Death Root

These haunting roots thrive on the roots of other plants, sucking the nutrients out through a series of hollow thorny spikes that they slowly grow into their plant prey until these hosts die, at which time they move on to another plant host. When they discover animal prey nearby, they have the ability to spring into action, curling their thorny rooted selves around their opponents, grappling them and sucking out their life energies.

These roots usually hang out over cavern floors and around existing root systems, where they await juicier prey.

Death Root CR 9
Undead plant (subterranean, solitary)
Neutral Evil Large plant
Init: +4 Senses: Blindsight 45 ft. Listen +1, Spot +1
Aura: Fatiguing Radiance 30 ft.
Languages: none

AC: 20 (+10 Natural, +1 Dex, -1 Size) touch 10, flatfooted 19
HP: 80 (HD 9d12)
Immune: Unholy
Fort: +11 Ref: +4 Will: +7
Weakness: Holy, Natural Light

MV: 10 ft.
Attack: +7 vine 1d6+7
Full Attack: 4 attacks with +8 vine 1d6+8
Attack Options: improved grab
Space / Reach: 10 ft. / 10 ft.
Base Attack: +7 Grapple: +19

Abilities Str 25 Dex 13 Con - Int 3 Wis 12 Cha 13
SQ: undead and plant traits
SA: improved grab, blood drain
Feats: Improved Grapple, Combat Reflexes, Weapon Focus Tendril
Skills: +14 Move Silently

Possessions: whatever was left by previous victims: standard treasure.

Improved Grab (Ex): Upon a successful melee attack, death roots can attempt to start a grapple with their enemies. Upon a successful grapple, they will draw their victims in toward their central body, where, at the start of the next round, the roots begin sucking their blood through tiny hollow needles.

Blood Drain (Ex): At the start of its round, each living creature caught in a grapple with a death root will take 1d4 points of constitution damage.

Blindsight (Ex): Death roots have no visual organs but can ascertain all foes within 45 feet using sound, scent, and vibration.

Fatiguing Radiance (Su): Any living creature within 30' of a death root must succeed on a DC 15 fortitude save or become fatigued for as long as they remain in proximity to the undead plant and for 2d6 rounds after they leave its aura. The Fortitude save is Charisma based.

Camouflage (Ex): Since a death root looks like a normal plant root system when at rest, it takes a DC 20 Spot check to notice it before it attacks.

Anyone with ranks in Survival or Knowledge (nature) can use one of those skills instead of Spot to notice the plant. Dwarves can use stonecunning to notice the subterranean version.

Undead and Plant Traits:

- Immunity to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects).
- Not subject to critical hits, nonlethal damage, ability drain, or energy drain.
- Immune to damage to its physical ability scores (Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution), as well as to fatigue and exhaustion effects.
- Immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, polymorph, stunning, disease, and death effects.
- Immunity to any effect that requires a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects or is harmless).
- Not at risk of death from massive damage, but when reduced to 0 hit points or less, it is immediately destroyed.

Labels: CR 9, creature, undead