Skip to main content

Groom Minion: Nepenthe




This flagon-shaped plant grows amid the slow-rotting meat of a frozen humanoid's corpse. Its outer layer mimics the appearance of leathery flesh with a ring of putrid pink along the rim. Many a hapless adventurer has mistaken a nepenthe for a cadaver's exposed organ. That is, until, the plant's ruddy roots tear free of its putrescent soil and the carnivorous creature skitters toward the soon-to-be victim.

Sinister Sacrament. These plants are primarily cultivated by the cult of its namesake, the Nepenthe. The growth sucks the spiritual residue from a corpse and produces a psychically-charged sap. The cultists willing imbibe the viscous fluid gathered in the nepenthe's pitcher-like core and relish the way it burns away their passions and personality. The dangerous draught tastes somewhat like a strong wine and produces a similar intoxication if the drinker survives. This repeated rite is eventually terminal and that's what the cultists prefer. Each member hopes their death transforms them into a better servant to what they see as an avatar of oblivion; Groom.

Nepenthe

small plant, unaligned

Armor Class 11

Hit Points 27 (5d6+10)

Speed 30ft

Str 4 Dex 12 Con 14 Int 3 Wis 10 Cha 5

Damage Immunities acid, cold

Damage Vulnerabilities fire

Condition Immunities blinded, deafened, frightened

Sensesblindsight 30ft (blind beyond), passive Perception 10.

Languages -

Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)

Death Burst:

When the nepenthe dies, it explodes in a burst of psychically-charged fluid. Each creature within 5 feet of it must make a DC 11 Dexterity saving throw, taking 4 (1d6) psychic damage and has disadvantage on all attack rolls and skill checks until the end of its next turn on failure.

Innate Spellcasting (at will):

The plant can innately cast animal friendship and charm person. Its innate spellcasting ability is Wisdom with a spell DC of 10.

Actions

Spit Acid:

Range Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 15/30 ft., one target. Hit: 2 (1d4) acid damage and 2 (1d4) psychic damage..

Obliviate Draught (Recharge 6):

The nepenthe compels a creature it has charmed to drink from its pitcher-shaped body. A willing creature may also drink the obliviate draught. The imbiber must succeed on a DC 12 Constitution save or take 10 (3d6) psychic damage as its memory is painfully burned away. If the creature succeeds they feel their burdens and sorrows lifted for the next 24 hours.

If a willing humanoid creature is reduced to 0 hit points by the Obliviate Draught there is a 5% chance they will rise as a Lethe at the next sunset.

If a charmed humanoid creature is reduced to 0 hit points by the Obliviate Draught then it suffers from the Lethe Curse for the next hour. If instead, the creature dies then a new nepenthe plant will sprout from its corpse within 1d4 days.


Lethe Curse. While the victim has recovered after drowning in a lethe's flood of forgetfulness, it finds its mind fuzzy and wits dulled. The creature has disadvantage on Initiative and Intelligence save and skill checks. The Lethe Curse can be removed via the Remove Curse spell and effects like it.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Frame Mimic

Rattling from the shadows, a gaggle of rat-gnawed bones march forward eager to slay the living. One of them lags behind, looking a bit more solid than the rest. You know your mace should have broken the leading skeletons to pieces. Yet, it merely cracked bones instead of shattering them. Tentacles lash out from the slower skeleton, adhering to you and pulling you closer to the maw manifesting from its ribcage. This is the frame mimic. The spawn of the ossuary mimic, this monstrosity also feels a kinship to the undead - specifically animated skeletons. It adopts a group of such horrors and its very presence temporarily empowers them. This is why the skeletons keep it around instead of hacking it to pieces as they would any other living thing. On top of that, frame mimics develop a supernatural stubbornness that can only be called boneheaded. So powerful is this force of will, that it mends their wounds as they plough forward against deadly spells. Frame Mimic Medium Monstrosit...
Post a Comment
Read more

Brocade Mimic

The masked bard in gaudy attire was strumming away when the bar fight started. It kept playing even as chairs broke and mugs flew. Not one strum was missed even when blood was spilled. Then someone grew sick of the racket and stuck a hand ax into the bard's neck...with a wooden thunk. The fancy vest exploded with teeth, tentacles, and eyes. Then there was the color spray... The first brocade mimic lurked in the rafters of a bard college. Instead of eating a future player, it learned alongside them and caught a passion for the arts. Of course, it could have become an instrument but that wasn't quite grand enough. The mimic became a set of fancy clothes and was worn out the front doors. Sometimes it and its spawn become a bard's best friend. sometimes it pilots a dead one around for a bit, and other times it takes over a mannequin to strike out on its own. No matter how, the show must always go on. Brocade Mimic Medium Monstrosity (shapechanger), neutral ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Yoke Mimic

Something tore apart the bandits you've been tracking, but it's not obvious what chewed and in some cases melted them. Maybe there's a wyrmling in the area? Either way, all that remains alive in the camp is a pair of oxen burdened by their cart. Though, they are quite nonplussed given the violence that must have occurred around them. Surely these simple beasts couldn't be the case of the carnage, could they? As you ponder this, the oxen start plodding away, pulling the cart of goods with them. Trying to stop them was the logical thing to do... their yoke coming undone with twin, yawning mouths not so logical. You know what that means... initiative rolls, please. Relatively benign, for a mimic, the yoke mimic was cultivated by an industrious farmer. They didn't see the point of wasting an animal that came into their care, even a strange monstrosity such as this one. It became a valuable tool not only to get fields plowed, but also kept the animals attached to it d...
Post a Comment
Read more