Lanternmoss

Lanternmoss (CR 2)

Neutral - Medium - Plant

Lore:	Know (Nature)
4		19
Basic DC		Full DC

Initiative

3

Perception:
14	+4
Passive	Active

Ambush:

10+

on a d20

Senses:

• Standard Vision
• Blind to Sound
• Blind to Smell
• Low-Light Vision

Movement Types:

• Immobile

Defense

AC

16

Man Def

16

Monster Health
41	20	3
Hit Points	Bloodied	Hit Dice

Saving Throws
Fort:	+5
Refl:	+0
Will:	+0

Strong Against:

• (Mindless) Immune (no effect): all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, fear, morale effects, patterns, and phantasms)
• (Plant 1) Immune (no effect): poisons (tainted, poisoned, blighted), magical sleep (drowsy, sluggish, asleep), paralyzed, stunned, polymorph
• (Plant 2) Immune (no effect): Forced movement (including Drag, Reposition), Prone (quelled, prone, splayed)
• Immune (no damage): positive (energy, uncommon) damage

Weak Against:

Offense

Size:	Medium
5 ft.		5 ft.
Space		Reach

To-Hit

+4

Man Off

+0

Action

0

Points

Standard Attack (Melee):

Full Attack (Melee):

Standard Attack (Ranged):

• 1x Deadly Ray +8 vs. AC (always hits on a 17+ on the die) (1d8+3/19-20 x2)
  as positive (energy, uncommon)
  (Increment: 30 ft.; Max Range: 30 ft.)
  only usable when exposed to bright light.

Full Attack (Ranged):

Siege Damage: Not siege capable

Statistics

—

STR

10

DEX

12

CON

—

INT

8

WIS

16

CHA

Skills:

• Perception: 4
• All other skills: 0 (no ranks)

Languages:

Feats:

Special Abilities

Luminous Energies (Su, Aura) Move Action, with conditions

Luminous Energies is an aura which is only active while the Lanternmoss is inside an area of bright light. Luminous Energies affects all squares within 30 feet of the Lanternmoss' square. As a move action, the Lanternmoss may trigger Luminous Energies, which inflicts 1d4 points of positive (energy, uncommon) damage to all creatures inside the aura, except undead which take double damage from the Luminous Energies. Lanternmoss' are immune to positive energy damage.

Phosphorescence (Ex) Automatic

Lanternmoss illuminates all squares within 30 feet of its space with dim light at all times. It does not require line of sight or line of effect to provide this light. Yes, this effect will provide dim light around corners or even through walls. It is only stopped by force effects.

Spell Resistance (Ex) Automatic

Lanternmoss has spell resistance, making it very difficult to affect with magic. Any caster attempting to cast a spell which targets or affects the lanternmoss must first make a Caster Check versus the Lanternmoss' Maneuver Defense (DC 16). If this check is failed, the spell is cast (used up) but does nothing to the lanternmoss. Of course, any spell which is not subject to spell resistance can bypass this ability.

Lanternmoss

Lanternmoss is a deadly vegetable menace that also manages to be extremely useful...as long as you keep it away from bright light.

Lanternmoss is typically found underground, where it ranges from the occasional patch to massive growths that can stretch for miles. In complete darkness, Lanternmoss glows with a gentle phosphorescence that provides dim light to a surprisingly large area. As a result, lanternmoss is tremendously valuable in underground passages and areas, since lanternmoss will provide a low level of illumination that many races find extremely useful.

The problem arises because of the source of that light. Lanternmoss is a magical plant, and has a direct connection to the upper planes, so it is infused with positive energy. In darkness, the lanternmoss uses this positive energy to grow, and provides dim light. When Lanternmoss is exposed to bright light, however, it no longer needs the positive energy to glow and instead uses the positive energy to create a deadly aura of positive energy.

This feature means that Lanternmoss beds that take root above ground...rapidly kill everything around them and can spread like an unstoppable wall of doom unless rooted out at night. Underground, a bed of lanternmoss is highly valuable, until you walk past it with a torch.

Needless to say, some races like lanternmoss and will cultivate it, and some races burn it out everywhere they find it.

Combat Tactics

Lanternmoss is utterly mindless and thus has no tactics. While it is in the area of a bright light, lanternmoss will use a standard action every round to attack the closest creature that is not lanternmoss with its Deadly Ray, and then use a move action to activate its Luminous Energies aura.

Out of Combat

Intelligent monsters have found many uses for Lanternmoss, such as planting it all over the outer walls of their underground fortress and then activating it by dropping torches, or growing Lanternmoss inside sealed boxes and using it as catapult ammunition, or planting it in a corridor and activating it with magical light spells when enemies are in the area, etc.

Creatures without strong eyes (such as humans) tend to expunge lanternmoss everywhere they find it.

Rewards

XP: 600

Treasure: Sellable Goods worth 500 gp.

Weight: 20 lbs.     Volume: 0.8 cu. ft.

Optional Treasure Rules: Roll a d20 on Table 1 below once per encounter (NOT per creature). Any items discovered are in addition to the normal treasure for the encounter.

Table 1: Remnant(s) Found
1 - 10	Nothing Found
11 - 14	1 Languid Remnant (tier 1)
15 - 17	1 Pale Remnant (tier 2)
18 - 19	1 Bright Remnant (tier 3)
20	Roll on Table 2
###	Nothing to see here!
###	Or here. Move along.

Table 2: Remnant(s) Found
1 - 5	3 Languid Remnants (tier 1)
6 - 10	3 Pale Remnants (tier 2)
11 - 14	1 Intense Remnant (tier 4)
15 - 17	1 Blazing Remnant (tier 5)
18 - 19	1 Vital Remnant (tier 6)
20	Roll on Table 3
###	Or here. Move along.

Table 3: Remnant(s) Found
1 - 5	3 Bright Remnants (tier 3)
6 - 8	3 Intense Remnants (tier 4)
9 - 11	3 Blazing Remnants (tier 5)
12 - 14	3 Vital Remnants (tier 6)
15 - 17	1 Prime Remnant (tier 7)
18 - 19	1 Mythic Remnant (tier 8)
20	1 Empyrean Remnant (tier 9)