Gnarlwood

Huge plant, neutral evil

Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
Hit Points 132 (11d12 + 55)
Speed 30 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
22 (+6)	9 (-1)	20 (+5)	13 (+1)	13 (+1)	8 (-1)

Skills Perception +4, Stealth +5
Damage Vulnerabilities fire
Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14
Languages Common
Challenge 8 (3,900 XP)

SPECIAL TRAITS

• Innate Spellcasting. The gnarlwood can cast the following, using Wisdom as its spellcasting ability (spell save DC 12, spell attack bonus +4). The gnarlwood doesn’t need material components to use these abilities: At will: ray of sickness
  • 3/day each: animate dead, blight, inflict wounds
  • 1/day each: circle of power, dispel evil and good
  • 1/week: circle of death
• Protected from Good. Good-aligned creatures have disadvantage when attacking a gnarlwood, and it can’t be charmed, frightened, or possessed by a good-aligned creature.
• Unhallowed Aura. When an undead creature within 30 feet of a gnarlwood makes an attack roll or a saving throw, it can add 1d4 to the result.

ACTIONS

• Multiattack. A gnarlwood makes four Clawed Branch attacks.
• Clawed Branch. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 15 (2d8 + 6) slashing damage. If a single target is hit by two of the gnarlwood’s Clawed Branch attacks in a single turn, that target automatically takes an additional 15 (2d8 + 6) slashing damage and is grappled.

ABOUT

Rare things, gnarlwoods are created when a treant seed is planted in cursed ground. This should be an impossibly rare occurrence, save that certain evil cults intentionally create gnarlwoods as guardians of hidden forest temples. Their normally benign forms and thoughts twisted by the soil from which they spring, gnarlwoods love nothing better than to hurt and slay. They gain no sustenance from their victims and commit their atrocities purely out of a rage-filled bloodlust.