Starfinder Encounter: Botanical Wardens

With the release last month of the Starfinder Flip-Tiles: Alien Planet Starter Set, Game Masters now have nearly limitless options when mapping out exciting encounters on a variety of alien worlds, from verdant jungles to barren wastes. Future expansions, including next month’s Starfinder Flip-Tiles: Alien Planet Moonscape Expansion, will provide even more options. If you’re strapped for time, feel free to run the following encounter from contributor Vanessa Hoskins and let us know how it worked in your campaign in the comments below.

Botanical Wardens — CR 8

A group of kiirintas (Starfinder Alien Archive 4 62) botanists on Stabrisis-14 are creating an interstellar botanical garden, featuring plant species from all across Near Space. Leading this program is a headstrong kiirinta named K’voo za Vivza, whose ambitious nature and tendency to overreach has upset the Builders of the K’voo tribe.

When a shepherd blossom, a rare species of harpy jasmine from Castrovel, started exerting control over other plant creatures in the garden, Vivza was at a loss as to how to proceed. Her requests for aid have been ignored by the Builders, and the other Reflectors of the K’voo tribe aren’t equipped for such an aggressive task. The shepherd blossom has moved deep within the botanical garden and is using a small cadre of carnivorous plant to defend itself against all intruders. Vivza turns to the PCs for help, hoping they can end the shepherd blossom’s control over the other plant creatures, but desperately hopes that they can preserve the other plants in the area. She hopes that by disrupting the shepherd blossom, the other plant creatures will cease to be hostile and can be guided back to their portions of the garden.

Creatures: A single mature shepherd blossom has gathered other aggressive plant creatures around itself, intending to keep them there until it is ready to pollinate the area with fresh buds. It has managed to gather two lumocanthas from the Veskarium Gardens exhibit and a single supenga pup from the nearby Desert Garden enclosure. While the resulting bloom of several shepherd blossoms might be interesting, it would cause enough chaos in Vivza’s Near Space botanical garden project to shut it down permanently. The supenga pup stays near the shepherd blossom, ready to pursue any threats while the two lumocanthas stand near the hiking trails nearby, ready to fire their laser spines on anything that moves.

Illustration by Mirco Paganessi

Sheperd Blossom — CR 5

XP 1,600
Variant harpy jasmine
N Medium plant
Init +0; Senses blindsense (thought) 60 ft.; Perception +16

Defense — HP 60
EAC 16; KAC 17
Fort +6; Ref +2; Will +8
Immunities plant immunities; Resistances fire 5
Weaknesses vulnerable to cold

Offense
Speed 5 ft., climb 5 ft.
Melee vine +12 (1d6+9 B plus grab)
Space 5 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 5th)

• 3/day—hold person (DC 17), song of the cosmosCOM (DC 17)
• 6/day—charm person (DC 16), lesser confusion (DC 16), wisp ally
• At will—dancing lights, ghost sound (DC 15)

Offensive Abilities verdant call

Tactics
Before Combat The shepherd blossom stays near its plot, hoping to bud soon. However, it continuously searches for more plant creatures to help protect itself during its reproductive cycle.
During Combat The shepherd blossom uses verdant call on any plant creatures not under their control, otherwise they uses their magic to ward off powerful creatures or befriend them and convince them to care for their offspring.
Morale The shepherd blossom protects its young buds until death.

Statistics
Str +5; Dex +0; Con +3; Int –3; Wis +1; Cha +2
Skills Athletics +11

Special Abilities
Verdant Call (Su) Once per day as a full-round action, a shepherd blossom can create psychic echoes that resonate with nearby plant creatures, creating an intense feeling of empathy for the shepherd blossom. This functions as a 5th-level dominate person spell (CL 5th, Will DC 15) but only affects plant creatures. The shepherd blossom can target any single plant creature it is aware of within 600 feet.

Lumocantha (2)— CR 2

XP 600 each
HP 25 each (Starfinder Alien Archive 4 68)

Tactics
During Combat The lumocanthas focus their laser spines on any creature stained by one of their dye capsules, otherwise they fire on the closest non-plant that has moved from their square in the last round.
Morale These plants fight until destroyed as long as the shepherd blossom lives. As soon as the shepherd blossom is destroyed, or if the lumocanthas are otherwise moved out of the range of its verdant call, they become docile.

Supenga Pup — CR 5

XP 1,600
HP 75 (Starfinder Alien Archive 4 120)

Tactics
Before Combat The supenga patrols around the shepherd blossom’s glade, searching for predators.
During Combat The supenga pup focuses its attention on whatever creature is attacking the shepherd blossom, or whatever creature is closest to the blossom; the supenga generally ignores paralyzed targets.
Morale This plant fights until destroyed as long as the shepherd blossom lives. As soon as the shepherd blossom is destroyed, or if the supenga is otherwise moved out of the range of its verdant call, it becomes docile.

Map created using Starfinder Flip-Tiles: Alien Planet Starter Set, cartography by Jason Juta.

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