Alpine Creeper

Huge plant, unaligned

Armor Class 5
Hit Points 95 (10d12 + 30)
Speed 15 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
3 (–4) 1 (–5) 17 (+3) 1 (–5) 4 (–3) 1 (–5)

Damage Vulnerabilities fire
Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing
Damage Immunities cold Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deafened, frightened, grappled, prone
Senses tremorsense 60 ft., passive Perception 7
Languages
Challenge 3 (700 XP)
Proficiency Bonus +2

SPECIAL TRAITS

  • False Appearance. While the alpine creeper remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from a normal patch of lichen.
  • Mossy Carpet. The alpine creeper can enter a hostile creature’s space and stop there. It can move through a space as narrow as 1 foot wide without squeezing.

ACTIONS

  • Gentle Dissolution. Each creature in the alpine creeper’s space must make a DC 13 Constitution saving throw, taking 10 (3d6) acid damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. The alpine creeper can choose not to harm friendly Beasts in its space. An unconscious creature that takes damage from this action must make a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw, remaining unconscious on a failed save, or waking on a successful one.
  • Sleep Spores. The alpine creeper releases sleep-inducing spores. Each Humanoid and Giant within 20 feet of the alpine creeper must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or fall unconscious for 1 minute. The effect ends for a creature if the creature takes damage, or another creature uses an action to wake it.
  • Cleaning Call (1/Day). The alpine creeper sprays pheromone-laced spores, calling nearby Beasts to the feast. The called Beasts arrive in 1d4 rounds and act as allies of the alpine creeper, attacking creatures within 10 feet of it. The Beasts remain for 1 hour, until the alpine creeper dies, or until the alpine creeper dismisses them as a bonus action. Choose one Beast of challenge rating 1 or lower or roll a d% and consult the Summoned Beasts table (see sidebar).

ABOUT

The alseid entrust their woad warriors to safeguard their forest domains.

Skilled Craftsmen. A woad warrior always has its bodypainting kit close at hand. This kit is often a leather roll or small chest and contains an assortment of bowls, pouches of powdered dyes, vials, brushes, and a mortar and pestle. Alseid frequently cultivate woad, the plant used to make the bright blue dye, in their communities. They are not above trading for dye, though they prefer to interact among their cousins the elves, centaurs, or even fey before conversing with humans.

Being painted with woad is a reverent practice for the alseid, reserved for their greatest warriors and rarely shared with outsiders.

Patches of lichen dot the mountainside, lying atop fallen trees, stones, and the ground like a blanket. A grim collection of bones, coins, and rusted weapons and armor peak through it.

Alpine creepers thrive at high elevations. The plant uses its likeness to true lichen to lure prey and is the cause of many mountaintop deaths attributed to animal or monster attacks. This innocuous-looking plant settles in a location and waits for unwitting humanoids and giants to pass over it or to take a rest on it.

Mountainside Perils. Once prey is subdued by sleep-inducing spores, alpine creepers emit pheromones to attract carnivorous animals. Beasts drawn toward the creeper usually find a feast waiting for them, though the creepers routinely finish off too-aggressive animals.

Use the Summoned Beasts table to determine what kind of beasts the alpine creeper’s pheromones call. Beasts that arrive at the alpine creeper’s location are aggressive and prioritize attacking active threats before feasting on creatures knocked out by the creeper’s spores.

Table: Summoned Beasts
d% Beast
01-04 2d4 badgers
05-09 1d6 black bears
10-13 1d3 brown bears
14-17 1d3 dire wolves
18-20 1d6 giant badgers
21-30 2d6 giant rats
31-34 1d3 giant vultures
35-40 2d6 giant weasels
41-44 1d3 lions or tigers
45-60 1d6 swarms of rats
61-71 2d4 wolves
72-75 1d4 worgs
76-100 No beasts respond
Section 15: Copyright Notice

Tome of Beasts 3 © 2022 Open Design LLC; Authors: Eytan Bernstein, Celeste Conowitch, Benjamin L. Eastman, Robert Fairbanks, Scott Gable, Basheer Ghouse, Richard Green, Jeremy Hochhalter, Jeff Lee, Christopher Lockey, Sarah Madsen, Ben Mcfarland, Jonathan Miley, Kelly Pawlik, Sebastian Rombach, Chelsea Steverson, Brian Suskind, Mike Welham

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