Widow Creeper

This creature resembles a monstrous spider about twice the size of a human constructed of weeds, vines, and leaves. Two writhing tentacles sprout from its spider-like body, each ending in a sharpened point. An hourglass-shaped pattern of leaves and brush can be seen on its back.

Widow Creeper (CR 13)

Large Plant
Alignment: Neutral
Initiative: +4
Senses: Darkvision 60 feet, Low-Light Vision, plantsense 120 feet; Perception +19

Speed: 30 feet, Climb 20 feet
Space: 10 feet

Defense

Armor Class: 28, touch 9, flat-footed 28 (+19 natural, -1 size)
Hit Points: 178 (17d8+102)
Saving Throws: Fort +15, Ref +7, Will +8
Damage Reduction: 15/magic and slashing
Immunity: plant traits

Offense

Melee: 2 tentacles +20 (2d8+8 plus Grab)
Reach: 10 feet (20 feet with tentacles)

Special Attacks: entangle, fluid drain

Statistics

Str	Dex	Con	Int	Wis	Cha
27 (+8)	10 (+0)	21 (+5)	2 (-4)	12 (+1)	6 (-2)

Base Attack Bonus: +12
CMB +21 (+25 Grapple)
CMD 31 (43 vs. Trip)

Feats: Improved Initiative, Improved Iron Will, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Skill Focus (Perception, Stealth), Toughness, Weapon Focus (Tentacle)

Skills: Climb +21, Perception +19, Stealth +5 (+17 in forests)

• Racial Modifiers: +12 Stealth in forests

Languages:

Special Qualities: improved woodland stride

Special Abilities

Control Plants (Su)

A widow creeper can use control plants, as the spell (caster level 17th).

Entangle (Su)

As a standard action, up to a number of times per day equal to its Constitution modifier (minimum 1), a widow creeper can fire a mass of sticky, clinging vines and weeds to a range of 60 feet at a single target. This requires the widow creeper to succeed on a ranged touch attack with a +11 bonus to hit. A creature hit by the vines is entangled. An entangled creature can break free and move half its normal speed by using a full-round action to make a DC 23 Escape Artist check or a DC 23 Strength check. The check DCs are Constitution-based.

Fluid Drain (Ex)

A widow creeper can suck brain fluids from a living creature by making a successful grapple check. If it pins the foe, it drains brain fluid, dealing 1d4 points of Constitution damage and 1 point of Intelligence damage each round that it maintains the hold.

Improved Woodland Stride (Su)

A widow creeper can move through any sort of undergrowth (natural thorns, briars, overgrown areas, and similar terrain) at its normal speed without taking damage or suffering other impairment. This includes thorns, briars, and overgrown areas that are magically manipulated to impede motion.

Plantsense (Ex)

A widow creeper can automatically pinpoint the location of anything within 120 feet that is in contact with vegetation.

Ecology

Environment: Temperate Forests
Organization: solitary
Treasure: standard


Widow creepers are spider-like plant creatures that make their lairs deep in tangled forests. They constantly harass woodsmen, foresters, and denizens of the forests from their weed-like webs which they spin high in the tree tops. Widow creepers spend much of their time in their nests, venturing forth only to feed, and even then, they rarely venture far from their lair. They prefer to lure potential prey to them by rustling nearby leaves or underbrush.

A widow creeper sustains itself on a diet of brain fluid and blood. Corpses drained of blood and fluids are left where they fall; the widow creeper does not devour the flesh, bones, or muscle of its prey. A widow creeper is 8 feet tall and looks like a giant black widow formed from leaves, weeds, and tangled brush. It is dark greenish-brown in color. Two long, sinewy vine-like tentacles protrude from its body and aid the creature in capturing and securing its prey.

A widow creeper utters no sounds and cannot speak any known languages. Widow creepers are ambush hunters, waiting in their vine-like webs for a creature to pass nearby. When a potential meal comes close to its nest the widow creeper leaps from hiding and attacks. It uses its tentacles to either slash its foe or grapple it. Against a grappled foe, a widow creeper stabs one of its long tentacles into the opponent's head and attempts to drain its brain fluids. While grappling a foe, the widow creeper uses its control plants and entangle attacks to keep any other opponents at bay.

Copyright Notice Author Scott Greene.