Vegepygmy Chief

This creature resembles a humanoid with green vegetable-like skin and razor-sharp claws. Its head sports two large yellow eyes, a wide mouth, inset nose, and a topknot of dark brown leaves. Leafy tendrils protrude from its shoulders, midsection, arms, and legs.

Vegepygmy Chief (CR 6)

Medium Plant (Fungus)
Alignment: Neutral
Initiative: +1
Senses: Low-Light Vision; Perception +17

Speed: 30 feet
Space: 5 feet

Defense

Armor Class: 17, touch 11, flat-footed 16 (+1 Dex, +6 natural)
Hit Points: 76 (9d8+36)
Saving Throws: Fort +9, Ref +4, Will +5
Damage Reduction: 5/bludgeoning or slashing
Immunity: electricity, plant traits

Offense

Melee: 2 claws +11 (1d6+5) or mwk spear +13/+8 (1d8+7/x3)
Reach: 5 feet
Ranged: mwk spear +9 (1d8+5/x3)

Special Attacks: spores

Statistics

Str	Dex	Con	Int	Wis	Cha
21 (+5)	12 (+1)	17 (+3)	12 (+1)	15 (+2)	16 (+3)

Base Attack Bonus: +6
CMB +11
CMD 22

Feats: Cleave, Skill Focus (Perception), Toughness, Weapon Focus (Spear)

Skills: Diplomacy +4, Intimidate +8, Perception +17, Stealth +17 (+25 in forested or swampy areas), Survival +5

• Racial Modifiers: +4 Stealth (+12 in forested or swampy areas)

Languages:

Special Abilities

Spores (Ex)

The chief is the only vegepygmy with a spore attack. As a standard action, a chief vegepygmy can release a cloud of spores in a 40-foot spread. A living creature caught within the cloud must succeed on a DC 17 Fortitude save or be paralyzed for 2d6 rounds. After the paralysis wears off, the character must succeed on another DC 17 Fortitude save or take 3d6 points of Constitution damage. This save DC is Constitution-based. At Constitution 0 a creature dies, and rises as a 4 HD vegepygmy bodyguard in one day. If a remove disease spell is cast on a paralyzed victim before the paralysis wears off, he does not have to attempt the second Fortitude save and takes no Constitution damage.

Ecology

Environment: Any Underground
Organization: band (1 plus 1 subchief, 2-8 bodyguards, 4-7 guards, 6-10 workers) or tribe (30-300 commoners plus 2-8 guards, 2-8 bodyguards, 1 subchief per 50 commoners, 1 chief per 100 commoners, 10-24 thornies, 1-4 patches of russet mold, 1-3 shriekers)
Treasure: standard


When a living creature is slain by russet mold (see that entry), it rises as a vegepygmy commoner. Vegepygmies are low-intelligence plants that make their home deep in the forests or underground away from most settled areas. They are hunters and scavengers, and carnivorous, preying on living creatures weaker than themselves. A vegepygmy ranges from two feet to four and a half feet tall.

Though they do not seem to have ears, it is well known that vegepygmies can hear. Vegepygmies do not speak, but communicate with others of their kind by thumping their chest or rapping their spears on rocks, earth, or some other solid surface. It is not known if or how they communicate with other creatures.

Vegepygmies attack with claws or weapons, usually either a longspear or club. They prefer to ambush opponents, using their coloration to blend with their natural surroundings.

Credit The Vegepygmy 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.