Normal plants are considered objects (not of the Plant category) for game purposes. Monstrous Plants are much larger versions of foliage, such as monstrous lily pads that can float the weight of a person, giant dandelions whose seeds you can use to jump off a cliff and float to the ground, or cypress trees so tall they touch the clouds. Regardless of size, they are still considered objects. Unless otherwise stated, all Monstrous Plants have a hardness of 3 and 25 hp. The common term for a Monstrous Plant is a “giant plant.”
Hazardous Monstrous Plants, commonly referred to as carnivorous plants (or dire plants in esoteric scholastic circles), are also considered objects (hazards) for game purposes provided they duplicate a normal plant. The Stalking Flytrap, for example, would be considered a Plant creature (it is the only carnivorous plant mentioned in this section that is not a real plant).
While none are detailed here, Undead plants are considered Construct creatures (animated objects) if they are zombie or lesser undead types. All greater types of undead plants (for example, a ghost tree or vampire rose bush) are considered Undead Plant creatures.
Bladderwort[]
Monstrous Bladderwort Plant
Hazard, CR 3 – Huge sized Monstrous Bladderwort plants can be found growing in marshes or along the edges of bayous, ponds, and lakes. This green, submerged, rootless plant has immense 8 ft. diameter bladder flowers [“wort” is an Old English word for “plant”] that lie below the water surface. They capture creatures in their bladders and then digest these organisms for nutrients. Monstrous Bladderwort plants produce a sweet smell that is barely noticeable to dull human senses, but irresistible to Animals that fail a Will save (DC 16).
A Spot check (DC 19), and either a successful Knowledge (nature) skill check (DC 13) or a Survival (DC 16) skill check, is required to notice the bladders in the water (or its camouflaged leaves on the land).
On land, a Monstrous Bladderwort’s camouflaged brown leaves, usually covered in mud, act as slippery slides that lead right into its watery bladders. When any creature steps onto a leaf, the plant raises it, creature and all, tripping the victim and sliding it into a bladder, a chamber that is full of water. A leaf trip is not automatic and requires a successful trip attack (PHB Special Attacks).
Swimming characters of Medium or smaller size within a 5 ft. square directly in front of the plant are sucked into a water-filled bladder if they fail a sequential Reflex save (DC 15) and a Swim check (DC 12). As the membrane encloses the hapless creature, the bladder contracts, forcing the air out, and closing its valve. Bursting a bladder requires a successful Strength check (DC 26). A trapped creature can try to cut its way out of a bladder using claws or a light slashing weapon to deal 10 hit points of damage to the wall (AC 14).
A trapped creature is subject to drowning (DMG). Water-breathers are cut-off from oxygenated water, beginning suffocation (DMG) in 30 rounds. Digestion occurs at the rate of 1 hp of acid damage per minute.
Monstrous Bladderworts are entirely immune to bludgeoning and non-magical fire while wet. Bladderwort plants are easily destroyed by removing them from their aquatic environment for 4 consecutive hours. Bayou Halflings typically snare these plants with ropes and hooks, dragging them on shore to desiccate and die. If a larger plant proves too hard to “snag and drag,” the halflings have an effective plant poison that slowly kills a bladderwort plant in 1d4 days.
A Monstrous Bladderwort stalk cannot be killed by slashing (AC 18), as cutting one in half simply creates two smaller plants, and so on with each subsequent slice (although if no bladders are on a detached stalk, it takes 1d4+4 days to grow one).
A species of Monstrous Land Bladderwort grows bladders below the moist soil, sucking down victims that walk over its camouflaged leaves. With the Monstrous Land Bladderwort tripping is not necessary, as the leaves are simply covering the bladders as pit traps.
Butterwort[]
Monstrous Butterwort Plant
Hazard, CR 1 – A Monstrous Butterwort is a Large, leafy, flowering plant that typically grows in a grove of 1d4+1 plants. The flowers produce a sweet smell, barely noticeable to dull human senses but irresistible to Animals that fail a Will save (DC 18). Flower color and leaf shape vary from species to species (a score of Monstrous Butterwort species grow in the Backswamp alone), so it can be difficult to differentiate Butterworts from other flowers. The Knowledge (nature) skill allows creatures to easily detect (DC 5) butterworts. Creatures with Survival can make an attempt (DC 12) to avoid.
A Monstrous Butterwort secretes adhesive sap from its leaves and flower’s tendrils. A creature that touches a Monstrous Butterwort can make a Reflex save (DC 16) to avoid being trapped and engulfed in viscous sap. An engulfed creature must make a Strength check (DC 18) to pry away from the glue-like sap in order to escape. A Monstrous Butterwort is large enough to completely ensnare any creature Large size or smaller. Creatures above size Large are too big to be trapped by a Monstrous Butterwort. If a creature cannot escape, 1d8 rounds later it becomes so covered in sap that it is subject to suffocation (DMG). Once the victim stops struggling, the Monstrous Butterwort seeps digestive fluids onto the body. A Monstrous Butterwort can normally digest a Medium sized meal in 1d4 days. Creatures that remain alive during this time suffer 1 point of acid damage per hour, cumulative (2 hp damage on second hour, 3 on fourth, and so on) until dead.
A Monstrous Butterwort must be uprooted, poisoned, or burned to destroy it. Every useless hit with a melee weapon requires the attacker to make a Reflex save (DC 16) or the weapon becomes stuck to the plant. A single application of universal solvent can remove a trapped item or creature instantly. A pre-application of oil of grease (potion) prevents entrapment altogether. If oil of grease is applied directly to a Monstrous Butterwort, the plant loses its adhesive properties and dies 1d4 days thereafter. A grease spell nullifies the adhesive for the duration of the spell.
Other types of plants also use adhesive sap to trap prey, including the Monstrous Sundew and Monstrous Shepherd’s Purse. The Monstrous Shepherd’s Purse is an underwater "sticky plant" found in many parts of the swamp digesting aquatic animals. The Monstrous Sundew only has sticky flowers, not sticky leaves as a Monstrous Butterwort does.
Flytrap[]
Hazard CR 2 – A Monstrous Flytrap can be found primarily growing on or near bogs. Each plant consists of several hinged, flat leaves radiating from a central stalk. These green leaves lie on the ground, camouflaged and open like bear traps, in wait for prey that inadvertently step on them. When potential prey touches or lands on one of the leaves, it snaps closed. Interweaving bristles hold the unfortunate victim like prison bars. A creature that touches the inside of a Monstrous Flytrap leaf must make a Reflex save (DC 14) to avoid being trapped. Those that save are only partially trapped and can easily slide out of the leaf’s clutches (it has no adhesive properties). An engulfed creature can make a Strength check (DC 20) to pry open the flytrap in order to escape.
Three rounds after the leaf closes, it floods with digestive enzymes that deal 1d4 points of acid damage per round to any organic material trapped in the leaf. Any item that is not digestible is expelled within 1d4 hours after all organic material is completely dissolved, and the leaf re-opens. A Monstrous Flytrap leaf is large enough to completely close over any creature Medium or smaller. Creatures of Large size or greater are too big to be trapped by a Monstrous Flytrap.
Although a flytrap’s primary source of food is giant vermin and small animals, the leaves close around anything that touches them. Inanimate objects thrown into a leaf trap can activate it, thereby neutralizing its threat for 1d4 hours. A Monstrous Flytrap’s central stalk is 8 feet tall, and the radiating leaves range up to 15 feet long. The traps themselves are 2d4 feet across. A typical Monstrous Flytrap stalk is AC 12 and has 20 hp, but each leaf trap has 30 hp. If a stalk is destroyed, all connected flytraps immediately cease digestion and fling open easily. A Monstrous Flytrap plant can be noticed by creatures possessing the Knowledge (nature) skill, requiring a skill check (DC 12) to detect and avoid. Those with Survival receive a check (DC 14) to avoid.
Monstrous Pitcher & Flytrap Plants in action
An underwater species of this plant, the Monstrous Waterwheel, thrives in the deeper bayous, estuaries, lakes, and swamps. It floats about underwater, using a trapping leaf to capture swimming prey. It can spin its waterwheel-shaped leaves to move slowly (speed 5 ft.) toward a potential victim. Waterwheels are at the mercy of currents, so they prefer stagnant or slow moving waters. There is also the mobile Stalking Flytrap that tracks prey on land instead of waiting for prey to come to it (use tendriculos monster stats with Monstrous Flytrap leaf trap rules)
Pitcher Plant[]
Hazard, CR 6 – A Monstrous Pitcher Plant typically grows in swamps, producing a grove of 2d4 plants with 1d4 massive pitchers on each plant.
Each plant is a cluster of tall, cup-like leaves shaped roughly like water pitchers. A single pitcher is about 15 ft. tall and 5 ft. in diameter, containing 40 cu. ft. of rainwater diluted with digestive bacteria, acidic enzymes, wetting agents and insinuative narcotics. Some pitchers on the plant are high above ground to catch giant flying creatures and birds by using a sweet smell to attract them. Other pitchers extend from the roots and are submerged below ground level, effectively becoming a well-camouflaged pit trap [DC 20 Reflex save avoids, Search DC 24, Knowledge (nature) DC 5, Survival DC 10] hidden by its own leaves and humus.
Creatures of Medium or smaller size can fit through the opening of these plants. The interior wall of a Monstrous Pitcher Plant is very slick, as if a permanent grease spell had been cast on it, and requires a Climb check (DC 25) in order to ascend out. A trapped character can try to cut its way out using claws or a light slashing weapon to deal 10 hit points of damage to the wall (AC 14). A typical Monstrous Pitcher is AC 14 and has 35 hp, but dealing it 5 hp of damage or more ruptures it enough to drain the water from it.
The internal water of each pitcher is dangerous, as evident by the floating skeletons and exo-skeletons of its previous meals. A trapped creature takes 1 point of acid and 1 point of disease damage per round from virulent bacteria. Any creature remaining inside a pitcher for more than 1 round is exposed to a heavy dose of narcotics, requiring the trapped creature to make a successful Fortitude save (DC 17) each round. Those that fail become docile and limp, now exposed to the possibility of drowning (DMG).
There are many species of Monstrous Pitcher Plants, including the green Monstrous Marsh Pitcher and red Monstrous Trumpet Pitcher. One variant of the plant, the blue Monstrous Corkscrew Pitcher, "flushes" its liquid, along with the trapped creature, into its hollow stalk to digest the victim (much like a snake swallows and digests its prey). Creatures with the Survival skill can easily avoid (DC 11) all Monstrous Pitcher Plant variants.