Monkey’s Bane Vine

Large plant, unaligned

Armor Class 13 (natural armor)
Hit Points 119 (14d10 + 42)
Speed 10 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
18 (+4)	10 (+0)	16 (+3)	1 (–5)	1 3 (+1)	1 (–5)

Skills Perception +3
Damage Resistances cold, fire Condition Immunities blinded, deafened, exhaustion, prone
Senses blindsight 30 ft., passive Perception 13
Languages —
Challenge 4 (1,100 XP)
Proficiency Bonus +2

SPECIAL TRAITS

• False Appearance. While motionless, a monkey’s bane vine is indistinguishable from a normal vine.

ACTIONS

• Multiattack. The monkey’s bane vine makes two Tendril attacks.
• Tendril. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 20 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) bludgeoning damage. If the target is a Large or smaller creature, it is grappled (escape DC 14). Until this grapple ends, the creature is restrained and takes 7 (2d6) bludgeoning damage at the start of each of its turns. The monkey’s bane vine has two tendrils, each of which can grapple only one target.

ABOUT

Plump, orange fruit hangs from deep green vines wrapped around a great tree. These deadly, semimobile carnivorous plants superficially resemble normal vines. Monkey’s bane vines are found in forests and jungles, growing around the trunks of towering rainforest trees.

Sweet Fruit. In spring, the vines grow colorful blooms, and in late summer they produce tasty-looking orange fruit that attracts prey. The fruit has a sickly-sweet flavor that monkeys find irresistible; the nimble creatures are often willing to risk being grabbed by the plant’s tendrils to snatch the tasty fruit.

Food for the Roots. When a creature gets too close, the vine strikes, grabbing hold with its tendrils and either ripping its prey apart or crushing the life out of it. The vine deposits the remains near its roots, where they fertilize the plant.

Living Traps. Local humanoids aware of the vine’s carnivorous nature sometimes take advantage of the plant. They will grow a monkey’s bane vine over a hidden treasure cache, the entrance to a tomb, or other locale as a defense against interlopers and thieves. The most reclusive and paranoid might even grow the vines near entrances to their homes as snares for would-be intruders. In areas where troops of monkeys become nuisances and infest cities and towns, these vines are sometimes deliberately cultivated to help control the monkey population.

Risky Harvest. While monkeys greatly desire the vine’s fruit, it is too sweet for most humanoids. Still, some humanoids produce a liqueur from the juice of the fruit, and the resulting monkeybane brandy is popular among wealthy gnomes, goblins, orcs, and humans. Those willing to risk the danger of the vines can sell the results at a steep price.