Death's Head Tree (5e Creature)
Death's Head Tree[edit]
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Huge plant, neutral evil Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
Damage Resistances lightning, bludgeoning, piercing Death’s Heads. The fruits of a death’s head tree resembles severed heads, attached to a branch by the neck. Each tree typically has 10 (4d4) heads and grows new fruits every other year. When the tree takes at least 20 slashing damage from a single attack it must make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, a head detaches. Implant Seeds. The attacks of a death’s head tree implant small sliver-like seeds in the flesh of living creatures. The seeds excrete a mild anaesthetic that makes them easy to overlook. Noticing the seeds requires a DC 14 Wisdom (Perception) check. Removing a seed requires a DC 12 Wisdom (Medicine) check. Mimicry. The heads of a death's head tree mimic voices calling for help. A creature can tell they are imitations with a successful DC 14 Wisdom (Insight) check. ACTIONSMultiattack. The death’s head tree can make as many attacks as it has attached heads. Each head can bite or spit a seed. Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing damage. Spit Seed. Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) piercing damage. Throw Head. Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, range 40/80 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d10 + 2) bludgeoning damage.
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This dreadful tree resembles a weeping willow, whose fruit resembles the head of a humanoid corpse. The heads moan as the tree emits a foul smelling gas from their “lips”. The seeds of a death’s head tree need blood to germinate. As such, these foul plants grows in places where a great deal of blood has been spilled. Death's Head Bait. Like most carnivorous plants, the death’s head tree engages in combat primarily when potential victims come within its reach, but this plant has a unique lure: It grows heads that are distinctly humanoid in appearance and then, with its limited intelligence, animates them just enough to enable the heads to softly call “help”. While those who investigate the source of the pleas have few problems identifying the heads as monstrous, curiosity or repugnance (and a resulting urge to destroy the tree) frequently draws them in close enough for the tree to attack. Vampiric Trees. There is only one factor controlling the number of death’s head trees that can grow in a given area, and that is how much blood has been spilled there. Theoretically, there could be one tree for every corpse. In fact, it is not uncommon to see an entire forest of tiny saplings springing up a few days after a large battle. Of course, until these reach maturity, they can be killed or uprooted as easily as any other plant. Also, they tend to sink their roots into each other, attempting to steal extra life’s blood and grow stronger, so eventually only one tree is left within 50 or more feet. Thus, the fully mature death’s head tree is a rare find. Aside from its need for blood to germinate its seeds, the death’s head tree takes its daily sustenance from the sun and soil like any other plant. It does not require any more blood to survive, once it has successfully germinated and rooted itself in the ground. Because there is no limit to the type of terrain on which blood is spilled, the death’s head tree grows virtually anywhere. One may be found growing among the stones of a ruined temple or on an ancient battlefield that is littered with rusted weapons and the bleached bones of the soldiers who once fought there. Detached Heads. The grotesque fruit of a death’s head tree can become detached. The head is buoyed by gas, allowing it to float freely. Heads detach when the head ripens and falls off, the tree hurls a head, or its branch is severed. The head uses the statistics of the tree but is Tiny, has an Armour Class of 13, 11 (2d4 + 6) hit points and a fly speed of 20 feet. |
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