Lanternmoss

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Lanternmoss (CR 2)

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.

GENERAL

CR 2 Hit Dice 3

XP 600

N, Medium, Plant

Init +1; Senses lowlight 120 ft., Perception +5

DEFENSE

AC 16, touch 12, flat-footed 14 (+2 dex, +4 armor)

hp 22

Fort +5, Ref +2, Will +2

Aura: Deadly Energies

SR: - 12

Special Defenses: Spell Resistance (see above)

Immunities: Plant traits

• all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, morale effects, patterns, and phantasms) (a plant with an Int score loses this trait)
• poison
• sleep
• polymorph, paralysis, stunning

Weaknesses: -

OFFENSE

Speed none, Lanternmoss cannot move

Space / Reach: 5 ft. / 5 ft.

Single Melee none

Full Melee none

Ranged Deadly Rays +4 (1d8+1/x2 positive energy, Range 30 ft.)

Special Attacks Deadly Energies

Action Points 0

STATISTICS

Str -, Dex 10, Con 12, Int -, Wis 8, Cha 16

Base Atk +2; CMB +6; CMD 16

Feats -

Skills -

Languages -

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Deadly Energies

Deadly Energies is an aura which is only active while the Lanternmoss is inside an area of bright light. Deadly Energies affects all squares within thirty feet of the Lanternmoss' square. Deadly Energies is activated when the Lanternmoss takes a move action to do so. Deadly Energies inflicts 2 points of positive energy damage to all creatures inside the aura, except undead which take double damage from the Deadly Energies, and other lanternmoss, which is immune to all Deadly Energies auras.

TREASURE

sell value of approximately 500 gp

COMBAT TACTICS

Lanternmoss is utterly mindless and thus has no tactics. 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, etc, etc.

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