Germination Stall

The Griffon's Saddlebag: Book Two p. 342 (Third Party)

Size
Huge
Type
plant
Alignment
chaotic evil
AC
12 (natural armor)
Hit Points
114 (12d12+36)
Speed
walk 0 ft.
Saving Throws
Con +6, Wis +3, Cha +7
Skills
Deception +10, Persuasion +10
Condition Immunities
charmed, exhaustion, unconscious
Senses
blindsight 150 ft. (blind beyond this radius)
Passive Perception
10
Languages
the languages its staff knew in life
Challenge
5
Lineage
Stall
STR
10
+0
DEX
1
−5
CON
17
+3
INT
13
+1
WIS
10
+0
CHA
18
+4

Traits

Proficiency Bonus

+3

Alluring Affluence

Whenever a humanoid ends its turn within 60 feet of the stall, it must make a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the creature has no hint that it is gradually falling under the effects of the stall's enchantment. If a creature succeeds on three of these saves, it is immune to this effect for the next 24 hours. If the creature fails three of these saves, it becomes charmed by the stall and must use all its movement on its turn to get as close to the stall as possible. The effect lasts for 24 hours or until the stall dies, is on a different plane of existence than the target, or ends the effect on the creature as a bonus action.

Dedicated Staff

The stall comprises a staff of 5 (2d4) seed coin pollinators. This staff collectively shares the stall's Innate Spellcasting and Magic Resistance traits, they can't willingly move more than 150 feet away from the staff, and they seek to defend the stall at all costs, including to their own peril. Some of the stall's effects can use a member or members of its staff as the point of origin.

False Appearance

The stall is indistinguishable from a normal merchant stall. However, a creature that has true-sight sees a deep red aura radiating from the stall, and a creature within 30 feet of it that is under the effect of a detect poison and disease spell senses the insidious nature of the stall and knows it is a plant creature.

Innate Spellcasting

The stall's innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 15). The stall can innately cast the following spells, requiring no components:

  • At will: detect, detect thoughts, prestigitation
  • 3/day each: comprehend languages, suggestion, unseen servant
  • 1/day each: create food and water, creation, geas, mass suggestion

Magic Resistance

The stall has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Unusual Nature

The stall doesn't require sleep. If the stall spends 1 hours in direct sunlight, it receives enough nourishment to sustain itself for one day. If the stall dies, it decomposes and is reduces to dirt within 7 days.

Actions

Enthralling Vines

The stall causes dark, creeping vines to protrude from itself and its staff, lashing out at creatures nearby. Each creature of the stall's choice within 10 feet of it or a member of its staff must succeed on a DC 14 Strength saving throw or be restrained by the vines for 1 minute. While restrained in this way, a creature has disadvantage on saving throws against the stall's Alluring Affluence. A creature restrained by the vines can use its action to make a DC 14 Strength check, freeing itself on a success. These vines disappear if the stall dies, or if it uses the action again. It can also choose to end the effect early on any number of restrained creatures it chooses as a bonus action.

Hostile Takeover

The stall attempts to magically compel one creature charmed by it that is within 5 feet of the stall or a member of its staff to swallow a seed coin. The target must make a DC 10 Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the target swallows the coin and is subjected to the seed coin's Infestation. When subjected to the effect in this way, the diseased creature is killed in a number of hours equal to half its Wisdom score, unless the disease is removed. If the target successful saves against this effect or the effect ends for it, it regurgitates the coin and is no longer charmed by the stall, and it is immune to the stall's Alluring Affluence for the next 24 hours.

Spells

Detect, Detect Thoughts, Prestigitation, Comprehend Languages, Suggestion, Unseen Servant, Create Food and Water, Creation, Geas, Mass Suggestion

Other data

description

It's not entirely clear how seed coin pollinators manage to coalesce and combine into a germination stall, as it's never been witnessed directly. What has been recorded is that by all indications, a germination stall looks like almost every other merchant stall around it. They often have their own quirks, based on the appearance of their staff members, which are their pollinators. They rarely make any sales, as their inventory seems deliberately unappealing. Instead, the pollinators channel energy from the stall to produce seed coins which can be slipped into pockets, left on the street, or offered as alms to the poor.