PBE Games on DriveThruRPG

Friday, April 17, 2009

Carnivorous Water Lily

In the article about my One Page Dungeon Contest entry I made passing mention of a few of the creatures I'm going to be using in the dungeon. Today's article talks about the beautiful and deadly Carnivorous Water Lily (photo by Ctd 2005).

Plants capable of surviving in underground pools and and rivers are few and far between. The Carnivorous Water Lily thrives in these environments, supplementing the scant nutrients taken up through its roots with heartier fare it captures with its specially perfumed flowers and round, sticky leaves.

Carnivorous Lilies look very much like their mundane kin. Long flexible stems rise from the rhizome, supporting broad, rounded leaves that float across the water's surface. Similar stems support the plant's large ornate flowers. The similarity ends there. The leaves of the Carnivorous Lily are nearly colorless, and their surface is covered with thousands of tiny hairs that exude a sticky sap. The plant's flowers have dead white petals with many long yellow stamens. The plant's stems are animate and covered with tiny hooked spines. Carnivorous Lilies are quite large, a single plant can spread to cover a 15 to 20 foot radius pool with individual leaves that are a foot or more across.

The plant's flowers emits a perfumed scent that carries a potent sleep-inducing chemical. Once a victim is subdued by the plant uses its sticky leaves and spiny stems to drag them underwater, drowning them. The plant is not particularly tough, and a conscious human-sized victim can easily break free, though the plant's usual prey (amphibians and vermin) are not so lucky. Once drowned the victim is held near the plant's roots, which grow into the remains and being the digestion process.

Attributes:
  • Great potency sleep poison cloud (20' radius).
  • Mediocre toughness and strength vines.
  • Great reach with vines and leaves.
  • Poor mobility.

No comments: