Cactus
The cacti of Athas can be very dangerous plants. While they provide nourishment to the dehydrated wanderer, they survive in the wastes by being as deadly as the beasts that roam the sands.
Dune Trapper
Dune Trapper CR 8
XP 4,800
N Gargantuan plant
Init -5; Senses low-light vision, see in darkness; Perception +2
Defense
AC 16, touch 6, flat-footed 16 (-4 Size, +10 natural)
hp 184 (16d8+112); fast healing 2
Fort +17, Ref —, Will +5
Immune cold, plant traits; Resist acid 5, electricity 5, fire 5
SQ Freeze (Ex), DR 10/metal, Camouflage
Offense
Speed 0 ft.
Melee 2 slams +19 (2d6+11 + Grab)
Space 20 ft., Reach 20 ft.
Special Attacks Swallow Whole (Ex)4d10 Acid Damage
Statistics
Str 33, Dex —, Con 24, Int —, Wis 10, Cha 5
Base Atk +12; CMB +27; CMD 37 (can’t be tripped)
Ecology
Environment Deserts and salt flats
Organization solitary
Treasure none
Special Abilities
Poison (Ex) Spore cloud—inhaled; save Fort DC 15; frequency 1/round for 6 rounds; effect 1d2 Con damage; cure 2 consecutive saves.
Spore Cloud (Ex) Once per day as a standard action, a shadow fern can expel a cloud of poisonous spores in a 10-foot-radius burst that lingers for 1 minute before dispersing. A moderate wind (11+ mph), such as from a gust of wind spell, disperses the cloud in 4 rounds. A strong wind (21+ mph) disperses the cloud in 1 round. A new shadow fern grows out of the corpse of any creature that dies as a result of Constitution damage from this poison after 1 week.
Vulnerable to Light (Ex) Shadow ferns use darkness for essential life functions in the same way normal plants use sunlight for photosynthesis. Their fast healing is suppressed in areas of normal light and bright light, and they are staggered in areas of bright light.
Description
The tell-tale shimmer of water and a touch of fresh moisture on the air would suggest that you have found a deep desert oasis. Strange, perhaps, that no others have claimed this place before you… The dune trapper is a subterranean plant that mimics pools and oases in order to lure prey into its devouring maw. Disguising itself as an oasis of up to an acre in size, the dune trapper takes many a life foolish enough to drink from its waters. A dune trapper digs a large sand pit to hide in and then cover over with its star-shaped head, burying itself inches beneath the sand, exposing the centre of its throat. A trapper’s roots eventually extend miles below ground in order to reach deep water sources, which it uses to pump up small amounts of water in its throat in order to present an oasis-like appearance. The pool is anywhere from 5 to 50 ft. across, depending on the size of the creature, and is never more than an inch deep. Creatures that smell water are the first to be attracted to the trapper. Trappers are usually solitary, but sometimes they encourage the growth of the neighbouring flora around them by furnishing them with some of the water they extract. This only helps further disguise the trapper. Combat When a victim drinks from the oasis’s waters (which is the rear centre of the plant), the trapper pulls itself down the pit it rests in and traps the victim. If the dune trapper is slain, its body contains as many quarts of water as it had hit points. The trapper itself is inedible, except for b’rohgs, who consider trappers a delicacy.
Camouflage (Ex): Dune trappers are difficult to distinguish from other, mundane cacti. Noticing a dune trapper requires a Perception check (DC 30). Characters with ranks in Survival or Knowledge (nature) can use those skills instead of Perception to notice the plant.
Dune trapper can try to swallow a grabbed opponent of Huge or smaller size by making a successful grapple check. Once inside, the opponent takes 2d6+11 points of crushing damage plus 4d10 points of acid damage per round from the dune trapper‘s digestive juices. A swallowed creature can cut its way out by dealing 40 points of damage to the dune trapper‘s digestive tract (AC 15). Once the creature exits, muscular action closes the hole; another swallowed opponent must cut its own way out. The dune trapper‘s gullet can hold 2 Huge, 8 Large, 32 Medium, 128 Small, or 512 Tiny or smaller creatures.