Friday, October 20, 2017

Frightful Fridays! Monster Mayhem! Verdant Rex

Hello and welcome back for a Friday monster! Today's monster is a facsimile of the tyrannosaurus rex, but it has a few more tricks up its sleeve, like lobbing entire trees or spewing a cone of impaling splinters. Fortunately, it rarely ventures out of the forest it protects.

Thanks for reading along so far. The next monster begins treading in the dangerous CR 20+ realm. See you tomorrow!




This collection of plants is shaped like a tyrannosaurus, complete with small front arms and toothy maw.
Verdant Rex      CR 19
XP 204,800
N Gargantuan plant
Init –2; Senses low-light vision; Perception +24
DEFENSE
AC 34, touch 4, flat-footed 34 (–2 Dex, +30 natural, –4 size)
hp 345 (30d8+210)
Fort +23, Ref +8, Will +15
Defensive Abilities verdant healing; DR 20/adamantine and slashing; Immune electricity, fire, plant traits; Resist acid 10
OFFENSE
Speed 50 ft.
Melee bite +30 (3d6+12/19–20 plus grab), 2 slams +30 (2d6+12/19–20 plus entangling vines)
Ranged tree +17 (6d6+12 plus trip)
Space 20 ft.; Reach 20 ft.
Special Attacks breath weapon (60-ft. cone, 20d6 piercing damage, Reflex DC 31 for half, usable every 1d4 rounds), swallow whole (10d6 bludgeoning and piercing damage, AC 25, 34 hp), trample (8d6+18, DC 37)
STATISTICS
Str 35, Dex 6, Con 23, Int 3, Wis 20, Cha 10
Base Atk +22; CMB +38 (+40 bull rush, +42 grapple); CMD 46 (48 vs. bull rush, can't be tripped)
Feats Awesome Blow, Bull Rush Strike[APG], Cleave, Cleaving Finish[UC], Critical Focus, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Critical (bite), Improved Critical (slam), Intimidating Prowess, Power Attack, Skill Focus (Perception), Staggering Critical, Stunning Critical, Toughness, Weapon Focus (tree)
Skills Intimidate +32, Perception +24
ECOLOGY
Environment any forest
Organization solitary, coterie (2–4 plus 11–20 treants)
Treasure standard
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Breath Weapon (Su) A creature that takes damage from a verdant rex’s breath weapon must succeed at a Fortitude save with the same DC as the breath weapon, or become sickened by the splinters impaling its flesh; this condition lasts until the splinters are removed. Removing splinters requires a DC 20 Heal check made as a full-round action. On a failed check, the splinters are still removed, but the process deals 2d6+2 points of damage to the victim.
Entangling Vines (Ex) If a verdant rex successfully strikes an opponent with its slam attack, it covers the victim in grasping vines, which entangle the creature. The creature can break free of the vines with a DC 31 Strength or Escape Artist check. The vines become inert after 1 minute, which also frees the entangled creature. The check DC is Constitution-based.
Tree Throw (Ex) A verdant rex can throw a tree with a 90-foot range increment. The verdant rex can target two adjacent creatures with a single tree; it makes one attack roll and applies the result to each creature’s AC. On a successful hit, the verdant rex receives a free trip attempt, using its CMB, to knock the struck creature prone.
Verdant Healing (Ex) While in a forest, a verdant rex can use a standard action to add trees to its mass, healing it 4d6+20 hit points.

Shaped by forest protectors and given a spark of intelligence through a ritual purportedly enacted by a cabal of treants, verdant rexes are predatory plant creatures capable of deterring all but the most stalwart of enemies. The giant plant amalgams can tear trees from their mass without harm and throw the trees at incredible distances to knock down their foes. At closer range, they rely on a spray of splinters to further harm and incapacitate opponents. They enjoy the visceral feel of close combat and devour smaller opponents or wrap them up in constricting vines. When verdant rexes have turned away major threats, they go dormant and resemble particularly fearsome topiaries until the need arises for them to once again protect the forests they call home.


Verdant rexes are 45 feet long and weigh nearly 10 tons.