Monster Monday - Petalcloak (Patreon)

The ranger watched the machine in fascinated interest as its heavy claws pulled the stump from the earth. It reared back, exposing a belly filled with churning teeth that it slowly pushed the stump into. Splinters sprayed across the glade as the rotted stump was chewed apart, but most of it was pulled deeper into the machine's gut, added to its internal compost. Once the refuse had been properly pulverized, its only evidence of existence being the hole where it was once rooted and the scattering of sawdust, the robot settled back onto its knuckles and ambled on its way. As it began to move outside of the vision of her hiding spot, the shifted to try to keep an eye on it - only to freeze as a branch snapped underfoot. She held her breath as the machine suddenly stilled, its blue lights shifting to orange as it whirred and clicked. Slowly, the animalistic robot turned to wash its amber glow over her hiding spot before it beeped aggressively and the light switched to an angry crimson.

This ferrous fiend formulates foul but fecund fertilizer from fallen flora that is flushed onto fields with fervent force to fuel the flourishing of flowers.

Original concept by Cameron McLoud, illustration by spooky-activity!

While this is another collaboration with Cameron McLoud, there's something a little different this time around. When we settled on this, we didn't actually have art for it and Cam hadn't fully committed to a design. But we talked together and came up with some general concepts that honestly got me really excited for this design. So excited that I ended up going ahead with the creature without waiting on the art or even Cam's D&D design. This led to some divergence in our designs but I am honestly really happy with what I made, so I stuck to the roots I had put down.

The fun idea behind the petalcoak is that it's not an aggressive machine, it isn't looking for a fight. It just wants to tear down remnants and ruins of the old world, grind them up and turn them into compost, and then plant new foliage. Cam wanted its composting to be a major aspect of its kit and we talked back and forth a bit before I developed Deadly Stench. This is a super simple aura. It just has a short range and an effect that exposes creatures to its Petal Poison. This inhaled poison only uses a moderate DC save and doesn't even deal poison damage. Instead, it starts with a stench so pungent, that it causes eyes to water and leave creatures dazzled. Continued failures against this effect leaves creatures sickened, but this can progress all the way to full-on unconsciousness. However, even if the petalcloak manages to knock out a creature with this, it isn't a machine that would set to slaughtering the slumbering sucker. Instead, it would much rather wander off and return to its job of sowing seeds.

And in that regard, it has a few tools to make use of. Honestly, they comprise the majority of the rest of its kit. First up is Fertilize, a simple ability that lets it spray its composted materials, mixed with super grow chemicals, to rapidly accelerate the growth of foliage. With most foliage, this simply turns it into difficult terrain or greater difficult terrain if it was already rough to travel through. Now, the petalcloak can move through this overgrowth without much issue thanks to its Wild Stride, but it also has another trick up its sleeve. The petalcloak collects and stores seeds of its own and can deploy them for a range of effects. It mainly has grass as an option for when it comes across already barren landscapes, but its other options have a bit more effect. For example, it can deploy brambles to create hazardous terrain, unleash dizzying flower and fungi that can confuse creatures, and finally unfurl entangling vines. The DCs used here are both for moderate DCs and with these targeting Reflex and Will saves, it can affect all three saves within its kit. That's something I always like to do with my designs for creatures, but I also think that you could come up with plenty of fun seeds for your own idea. Maybe even touching on some of the magical plants within Pathfinder!

ENCOUNTER HOOKS

Planting Peril: The plant databanks in a petalcloak have become corrupted, causing it to collect and plant even more dangerous foliage than usual. This could lead to it sowing fields of yellow musk creepers, assassin vines, or other largely sedentary but still dangerous plant enemies. This would likely be best demonstrated through simply setting up an encounter with a petalcloak along with these plants, but there could also be a version that can summon lower-leveled plant creatures. In such a case, Fertilize should become a two- or even three-action effect to enhance the seeds into full-on creatures.

Bad Seed: In most encounters, the petalcloak should be written as uninterested in fighting. It wants to get away and get back to planting. However, there might be instances where somebody corrupts a petalcloak or takes it from its original purpose. Druids or other primal casters could likely make the most use of this, putting down plants for the petalcloak to improve on and otherwise using it to reclaim nature from civilization.

Have a monstrous Monday!