Blood Exchange. As a bonus action, the blood bulb
can give hit points to one blood brooder or another blood
bulb within 5 feet of it, losing hit points so the other
creature gains them. The bulb can’t use this trait if it has
fewer than half its hit points.
Attach. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
creature. Hit: 5 (1d4+3) bludgeoning damage. If the target
is Medium or smaller, the blood bulb enters its space and
attaches to it. Also, if the blood bulb has advantage on the
attack roll, it attaches by engulfing the target’s head. Such
a target is blinded and unable to breathe while the blood
bulb is attached in this way.
While attached to the target, the blood bulb can attack
only the target but has advantage on its attack rolls to do
so. On a hit, the target loses an extra 2 (1d4) hit points to blood loss. The blood bulb moves with the target, and if
it moves on its own, it detaches. Doing so costs the blood
bulb 5 feet of movement.
A creature can use an action to detach a blood bulb. Doing
so requires a successful DC 13 Strength (Athletics) check.
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.
Comments