Dungeons & Dragons 2024 (D&D) Monster/NPC: Tendriculos
Remove these ads. Join the Worldbuilders Guild
MME3 216
The tendriculos is a monstrous moving mass of plants and other vegetation, reaching up to 15 feet in height. A tangle of ever-moving vines, weeds, and branches supports its massive body. Located on its topside is the tendriculos' huge mouth that is filled with circular rows of sharp wooden teeth that drip with venom. Two 15-foot long and thick tendrils extend from both sides of its body, covered in leaves and jagged thorns.
Ambush Predator. The tendriculos is a voracious carnivore that stalks temperate bogs, forests, jungles, and swamps. It lurks in areas of heavy vegetation, pretending to be a mound of foliage, and waits for unsuspecting prey to pass near it.
Venomous Hunter. When engaged in combat, the tendriculos uses its massive tendrils to grab targets. Those captured are drawn into its maw to be bitten and injected with paralyzing venom. Once incapacitated, victims are swallowed and deposited into the tendriculos's stomach and digested. If faced with multiple or tough opponents, the tendriculos can spit a large number of its venomous teeth, showering a wide area with them.
Absorbs Vegetation. The tendriculos is a difficult creature to destroy. Foes discover to their horror that the tendriculos can regrow any damaged portions of its body by absorbing nearby vegetation. Should any of its tendrils be severed, the tendriculos can reattach it or grow one instantly, with the leaves and branches quickly closing the gap and supporting the detached tendril with new vines.
| MOD | SAVE | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| STR | 19 | +4 | +4 |
| DEX | 9 | -1 | -1 |
| CON | 19 | +4 | +4 |
| MOD | SAVE | ||
| INT | 4 | -3 | -3 |
| WIS | 8 | -1 | -1 |
| CHA | 4 | -3 | -3 |
Traits
False Appearance. While the tendriculos remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from a normal mound of vegetation.
Regeneration. The tendriculos regains 10 hit points at the start of its turn if it is touching at least 5-feet square of vegetation. This feature consumes the vegetation. If the tendriculos takes acid or fire damage, this trait doesn't function at the start of the tendriculos's next turn.
Actions
Multiattack. The tendriculos makes three melee attacks: two Tendril attacks and one Bite or Swallow.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 17 (3d8 + 4) piercing damage, and the target must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned for 1 minute. Until this poison ends, the creature is paralyzed. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
Tendril. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 15 ft., one creature. Hit: 7 (1d6 + 4) bludgeoning damage and if the target is Large or smaller creature, it is also grappled (escape DC 14). Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained. The tendriculos has two tendrils, each of which can grapple only one target. Each tendril can be attacked (AC 12; 20 hit points; immunity to poison and psychic damage). Destroying a tendril deals no damage to the tendriculos, which can grow a replacement tendril as an action.
Swallow. The tendriculos makes one Bite attack against a Large or smaller target it is grappling. If the attack hits, the target is also swallowed, and the grapple ends. While swallowed, the target is blinded and restrained, it has total cover against attacks and other effects outside the tendriculos, and it takes 10 ( 3d6 ) acid damage at the start of each of the tendriculos's turns. A tendriculos can have up to four Small creatures, two Medium, or one Large creature swallowed at a time.
If the tendriculos takes 20 damage or more on a single turn from the swallowed creature, the tendriculos must succeed on a DC 14 Constitution saving throw at the end of that turn or regurgitate the creature, which falls prone in a space within 10 feet of the tendriculos. If the tendriculos dies, a swallowed creature is no longer restrained by it and can escape from the corpse by using 15 feet of movement, exiting prone.
Poison Breath (Recharge 5-6). The tendriculos exhales poisonous splinters in a 30-foot cone. Each creature in the area must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes 22 (4d8 + 4) piercing damage and is poisoned for 1 minute. Until this poison ends, the creature is paralyzed. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. On a successful save, a creature takes half as much damage and isn't poisoned.
Find your way!
Resources
WHO WE ARE
LEGAL
Get the news
Listen to our Podcast
Our Allies
