The trunk of this large, gnarled willow tree is obscured by cascading tangles of branches.
Lorelei Willow CR 5
Lorelei willow illustration by Russ Nicholson copyright © 1982. Used without permission.
Always N Huge plant
Init -1; Senses blindsense 40 ft., low-light vision; Listen +7, Spot +7
AC 14, touch 7, flat-footed 14
(-2 size, -1 Dex, +7 natural)
hp 69 (7 HD)
Immune plant traits
Resist fire 10
Fort +10, Ref +1, Will +2
Spd 0 ft.
Melee slam +11 (2d6+12)
Space 15 ft; Reach 15 ft
Base Atk +5; Grp +21
Atk Options constrict (2d6+12), improved grab
Special Actions lashing branches (+11 melee, 2d6+8)
Abilities Str 27, Dex 9, Con 20, Int 2, Wis 11, Cha 9
SQ mimicry
Feats Alertness, Toughness
Skills Listen +7, Spot +7
Advancement 8–14 HD (Huge), 15–21 HD (Gargantuan)
Constrict (Ex) A lorelei willow deals 2d6+12 points of damage with a successful grapple check.
Improved Grab (Ex) To use this ability, a lorelei willow must hit an opponent of any size with a slam attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can constrict.
Lashing Branches (Ex) As a full round action, the lorelei willow lashes out with a mass of branches at all creatures within its threatened area. It can make one slam attack at its full base attack bonus into any occupied square within reach. (So creatures occupying more than one square would be subject to more than one attack.) A normal lorelei willow has a melee attack bonus of +11 and does 2d6+8 points of damage with each hit.
Mimicry (Ex) A lorelei willow can imitate the sounds of almost any creature that has approached it within the last year.
Plant Traits Immune to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, polymorph, and stunning. Not subject to critical hits.
Resistance to Fire (Ex) The wet sap of the lorelei willow gives it fire resistance 10.
This willow is a rare species of carnivorous plant found in dark and tangled swamps and forested areas near marshes.
Strategy and Tactics
Each lorelei willow’s slam attack is a single mass of many long, whip-like branches which lash out at its prey. The highly flexible and elastic branches then attempt to grasp and constrict in an attempt to crush the life out of the unfortunate victim.
Once the willow has killed a victim, it drops the lifeless body to the ground by its roots. At this point special rootlets appear from the soil and encircle the body. These rootlets secrete an enzyme that rapidly dissolves flesh. Within 1d4+1 hours after the body strikes the ground, only the armor and other nonorganic matter will be left. These are usually hidden by further plant growth at the base of the tree or partially buried in the earth.
Lorelei Willow Lore
Characters with ranks in Knowledge (nature) can learn more about lorelei willows. When a character makes a successful skill check, the following lore is revealed, including the information from lower DCs.
| DC | Result |
|---|---|
| 16 | This tree is a lorelei willow, a carnivornous plant. |
| 21 | A lorelei willow is resistant to fire. |
| 26 | A lorelei willow can lash out with its branches at all creatures within range. |
Sample Encounter
As they are unable to move themselves, lorelei willows rely on their mimicry ability to draw prey close.
Solitary (EL 5): A single willow has taken root near a popular footpath.
Stand (EL 7–11): A grove of two to eight lorelei willows has sprung up deep in a dismal bog.
Ecology
Lorelei willows strongly resemble true willows, and this leads many to mistake it as such.
Each lorelei willow possesses sophisticated hearing organs in each of four depressions in the tree trunk that resemble knot-holes. These organs each point in a different direction and have a range of 180 feet. They transmit all sounds heard to a mass of nervous tissue (corresponding to a brain) located in the earth immediately below the trunk. While they understand no languages, these monsters can pick out the voices of humanoids and the like. These sounds are then imitated and repeated through a vocal organ at the tree-top that is not visible from the ground. They can also repeat other voices heard within the last year, and are likely to do so if aware of the presence of creatures in the vicinity.
The goal of the willow is to lure curious beings to within its threatened area. The moment one of its long, whip-like branches is touched, a mass of branches lashes out at the prey. One interesting thing about this monster is that it seems to learn to use certain phrases it hears over and over, as these phrases attract more wanderers. These might be calls for help, voices in half-whispers, foreign tongues, and so forth that draw a lot of attention.
Environment: Lorelei willow are found in temperate marshes.
Typical Physical Description: A lorelei willow is about 30 feet high, though larger specimens can grow to be 40 feet or so in height.
Typical Treasure
Lorelei Willows have standard treasure for their Challenge Rating, about 1,600 gp.