RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32
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NATURE'S PROTECTOR
Covered with gnarled and thorny vines, this vaguely humanoid plant has vines for arms and leaves shaped like hands.
Nature’s Protector CR 6
XP 2,400
CN Medium plant (chaos, extraplanar, shapechanger)
Init +8 (+12 natural adaptation); Senses low-light vision, tremorsense 30 ft.; Perception +5
DEFENSE
AC 22, touch 14, flat-footed 18 (+4 armor, +4 Dex, +4 natural)
hp 67 (9d8+27); regeneration 2 (cold-forged iron, law)
Fort +9, Ref +7, Will +3
DR 5/cold-forged iron, law; Immune paralysis, poison, polymorph, sleep, and stun; Resist fire 10 Vulnerable slashing
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft., swim 20 ft., climb 20 ft.
Melee 4 vines +11 (2d4+1 plus grab)
Space 5 ft; Reach 10 ft.
Special Attacks constrict (2d4+1), entangle, vine grab
STATISTICS
Str 14, Dex 19, Con 16, Int 9, Wis 11, Cha 12
Base Atk +6; CMB +8 (+14 grapple); CMD 22 (28 grapple)
Feats Athletic, Improved Grapple, Improved Initiative, Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus (vines)
Skills Climb +12, Perception +5 (+9 natural adaptation), Stealth +14 (+18 natural adaptation), Swim +12
Languages Sylvan
SQ amphibious, iron vines, natural adaptation, vine armor
ECOLOGY
Environment any
Organization solitary, pair, grove (4-10)
Treasure incidental
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Entangle (Su) A nature’s protector can, as a free action, cause plants within 30 feet of it to animate and grasp at foes. This ability is otherwise similar to entangle (CL 4th, DC 12). The save DC is Charisma-based.
Iron Vines (Ex) The vines that make up the nature's protectors arms and armor are as durable as iron with a hardness of 10, 20 hit points, and are not vulnerable to slashing.
Natural Adaptation (Ex) A nature’s protector has the ability to adapt to a single terrain type, changing its shape and coloring to blend in and become a native to that terrain. The nature’s protector gains a +4 bonus on initiative checks, +4 bonus to Perception and Stealth skill checks, and leaves no trail and cannot be tracked when it is in the terrain it has adapted to. When the nature’s protector enters a terrain type it is not adapted to, it can adapt to the new terrain in 24 hours. When a nature’s protector adapts to a plane, it becomes a native to that plane. If nature’s protector enters a terrain where it takes the environment deals damage, it can change the fire resistance to the environmental damage type(s) of that terrain within 1 hour.
Vine Armor (Ex) The vines that sheath a nature’s protector grant it a +4 armor bonus, but are not treated as armor for the purpose of arcane spell failure, armor check penalties, maximum Dexterity, weight, or proficiency.
Vine Grab (Ex) The nature’s protector only needs one vine to grapple a creature. For each creature grappled, the nature’s protector loses the use of one of its two vine-like arms and 2 of it vine attacks. The nature’s protector can only grapple 2 creatures at once.
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The nature’s protector lies patiently in wait, camouflaged to blend in with the terrain around it. It waits until a creature is within its reach and lashes out. When fighting multiple creatures, it will attack, grapple, and constrict one creature, while it attacks the other creatures with its free arm. When the nature's protector senses that the terrain around it is being altered, it will singlemindedly target the creature which appears to be responsible. The nature’s protector can sense creatures that have formed a bond with nature (ranger with a favored terrain that matches the natural adaptation terrain or any creature with access to the Plant domain) and attacks those creatures only when hungry or in self-defense.
Rumors abound to the origin of the nature’s protector. Some speculate that a kyton was transformed into a plant and has slowly begun changing back to its original form. Others speculate an assassin vine was modified to serve as a better defense by druids. Both of those rumors include mention of the fey being involved.
Golarion: Legends tell the origin of the nature’s protector is from within the Maelstorm. An assassin vine that had begun to change due to the chaos managed to capture a kyton. Unable to escape and neither the vine or the kyton were able to kill the other, they slowly merged forms. The nature’s protector roams the Maelstorm, changing along with the environment to form a deadly killer.