Hangman Vine

Layer 1 · Habitat: Dim Galleries

A bark-skinned worm up to 20 m long, hanging from ceilings like a dead vine

Description

What looks like a dead vine hanging from a gallery ceiling is a worm with skin like bark, up to 20 meters long; most of it lies coiled in a crack above. It doesn’t hunt. It waits, and anything that walks beneath it is caught, strangled and hauled up into the dark. It is run as a trap, not a creature.

Hangman Vine

Trap (dangerous for levels 5–10)

Trigger. A creature moves within 10 feet of the vine's hanging end.

Effect. Dexterity Saving Throw: DC 12. Failure: The vine wraps around the creature, which takes 7 (2d6) Bludgeoning damage and has the Grappled and Restrained conditions. Success: The creature dodges, and the vine pulls back up out of reach.

Hauling. At initiative count 10 each round, the vine hauls the creature it holds 10 feet up and squeezes, dealing 7 (2d6) Bludgeoning damage. It can lift a creature as high as the ceiling allows.

Escape. The held creature, or anyone within reach, frees it with one successful attack against the vine (AC 12) or a successful DC 14 Strength (Athletics) check as an action. Any Fire damage to the vine also makes it let go. When released, the creature falls the distance it was lifted, taking 1d6 Bludgeoning damage per 10 feet.

Detection. A successful DC 14 Wisdom (Perception) check notices the vine twitch, and a DC 12 Intelligence (Nature) check recognizes it as alive. A thrown object or a pole passed beneath it triggers it safely; the vine then takes 1 minute to lower itself again.