Briarseed Child

Basic Information

Anatomy

A single Briarseed Child looks like a mockery of a humanoid, formed from briar vines and dressed in cactus skins. They usually have a head, a torso, two tentacle-like upper manipulator limbs, and two or (rarely) three root-like motive limbs.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Feeds primarily on Hell Bovines and Hell Woolies, suitably charred down to a compost-like mash, and watered with the blood of same.

Additional Information

Social Structure

A group of Briarseed Children might get their tentacles on outerwear intended for a larger sentient being and, wearing a head covering of some sort, attempt to impersonate it for bait purposes: three Briarseed standing on one another's shoulders might manage to pass for a Halfling. Four could pyramid themselves together as a Dwarf. Five might manage to remain stacked in a straight line long enough to wrap the coat of a Human or Elf around them, if someone else will fasten it shut for them. The disguise will not hold up for long even in low-light or obscure conditions, but might let them get close enough to their intended target to let the outer clothing absorb the first few rounds of damage. They will burst apart, surround the target, and attempt entangle as soon as they no longer see an advantage to keeping the illusion going.

Civilization and Culture

Major Language Groups and Dialects

• Like their wilder relatives, Briarseed Children speak a click-heavy dialact of Kayam.
• They understand but do not yet speak Zuyan.
• If the patch developed near a settlement of people who speak Common, Briarseed Children probably spied on the potential prey enough that they also understand and might speak Common if they see a benefit in doing so.
• Briarseed Children neither read, nor write, nor register the shapes of carvings or artwork.

History

Ministry Transmogrifer Master Farvald Kerner developed Briarseed Children in the course of his experiments to divert undeath back into a new form of life. He grew several patches of Child of the Briar which he crossbred for drought resistance. He then brought the hardiest of them to the point of death before using his Aura of Wild Growth to rejuvenate them. The result is a strain of Children of the Briar which tolerate life away from a forest, and obey Master Kerner's will as if they are undead and he is their controlling necromancer.

At this point in the experiment, Briarseed Children are still similar enough to their unaltered ancestors that they could cross-pollinate without difficulty. However, they are within 5 generations or fewer of separation into an entirely new species.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

1. Obey EvilSeed.
2. Obey Scaevola Aemula when she is the Will of EvilSeed.
   
   Unless given instructions otherwise:
3. If it bleeds, eat it!
4. If it does magic, eat it first!

Average Height

1 foot | 0.30 meters

Geographic Distribution

• Oatman Canyon

Sounds:

CR 1

Briarseed Child

NE T Plant

Initiative: +3 Senses: low-light vision; Perception +7

The ligneous figure’s eyes gleam like polished walnuts, and the sly smile seems oddly placed on the tiny body, covered in spikes and thorns. The creature’s waist is no thicker than a clenched fist, its sinuous arms no wider than a finger but twice the length of its body.

Defense

AC: 17, touch 15, flat-footed 14 (+3 Dex, +2 natural, +2 size)

HP: 9 2d8

Fortitude: +3 Reflex: +3 Will: +0 ( Briarseed Children count as both plant and fey for any effect related to type, and have a fifty percent chance of being affected by anything that impacts the undead. )

Defensive Abilities: plant traits Weaknesses: Fire DR: 5/cold iron

Offense

Speed: 20 ft | Climb 10 ft

Melee: 2 claws +6 (damage 1d2-2 plus grab)

Special Attacks:

Spitdart Tongue

• Every Briarseed Child can shoot a wooden spike from its mouth every other round. Treat this as a Tiny dart.
• (1 damage, base range 20 ft.)

Thorny Grapple

• A Briarseed Child’s long thorny limbs enable it to grapple creatures up to 2 size categories larger than itself. It adds its Dexterity modifier instead of Strength modifier to any damage inflicted while grappling.

Space: 2-1/2 ft Reach: 5 ft.

Spell-like Abilities:

(Caster Level 2nd)

3/day -

- briar magic (DC 12)

1/day -

- entangle (DC 13)

briar magic

• A Briarseed Child can cast any cantrip from the sorcerer/wizard spell list (save DCs Cha-based).

entangle

• As a standard action, two or more Briarseed Children in the same square can produce an effect identical to the standard spell entangle within the 5-ft. square they occupy.
• (DC 10 + number of Briarseed Children in the square).
• Briarseed children are immune to this ability, but other entangle effects affect them normally.

Statistics

Str 6, Dex 17, Con 11, Int 13, Wis 10, Cha 14

Base Attack: +1 CMB: +2 (+6 grapple) CMD: 10

Feats: Weapon Finesse

Skills:

• Bluff +4
• Climb +8
• Perception +7
• Stealth +14 (+20 in forest)

Racial Modifiers: +8 Climb, +2 Perception, +6 Stealth while in forest

Languages: Kayam (click-heavy dialect), Zuyan (understood but not spoken), Common rarely

SQ: fey blood

Ecology

Environment: temperate forest

Organization: solitary, gang (2–8), or nest (9–24)

Treasure: standard (usually small items)

A single Briarseed Child looks like a mockery of a humanoid, formed from briar vines and dressed in cactus skins. They usually have a head, a torso, two tentacle-like upper manipulator limbs, and two or (rarely) three root-like motive limbs.

A group of Briarseed Children might get their tentacles on outerwear intended for a larger sentient being and, wearing a head covering of some sort, attempt to impersonate it for bait purposes: three Briarseed standing on one another's shoulders might manage to pass for a Halfling. Four could pyramid themselves together as a Dwarf. Five might manage to remain stacked in a straight line long enough to wrap the coat of a Human or Elf around them, if someone else will fasten it shut for them. The disguise will not hold up for long even in low-light or obscure conditions, but might let them get close enough to their intended target to let the outer clothing absorb the first few rounds of damage. They will burst apart, surround the target, and attempt entangle as soon as they no longer see an advantage to keeping the illusion going.

Borrowed from d20 Pathfinder SRD with thanks! They in turn cite Midgard Bestiary for Pathfinder RPG, (c) 2012 Open Design LLC; Author: Adam Daigle with Chris Harris, Michael Kortes, James MacKenzie, Rob Manning, Ben McFarland, Carlos Ovalle, Jan Rodewald, Adam Roy, Christina Stiles, James Thomas, and Mike Welham.

Note: Grab normally only applies to a melee opponent of equal or lesser size. Everything else is too big. Because of their thorny grapple Special Attack, a Briarseed Child can grab two sizes higher, up to Medium, which should let many Pathfinders into consideration!

---

In Elohey, Briarseed Children are the specific creation of Farvald Kerner. They are derived from Child of the Briar. Like their ancestors, Briarseed Children have a taste for blood, all the capricious wickedness of spiteful children, but also the guidance of a Ministry Transmogrifer to direct their malice. They grow in potted briar patches fed with the blood of a Hell Bovines or Hell Woolies but delighted to snack on any other fresh blood sources they may encounter. Despite their size, they gather in great numbers. Wise men flee when they hear their clicking language in the underbrush.