Carnivorous Plant [Forgotten Realms]

These tropical forest predators are tough, rope-like vines about three inches thick and brownish green, and 90% of the time no one can tell them from ordinary creepers. They dangle from branches with their ends trailing on the ground to catch passing animals. First they wrap their prey like a snake, constricting for 1d4 per round; breaking loose takes a successful bend bars/lift gates roll. After 1d4 rounds of squeezing, the vine usually secretes a paralytic poison onto its captive, which it can control at will. A victim who fails a save vs. poison is paralyzed for 2d4 rounds. Blunt weapons cannot harm viper vines.

A whipweed has two thin, lashing stalks bearing a few small leaf-like growths. Full-grown stalks reach 15 feet, though smaller ones are common. They rise from a round base holding a small brain and eight short legs; by tucking its root-like parts beneath it, the whipweed can walk slowly.

Each stalk attacks anything moving within reach, hitting as a 4 HD monster for 1d10 damage, and the two stalks can strike separate targets. Damage to the stalks does not count against the body's hit points. When the body is destroyed, the stalks thrash wildly for one more round, attacking three times each at double damage, then go still.

It avoids sunlight and lives underground or deep in thick forest. It feeds on animal remains, which the stalks seem to absorb and pass to the body, since it has no mouth. Why it roots itself is unclear: it can live indefinitely on bare rock, and a single crack seems enough for its occasional need to take root. It was named as a plant and acts like one in some ways, but in many it does not, though druid spells affecting plants still work on it.

Witherweed looks like a dry, dead patch of grass or weeds about 20 feet square (3 Hit Dice). Patches twice that size exist, and larger ones of 4, 5 or even 6 Hit Dice may be possible. A typical patch has 1d12+12 fronds spaced so at least one can reach everyone facing it.

Each frond hit drains 1d4 Dexterity, halved by a save vs. poison. A victim who loses the full 4 points from one hit also suffers a nerve seizure: two rounds of total collapse, then five more rounds at -2 to hit and 75% movement, with no Dexterity bonuses for the whole seven rounds. Below 3 Dexterity a victim is helpless, and at 0 or less they die. Survivors regain half the lost points naturally at 1 per day; the rest return only with cure disease.

Being dry, witherweed burns readily, but its burning releases deadly smoke: anyone breathing it saves vs. poison or dies in 1d4 rounds. The fire lasts one round per square foot of weed. Unless a strong wind clears it, the heavy, greasy smoke forms a cloud nine times the patch's area that lingers at least four hours.