Cestian Gobbler
by Jamie BatyCoM 91
Large Plant
Hit Dice: 3d8+12 (25 hp)
Initiative: +4 (0 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative)
Speed: 0 ft. (0 squares)
Armour Class: 14 (-1 size, +5 natural), touch 9, flat-footed 14
Base Attack/Grapple: +2/+12
Attack: Tentacle +7 melee (Paralysis)
Full Attack: 3 Tentacle +7 melee (Paralysis) and tendril cluster +2 melee (1d6 +3)
Space/Reach: 10 ft. /10 ft. (Tentacles have a reach of 21ft)
Special Attacks: Blood drain, improved grab, paralysis
Special Qualities: Low-light vision, plant traits, tremorsense 30ft
Saves: Fort +7, Ref +1, Will +3
Abilities: Str 22, Dex 10, Con 19, Int 1, Wis 14, Cha 5
Skills: Hide +8, Listen +5, Spot +5
Feats: Alertness, Improved Initiative
Environment: Warm forests, marshes
Organisation: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 2
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 4-6 HD (Large)
Level Adjustment: -
The Cestian gobbler is a tropical, grey-brown plant with a hollow trunk, 3 tentacles spaced evenly around a sphincter mouth, and a cluster of small tendrils that can protrude from the mouth. Dead victims are swallowed whole into the gobbler's trunk, where it is eventually digested. Various treasures belonging to previous victims may be found at the bottom of the hollow, fluid-filled trunk.
A gobbler reproduces once a year by shooting 2-4 spores from its mouth. Spores are hurled 30-300' away. Each spore has a 25% chance of landing in good soil and sprouting; it then needs six months to grow into a 3 HD gobbler. Gobblers never grow within 60' of each other.
Combat
Cestian gobblers have a very simple plan of attack- grab opponents with their tentacles and draw them to their tendril cluster to finish them off by draining them of blood. They often gain surprise on their targets.
Blood Drain (Su): A Cestian gobbler drains the blood of any creature held in its tendril cluster. Each round, the victim takes 1d4 Con damage from blood loss.
Improved Grab (Ex): If the Cestian gobbler hits a medium or smaller target with a tentacle, it may start a grapple as a free action, without suffering an attack of opportunity. On the next round, the Cestian gobbler grabs the held creature with its tendril cluster if its next grapple check succeeds. The Cestian gobbler may then attack other beings with its tentacle. Each round the victim is held by the tendril cluster, it automatically takes damage from the cluster and suffers from blood drain.
Paralysis (Ex): Any creature hit by the Cestian gobbler's tentacle must make a fortitude save vs DC 15 (Con based) or be paralysed for 1d6 rounds.
Tremorsense (Ex): A Cestian gobbler is sensitive to vibrations in the ground and can automatically pinpoint the location of anything that is in contact with the ground.
Skills: The Cestian gobbler receives a +8 racial bonus to all hide checks.
Plant Traits: A plant creature possesses the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature's entry): Immunity to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects); Immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, polymorph, and stunning; Not subject to critical hits; Plants breathe and eat, but do not sleep.
Cestian Gobbler Advancement
For each additional HD a Cestian gobbler possesses, it gains an additional tentacle attack (i.e. a 6HD Cestian gobbler will have 6 tentacle attacks). Each tentacle gains +3 ft reach for each additional HD as well.
Cestian gobblers of 6 HD have a 10% chance of developing an Intelligence score of 2d6 + 1. These creatures may use bait to attract their prey (paralysed animals, treasures, fluttering rags, etc.).