Lifeforms · Flora · Forest/ Jungle
Broad Oaks
There are times at night when you think the evil tree spirits are out to get you. They open their eyes. They reach for you, grasping for your soul. When you try to run, the very ground rebels, you trip and fall, often finding the branches reaching for you in the night air.
Broad Oaks are just that, Oaks that tend towards great width than height, more so than most oaks. The Broad Oak branches are longer, more gnarled, than most oak branches. (These gnarls will often catch fur and fabric of creatures brushing against them as well.) They also tend to fork multiple times near their ends. While they do appear in groves, they will 'randomly' appear in any oak forest.
The Broad Oak has a broader root 'sphere' than most oaks. Like the branches, the roots fork more than regular oak roots. Many of these roots will run along the surface. They create a 'bramble' or area where the dirt under the roots has eroded slightly. This make excellent nesting areas for rodents, snakes (many poisonous), and other small animals. It also makes great places for animals and people walking and running through the area to trip and break their ankles. Of course, in a panic most people will entangle themselves in the other surface roots of the bramble.
In half light or low light, Broad Oaks branches appear more menacing... more spoooky... ent-like. This is not aided by the fact that owls and tree orriented cats tend towards living in them. (Giving glowing eyes in the half light).
Additional Information
How this will play out.... One broad oak with an owl will act like a scary tree. People back up and get 'touched' by a low gnarled branch... grabbing them. They will then run away encountering a larger bramble zone and have to make multiple tripping and falling rolls.
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- Whimsical Flora Scrasamax
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Hehe, flashback to childhood. A good post with some ideas that could be used to scare paranoid players.
The best monsters are those that are unknown and those that disappear. That is the entire purpose of these trees.
Place an owl or other nocturnal critter (or two) in the branches for eyes... a dimly lit night in the gloomy forest. To those without any woodlore, this would seem to be a monster tree. Especially since the extended branches look like fingers.... Make a fear/ sanity check in the woods... feel the branches grabbing and holding you... try to run, but they grab at you still and you trip. AHHHHH!!!!!
So when you return to the scene of the attack during the day, the monster is gone as is all trace. What was it? AHHHH!!!
Even during the day, a grouping of broad oaks will make for riding/ running/ dodge checks for your PCs as the hunt chase or try to escape. In fact, a wise woodsy organization might place these around their compound to hinder escape or entry.
Of course, after the players encounter these from time to time and become blase about it... hit them with an Evil Tree Spirit that is animated. :)
A nice non-combative plant! I like it.
That is what it about. Everyone has time to make 'the big things', but not everyone has the time or the creativity left to make the little things. That is what we should do, make the things people can just pick up in their shopping cart and use in their game.
I really like this plant. It is a challange to the players, without being an obvious monster. It is the logical explanation for things that go bump in the night, that aren't there in the day (AND can not be detected by magic).
I like it.