Homebrew Botanical Horror Species Details
Botanical Horrors are sapient, predatory plants twisted by curse, occult influence, unnatural experimentation, or some other malign force. Though their forms vary wildly, they are united by an unsettling combination of plant life, intelligence, and hunger.
Some Botanical Horrors resemble ordinary houseplants until they move or speak. Others display obvious signs of their unnatural nature, such as grasping vines, thorned tendrils, tooth-lined flowers, watching eyes, or mouths far larger than their bodies should reasonably support. Many are rooted within pots, planters, urns, or other containers and are incapable of locomotion without assistance.
Their apparent helplessness is often deceptive. Botanical Horrors compensate for their lack of mobility with prehensile growths, unusual resilience, supernatural abilities, and a disturbing talent for influencing the creatures around them. Some charm or manipulate their victims, while others rely on spores, psychic power, curses, or sheer predatory instinct.
Most Botanical Horrors require water and light like mundane plants, but many develop additional appetites as their unnatural nature grows stronger. Blood, flesh, magical energy, fear, or even the life force of other creatures may sustain them.
No two Botanical Horrors are exactly alike. Some are born from cursed soil or corrupted forests, while others are deliberately cultivated in laboratories, summoned through occult rituals, or transformed from ordinary plants by exposure to forces that were never meant to touch the natural world.
Whatever their origin, one lesson is usually learned too late:
A Botanical Horror is never just a plant.
Botanical Horror Traits
Your accursed botanical nature grants you a number of unusual traits. Though rooted and seemingly helpless, you possess unnatural resilience, predatory adaptations, and abilities that make you far more dangerous than an ordinary plant.Accursed Flora
Your creature type is Plant rather than Humanoid.
You require water and periods of rest, but your nutritional needs are unusual. You may sustain yourself through sunlight, soil, blood, flesh, magical energy, or another appropriate source determined by your nature.
You are affected by spells and abilities that specifically affect Plants, and you are not affected by effects that require the target to be a Humanoid unless that effect also works on Plants.
Grasping Vines
You possess one or more powerful prehensile vines that function as grasping limbs.
Your vines have a reach of 10 feet and can manipulate objects, open or close doors and containers, retrieve unattended items, perform somatic components of spells, and carry out other tasks that a humanoid could ordinarily perform with its hands.
Your vines are also natural melee weapons. When you make an unarmed strike with them, you can deal bludgeoning damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier instead of the normal damage for an unarmed strike. The attack has a reach of 10 feet.
When you hit a creature with your vines, you can choose to grapple it instead of dealing damage. The target must be no more than one size larger than you. You can have only one creature grappled by your vines at a time.
While you are grappling a creature with your vines, that creature remains within 10 feet of you, and you can release it at any time without using an action.
Your vines cannot be used to pull or otherwise move your own body from your space unless an ability specifically says otherwise.
Potbound
Your walking speed is 0 feet, and effects that increase your walking speed do not grant you the ability to walk.
You can still be moved by teleportation, forced movement, or by another creature carrying, dragging, pushing, or otherwise transporting you.
A willing creature capable of carrying your weight can pick you up or put you down as part of its normal interaction with an object.
If you are knocked prone, you do not suffer disadvantage on attack rolls solely because of being prone, though you remain physically tipped over until righted.
Feed Me
Your predatory biology is invigorated by fresh blood and flesh.
When a creature that is neither a Construct nor an Undead dies within 10 feet of you, you can use your reaction to feed upon it with your vines.
When you do so, you gain temporary hit points equal to your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier.
Once you use this trait, you cannot use it again until you finish a Short or Long Rest.
Unassuming Flora
Your appearance can be deceptively mundane when you choose not to reveal your true nature.
While you remain motionless and silent, a creature that has not seen you move or heard you speak may mistake you for an ordinary plant or decorative arrangement.
You have advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made specifically to pass yourself off as mundane vegetation or decoration.
Compelling Voice
Something about your voice is deeply compelling, whether it manifests as supernatural charm, psychic pressure, seductive confidence, or simple predatory manipulation.
You know the Vicious Mockery cantrip. Starting at 3rd level, you can cast Dissonant Whispers once with this trait, and you regain the ability to do so when you finish a Long Rest.
Starting at 5th level, you can also cast Suggestion once with this trait, and you regain the ability to do so when you finish a Long Rest.
Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.
Unarmored Flora
Your botanical anatomy and rooted form are incompatible with conventional armor.
You cannot wear or equip armor, regardless of any armor proficiencies you gain from your class, feats, or other features.
You can still wield a shield and benefit from magic items, spells, class features, and other effects that modify your Armor Class without requiring you to wear armor.
Comments