[Creature] Oooooh, aaaaah!

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Novaroot



Large Plant (chaos, extraplanar, fire)
Hit Dice: 19d8+76 (161 hp)
Initiative: +3
Speed: 0 ft.
Armor Class: 24 (+3 dex, +12 natural, -1 size), touch 12, flat-footed 21
Base Attack/Grapple: +14/+29
Attack: Bramble (4d6 + 1d6 fire)
Full Attack: Bramble (4d6 + 1d6 fire)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./20 ft.
Special Attacks: Bramble, constrict, embers of life, improved grab
Special Qualities: Brief flicker, damage reduction 10/adamantine, immunity to electricity, fire and light, plant traits, sprouted of flame, vulnerability to cold
Saves: Fort +15, Ref +9, Will +6
Abilities: Str 33, Dex 16, Con 19, Int -, Wis 1, Cha 23
Skills: -
Feats: -
Environment: Bleak Eternity of Gehenna, Infinite Layers of the Abyss or Elemental Plane of Fire
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 13
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 20-23 HD (Large), 24-39 HD (Huge), 40+ HD (Gargantuan)
Level Adjustment: -

This appears as a bramble of wirery black vines covered in a horrible collection of razor-sharp thorns resembling the claws of some vicious beast. Buds are continuously erupting on it's sides and for a brief time a great flower of incredible beauty literally explodes into blossom. It appears as a surreal combination of lily, passionflower and pulsing nebula as it flows and sparks in all shades of reds, oranges, yellows, and white. Just as abruptly however it ignites with the force and beauty of a firecracker, spraying sticky, sizzling pollen everywhere about and a new bramble begins to shoot up as the old burns away...

Novaroots are said to have begun with the beginning of the multiverse, the seeds lying within a fruit of nigh impenetrable qualities. It then took root in the primordial plasma and lava of sun, sphere and plane. Once they began to cool however the plant died, requiring the continuous energy to procreate. Only upon the oldest suns, nebula remnants, or ancient volcanoes can they be found within the Material Plane, though they contintue to thrive within the Plane of Fire and ever burning regions of the Abyss.

Combat
A novaroot doesn't so much attack as its entire life cycle is a series of neverending violence and mayhem. It grasps everything in its reach, seeking always for energy and ripping to shreds whatever it cannot draw from.

A novaroot's natural attacks are considered Chaotic for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.

Bramble (Ex): All creatures that come within 20 feet of a novaroot automatically take 4d6 points of slashing damage and 1d6 points of fire damage per round.

Brief Flicker: A novaroot never lives more than a minute plus 1d6 rounds. It grows to full size within 4 rounds of it's parent plant exploding. It then soaks up energy, taking strength from the flame and grasping everything in it's path, growing blossoms for 5 rounds. On the 10th round the pollen explodes. It then crumbles into dust within the final 1d6 rounds, still clutching and clawing to the last.

This pollen immediately takes root if within lava, fire, or hits a being with the fire subtype. It may take root on a vertical surface or even upside down. See Embers of Life.

Constrict (Ex): A novaroot deals 4d6+11 points of damage with a successful grapple check and deals an additional 2d4 Constitution burn to creatures with the Fire subtype. If it deals a number of points equal to it's constitution score to all those entangled, singular or collectively, when next it explodes it produces 2 nova roots.

Embers of Life (Ex): A novaroot when it explodes sends out a cloud of dazzling pollen 15 feet in every direction. Every corporeal creature in range is affected as by the glitterdust spell and takes 6d6 points of fire damage the initial round, decreasing by 1 HD per round until the pollen dies out (DC 23 reflex save halves first round damage, allowing no saves in subsequent rounds). Creatures with the fire subtype don't take fire damage, but instead takes 1d4 points of Constitution burn per round (DC 23 fortitude save halves, minimum 1) as they siphon it's energy. The pollen sprouts on the creature as it absorbs, entangling it. Once it has siphoned 19 points of constitution from a creature it becomes a new, full-grown novaroot.

Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a novaroot must hit with its bramble attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can constrict. A novaroot can hold as many beings as can fit in it's space simultaneously without penalty. Even if they win the grapple check they are still considered entangled.

Sprouted of Flame (Ex): A novaroot gain fast healing 5 while within fire or lava. A spell, ability or similar that deals fire damage heals a novaroot as much damage as it would normally sustain. Spells that deal fire damage that damage even those with the fire subtype, such as those enhanced by the Searing Spell feat, still do not harm the novaroot. It instead takes twice the healing, and these hit points, if it'd put it up above it's total, are gained temporarily. If this would double it's average hit points it immediately uses it's embers of life ability, which spawns 2 novaroots instead of 1.

Vulnerability to Cold: A novaroot takes half again as much (+50%) damage as normal from cold effects, regardless of whether a saving throw is allowed, or if the save is a success or failure.

[Mr.Bookworm]

Oooooh, aaaaah.

Anyway, I like it, but...

I'm slightly concerned how this seems to say "NO WAI" to melee characters. 5d6 damage a round automatically, and 5d6 more with a succesful hit could kill someone close up in two rounds. Embers of Life would make it even worse.

[DracoDei]

You seem to have forgotten the crunch for determining where the new one (or two) sprout if their isn't a creature with the fire subtype in the radius.

[wadledo]

Wow.
That's at least CR 16.

Edit: Actually, why haven't these over-run the plane of fire yet?

[AstralFire]

*counts time until feat that allows fire spells to damage this new type of fire immunity arrives*

Escalation.

[Stycotl]

this is very cool, and would be an awesome way to make some pc's pc their pants.

but i agree with wadledo on the cr deal.

also, your avatar, is that from 'the village'?

[The Vorpal Tribble]

You seem to have forgotten the crunch for determining where the new one (or two) sprout if their isn't a creature with the fire subtype in the radius.

Up to the DM really.

That's at least CR 16.

Why's that? If you kill them before they explode they don't come back, and most 13th level characters should be able to finish this off within 10 rounds (never known a fight to even go that long).

Edit: Actually, why haven't these over-run the plane of fire yet?

Cuz it's infinite. Also, until they find a fire-based creature they only reproduce 1 of themselves. So basically all they are doing is moving along as the same plant.

also, your avatar, is that from 'the village'?

Say nothing of it! I am the Tribble We Do Not Speak Of!

[Stycotl]

Say nothing of it! I am the Tribble We Do Not Speak Of!

my mouth is shut.