Monster of the Week: Carnivorous Garden
Beautiful, deadly wards protecting arcane sanctums
A carnivorous garden is created by a sorcerer through a secret magical ritual that surrounds their tower with a wide expanse of flesh-eating plants. Those attempting to traverse this area, absent the sorcerer’s company, may find it a fatal choice.
Most carnivorous gardens have at least one path leading from the edge of the garden to the tower at its center. Some sorcerers extensively landscape their gardens with streams, pools, bridges, gazebos, etc.—all surrounded by deadly vegetation.
Unaccompanied creatures, of small size or larger, within melee range of the garden (including creatures on any paths through the garden) will be attacked by animated vines, roots, runners, etc. The method depends on the nature of the particular plant in question. To keep encounters interesting, the DM should describe a variety of colorful and exotic flowers, bushes, small trees, and other plants, each using an appropriate means of seizing its target. Regardless of the method employed, a successful hit means a plant has grabbed its target, adjusting the target’s chances to hit by -1. During the next round, the plant will pull the target to itself, automatically inflicting 1d8 points of damage per round through constriction, strangulation, piercing, and/or digestion (again depending on the type of plant the DM is envisioning). Any hit on the plant will free the target, but as long as the target remains within melee range, it’s at risk of being seized again—either by the first plant, or by another.
Targets can escape the plants by moving out of the garden’s melee range, or by reducing the garden as a whole to zero hit points. The latter represents destroying enough plants that the garden can safely be traversed with appropriate caution—but does not represent the death of the garden as a whole. A garden reduced to zero hit points will regain one hit die (rolled by the DM) of hit points per day, until it’s once again at full strength.
Characters accompanied by the sorcerer who created the garden will not be molested, but the DM should make a reaction roll for each character on behalf of the garden. On a result of 12, the garden “likes” that character. As they pass, the plants will reach out to caress and “kiss” the character. In the future, they and anyone accompanying them can safely pass through the garden. They will not know this automatically, but may discover it through trial-and-error.
The plants in the garden will consume their dead victims, except for the skeletons and possessions, over the course of a few days. Carnivorous gardens are often peppered with these grim remains. Some sorcerers leave any treasure where it falls, others collect it and hoard it in their tower.
Armor Class: 9
Hit Dice: 36*
Move: Nil
Attack(s): 1 attack per target, per round
Damage: 1d8 + grab
No. Appearing: 1
Save As: Fighter 18
Morale: 12
Treasure Type: H
Alignment: Nil
XP: 4500
N.B. Carnivorous gardens are inspired by the garden of Shool, in Michael Moorcock’s The Knight of the Swords.