Devil Bough

The devil bough appears as an ordinary tree. It grows in the shape of the trees nearby to increase its chances at surviving past the sapling stage. Each devil bough has a single, fleshy, twisting bough tipped with a spindly, clawed hand. It keeps its this hand hidden as best it can, using it only to catch and devour small animals who flit through its branches.

Huge fiend, neutral evil

Armor Class 14 (natural armor)
Hit Points 114 (12d12 + 36)
Speed 10 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
18 (+4) 10 (+0) 17 (+3) 10 (+0) 10 (+0) 8 (-1)

Saving Throws Constitution +6
Skills Perception +3
Damage Immunities fire, poison
Condition Immunities poisoned
Senses tremorsense 60 ft., passive Perception 13
Languages Abyssal, Infernal, telepathy 120 ft.
Challenge 6 (2,300 XP)

Special Traits

  • Grinding Maw. The devil bough has advantage on attack rolls against any creature grappled by its bite attack.
  • Like Calls to Like. The devil bough knows if a creature within 60 feet of it is evil-aligned or not.

Actions

  • Multiattack. The devil bough makes one claw attack and one bite attack.
  • Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (3d6 + 4) slashing damage.
  • Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 17 (3d8 + 4) piercing damage. If the target is a Large or smaller creature, it is grappled (escape DC 15). Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained and the devil bough can’t make bite attacks against other targets.

Reactions

  • Arcasynthesis. When a spell of 5th level or lower is cast within 100 feet of the devil bough, it attempts to synthesize the magic. The spell resolves as normal, but the devil bough has a 50% chance of regaining 5 (1d10) hp per level of the spell cast.

About

Devourers of Magic. Devil bough trees have a natural ability to feed on magical energy, gaining strength and growth spurts from consuming a spell or magical item. For this reason, the trees often inhabit places where magic is found: enchanted pools or interplanar portals.

Cannibals. The devil bough will gladly eat its own kind or other fiends to sustain itself. However, if meat is scarce in a region, the trees are known to work together along with execrable shrubs to ensure survival.

Fiendish Flora

Whenever the celestial or fiendish planes intersect with the material one, there is an opportunity for a commingling of flora.

Fiendish flora grows at sites where great evil has transpired, where foul things are worshipped, and where devils and demons have tread. These foul life forms are carnivorous and require blood to grow and thrive on the Material Plane. Cunning devils cut and clip the plants into unholy gardens which bolster their powers. Demons promote the flora’s wild and expanding nature, sacrificing animals and humanoids to allow the fiendish plants to grow as rapidly as possible.

Carnivores. Fiendish plants require blood to grow. On the Material Plane, the plants do best in forests where careless animals are plentiful. These evil, sentient plants form relationships with all manner of dark-hearted beings. Fiendish flora offer power and protection in exchange for fresh blood. The craven nature of these plants often sees them devouring their allies when fresh blood is scarce.

Discord, Dismay, and Darkness. The fiendish plants propagate and thrive wherever there is a concentration of evil, chaos, and misery. If a fiend treads the Material Plane, there is a good chance that fiendish plants will trace its steps. A single shrub hidden in a farmer’s field can affect the temperament of nearby animals and humanoids, causing nightmares, depression, and a darkening of disposition.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Creature Codex. © 2018 Open Design LLC; Authors Wolfgang Baur, Dan Dillon, Richard Green, James Haeck, Chris Harris, Jeremy Hochhalter, James Introcaso, Chris Lockey, Shawn Merwin, and Jon Sawatsky.