War Flower

This beautiful and yet disturbing flower resembles a man-sized sunflower that grows daggers instead of petals and has a great, round eye in its center. From its thin stem a small iron shield and a needle thin rapier sprout. Suddenly, the thing stirs.

War Flower (CR 4)

Medium Plant
Alignment: Neutral
Initiative: +9
Senses: Low-Light Vision; Perception +9

Speed: 40 feet
Space: 5 feet

Defense

Armor Class: 20, touch 15, flat-footed 15 (+5 Dex, +5 natural)
Hit Points: 33 (6d8+6)
Saving Throws: Fort +6, Ref +9, Will +2
Immunity: plant traits
Weaknesses: thin stem

Offense

Melee: mwk rapier +10 (1d6+2/18-20), or dagger +9 (1d4+2/19-20)
Reach: 5 feet

Special Attacks: dagger wind (1d4 daggers; DC 18 Ref avoids)

Spell-Like Abilities (CL 6th):

• 1/day- Haste (self only)

Statistics

Str	Dex	Con	Int	Wis	Cha
14 (+2)	21 (+5)	12 (+1)	1 (-5)	10 (+0)	6 (-2)

Base Attack Bonus: +4
CMB +6
CMD 21

Feats: Lightning Reflexes, Improved Initiative, Weapon Finesse

Skills: Perception +9

Languages:

Special Abilities

Dagger Wind (Ex)

A war flower can lunch all its dagger-petals in all directions at once. Every creature in a 30 ft. radius must succeed a DC 18 Reflex save or be hit by 1d4 daggers for 1d4+2 damage each. This attack is usually performed when the flower is mortally wounded or hopelessly outnumbered. The save DC is Dexterity-based.

Thin Stem (Ex)

A war flower has a thin and fragile stem. The thin stem makes it extremely vulnerable to slashing weapons. A war flower that suffers a critical hit from a slashing weapon must make a Fortitude save equal to DC 10 + the damage dealt or die as result of its stem being chopped in two.

Ecology

Environment: Temperate Forests
Organization: garden (3-12)
Treasure: (masterwork rapier, dagger, other treasure)


War flowers were among of the first of the Tree That Sees creations (see The Hollow Mountain from Frog God Games for more information on the Tree That Sees), a union of the gentleness and beauty of the flower with the grace and deadliness of a rapier. Although only slightly smarter than normal flowers they nevertheless can follow one-word orders, tell the difference between friends and foes and fight with unpredictable style and elegance.

War flowers usually wait until an enemy comes close enough to rain a hail of daggers on him before charging with their rapiers. Since they are nearly mindless they fight until either they or their designated target are dead.

The group stumbles upon a group of warflowers lying in ambush for any trespassers into the Tree That Sees' realm. There is a 20% chance for a dead adventurer along with his treasure to lie in the area.

Credit Original author Uri Kurlianchik Originally appearing in The Hollow Mountain (© Frog God Games, 2011)