Jumping Cholla Leshy

Family: Leshy

Huge plant (leshy), neutral

Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
HP 142 (19d6+76)
Speed 30 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
17 (+3)	23 (+6)	19 (+4)	10 (+0)	15 (+2)	14 (+2)

Saving Throws Dex +9, Wis +5
Skills Acrobatics +9, Intimidation +5, Stealth +9 (+10 in deserts)
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 15
Languages Common, Druidic, Sylvan
Challenge 7 (2,900 XP)

SPECIAL TRAITS

• Plant Speech. cacti
• Plant Form. Small cholla cactus
• Verdant Burst. When the Jumping Cholla leshy dies, a burst of primal energy explodes from its body, restoring 31 (7d8) hit points to each plant creature 30-foot radius. This area immediately fills with cholla cacti, becoming difficult terrain. If the terrain is not viable for these cacti, they wither after 24 hours.
• Spined Body. The Jumping Cholla leshy is covered in sharp spines that fall off with ease. A creature that attempts to grapple or is grappled by the leshy takes 7 (2d6) piercing damage when the grapples starts and at the end of each subsequent turn while grappled.
• Vault. As part of its movement, the leshy can jump up to 20 feet in any direction, including vertically. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity. If the leshy lands in an adjacent square to a creature, that creature must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or suffer 5 (2d4) piercing damage.

ACTIONS

• Multiattack. The Jumping Cholla leshy attacks two times as an action with its Spines attack.
• Spines. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 15 (2d8+6) piercing damage. On a hit, the target is grappled (escape DC 15) and suffers an additional 7 (2d6) piercing damage from the leshy’s Spined Body ability.

ABOUT

A combination of lemons and oranges were used in the first ever clinical trial as a way to treat scurvy in sailors. These citrus fruits contain high levels of vitamin C, which is necessary for the body to function but difficult to get while at sea. As a result, Lemon Leshies are considered good luck by sailors, and are frequently taken on board by Driftwood Leshies before departing for open water.

Gin was first developed as a medicinal drink, and only later became commonly consumed for its alcoholic properties. Prior to the creation of gin, juniper was also a common medicinal herb, thought to ward off the bubonic plague, as well as a general cure-all.

The Jumping Cholla leshy is one of the few types of leshy that can propagate on its own, forming clones from its dropped stems.

These leshies tend to stay around their colony until a passing creature or adventurer helps carry them away to form a new colony all their own.

Jumping Cholla leshy may even stay in their cacti form, in an attempt to avoid combat while getting carried to a new location.

Cholla cacti are a common sight in the American southwest, forming stands of formidable cacti with large, barbed spines. The cacti within these colonies arise as clones of older cacti, growing from detached stems rather than seeds or fruits. Of the many species of cholla, the jumping cholla is perhaps the best known, thanks to the lasting impression it leaves on those that encounter it. Jumping cholla earn their name due to the ease with which its stems detach from the main body – even a light touch can leave you pierced by spines and a stem attached to your skin.

The Jumping Cholla leshy thrives in deserts, surviving conditions that would leave even other cacti struggling. Their robust nature makes them ideal companions for desert-dwelling druids, though stand-alone settlements of leshies are also common. Jumping Cholla Leshies have also been found to care for their weaker but equally spiky cousins, the teddy-bear cholla.