grappler deals 1d6+8 damage with a successful grapple check against a large-size or smaller creature.
Blindsight (Ex): A wooded grappler has no visual capabilities but they are able to use the vibrations in the ground to sense the presence of prey and pinpoint the victims location. This vibration sense is good for 40 feet. Creatures flying, traveling through the trees, etc. cannot be sensed by the wooded grappler. For the blindsight to be effective the victim must be walking, running, etc.. on the ground.
Camouflage (Ex): Since the wooded grappler looks like any other vine in the forrest when not attacking it takes a successful spot check (DC 22) to notice the vines before they attack. Anyone with Wilderness Lore or Knowledge (plants or herbs) can use those skills instead of Spot to notice the plant.
Root Acids (Ex): The inside of the upper root system is half full of a strong acid. The acid does 1d6 damage for every round a victim is inside of the wooded grappler's upper root system. It is only destructive to biological creatures, so a metal construct would be immune to the acid. The acid is often sought after by alchemists, assassins, and others.
SOCIETY
The wooded grappler, being a plant, has no society to speak of. The closest that a wooded grappler comes to communicating to it's own kind is in the spring when, once a week for approximately 3 weeks, small yellow flowers bloom on the vines and soon become little berries that are pollinated just as any other flowers. The flowers soon close and dry up to become an increadibly light husk that is carried by the wind to plant seeds in other parts of the forrest.
