Blights
Blight Lore
Nature DC 10: True to their name, blights are
accursed flora, birthed in blood and corrupted toward
evil ends by foul magics.
Though often created in defense of natural places, the
ill intent that pervades their being inevitably spreads to the lands where they root, often doing more harm in the long term than whatever danger they were meant to repel.
On top of that, those magics of death by which they are animated leave them dry and malnourished even in
times of plenty, and blights are often found to be
the ignition point of particularly ruinous forest fires.
Nature DC 15: Though remarkably ambulatory for
plants, considered against nonplant creatures their movements seem sluggish, in part because they
leech tiny exploratory roots into the earth with
each step.
While doing so makes it quite difficult to move
them against their will, snapping those tiny
tendrils by uprooting them causes significant
damage and distress to the blight.
Leaf Blight Tactics
Leaf blights shuffle mindlessly directly toward
the nearest non-plant creature they can sense,
attacking with their Razorleaf Flurry as they approach. They take no special effort to stay near each other for their Scatterdrift Spawning, but use it at each opportunity.
If there are no nonplant creatures remaining in the range of their blindsight, they stop moving and take no actions.
Splinter Blight Tactics
Splinter blights fight much as leaf blights do, but wait until a creature comes within range of their Splinter Volley to reveal themselves. If they begin their turn within 5 feet of two or more enemies, they use their Splinterblast.
They always use their Chain Burst whenever available if within 5 feet of at least one enemy, regardless of any allies that would be hit.
Twig Blight Tactics
Twig blights attempt to ambush using their False Appearance, typically revealing themselves only if they can attack that turn, or at least reach enemies by dashing.
If enemies seem to be moving toward them, however slowly, twig blights continue hiding with their False Appearance even after combat is joined. Once they begin fighting, they seperate into squads of 3-5, prioritizing any enemy that can produce fire.
Amber Blight Tactics
Amber blights attack in groups of 3-5, each group selecting a different target and trying to Attach one blight to it each round. With that achieved, remaining amber blights will use their Trap Blood in anticipation of their Amber Cursebond.
Blightbirth
4th-level transmutation
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: Touch
- Components: V, S, M (A fresh, size Medium or larger corpse)
- Duration: 8 hours (concentration)
You shove a fistfull of earth through the chest of the corpse used as a material component and tendrilous vines begin to sprout from its wounds, tearing forth as newborn blights into the nearest unoccupied spaces. Choose one of the following for what are created:
- Two Vine Blights.
- Three Needle Blights
- Five Twig Blights
- Ten Splinter Blights
The created blights are friendly to you for the spell's duration. If the corpse used as a material component for the spell was humanoid, the created blights act on your initiative obey your verbal commands for the spell's duration, and remain non-hostile toward you after the spell ends unless provoked.
If you don't issue any commands to them, they defend themselves from hostile creatures, but otherwise take no actions.
Spell Lists. Druid, Ranger
Bloodbriar
Leaf Blight
Small plant, neutral evil
- Armor Class 13 (Natural Armor)
- Hit Points 7 (2d6)
- Speed 10 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 5 (-3) 13 (+1) 10 (+0) 4 (-3) 8 (-1) 3 (-4)
- Damage Vulnerabilities Fire
- Condition Immunities Blinded, Deafened
- Senses Blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this radius), Passive Perception 9
- Languages understands Common but can’t speak
- Challenge M1 (40 XP)
False Appearance. While the blight remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from a pile of dead leaves.
Shallow Roots. If the blight is forced to move or is knocked prone, it dies.
Minion. If the blight takes damage from an attack or as the result of a failed saving throw, its hit points are reduced to 0. If the blight takes damage from another effect, it dies if the damage equals or exceeds its hit point maximum, otherwise it takes no damage.
Actions
Razorleaf Flurry (Group Attack). Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 30 ft., one target. Hit: 1 slashing damage.
Reactions
Scatterdrift Spawning. When two or more leaf blights within 30 feet of each other take any non-fire damage, each of them can collapse into a drift of leaves, forming a new Leaf Blight in an unoccupied space within 30 feet of each of them.
Splinter Blight
Small plant, neutral evil
- Armor Class 12 (Natural Armor)
- Hit Points 9 (2d6 + 2)
- Speed 20 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 8 (-1) 12 (+1) 13 (+1) 4 (-3) 8 (-1) 3 (-4)
- Damage Vulnerabilities Fire
- Condition Immunities Blinded, Deafened
- Senses Blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this radius), Passive Perception 9
- Languages understands Common but can't speak
- Challenge M3 (140 XP)
False Appearance. While the blight remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from a splintered branch.
Shallow Roots. If the blight is forced to move or is knocked prone, it dies.
Minion. If the blight takes damage from an attack or as the result of a failed saving throw, its hit points are reduced to 0. If the blight takes damage from another effect, it dies if the damage equals or exceeds its hit point maximum, otherwise it takes no damage.
Actions
Slivered Claws (Group Attack). Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 3 piercing damage.
If this attack misses a creature wearing heavy armor, one of the blights that contributed to it dies.
Splinter Volley (Group Attack). Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 30 ft., one target. Hit: 2 piercing damage.
Splinterblast. The blight creaks and groans, then bursts, spraying splinters in a 5 foot radius.
The blight dies, and each creature in the the area must succeed on a DC 11 Dexterity saving throw or take 3 piercing damage.
Reactions
Chain Burst. When the blight is dealt any damage by a friendly creature or killed by its Slivered Claws, it can use its Splinterblast before falling unconscious.
Murasa Sproutling
Twig Blight
Small plant, neutral evil
- Armor Class 13 (Natural Armor)
- Hit Points 13 (3d6 + 3)
- Speed 20 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 6 (-2) 13 (+1) 12 (+1) 4 (-3) 8 (-1) 3 (-4)
- Damage Vulnerabilities Fire
- Condition Immunities Blinded, Deafened
- Senses Blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this radius), Passive Perception 9
- Languages understands Common but can’t speak
- Challenge M6 (285 XP)
False Appearance. While the blight remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from a dead shrub.
Shallow Roots. If the blight is forced to move or is knocked prone, it dies.
Minion. If the blight takes damage from an attack or as the result of a failed saving throw, its hit points are reduced to 0. If the blight takes damage from another effect, it dies if the damage equals or exceeds its hit point maximum, otherwise it takes no damage.
Actions
Snaptwig Shoots (Group Attack). Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 3 piercing damage.
If three or more blights contributed to this attack, the target is grappled (escape DC 12).
Whenever a creature grappled in this way takes an action, it takes 2 piercing damage, then can attempt to escape (no action required).
Amber Blight
Small plant, neutral evil
- Armor Class 14 (Natural Armor)
- Hit Points 13 (3d6 + 3)
- Speed 20 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 14 (+2) 13 (+1) 14 (+2) 4 (-3) 8 (-1) 3 (-4)
- Damage Vulnerabilities Fire
- Condition Immunities Blinded, Deafened
- Senses Blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this radius), Passive Perception 9
- Languages understands Common but can’t speak
- Challenge M9 (500 XP)
False Appearance. While the blight remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from a gnarled amber deposit.
Shallow Roots. If the blight is forced to move or is knocked prone, it dies.
Minion. If the blight takes damage from an attack or as the result of a failed saving throw, its hit points are reduced to 0. If the blight takes damage from another effect, it dies if the damage equals or exceeds its hit point maximum, otherwise it takes no damage.
Actions
Resinous Clutches (Group Attack). Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 bludgeoning damage.
If three or more blights contributed to this attack, one of them becomes Attached to the target (remove DC 14), and remains Attached even when dead until it is removed or dealt any fire damage.
A creature subtracts 1 from its attack rolls and Dexterity saving throws for each blight Attached to it in this way.
Trap Blood. The blight collects and seals a drop of blood from a creature within 5 feet that doesn't have all of its hit points, preserving it.
Reactions
Amber Cursebond. When a creature the blight can see within 30 feet whose blood it has collected makes a saving throw against a spell or magical effect, the blight can become Petrified.
If it does, the creature gains disadvantage on the triggering saving throw.
Needle Blight Tactics
As with other blights, needle blights attempt to ambush with their False Appearance, ideally initiating combat when their foes are roughly 50 feet away.
Needle blights fight evasively, staying near the edge of the first range increment of their Barbed Needles and retreating to cover after attacking each turn, trying to lure pursuers into the path of other, slower blights that have not yet revealed themselves.
They prefer to attack any creature that does not yet have their needles embedded in it, afterwards attacking whichever enemy is closest.
Vine Blight Tactics
Vine blights wait as long as possible to reveal themselves; if possible they will attack first with their Constricting Embrace, but if an opportunity seems unlikely they
will dash toward an enemy and use their
Tanglegrowth to prevent its escape.
Once close to an enemy, they attack with
their Constricting Embrace until it is grappled,
then use their Bloodquest Rootlets until it fails
its saving throw, then back to their Constricting
Embrace until it or its enemy is killed.
Thicket Blight Tactics
Thicket blights act loosely as commanders
of groups of blights, hanging back somewhere
with good lines of sight for triggering their
Blightpollen Alarm as they attack with
their Blooming Darts.
If enemies close to melee with them,
they use their Thorny Thrash, then back
up and continue firing Blooming Darts,
even if doing so would provoke opportunity
attacks.
Tree Blight Tactics
Tree blights often initiate combat by throwing
a blight minion variant or other slow-moving
ally using their Lob Blight Ability, then
continue using that until all such allies are
locked into melee before wading in and
attacking directly.
They typically attack first with their Grasping
Roots, then follow up by repeatedly hitting the
same target with their Blood-Blackened Branch
until it is freed or knocked unconscious before
moving on to another target.
They use their Toppling Vengeance against
the most injured enemy they can reach,
particularly those who are restrained or
unconscious.
Rules Reminder: For no-save damage effects such as Lob Blight , minions are killed only if the damage exceeds their maximum hit points; otherwise, they take no damage.
Design Intent: Lob Blight. As the tree blight's Lob Blight ability requires a willing target, it is not intended to count as forced movement for the purposes of any blight's Root Bound or Shallow Roots traits.
Blights
Needle Blight
Medium plant, neutral evil
- Armor Class 12 (Natural Armor)
- Hit Points 55 (10d8 + 10)
- Speed 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 12 (+1) 12 (+1) 13 (+1) 7 (-2) 8 (-1) 3 (-4)
- Damage Vulnerabilities Fire
- Condition Immunities Blinded, Deafened
- Senses Blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this radius), Passive Perception 9
- Languages understands Common but can't speak
- Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)
False Appearance. While the blight remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from a spiny stump.
Root-Bound. The blight has advantage on saving throws to resist being moved or knocked prone.
Whenever it is forced to move or is knocked prone, the blight loses 9 (2d8) hit points.
Actions
Longspine Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (2d4 + 1) piercing damage.
Barbed Needles. Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, range 30/60 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (2d6 + 1) piercing damage and the needles become embedded in the target (remove DC 11).
Until the needles are removed, the target's speed is reduced by 5 and it takes 1 piercing damage whenever it takes an action.
Reactions
Prickly Retort. When the blight is hit with a melee attack, it can deal 3 piercing damage to the attacker.
If the triggering attack was an unarmed attack or one with a natural weapon, the attacker takes an additional 2 piercing damage.
Vine Blight
Medium plant, neutral evil
- Armor Class 12 (Natural Armor)
- Hit Points 71 (11d8 + 22)
- Speed 10 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 15 (+2) 8 (-1) 14 (+2) 5 (-3) 10 (+0) 3 (-4)
- Damage Vulnerabilities Fire
- Condition Immunities Blinded, Deafened
- Senses Blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this radius), Passive Perception 10
- Languages Common
- Challenge 1 (200 XP)
False Appearance. While the blight remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from a tangle of vines.
Root-Bound. The blight has advantage on saving throws to resist being moved or knocked prone.
Whenever it is forced to move or is knocked prone, the blight loses 9 (2d8) hit points.
Actions
Constricting Embrace. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (2d6 + 2) bludgeoning damage and the blight enters the target's space and grapples it (escape DC 12).
While it has a creature grappled in this way, the blight and the grappled creature are each restrained.
Bloodquest Rootlets. Threadlike roots grow out from the blight, forcing a creature grappled by it to succeed on a DC 12 Constitution saving throw or have the roots enter its wounds.
Until the grapple ends or the creature receives any magical healing, at the beginning of each of its turns the creature loses 5 (2d4) hit points and the blight regains an equal amount of hit points.
Bonus Actions
Tanglegrowth (Recharges when the blight regains hit points). A burst of growth roils out from the blight, carpeting the area in a 15 foot radius in dense roots and vines.
The area is difficult terrain for nonplant creatures, and a creature that enters a space in the area for the first time in a turn must succeed on a DC 12 Strength saving throw or fall prone.
Thicket Blight
Large plant, neutral evil
- Armor Class 13 (Natural Armor)
- Hit Points 105 (14d10 + 28)
- Speed 20 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 16 (+3) 14 (+2) 15 (+2) 6 (-2) 14 (+2) 4 (-3)
- Skills Perception +4, Survival +4
- Damage Vulnerabilities Fire
- Condition Immunities Blinded, Deafened
- Senses Blindsight 120 ft. (blind beyond this radius), Passive Perception 14
- Languages Common
- Challenge 3 (700 XP)
False Appearance. While the blight remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from a tangle of brambles.
Root-Bound. The blight has advantage on saving throws to resist being moved or knocked prone.
Whenever it is forced to move or is knocked prone, the blight loses 11 (2d10) hit points.
Bramble-Armor. A creature that hits the blight with a melee attack for the first time on a turn takes 3 piercing damage.
Whenever the blight takes 10 or more fire or slashing damage from a single source, the damage dealt by this trait is reduced by 1 until it completes a long rest.
Actions
Multiattack. The blight makes two attacks with its Blooming Dart, one of which it can replace with a use of its Thorny Thrash.
Blooming Dart. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, range 40 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) piercing plus 7 (2d6) poison damage.
Thorny Thrash. The blight shudders and thrashes, forcing each creature within 5 feet of it to succeed on a DC 13 Strength saving throw or take 7 (2d6) slashing damage and be pushed 5 feet away, or take half as much damage on a success.
Reactions
Blightpollen Alarm. When a creature the blight can see deals any fire damage, the blight can release an agitating pollen in a 60 foot radius.
Each plant creature in the area gains advantage on the first attack it makes against that creature in the next minute.
Tree Blight
Huge plant, neutral evil
- Armor Class 15 (Natural Armor)
- Hit Points 161 (14d12 + 70)
- Speed 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 23 (+6) 10 (+0) 20 (+5) 5 (-3) 10 (+0) 3 (-4)
- Damage Vulnerabilities Fire; Slashing
- Condition Immunities Blinded, Deafened
- Senses Blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this radius), Passive Perception 10
- Languages Common, Druidic
- Challenge 7 (3,900 XP)
False Appearance. While the blight remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from a dead tree.
Root-Bound. The blight has advantage on saving throws to resist being moved or knocked prone.
Whenever it is forced to move or is knocked prone, the blight loses 13 (2d12) hit points.
Actions
Multiattack. The blight makes two attacks, each of which it can replace with a use of its Lob Blight.
Blood-Blackened Branch. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 16 (3d6 + 6) bludgeoning damage and the target is pushed 5 feet away.
A grappled creature is not pushed and instead takes an additional 7 (2d6) bludgeoning damage.
Grasping Roots. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: The target is grappled (escape DC 15) by the root, which has its own hit points and can be destroyed (AC 15, 6 HP).
A creature grappled in this way takes 10 (3d6) bludgeoning damage at the beginning of each of its turns.
Lob Blight. The blight flings a willing Medium or smaller creature within 10 feet up to 40 feet to an unoccupied space the blight can see.
The flung creature takes 7 (2d6) bludgeoning damage, does not fall prone, and can immediately use its reaction to make a melee attack.
Reactions
Toppling Vengeance. When the blight drops to 0 hit points, it can fall onto a creature within 15 feet before dying.
The creature must succeed on a DC 17 Dexterity saving throw or fall prone and be restrained under the blight's corpse (escape DC 17), or move to the nearest unoccupied space on a success.
Art Credits
- Bloodbriar by Tomasz Jedruszek
- Murasa Sproutling by Svetlin Velinov
- Blights by Conceptopolis
- Bisk, Goblin King by Rae Elderidge
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