DMs Only: Floating City jungle MM

Jungle Monster Manual

Strangling Vines: (similar to Assassin Vine)

For Storms – AC?, atk +15, damage d6+10, grapple +21, 30ish hp

For 4th level party – 2d8+4 (13hp), AC15, atk +5, damage d6+3, grapple +7

Excerpt from play:

Without warning - what look like long thick vines, snap down as fast as whips from branches about 40ft high. One of them has quickly wrapped itself around Anaxor and pulled him up by his feet and is dangling him 20ft above the ground. It’s not the only one either - others attempt to ensnare the entire group!

Description:

This is something completely new - totally unexpected, therefore catching the group flatfooted (further encounters will be less so) Successful attack - make a grapple check against the vine. Fail grapple and you are hoisted 20 feet up into the air, succeed and you wriggle free. If caught - the vine begins to strangle and squeeze the life out of you.

Some carry poison.

Small Blood Sucking Plant:

Spot Checks of DC 25 (DC 20 once player are made aware) are needed if sleeping in the jungle floor - otherwise you are likely to be attacked by a tiny little blood sucking plant, curling up from the ground toward a sleeper. It will jab a slender spine into a spot of bare flesh, and soon its stem will turn darker. Pulling the plant away leaves what looks like a drop of blood against the skin, and blood continues to run for a little while, as though something is hindering coagulation. A search of the ground shows the plant has retreated somehow, hiding in the detritus of the forest floor. If a character is unaware the entire night – he/she will have a temporary CON drain of 1 point, lasting 24 hours. In daylight, they seem limp and dormant.

Spine Firing Plant:

Dozens of tall stalks, topped by what look like lilac coloured sunflowers grow in a wide circle of 100ft (varies on age of plant). The stalks themselves, rather than enter the ground, bend at a 90 degree angle and travel along the jungle floor, converging on a central core and the root system. The central core needs a boggy condition to grow.

Very often – the central core is difficult to spot. The flowers are always seen first.

Excerpt from play –

Suddenly - after what sounds like a harsh, sharp exhalation of air - long, narrow spines, like short arrows, fire out toward the group from the flowerheads. They whistle through the air at unbelievable speed, some of the spines embed themselves in the surrounding trees, or fire deep into the soft turf; those firing from a distance away, over on the firm pathway fall short, but some of the closer flower spines hit their mark with devastating results.

After the noise of all these projectiles has died down, there is an instant of silence, followed by the sound of something or someone taking a deep intake of breath, coming from way over to the left.

The ‘sunflowers’ are armed with exceedingly sharp spikes. In the larger plants – these spikes will make very good arrows if collected.

At the central core is a huge fleshy ‘balloon’ – dark green and leathery, that draws in air and expands to its limit – then expels the air along the flower stalks, enabling the flower head to fire a spine at great velocity.

On cutting off a flower head - it rolls near the group, where it can be seen that it looks very much like a sunflower, except that instead of tasty seeds in its centre - it holds dozens of long spines. It is very heavy.

To kill the plant – characters MUST find the balloon core and puncture it. Once that happens, the entire plant will do a mighty belly flop on the jungle floor. Merely chopping off the flower heads will lessen the spine attack. There are usually too many flowers to destroy.

Giant Beetle:

Six jointed legs hold a metallic green body about a yard off the ground. The body itself is about 10 ft diameter and about 5 ft thick. It's back is almost flat. Excerpt from play: Then - for one horrible moment, the thing shifts around - and a head swivels back to take a look at the dwarf. It's the ugliest thing Clangden has ever seen. But then the head turns away - totally disinterested, and carries on doing what it was doing before. Munch, munch, chomp, crunch.

The creature eats dead vegetation. It moves at about the same pace as a human would on foot.

An animal friendship spell will allow you to make the creature move where you want it to, providing it is gently handled. It’s a stubborn but fairly harmless beast. All it wants to do is eat.

It carries with it a strong aura of jungle protection. Any character that chooses to ride on its back will be immune from jungle hostilities. The beetle will carry up to approx seven characters before it attempts to throw them off.

Living Sarcophagus:

Found within a sentinel tree, laid on top of a dais, immobile and apparently dead until disturbed.

Holds the ability to reshape plant growth, tree limbs, roots etc.

The colour of the jungle shifts on its surface as it moves – like camouflage. It makes graceful, almost balletic movements, and can travel very swiftly and surely through the trees. It is some kind of tall, broad shouldered humanoid - but with the addition of three long appendages, like tails, that protrude from it's lower back, which it uses to either anchor itself, or swing from tree branches.

It shoots poison spines from the shoulder.

Its hands carry two sharp stabbing instruments.

It’s tails are capable of slam attacks and damage.

It uses heat to detect its enemies. It will therefore be able to detect an invisible character.

Once it has sustained 60% damage – its camouflage will fail - revealing something that looks as though it is covered in a light, flexible tree bark - it is built like a tall, barrel-chested humanoid with the addition of three long tails sprouting from its lower back. A long, nasty barbed spine protrudes from each knuckle, and its face is void of any form of sensory detection - no eyes, no mouth, no nose, no ears....

On death – it will crack apart and reveal the “real” creature it carries within it.

Temple Guardian

Same general characteristics as Living Sarcophagus, but without a creature inside it.

HD 8; 62 hp; ac19 (touch 14, flat footed 15);

atks – 2 spine attacks (ranged) spine(+8) 1d8+3.

        2 spiked arm attacks (melee-slashing) arm(+8) 1d10+3

   3 tail attaks (melee-bludgeoning) tail(+6) 1d8+2

 Space/reach 5/5; saves – F +9, R +6, W +3

 Camoflage – unless currently engage in melee combat, PC must make Spot DC 15 to attack.  Camoflage disappears after taking 36hp damage.

 Immune to sensory and mind effecting spells

Combat – creature will stick to tree tops, using spine attacks until party separates. Will then move in to attack single member and retreat to tree again.

Jungle Stirge – same as Stirge in MM, with addition of a poison attack when claws hit.

Poison atk – 50% chance the claw will be covered in Log Flower poison. Fort save DC 12. Initial dam – 1 Dex. Secondary dam – 1d4 Dex.

The stirge's primary function is cross-pollenation of the poison flowers. They get their food from the flowers, and they protect the flowers from predators by viciously attacking and driving them off. Blood taken by the stirges is used elsewhere (TBD). Stirges also have poison immunity and poison tipped claws (they've been clinging to poison flowers all day, after all).

Log Flower – this white flower is most commonly found on the forest floor of the Crying Woods, usually growing on recently fallen logs or other dead foliage. The flower is tulip shaped, with long yellow stamen, and is quite attractive. It emits no discernable scent for humaniods, although creatures with the Keen Scent ability can pick up an odd acidic flavor. The scent is very unique to this flower, and is used by the Giant Woods Beetle to locate the fallen timber it consumes.

     The petals of the Log Flower are covered in a sticky, poisonous residue  

     - Contact Poison.  Fort save DC 16.  Initial dam 1 Dex.  Secondary – 1d4+1 Dex.

Poison flowers pop up on rotting forest detrius (so most of Trash Level works). They help decompose the fallen timber etc, AND act as a flag/signal to the giant jungle beetle, emitting a scent that beetle homes in on to eat fallen timber etc, thereby cleaning off jungle floor, allowing for further growth. Also works for preliminary encroachment of jungle into new territory

Purple Tree

The purple tree is oddly beautiful. The finger-width leaves look soft and feathery. The edges are a rich purple, and the center of the leaf is of a lavender hue. The bark of the tree also is purple. Concentrated towards the ends of the branches are lavender flowers. Six petals surround clear and tiny crystals at the center of the flower.

Looking as if the plant has an adam's apple, the stem coils along with the flower and throws up, disgorging the occupant.

Two nearby trees begins to release feelers and ivy that starts creeping towards you!