Blood Kaktos

Large plant, lawful neutral

Armor Class 14 (natural armor)
Hit Points 60 (8d10 + 16)
Speed 25 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
17 (+3)	10 (+0)	14 (+2)	10 (+0)	9 (-1)	7 (-2)

Skills Stealth +4, Perception (+3 or +1)
Damage Resistances fire
Damage Vulnerabilities cold
Condition Immunities deafened
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 13 (or 11)
Languages Blood kaktos telepathy
Challenge 2 (450 XP)

SPECIAL TRAITS

• Silent Slither. The blood kaktos has advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks to move silently through sand when sneaking up on prey.
• Telepathic Communication. The blood kaktos cannot speak, but it can communicate with others of its kind through telepathic communication. The communication consists of the conveyance of emotions and intent, allowing groups of blood kaktoses to loosely coordinate attacks against prey.

ACTIONS

• Multiattack. The blood kaktos makes two Prickly Punch attacks.
• Prickly Punch. Melee Weapon Attack: +5, range 5 ft. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) piercing damage and 3 (1d6) poison damage. If both prickly punch attacks are successful against the same target, the blood kaktos embraces the victim, who is grappled and restrained until it breaks the embrace. The blood kaktos extends its proboscis to penetrate any exposed skin, writhing through armor joints if need be. This is an automatic hit that causes its victim to lose 3 (1d4 + 1) hit points at the beginning of the target’s turn as the blood kaktos gorges upon the victim’s blood. If the victim breaks free from the embrace, the blood kaktos immediately retracts its proboscis, fearing damage to its delicate organ. The victim can use an action to attempt a DC 13 Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check to escape. A victim that escapes the embrace sustains an additional 3 (1d6) slashing damage as the needles rip the escapee’s flesh.
• Huff and Puff (recharge 4-6). The blood kaktos inhales air into the space between its outer layer of skin and its inner membranous tissue and then forces it out sharply, spraying needles in all directions over a 10-foot radius. Any creature within this area must make a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw. Those that fail the saving throw take 9 (2d8) piercing damage from the flying needles while those that succeed take half this amount.

ABOUT

The blood kaktos is a mobile, sentient plant that inhabits any warm, sandy environment. It is a relative of the common saguaro cactus and has leathery green flesh covered with needle-like spines, with two jointed, branch-like arms sprouting from a large trunk that grows to between five and seven feet tall upon maturity.

Three eyes approximately two inches in diameter appear as a darker shade of green. They are typically positioned in a scalene triangle formation and are the only obvious sensory organs. The casual observer could easily perceive the eyes as ordinary scars or imperfections found on a common cactus and may not be aware they are looking at a deadly blood kaktos.