Friday 2 May 2014

Edible Monsters - Part Four

This week's monster is an unusual plant that could prove useful to adventurers - as long as they're wary of its defences...


TRAITOR'S HAT

FREQUENCY: Rare
NO. APPEARING: 2-4
ARMOR CLASS: 9
MOVE: 0
HIT DICE: 2
% IN LAIR: Nil
TREASURE TYPE:  Nil
NO. OF ATTACKS: 0
DAMAGE/ATTACK: Nil
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Nil
SPECIAL DEFENSES: See below
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard
INTELLIGENCE: Non-
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
SIZE: M
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
    Attack/Defense Modes: Nil

The Traitor's Hat can be found in dense, dark woodland, caves, or dungeons. No-one is sure how this insectivorous plant gained such an unusual moniker, although it may be derived from that fact that Stirges sometimes use them as nests. There is a 50% possibility that 1-6 Stirges will be encountered with the Traitor's Hat, although evidence of their residence will be made obvious by the detritus of dead insect parts spread over a 20' wide area around the plant (Stirges always discard such rubbish when nesting). Traitor's Hats consume a variety of insects (including some giant varieties) which they lure using a pleasantly pungent, syrupy liquid pooled in a hollow at the topmost part of their bodies. Their victims are quickly poisoned by this substance and then drop down into the lower part of the plant, which derives sustenance from their decaying remains. The liquid is also poisonous to most other creatures that drink it (including humans and demi-humans) and should be treated as a Type B ingestive posion. However, if the hollow is carefully pierced several times, the liquid slowly percolates down through the body of the plant (a process that takes 1-3 hours) and around 1/2 of one pint can be collected underneath. The poison is thus negated, and anyone consuming all of this half pint will not require food nor drink for a 24 hour period.

Description: The Traitor's Hat is approximately 6' tall and has a conical body with a small hollow at its topmost part. Colors range from vivid orange to dark crimson. The body is supported by a stalk, which is black or dark blue in color.

Next week: Titan's Teeth...

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