Monster Menagerie - Pumpkin Stalker
Monster Menagerie - Pumpkin Stalker
Pumpkin Stalker
entry. With a normal creature, the GM has limited
options on how to balance the foe for groups at a
much higher or lower level than the threat’s CR.
Pumpkin stalkers are creatures infused with both the raw
power of nature, and fearful abilities fueled by anger,
injustice, and violence. Pumpkin stalkers are generally
created by some combination of vast magical energy,
and pain, rage, fear, and unfortunate circumstances.
They are anchored to a specific natural area (classically
a pumpkin patch), and emerge periodically to wreak
havoc and destruction. A GM can read through the
six example pumpkin stalkers in the Rejuvenation
entry (below) for ideas on how pumpkin stalkers
can color an adventure.
While a classic pumpkin stalker
appears to be made of pumpkins and
vines (or at least infused with them—
an undead might well seem to have
pumpkin vines growing through its
corpse for example), it isn’t necessarily
a creature of the plane type. Instead this
appearance is indicative of the place
it is tied to, and its connections to
wild magic and the powers of anger
and fear (as represented by carved
pumpkins in many mortal cultures).
Sample Pumpkin
familiar must be killed.
5. A powerful fey watched over a wild pumpkin
patch, until it was razed to make room for a
local lord’s orchards (or vineyards, or cattle, or Stalkers
whatever). The fey brings the pumpkin stalker
Below are three premade pumpkin stalkers,
from the Fey Realm, to punish the lord (and
applying this template to an assassin vine, wyvern,
damage the things he values) to force the lord
and mohrg, for three very different kinds of
to let the fields grow wild once more. Of course
monstrosities (at CR 4, CR 8, and CR 11). A GM
the fey is immortal, and doesn’t really notice (or
can combine these with any of the backgrounds
care) that the mortal lord is long since dead, and
suggested above in the rejuvenation special ability,
his descendants have no idea why part of their
or create new backgrounds inspired by the form and
lands seem cursed or how they might fix it.
abilities of each pumpkin stalker.
The type of pumpkin stalker can only be
summoned when the barrier between the material
plane and the Fey Realm is weak, likely during Vine Stalker
powerful storms on nights of the new moon, or This gnarled collection of vines and pumpkins
similar moments displaying the raw power of carved into leering faces, convulses across the
nature. Permanently destroying it requires killing ground in an unnatural slither.
the fey or someone learning what angered the
fey and convincing the new lords to give up a Pumpkin Stalker Assassin Vine CR 4
valuable piece of their cultivated land.
XP 1,200
6. A foolish mortal made a deal with a devil NE Large plant
to have a pumpkin stalker to see to the mortal’s Init +0; Senses blindsight 30 ft., low-light vision;
contractual needs. This might be a greedy Perception +2
merchant seeking to guard his valuables, a parent
DEFENSE
grieving over the loss of a child and thus desiring
vengeance, or a ruling diabolist noble who uses AC 19, touch 12, flat-footed 16 (+2 Dex, +1 dodge,
the pumpkin stalker to destroy rebels and keep +7 natural, -1 size)
his own people too frightened of its existence to hp 38 (4d8+20)
risk opposing the noble (who carefully “drives Fort +9, Ref +3, Will +3
off” the creature whenever it attacks his capitol). Immune electricity, mind-affecting effects
Of course, devil’s bargains often get out of (charms, compulsions, morale effects, patterns, and
control, and the desires of the mortal don’t matter phantasms), paralysis, poison, polymorph, sleep
– only what the blood contract signed with the effects, and stunning, plant traits; DR 5/magic;
devil says. Perhaps a blob of wax drops on the Resist cold 10 and fire 10; does not need to breathe,
contract, changing it from “never harming” the eat, or sleep; SR 15
OFFENSE
Pumpkin Stinger
Speed 5 ft. A dragonlike form, its blue-and-green wings
Melee slam +9 (1d8+10 plus grab); plus fear immense and its tail tipped with a hooked stinger,
Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft. lands on two taloned feet and roars a challenge
Special Attacks constrict (1d8+10), entangle, from an elongated pumpkin head.
fascinating gaze (DC 17), fear (DC 17), hexes (DC
17) (may use as swift 2/day): blight, cursed wounds Pumpkin Stalker Wyvern CR 8
STATISTICS XP 4,800
NE Large dragon
Str 24, Dex 14, Con 20, Int -, Wis 15, Cha 11 Init +8; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision,
Base Atk +3; CMB +11 (+15 grapple); CMD 23 scent; Perception +19
(can’t be tripped)
SQ camouflage, rejuvenation DEFENSE
V
+12 melee (2d6+6 plus grab), 2 wings +7 (1d6+3);
ine stalkers
plus fear
are among
Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
the most common
Special Attacks fascinating gaze (DC 19), fear (DC
of pumpkin
19); hexes (DC 19) (may use as swift 3/day): blight,
stalkers, and
cackle, cursed wounds, evil eye; rake (2 talons +12,
represent
1d6+6)
the typical
angry, STATISTICS
mobile
Str 23, Dex 16, Con 22, Int 9, Wis 14, Cha 11
pumpkin
Base Atk +7; CMB +16 (+20 grapple); CMD 27
patch
Special Qualities rejuvenation
animated by
Feats Flyby Attack, Improved Initiative, Iron Will,
evil magic.
Skill Focus (Perception)
Skills Fly +7, Perception +19, Sense Motive +12,
Stealth +9
Languages Draconic
10
P umpkin stingers are most common in rocky hill- Create Spawn (Su) Humanoid creatures killed by
lands where sorcerous blood has been spilled a mohrg rise immediately as fast zombies under the
in hate and betrayal, and the magic from the blood mohrg’s control. The sudden bloom of unlife when a
mixes with local plants and old curses to form a mohrg’s victim dies and becomes a zombie causes a
draconic creature of eldritch power, long claws, and surge of negative energy to flow through the mohrg.
a dragonlike jack-o-lantern head. Whenever a mohrg creates a zombie in this manner,
it is healed 1d6 hit points per HD possessed by the
Death-O-Lantern slain creature and acts as if hasted for the round
immediately following the spawn’s creation.
A thick tangle of discolored vines and entrails clings
to this lurching skeleton’s torso and winds upward
to loll from like a clawed tongue from the gaping
T he death-o-lantern is among the most dangerous
of pumpkin stalkers, generally created by
powerful evil forces bargaining to grant a servant to
mouth of its jack-o-lantern head.
a druid grieving terrible loss and seeking vengeance,
Pumpkin Stalker Mohrg CR 11 a coven of hags, or powerful diabolist-necromancer.
The death-o-lantern combines the bloodlust of a
XP 12,800 terrible killer’s spirit with plants grown from soil
CE Medium undead fertilized with the blood of his victims.
Init +10; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision;
Perception +24
DEFENSE
AC 28, touch 17, flat-footed 21 (+4 Dex, +3 dodge,
+11 natural)
hp 119 (14d8+56)
Fort +6, Ref +12, Will +10
Immune polymorph, undead traits; DR 10/magic,
SR 20. Cannot be targeted by any spell that affects
only creatures of a specific type unless the spell
affects both plants and undead.
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft.
Melee 2 slams +17 (2d8+7 plus grab), tongue +10
melee touch (paralysis); plus fear
Special Attacks create spawn, fascinating gaze
(DC 21), fear (DC 21); hexes (DC 21) (may use
as swift 5/day): agony, blight, cackle, cursed
wounds, evil eye, misfortune, flight; paralysis
(1d4 minutes, DC 23)
STATISTICS
Str 25, Dex 23, Con -, Int 13, Wis 12, Cha 18
Base Atk +10; CMB +17 (+19 grapple); CMD 34
Feats Ability Focus (paralysis), Dodge, Improved
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