Inulpamahuida

Taken from the Creature Codex

What at first appeared to be a tangle of dead wood and broken branches begins to move, revealing a spiny monster with a bestial face and thick, bark-like skin.

Known by a variety of names such as “tree beasts”, “snag prowlers” and “wood devils”, the bestial inulpamahuidas are gargoyle-like creatures that prowl the deepest and most primal forests. They enjoy the company of fey and animals, but are fiercely territorial when it comes to humanoids and any of the trappings of civilization. Those that seek to log or hunt in the woods haunted by Inulpamahuidas never return, instead supplementing the forest with their own bodies transformed into plant life.

Inulpamahuidas are sociable creatures among themselves, and form packs that dwell in the tops of immense trees. Inulpamahuidas rarely touch the ground if they can help it, preferring to remain in the canopy to pounce upon the heads of unsuspecting humanoids. Their venomous claws contain a supernatural toxin that slowly lignifies it victims, turning flesh into wood and skin into bark with alarming speed. A creature immobilized by this toxin takes root and transforms fully into a tree of a species native to the area and is beyond saving except with powerful magic.

Inulpamahuidas reproduce in a manner befitting their hybrid nature between animal and plant. They are capable of flowering, although the flowers smell more like rotting meat than a sweet perfume, and pollen is carried from one flowering inulpamahuida to another by beetles or flies. The female inulpamahuida’s flower then transforms into a leathery fruit, which the parent buries in rich soil. The young inulpamahuida grows into a thorny bush and remains immobile for up to five years, whereupon it uproots itself and begins its mobile life.

An inulpamahuida stands four feet tall at the shoulder and stands about six or seven feet tall when rearing upright.

Inupalmahuida                 CR 9

XP 6,400

CN Medium plant

Init +3; Senses low-light vision, Perception +10, tremorsense 60 ft.

Defense

AC 24, touch 13, flat-footed 21(+3 Dex, +11 natural)
hp 114 (12d8+60); regeneration 5 (fire, plant-specific effects)
Fort +13, Ref +7, Will +6

DR 10/slashing; Immune plant traits; Resist electricity 10

Defensive Abilities thorny

Offense

Speed 40 ft., climb 40 ft.

Melee 2 claws +16 (1d6+6 plus poison), gore +15 (2d6+6)

Special Attacks vertical charge

Statistics

Str 23, Dex 16, Con 20, Int 4, Wis15, Cha 9

Base Atk +9; CMB +15; CMD 27

Feats Acrobatic Steps,Improved Critical (claw), Nimble Moves, Power Attack, Skill Focus (Stealth), Weapon Focus (claw)
Skills Climb +15, Perception +10, Stealth +15 (+23 in forested environments); Racial Modifiers +8 Stealth in forested environments
Languages Sylvan (cannot speak)

SQ freeze, slow fall (40 ft)

Ecology

Environment warm and temperate forests

Organization solitary, pair or pride (3-8)

Treasure incidental

Special Abilities

• Freeze (Ex) An inulpamahuida can take 20 on Stealth checks to hide in plain sight as a tangle of deadwood
• Poison (Su) Claw—injury; save Fort DC 21; frequency 1/round for 6 rounds; damage 1d3 Dex drain; cure 2 consecutive saves. Creatures reduced to 0 Dex are transformed into trees. They cannot be restored to life with raise dead or similar effects, but a break enchantment or remove curse (against CL 12th) can restore a transformed creature to life and flesh, although the Dex drain remains. The save DC is Constitution based.
• Regeneration (Ex) Fire and spells and effects that specifically target plant creatures, such as a blight spell, suppress an inulpamahuida ’s regeneration.
• Thorny (Ex) Any creature striking an inulpamahuida with a natural or melee attack takes 1d6+6 points of piercing damage from its long spikes. Manufactured weapons with the reach quality to don endanger their wielders in this way.
• Vertical Charge (Ex) When making a charge attack, an inulpamahuida deals an additional 1d6 points of damage for every 10 feet above its target it is when it initiates the charge.