Fantasy Monster: Dryadcula

You can now support Shaper Of Worlds on Patreon.

Dryadcula

A lithe figure, sensual despite her proportions being just slightly off, with a mane of yellow, orange, and red leaves instead of hair. Her skin is chalky white with patches of brown, like a sickly birch. Her arms end in gnarled, branch-like talons.

CR 8; XP 4,800
CE Medium Undead

Init +5; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +15

Defense
AC 21, touch 18, flat-footed 16 (+3 deflection, +5 Dex, +3 natural)
hp 95 (10d8+50); fast healing 5
Fort +8; Ref +10; Will +11

Defensive Qualities channel resistance +4, leaf swarm; DR 5/magic and cold iron; Immune undead traits

Weakness hollow tree

Offense
Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft.

Melee 2 claws +12 (1d4+2 plus blood thorns)

Special Attacks blood thorns (entangled, 3d6 bleed, DC 27 to escape)

Spell-Like Abilities (CL 10th, concentration +15)

Constant—speak with plants (dead plants only)

At Will—blight (4th, DC 19), warp wood (DC 17)

3/day—tree stride (dead trees only)

Statistics
Str 14, Dex 20, Con —, Int 13, Wis 15, Cha 21
Base Atk +7; CMB +9; CMD 27

Feats Acrobatic Step, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Nimble Moves, Weapon Finesse

Skills Acrobatics +15, Climb +10, Escape Artist +15, Knowledge (nature) +11, Perception +15, Stealth +18

Ecology
Environment forest
Organization solitary or pair
Treasure standard (pieces of ironwood harvested from the remnants of dryadcula's hollow tree)

Special Abilities

Blood Thorns (Su) Creatures struck by a dryadcula's claws are immediately entangled by thorny vines, suffering 3d6 points of bleed damage each round, until they free themselves (or are freed) with a successful grapple or Escape Artist check against dryadcula's CMD.  The vines will anchor the target in place, if the target was in area of light or heavy vegetation or adjacent to a tree when struck. Attempting to free the victim is a standard action. Effects that kill, control, or shape plants (e.g. blight, control plants, warp wood or wood shape) allow the target to be freed immediately. Note that magical healing or bandaging stops the bleeding for a moment, but as long as the creature remains entangled in blood thorns, the embedded thorns reapply bleeding on the following turn anyway.

Hollow Tree Each dryadcula is bound to a single dead tree, hollow inside, often dry rotted and covered in fungi. If the hollow tree is ever destroyed, the dryadcula is destroyed as well. The hollow tree has hardness 10 and 150 hit points, the same saving throws as dryadcula, and recovers lost hit points equal to bleed damage inflicted by dryadcula's blood thorns.

Leaf Swarm (Su) A dryadcula can turn into a cloud of leaves, acting as a swarm of Fine creatures while doing so, with AC of 23, flight speed of 30 ft. (perfect) and Fly bonus of +17. While in that state, dryadcula is immune to weapon damage but becomes vulnerable to area attacks and can't attack or use her spell-like abilities. When a dryadcula is reduced to 0 hit points, she transforms into a leaf swarm and tries to return to her hollow tree, where she rests until she fully recovers over the next 24 hours. If she fails to reach her hollow tree in a single hour, or is caught in a sunlight, she is destroyed.

Dryadculas are a cruel, twisted remnants of dryads turned into vampiric monstrosities—the earliest recorded specimens were the first victims of newly vampirized baron Voohrsk who unleashed his newfound powers against the unruly and rebellious fey of his lands that opposed his vision.

Dryadculas roam the areas surrounding their hollow trees, hunting prey for blood they need to sustain their hollow trees, which are slowly but eternally rotting, while trying to keep the location of their trees secret, for their very existence is dependent on them. They are particularly hostile toward those who would clear the forest (especially lumberhacks), for obvious reasons, but they also strike at those who would clear woods of darkness, corruption and undead. It seems as if their mere presence acts as an attractor for darker things and evil forces to converge on the areas they inhabit.