Blood Exchange. As a bonus action, the blood brooder
can give hit points to blood bulbs within 5 feet of it, los-
ing hit points so the bulbs gain them. The brooder can’t
use this trait if it has fewer than half its hit points.
Bulb Pouches. Up to eight blood bulbs can take refuge
in pouches on the blood brooder’s sides, entering or exit-
ing a pouch using 5 feet of movement. Bulbs in a pouch
are in the brooder’s space and move with the brooder.
Blood bulbs have three-quarters cover in these pouches.
Multiattack. The blood brooder makes three spines attacks.
Spines. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach
5 ft. or range 30/120 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (2d6+3) piercing damage.
Description
“If you spot small, spiny orbs of blood flying around, beware
their mum, who’ll be on the ground but not far behind.”
Shared Blood. The blood brooder gets its name from
the fact that it looks like an armored, spined collection of
blood and viscera, and it births smaller orbs called blood
bulbs. These offspring are less armored but as sapient
and predatory as their parent. With malign guile, these
aberrations hunt for other creatures and devour them.
Members of this brood protect one another not only by
coordinating to defeat foes, but also by exchanging the
fluid that makes up their bodies.
Roaming Family. While the brooder rests and births,
blood bulbs roam, searching for more prey. They split
into packs to hunt, and then report back to their kin.
When on the move, the brooder often carries bulbs in
pouches on its sides.
Salvage
Someone who has proficiency with leatherworker’s tools
can use the hide and spines of a blood brooder to fashion
spike armor (see Chapter 4). Doing so takes 5 days of work
and other materials worth 50 gp.
Lore
DC 10 Intelligence (History): Members of the blood
brood are oozelike aberrations. They aren’t as fluid as
oozes, but they can’t be knocked prone.
DC 15 Intelligence (Arcana): Blood bulbs, which are
thought to be infant blood brooders, can attach to prey
and engulf the head. They can also hide in pouches on
the side of a blood brooder.
DC 20 Intelligence (Arcana): The blood brood can
exchange blood when close, each supporting the survival
of others.
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