Violet Fungus

Violet Fungus (CR 8)

Neutral Evil - Medium - Plant

Lore:	Know (Nature)
16		31
Basic DC		Full DC

Initiative

12

Perception:
22	+12
Passive	Active

Ambush:

11+

on a d20

Senses:

• Standard Senses

Movement Types:

Defense

AC

25

Man Def

24

Monster Health
146	73	13
Hit Points	Bloodied	Hit Dice

Saving Throws
Fort:	+10
Refl:	+5
Will:	+5

Strong Against:

• (Plant 1) Immune (no effect): poisons (tainted, poisoned, blighted), magical sleep (drowsy, sluggish, asleep), paralyzed, stunned, polymorph
• (Plant 2) Immune (no effect): Forced movement (including Drag, Reposition), Prone (quelled, prone, splayed)

Weak Against:

Offense

Size:	Medium
5 ft.		10 ft.
Space		Reach

To-Hit

+13

Man Off

+11

Action

0

Points

Standard Attack (Melee):

• 1x Tendril Whip +13 (2d8+6/19-20 x2)
  as slashing (physical, common)
  plus Putrefaction Pollen

Full Attack (Melee):

• 3x Tendril Whip +13 (2d8+6/19-20 x2)
  as slashing (physical, common)
  plus Putrefaction Pollen

Standard Attack (Ranged):

Full Attack (Ranged):

Siege Damage: Not siege capable

Statistics

12

STR

8

DEX

16

CON

6

INT

11

WIS

6

CHA

Skills:

• Perception: 12
• All other skills: 8 (no ranks)

Languages: Cannot speak, but understands Slough and Vegepygmy

Feats:

Special Abilities

Spore Cloud (Ex, Aura 30')

Spore Cloud is an aura which automatically activates at the beginning of the second round of combat. Once each round, beginning with the second round, Spore Cloud may affect any creatures within 30 feet of the violet fungus, at the beginning of the fungi's turn. Spore cloud is dispersed by a violet fungi's actions in combat, and is spread unevenly, far and wide, with the plant's dim intelligence seeking to cause enemies farthest away the most harm. As a result, the enemy creature that is furthest away from a violet fungus is the only one that is affected each round. If there are more than one enemies all equally far away, they are all affected. Creatures affected by Spore Cloud must make a DC 19 Fort save or take 2d8+6 points of acid (energy, common) damage, and are affected by Putrefaction Pollen. Those who succeed on their save take only half damage and are not affected by the Putrefaction Pollen.

Poison (Ex)

A creature struck by a violet fungus's tentacle whip attack or targeted by its spore cloud may also be affected by a poison which quickly rots the flesh, liquefying both muscle and bone: Putrefaction Pollen    (Injury vector; Poisoned intensity) Save: Fort DC 19;     Frequency: 1/round for 3 rounds Effect: 1d3 CON damage and 2d8+6 non-lethal damage per interval, and target is Impaired Fruition: Victim becomes Crippled; this cannot be cured normally. Fruition Duration: 1 day (full-night's rest).

Violet Fungus

Of the many vegetable horrors that inhabit the wilds, ruins, and dungeons of the world, violet fungus is one of the most feared and hated.

The reason is three-fold:

First, violet fungi are incredibly poisonous. Their spores infest the area around them whenever they are disturbed, and the touch of their bilious flesh is anathema. Their heavy vine-tentacles are long, covered in needle-sharp thorns, and dripping with flesh-eating enzymes.

Second, violet fungi are deadly simply to be nearby. They spread poison into the air, and the noxious clouds are more choking and terrible at a distance than they are close by.

Third, violet fungi seem to be... sentient. It is a dim, slow, vegetable consciousness, but it is, indeed, an awareness. It is alien and calculating, and it holds deadly intentions for anything that is not plant. All other orders of life are enemy to the violet fungi, and the vile growths have the means to ensure that all their enemies perish.

Combat Tactics

Violet Fungi are quite stupid, but for a plant they are positive geniuses. They will seek to grow where there is plenty of carrion to nourish them, and as such can be found haunting water holes, paths to springs, salt licks, game trails, and the like. They prefer to melee their hated mobile enemies to death, and will move steadily to the attack, trusting to their spore cloud to drive plenty of foes within reach of their deadly tentacles. Once foes are killed, they feast.

They do not have or use much in the way of tactics, but they will seek to move such that the deadly effects of their Spore Cloud affect as many foes as possible. Wise foes will chose a single 'tank' to stand apart from the battle and draw all the effects of the Spore Cloud to themselves, perhaps with a watchful healer close by. If this is happening, the Fungus will move, slow and deliberate, to break the unique targeting of the single most distant foe.

Out of Combat

Violet Fungi consider everything non-plant to be their mortal enemy, and act accordingly. To a Violet Fungus, everything that lives is fertilizer. It's just a matter of harvesting it.

Despite this inimical view of the world, it is common for violet fungi to make deals with other monstrous creatures to serve as guards, in return for fertilizer, water, and spore beds. In such cases, violet fungi are often paired with shriekers.

Shriekers and violet fungi make a deadly garden indeed, and if found together, approach with caution!

Rewards

XP: 4,800

Treasure: Sellable Goods worth 3,875 gp.

Weight: 80 lbs.     Volume: 3.2 cu. ft.

Optional Treasure Rules: Roll a d20 on Table 1 below once per encounter (NOT per creature). Any items discovered are in addition to the normal treasure for the encounter.

Table 1: Remnant(s) Found
1 - 10	Nothing Found
11 - 14	1 Languid Remnant (tier 1)
15 - 17	1 Pale Remnant (tier 2)
18 - 19	1 Bright Remnant (tier 3)
20	Roll on Table 2
###	Nothing to see here!
###	Or here. Move along.

Table 2: Remnant(s) Found
1 - 5	3 Languid Remnants (tier 1)
6 - 10	3 Pale Remnants (tier 2)
11 - 14	1 Intense Remnant (tier 4)
15 - 17	1 Blazing Remnant (tier 5)
18 - 19	1 Vital Remnant (tier 6)
20	Roll on Table 3
###	Or here. Move along.

Table 3: Remnant(s) Found
1 - 5	3 Bright Remnants (tier 3)
6 - 8	3 Intense Remnants (tier 4)
9 - 11	3 Blazing Remnants (tier 5)
12 - 14	3 Vital Remnants (tier 6)
15 - 17	1 Prime Remnant (tier 7)
18 - 19	1 Mythic Remnant (tier 8)
20	1 Empyrean Remnant (tier 9)