Forester's Bane

This creature resembles a huge, dark green shrub.

Forester's Bane (CR 5)

Large Plant
Alignment: Neutral
Initiative: +0
Senses: Blindsight (30 feet), Low-Light Vision; Perception +1

Speed: 0 feet (immobile)
Space: 10 feet

Defense

Armor Class: 17, touch 9, flat-footed 17 (+8 natural, -1 size)
Hit Points: 52 (5d8+30)
Saving Throws: Fort +10, Ref +1, Will +2
Immunity: plant traits

Offense

Melee: 4 leaves +5 touch (Grab), 6 stalks +5 (1d4+3)
Reach: 10 feet

Special Attacks: snap and saw

Statistics

Str	Dex	Con	Int	Wis	Cha
17 (+3)	10 (+0)	22 (+6)	-	13 (+1)	9 (-1)

Base Attack Bonus: +3
CMB +7 (+11 Grapple)
CMD 17

Feats:

Skills:

Languages:

Special Abilities

Snap and Saw (Ex)

A forester's bane can saw at an opponent, dealing slashing damage, when it makes a successful grapple check. This attack deals 1d4+3 points of slashing damage per stalk. It cannot attack a pinned opponent with any stalk that has already attacked another opponent that round. A forester's bane can only attempt to grapple opponents 1 or more sizes smaller than itself. Because of its four leaves, it can grapple up to four different opponents at one time with a single grapple check. It can also attack a single opponent with more than one leaf, gaining a +2 bonus on its grapple check with each extra leaf (+13 grapple with two leaves, +15 grapple with three leaves, and +17 grapple with all four leaves). Both leaves and stalks each have 10 hit points and can be attacked by making a successful sunder attempt. Attacking a forester's bane's leaf or stalk does not provoke an attack of opportunity. If the leaf is currently grappling a target, the forester's bane takes a -4 penalty on its opposed roll to resist the sunder attempt. Severing a leaf or stalk deals no damage to a forester's bane. Attacks that hit a leaf deal half their damage to the monster and half to the trapped victim. Destroyed leaves and stalks grow back in 2d4 weeks if the forester's bane is not killed.

Ecology

Environment: Temperate Plains
Organization: solitary or pair
Treasure: none


The forester's bane is a huge, immobile, and carnivorous shrub. Closer inspection reveals large, tough leaves radiating from its central stalk. These dark green leaves hide six purple serrated stalks inside its body. At the center of this low-growing shrub is a 3-foot diameter yellowish orb from which sprout many small green branches. Each branch has small, sweet smelling (and tasting) berries of various colors growing from it.

When a living creature moves near a forester's bane's leaves, it attempts to grab the creature. Trapped creatures are subjected to attacks by several serrated stalks that slash and cut until the opponent escapes. The forester's bane releases a trapped victim when either it or the victim is dead, or the leaf holding the victim is destroyed. The snapper saw can also attack with its stalks without first grappling an opponent.

Credit The Forester's Bane originally appeared in the First Edition module S3 Expedition to the Barrier Peaks (© TSR/Wizards of the Coast, 1980) and later in the First Edition Monster Manual II (© TSR/Wizards of the Coast, 1983) and is used by permission.

Copyright Notice Author Scott Greene, based on original material by Gary Gygax.