Gallows Tree

Huge plant, unaligned

Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
Hit Points 287 (23d12 + 138)
Speed 30 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
25 (+7)	10 (+0)	22 (+6)	10 (+0)	14 (+2)	6 (-2)

Saving Throws Constitution +11
Skills Perception +7, Stealth +5
Damage Resistances fire
Condition Immunities frightened, prone, stunned, unconscious
Senses tremorsense 60 ft., passive Perception 17
Languages Common, but cannot speak, telepathy 100 ft. with gallows tree zombies
Challenge 14 (11,500 XP)

Special Traits

• Create Gallows Tree Zombie. When a creature dies within 15 feet of a gallows tree, The Gallow’s Tree uses a sharpened tendril to slice open the creature’s abdomen, thereby spilling the corpse’s innards on the ground. The organs and fluids are then absorbed by the tree’s roots. Corpses of a size other than Medium or Large are simply left to rot. Medium or Large corpses are filled with a greenish pollen fired from one of the tree’s branches. The abdominal wound heals over the next 1d4 days, at which time the slain creature rises as a gallows tree zombie connected by a tether-vine to the gallows tree that created it. Gallows tree zombies possess none of their former abilities.
• Gallows Tree Zombies. Each gallows tree has several gallows tree zombies connected to it. A Huge gallows tree may have no more than seven gallows tree zombies connected to it at one time. See the gallows tree zombie entry for details on that monster.

Actions

• Multiattack. The gallows tree makes three slam attacks.
• Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 28 (6d6 + 7) bludgeoning damage and the target is grappled (escape DC 22) and restrained.

About

This creature appears as a massive, tall tree with thick branches from which hang several humanoid corpses tightly secured by their necks with greenish-brod bushy, and its trunk is mottled brown.

Gallows trees are sentient plants that sustain themselves on the internal organs and body fluids of living creatures. They use deception to lure potential prey into range at which time they unleash the gallows tree zombies attached to their branches to kill or capture the prey.

While mobile, a gallows tree prefers to remain in one spot for an extended length of time (usually until its food supply in the area runs out). From this location, it simply waits for prey and then attacks when such beings come into view. Gallows trees do not collect treasure but occasionally such items (the remnants of devoured prey) are found near a gallows tree.

A gallows tree normally stands idle, lowering its zombies to the ground when living prey come within 100 feet of the tree. If a foe comes within 15 feet of the tree itself, it lashes out with its sharpened branches and pummels the creature or attempts to wrap a branch around the foe. A grabbed foe is subjected to additional damage as the gallows tree pummels it with its other branches. Occasionally the tree works in concert with its zombies, grabbing a foe and holding it while its zombies pound it into goop.

Slain creatures are dragged close to the tree, sliced open, and their innards devoured by the tree’s roots.