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Wednesday 23 March 2016

Strangling Jack

Not specifically a creature for Candyland, but one there in the many farms, a deadly strangling vine that strikes at night.

Strangling Jack  CR 4
NE Medium plant
Init +1; Senses low-light vision, tremorsense 500 ft.; Perception +5

DEFENSE

AC 15, touch 8, flat-footed 11 (+2 Dex, +3 natural)
HP 39 (6d8+12 con)
Fort +7, Ref +3, Will +4
Immune plant traits

OFFENSE

Speed 30 ft. (in patch or the farm) otherwise 10 ft
Melee tentacle vine +7 (1d6+4 plus strangling entangle)
Space 5 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
Special Attacks Strangling Vines +8 to maintain hold on CMB; Cumulative damage (add +1d6 each new round); Up to five vines can emerge, but it can only attack any round and no more than one can wrap around the same victim.

STATISTICS

Str 17, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 3, Wis 14, Cha 7
Base Atk +7; CMB +7; CMD 18 (can't be tripped)
Feats Ability Focus, weapon focus (vine)
Skills Climb +4Perception +5, Stealth +20*, Knowledge (Plants or Farming) +5 Bonus: Gain +8 on stealth checks if not moving

ECOLOGY
Environment temperate forests, hills, or plains (farms)
Organization solitary or patch (2–4)
Treasure none

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Strangling Vines (Ex) Strangling Jack will try to hold and choke opponents. They get +8 to maintain the hold on the second and subsequent rounds. They can attack up to five victims, but they can initiate or respond to only one combatant each round. Victims can try to escape by making a DC 16 Reflex save.  While the target is entangled, its vines also grasp at the target's mouth, preventing the target from speaking or casting spells with verbal components while entangled. When a creature is entangled by this ability, the strangling jack can initiate another vine attack on another creature.

A Strangling Jack is a mysterious and deadly figure in the farmer`s patch, as nobody knows where they originate from. Druids believe they emerge from the patch to kill any "invaders" in the plant`s domain. They have strong choking capability and kill most humanoid figures that appear in their patch at night. Most will leave their farmer and their family alone, as it knows that it needs both daytime feedings as well as their nighttime snacks to thrive.

It appears as a mass of vines, usually attached to a pillar or other outdoor feature. It is only when they make a move to strangle a victim does it roughly take a humanoid-like form. Smaller vines or lesser HD (3 HD) will sometimes take on a vague animal like figure (squirrel or dog) and larger vine masses sometimes form rough imitations of elementals (12 HD).

While evil and insular, Strangling Jacks can be requested to help their farmer or fey neighbours against a shared foe. They may wish to feed, but don't want to be left alone. They can be placated with animal sacrifices as opposed to them hunting intelligent beings. Evil druids like to seek out Strangling Jacks and plant them in their lairs.

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