Serpent Creeper

This large vine springs to life revealing a serpentine head with fanged mouth.

Serpent Creeper (CR 4)

Large Plant
Alignment: Neutral
Initiative: +3
Senses: Low-Light Vision, Tremorsense 60 feet; Perception +11

Speed: 30 feet, Climb 30 feet
Space: 10 feet

Defense

Armor Class: 18, touch 12, flat-footed 15 (+3 Dex, +6 natural, -1 size)
Hit Points: 51 (6d8+18 plus 6)
Saving Throws: Fort +8, Ref +5, Will +3
Immunity: plant traits

Offense

Melee: bite +8 (1d8+7 plus acidic poison and Grab)
Reach: 5 feet

Special Attacks: acidic poison, Constrict (1d8+7)

Statistics

Str	Dex	Con	Int	Wis	Cha
21 (+5)	17 (+3)	16 (+3)	1 (-5)	12 (+1)	2 (-4)

Base Attack Bonus: +4
CMB +10 (+14 Grapple)
CMD 23 (can't be tripped)

Feats: Stealthy, Toughness

Skills: Climb +13, Disguise -2 (+10 as vine), Escape Artist +5, Perception +11, Stealth +11

• Racial Modifiers: +12 Disguise (as vine), +4 Perception, +4 Stealth

Languages:

Special Qualities: lure

Special Abilities

Acidic Poison (Ex)

The bite of a serpent creeper deals 1d6 points of acid damage initially and 1d2 points of acid damage each round thereafter. A DC 16 Fortitude saving throw or a DC 16 Heal check ends the ongoing acid damage. Multiple bites are cumulative. The save DC and check DC are both Constitution-based.

Lure (Ex)

A serpent creeper has a special air sac in its throat that it can turn inside out. By doing so, the air sac appears to be a piece of low-hanging fruit. A serpent creeper uses this ruse to draw its prey in closer. When a serpent creeper does this, it gains a +8 bonus on Disguise checks beyond its normal racial bonus.

Ecology

Environment: Temperate or Warm Forests
Organization: solitary or grove (2-6)
Treasure: incidental


Serpent creepers are dangerous carnivorous plants that resemble 12-foot long pythons. When at rest, their green and brown coloration and the leafy patterns on their scales make them hard to distinguish from ordinary vines. Whether these creatures are naturally occurring or some weird magical cross of serpent and plant is unknown.

Serpent creepers are typically 12-15 feet long. Their bodies are green and brown scales covered with various leaf-like patterns to aid them in their camouflage. Some serpent creepers can change the color of their scales slightly to better match their surroundings, adding to the ruse. Young serpent creepers are rarely encountered, but have been spotted. They appear as smaller versions of the adults, about 3 feet long. Reproduction and life cycles of serpent creepers are unknown.

Serpent creepers are quintessential ambush hunters. When hunting, a serpent creeper hangs from a tree and puffs out its air sac, disguising it as a fruit indigenous to the local area. When prey moves in to examine or pluck the fruit, the serpent creeper springs to life and quickly coils around the target while biting it. Slain prey is dragged to a safe place and devoured over the course of several hours. An unfinished meal is left to forest scavengers. Serpent creepers have a particular like for the flesh of goblins and halflings.