Kerilynth's Gore Vine
Appearance
The Gore Vine's appearance holds more than a passing similarity to a wild grape wine. Indeed, with sufficient feeding, it can produce grape-like fruit, as mentioned later. It has broad leaves, tendrils, and its branches and trunk become woody as it matures.Adventurer's have this annoying habit of breaking into other peoples secret towers just to steal anything that isn't bolted down. Pit traps and mimic's have been done to death, so I've prepared this one to give them a bit of a surprise.
Tactics
The Gore Vine lies in wait for creatures to appraoch, then extends it's thorns. It will usually wait a small period of time to allow the thorns and poison to work, and if creatures are still moving withinn it's reach, it will then attack them with it's tendrils.Basic Information
Anatomy
Foliage
In addition to it's broad, five-pointed leaves, a perceptive viewer may also notice the coiled tendrils that the plant keeps close to it's branches, hidden beneath the leaves. While they look similar to a climbing plants normal creeper tendrils, these are in fact an offensive appendage. When threatened, or when attempting to finish off a victim of it's thorn poison, these appendages unravel and whip out at adversaries, slashing them with the sharp growths along the tendril or entangling them and drawing them back towards the plant.Root System
The Gore Vine possesses a shallow but strong root system that spreads around the plant, just below the surface. These roots provide stability but only provide minimal nutrients in the conventional sense. Their true use lies in the ability to extend and retract thorns. When extended, the tips sit only one to two inches above the surface. The thorns are exceptionally sharp and also carry a potent poison, which is administered to anyone unfortunate to step upon them.Fruit
The fruit of this plant is much like that of a regular grape vine. Small juicy translucent berries form in bunches, and change color as they ripen. They start a pale green, turn dark purple as they approach ripeness, then finally change to almost black. When ripe, the sweet berries are a potent poison, but with careful administering, the fermentation process kills off the poison, producing an exceptional wine with healing properties. Although surviving records are rare, it has been noted to be a cure for even magical diseases. Clearly, if the fermentation process is incomplete, an inexperienced vintner may inadvertently produce a deadly beverage.Internal Structure
The key component of this plant/construct hybrid is a magical crystal which is embedded within the plant during it's creation. The magic within this crystal is enough to keep the plant alive indefinitely, although without sustenance the plant will enter a dormant state where it's leaves become blackened and wilted. The magical nature of the plant does provide it with properties not present in regular plant-life, most prominent of these it's animalistic intelligence and regenerative ability. As may be surmised, should the crystal remain intact, even the total destruction of the plant will not actually result in it's destruction. It's regenerative powers will begin restoring it almost immediately.Genetics and Reproduction
Growth Rate & Stages
Active
In it's active state, the plant appears like any other. Only a keen observer is likely to spot any unusual characteristics. In this state, it will actively look for prey via it's senses, and will react accordingly.Sleep
This state could be considered close to being hypnotised. The plant retracts it's thorns and stops attacking, and will ignore any potential prey. This state is effectively a safe guard for the creator, and can be triggered in two ways. Firstly, at the time of creation, a number of small linked crystals are created. When one is brought within around 50 feet of the plant, the main crystal will magically detect their presence, triggering the sleep mode. Additionally, a 'song' of sorts is programmed into the plant that will also trigger this effect. The song comprises of a pattern of strikes and pauses, usually around five beats long. This pattern can be stamped out on the ground around the plant, which will sense it and react accordingly. Clearly, this could be distorted or affects by rocks or similar in the ground, and one can't really be sure the plant has heard it until approached.Dormancy
Without regular feeding, dormancy will set in after a few weeks. The plant's leaves will turn black and wilted, and it will use it's last energy to extend it's root thorns to increase the chances of feeding. With it's magical power of regeneration, only a small amount of nutritional matter, i.e. flesh or blood, is needed to return the plant to it's normal active state. This transition can take as little as one minute.Maturity
With regular feeding, the plant will mature after around a decade. At this time, it gains the ability to produce fruit. Strangely, fruit production follows regular biological patterns, and is not subject to to it's regenerative ability. Fruit forms during the periods of warmer weather and increased sunlightDietary Needs and Habits
Additional Information
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Magical Construction
Requirements
To create a Gore Vine, the following are required:- A suitable arcane sanctum, free from distractions and contamination.
- An arcane formula.
- A number of living plant samples. Grape viness are not required specifically, and variants involving other climbing plants are possible.
- A primary crystal or gem of high value to serve as the magical receptical.
- A number of secondary crystals or gems to serve as 'keys' (see 'Sleep Mode').
- Some biological matter from a creature able to regenerate.
Process
The formula dictates how the biological samples are combined and includes incantations to recite during the five day process.It took many years of arduous study and experimentation to finally perfect this creation. At times I questioned my own sanity in pursuing such a project. Watching it devour that first party of adventurers made it all worthwhile though. Never give up on your dreams.
Gore Vine
Large Plant, unalignedArmor Class
13 (natural armor)Hit Points
57 (6d12 + 18)Speed
0STR
20 (+5)DEX
16 (+3)CON
16 (+3)INT
5 (-3)WIS
10 (+0)CHA
8 (-1)Damage Resistances
coldDamage Immunities
poisonCondition Immunities
blinded, deafened, exhaustion, proneSenses
blindsight 30 ft., tremorsense 60 ft., passive perception 10Languages
-Challenge
5 (1,800 XP)False Appearance.
While the Gore Vine remains motionless, it is almost indistinguishable from a normal plant, requiring a perception check of 18 to notice something unusual.Regeneration.
The Gore Vine regains 10 hit points at the start of it's turn. If the Gore Vine takes acid or fire damage, this trait doesn't function at the start of the Gore Vine's next turn. The Gore Vine dies only if it starts it's turn on 0 hit points, doesn't regenerate, and has had it's crystal removed or destroyed.Actions
Multiattack.
The assassin vine can make three melee attacks in any combination of slash or constrict attacks.Constrict.
Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 30 ft., one creature. Hit: The target takes 15 (3d6 + 5) bludgeoning damage, and it is grappled (escape DC 15). Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained, and it takes 12 (2d6 + 5) bludgeoning damage at the start of each of its turns. The vine can constrict up to two targets at a time.Slash.
Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 30 ft., one creature. Hit: The target takes 15 (2d6 + 5) slashing damage.Thorns.
As a bonus action, the Gore Vine can extend or retract it's thorns. The thorns fill a 60 ft. circle around the Gore Vine, but only where there is natural ground. Creatures walking through the area must make a DC 15 Dexterity save or be poisoned. The thorns can be spotted with a DC 18 Perception check. If a creature is aware of the thorns, they can move through the area as if it were difficult terrain and have advantage on the Dexterity save.Remove these ads. Join the Worldbuilders Guild
Amélie I. S. Debruyne
Great article! I love your creepy plant XD Those roots and hidden thorns are devious! And Kerilynth seems like a nice guy XD I really love all of your quotes and the continuous narration. Starting with the first bit of narration is great since we don't know what to expect (even if I expected a dangerous plant) and so the thorn was a surprise. And I like seeing them die one by one while illustrating the different aspects of the plant XD " Adventurer's have this annoying habit of breaking into other peoples secret towers just to steal anything that isn't bolted down." XD " t infertile by design however,, as it would almost" you have two commas here " Clearly, this could be distorted or affects by rocks or similar in the ground, and one can't really be sure the plant has heard it until approached." Nice XD So if the owner doesn't feed the plant regularly, it will become dormant and extend its thorns and the owner cannot use the sleep trigger and go into/leave their home Does it only produce fruits as a remnant of what it was before the magic was added and it was transformed? Since the current version of the plant cannot reproduce and fruits are useless. " nutrients not commonly found in the soil, just as iron and fatty acids." You want to use "such as" rather than" just as". So the vine absorbs the blood directly right? Does it put tendrils inside corpse/meat and then liquefy them with some poison before absorbing them? Or does it just take the blood from the corpses? Does It takes everything it can from the corpses or is there anything left afterwards to decompose and enrich the soil in nutrients? " Watching it devour that first party of adventurers made it all worthwhile though. Never give up on your dreams." XD Very nice ending line there! XD
Thanks for the comment and feedback, it's very much appreciated! Minor typos fixed.