Blood Orchid

Family: Blood Orchid

Large aberration, lawful evil

Armor Class 14 (natural armor)
Hit Points 76 (9d10 + 27)
Speed 5 ft., fly 30 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
15 (+2)	12 (+1)	16 (+3)	11 (+0)	12 (+1)	13 (+1)

Skills Stealth +4
Damage Resistances acid, cold, lightning, fire
Damage Immunities thunder
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 11
Languages telepathy 120 ft.
Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)

SPECIAL TRAITS

• Hyper-Awareness. A blood orchid cannot be surprised.
• Telepathic Bond. Blood orchids have a telepathic link to other blood orchids that are within 120 feet.

ACTIONS

• Multiattack. The blood orchid uses Blood Drain and makes up to three Tentacle attacks.
• Tentacle. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d8 + 2) bludgeoning damage and the target must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned for one hour. The target is also grappled (escape DC 11). While grappled this way, the creature is restrained. Until the grapple ends, the blood orchid can’t use this tentacle on another target. The blood orchid has three tentacles with which it can attack.
• Blood Drain. The blood orchid feeds on a creature it is grappling. The creature must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or its hit point maximum is reduced by 5 (1d10). This reduction lasts until the creature finishes a long rest. The target dies if this effect reduces its hit point maximum to 0.

ABOUT

This beast has three downward curving “petals” of flesh with dark, pebbly outer hides and pallid whitish undersides. The petals converge at the blood orchid’s center and end with split tips. On its underside at the center dangle a swarm of writhing pallid tentacles: 16 manipulator arms and eight thinner tendrils with red eyes at the ends. A sphincter-shaped mouth at the end of a flexible trunk one foot long and six inches in diameter is at the center of these tentacles. Another cluster of eye tendrils is at the apex of the creature.

Blood orchids are territorial, xenophobic, and possessive. They rarely form alliances with other creatures as their alien mindset keeps them from forming any common ground. They regard other races as aberrant and not to be trusted, even other lawful creatures.

Communication by blood orchids is through a means of empathy/telepathy. They have no sense of hearing, which renders them immune to sonic effects. The blood orchid can close its outer petals downward and rest on the ground, where it resembles a rocky nodule or fungus of some kind.

Blood orchids occasionally develop sorcerous talents and transform into savants. When their abilities reach a certain level, they evolve into a grand savant. Normally, each colony of blood orchids is led by a single grand savant, and another cannot evolve while one is present. Typically, a blood orchid savant ready to become a grand savant leaves the colony with a few followers and sets out to establish a new brood elsewhere.