Friday, February 2, 2018

Frightful Fridays! Taraxacat

Hello and welcome back to Frightful Fridays! The image below struck me as something I wanted to work on, and with the cold temperatures where I live, it was a reminder of spring (not too far off now). Of course, dandelions aren't the happiest harbinger of spring, especially for those who try to keep them off their lawns, but the idea of a persistent weed made for some fun monster design.

I hope you enjoy the taraxacat, and I'll see you next week with another monster.



This vibrant green plant has a bright yellow flower for a head, complete with toothy maw, and another for a tail.
Taraxacat      CR 4
XP 1,200
N Small plant
Init +8; Senses low-light vision; Perception +9
DEFENSE
AC 18, touch 16, flat-footed 13 (+4 Dex, +1 dodge, +2 natural, +1 size)
hp 37 (5d8+15); regeneration 2 (acid or fire)
Fort +7, Ref +5, Will +3
Defensive Abilities embedded; Immune plant immunities
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft., climb 10 ft.
Melee bite +8 (1d6+2 plus trip), 2 claws +8 (1d4+2 plus poison)
Special Attacks pounce
STATISTICS
Str 15, Dex 18, Con 17, Int 2, Wis 14, Cha 11
Base Atk +3; CMB +4; CMD 19 (23 vs. trip)
Feats Dodge, Improved Initiative, Weapon Finesse
Skills Perception +9, Stealth +12
SQ reroot
ECOLOGY
Environment temperate plains or forests
Organization solitary, pair, or field (3–16)
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Dandy Lion Poison (Ex) Bite—injury; save Fort DC 15; frequency 1/round for 6 rounds; effect 1d3 Dex and victim must succeed at an additional DC 15 Fort save or become sickened for 1 round; cure 2 consecutive saves.
Embedded (Ex) If a taraxacat stands on dirt or soil, it gains a +4 racial bonus to its CMD to resist bull rush, drag, grapple, and trip attempts.
Regeneration (Ex) A taraxacat’s regeneration only works in dirt or soil. If the creature does not take acid and fire damage equal to its total hit points, it beings to regenerate 1 hour later.
Reroot (Su) Once per day as an immediate action, if a taraxacat is on soil, it can teleport itself to another location within the same patch of ground (to a maximum of 600 feet away). This is a teleportation ability.

Taraxacats, or dandy lions, are living dandelions and just as persistent as their immobile cousins. They can thrive in the worst conditions, provided they have a modicum of water and sunlight (occasionally supplemented by fresh meat), and are extraordinarily difficult to destroy. Many unfortunate souls have stopped taraxacat attacks and made sure the creatures were no longer moving only to have them spring back to full health minutes later and renew their attacks. Druids with plant affinities employ taraxacats as guardians but are careful to keep their numbers down to a minimum, since it takes little in the way of reproduction among the plant creatures to have them overrun their habitats. Paradoxically, when their yellow flowers give way to white seed-carrying florets, they are at their most vulnerable, becoming sluggish and more prone to harm from acid and fire, the only things that can truly eradicate them. When they are ready to go to seed, they find secluded locations where they can do so peacefully.

As taraxacats age, they become larger and they learn to rake like their lion namesakes. They are also able to quickly grow smaller versions of themselves. Wild taraxacats rarely live to this advanced age and beyond, since the creatures they prey upon often torch the fields or woods where they and their progeny roam.

Taraxacats measure 3 feet in length, stand 2 feet tall, and weigh 70 pounds.

Taraxacat Companions
Elven druids and others who prefer the company of plants may opt to take a taraxacat as a plant companion.

Starting Statistics: Size Small; Speed 30 ft., climb 10 ft.; AC +2 natural armor; Attack bite (1d6), 2 claws (1d4); Ability Scores Str 11, Dex 20, Con 15, Int 2, Wis 14, Cha 11; Special Attacks trip; Special Qualities low-light vision, regeneration.

4th-Level Advancement: Ability Scores: Str +4, Dex –2, Con +2; Special Attacks poison (Frequency 1 round [6], Effect 1d3 Dex damage and victim must succeed at an additional DC 15 Fort save or become sickened for 1 round, Cure 2 consecutive saves, Con-based DC); Special Qualities reroot.