Shrevebush

Description

Clusters of ripe, purple fruit dangle from this large bush, only a few of which have yet been plucked by scavenging animals. The branches of the bush end in several dark green leaves, each with slightly jagged edges.

At first glance this plant resembles a large, fruit-bearing bush. It emits a pleasant odor and appears to have edible fruit hanging in clusters from its branches. This is just a ruse, however, intended to lure animal prey into its web of thick tendrils buried just beneath the surface.

The entire plant is capable of slowly burrowing through soft ground using its tendrils. It will often wait in ambush at a chosen spot for several days, then burrow to a new location if game proves scarce.

The shrevebush can neither see nor hear, but can sense nearby movement through vibrations along the ground and the stirring of currents in the air.

Combat

When the shrevebush senses that a prey is standing within 5 feet of the bush, the tendrils spring out of the ground to grab the food. The morsel is pulled into a tough bladder located beneath the bush, and is slowly digested over the course of several days. Once food has been obtained, the shrevebush will burrow deep into the ground and remain there until its digestion cycle has completed.

Change Form (Ex): The shrevebush can make subtle changes to its form, using its Disguise ability so as to appear to be an entirely different breed of plant. Making such a change requires a full minute of concentrated effort by the plant. A successful Spot check is needed to successfully see through the disguise.

Anybody with ranks in Survival or Knowledge (nature) can use one of these skills instead of Spot to notice the disguise. A true seeing spell or ability reveals the natural form of the plant.

Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a shrevebush must hit a creature at least one size smaller than itself with a tendril attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can try to swallow the opponent in the following round.

Swallow Whole/Digest (Ex): A shrevebush can try to swallow a grabbed opponent by making a successful grapple check. Once inside the plant's digestive sack, the sides begin to constrict, automatically inflicting 1d6+2 points of non-lethal damage each round. The natural juices released into the sack inflict 1d3 points of acid damage every hour. Only one creature can be pulled into the sack at any time.

A swallowed creature can attempt to cut its way out by using a light slashing or piercing weapon to deal 12 points of damage to the sack (AC 14). In order to do so, however, the creature must overcome the constriction, which requires a DC 21 Escape Artist check or a DC 17 Strength check. The check DC are Strength-based, and the Escape Artist DC includes a +4 racial bonus.

Once the sack has been ruptured, the shrevebush is unable to swallow creatures whole until it has had time to fully heal the wound.

Skills: A shrevebush has a +4 racial bonus on any Disguise check.

Advanced Benefits

In addition to the standard changes due to Hit Dice advancement, shrevebushes also gain the following special benefits.

• The DC of the sack constriction Strength check is equal to 10 + ½ HD + Strength modifier. The DC of the sack constriction Escape check is +4 greater than the Escape Artist DC.
• 6–11 HD ― The radius of the tremorsense increases to 30 feet.
• 8–13 HD ― The shrevebush can make a full attack with 6 tendrils.
• 10+ HD ― The reach of the tendrils is 25 feet. Theshrevebush can burrow at a rate of 10 feet per round.
• 12+ HD ― The radius of the tremorsense increases to 40 feet.
• 14 HD ― The shrevebush can make a full attack with 8 tendrils.