Seed Coin
The Griffon's Saddlebag: Book Two p. 340 (Third Party)
- Size
- Tiny
- Type
- plant
- Alignment
- chaotic evil
- AC
- 5
- Hit Points
- 2 (1d4)
- Speed
- walk 0 ft.
- Skills
- Deception +4, Persuasion +4
- Condition Immunities
- charmed, exhaustion, unconscious
- Senses
- blindsight 30 ft. (blind beyond this radius)
- Passive Perception
- 6
- Languages
- understands Common but doesn't speak it
- Challenge
- 1/2
Traits
Proficiency Bonus
+4
False Appearance
The seed coin is indistinguishable from a normal copper piece. However, a creature that has truesight sees a deep red aura radiating from the seed coin, 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 seed coin and knows it is a plant creature.
Unusual Nature
The seed coin doesn't require sleep. If the seed coin spends 1 minute in direct sunlight or a creature spends 1 hour in direct sunlight while the seed coin is on the creature's person, the seed coin receives enough nourishment to sustain itself for one day. When the seed coin dies, it becomes an ordinary copper piece.
Actions
Infestation
Melee Weapon Attack: +0 to hit, reach 0 ft., one humanoid that has the seed coin on its person. Hit: The creature must succeed on a DC 10 Wisdom saving throw or its mind becomes imperceptibly infected with a disease until the seed coin is no longer on the creature's person or the creature dies. Creatures immune to the charmed condition are immune to this disease, and a creature that succeeds on the saving throw is immune to this disease for the next 30 days. The seed coin's influence invades a diseased creature's mind, killing the creature in a number of hours equal to 1d12 + the creature's Wisdom score, unless the disease is removed. In half that time, the creature becomes charmed for the rest of the duration and refuses to part with the seed coin. If a diseased creature dies while the seed coin is on its person, it immediately regains all its hit points and becomes a seed coin pollinator, as the seed coin takes over its body. The seed coin doesn't gain access to the creature's knowledge, class features, or proficiencies while controlling a creature in this way. This infestation lasts until the seed coin pollinator dies, killing the seed coin.
Other data
description
Besides the occasional silver, most seed coins grow to closely mimic the appearance of the local copper coin, using its limited psychic abilities to match its shape to the bearer's perception. This same psychic connection is also the coin's means for beginning its infestation of a creature's body. Grim speculations suggest that it purposefully takes the form of a copper piece to increase the likelihood of ending up in the possession of prey that can more easily disappear, such as common laborers or beggars.
Seed Coins: Out of all the strange plants across the Material Plane, perhaps the most insidious among them is the seed coin. Taking the appearance of a humble copper piece, or occasionally a silver, they easily pass from hand to hand in marketplaces. When they take root, they develop into their second stage of growth, infested pollinators that only appear human. These walking 'flowers' latch onto and collectively build the third stage, a germination stall, which coordinates the coins and pollinators to further expand their reach.
Pernicious Parasite. Because it relies on such mundane and seamless camouflage, the danger of this plant's infestation is considerable. These simple but deadly plants have been known to eradicate entire cities, especially thriving and bustling trade centers. As such, many cities with large enough ports or roadways keep a constant team of investigators on hand to follow leads from their money changers. In a city as large as Antronec, it's impossible to register every merchant and stall, so the Mercantile Guild's currency department focuses on careful and consistent examination of their coinage at their various Fiscal Exchange Centers. If the Federal Mint and Savings suspects an infestation, their first step is usually to offer the city's populace 11 freshly minted copper pieces in exchange for 10 used ones. They do this in order to test if the coinage is made from plant matter and burns, or metal that melts normally.