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Gro'kosh

A tumbling array of writhing plant material rolls across the ground. Covering the undulating vines are vicious blue-tipped spines and a variety of strange blooming flowers in a variety of colors and shapes.

Gro'kosh CR 10

Usually NE Medium plant
Init +7; Senses low-light vision, telepathy 100 ft.; Perception +16

DEFENSE

AC 25, touch 13, flat-footed 22 (+3 Dex, +12 natural)
hp 102 (12d8+48)
Fort +12, Ref +7, Will +7
Immunities plant traits; DR 10/bludgeoning or slashing; SR 17

OFFENSE

Speed 40 ft.
Melee 4 vines +16 (2d6+6)
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 12th)

3/day—soften earth and stone (DC 16), warp wood (DC 16)
1/day—transmute rock to mud (DC 19)

TACTICS

Before Combat A gro'kosh is difficult to surprise. When it becomes aware of nearby combat through its implanted minions, the gro'kosh diverts its followers to defend their master, to engage the enemy in combat, and to block the enemy's escape routes.

During Combat A gro'kosh uses soften earth and stone and transmute rock to mud to slow any melee fighters while it moves forward to engage spellcasters and archers. If able, a gro'kosh avoids killing creatures that it believes could be useful to dominate.

Morale If a gro'kosh still has a creature controlled with an implanted seed, it fights to the death, commanding any controlled creatures to escape. Otherwise, when reduced to less than 20 hit points it attempts to flee using soften earth and stone and warp wood to slow anyone chasing it.

STATISTICS

Str 22, Dex 16, Con 18, Int 14, Wis 12, Cha 18
Base Atk +9; CMB +15; CMD 28 (can't be tripped)
Feats Blind-Fight, Improved Initiative, Improved Natural Attack (vine), Iron Will, Weapon Focus (vine)
Skills Knowledge (geography) +14, Knowledge (nature) +14, Perception +16, Sense Motive +13
SQ improved telepathy

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Implant Seed (Su)

As a full round action that provokes attacks of opportunity, a gro'kosh can implant a seed into a pinned or helpless intelligent living creature. The target can resist with a DC 20 Fortitude save. The save DC is Constitution-based.

The gro'kosh can control a creature implanted with one of its seeds as dominate monster. At any one time, a gro'kosh can control creatures whose total Hit Dice does not exceed twice its own Hit Dice. It may dispel this ability on an affected creature as a free action. Remove disease destroys the seed and ends the domination.

Improved Telepathy (Su)

A gro'kosh can communicate telepathically with any creature within 100 feet that has a language. A gro'kosh can communicate telepathically with a creature implanted with one of its seeds at unlimited range (as long as both are on the same plane).

Regrow (Su)

When killed, a gro'kosh can transfer its essence to a creature implanted with one of its seeds. A gro'kosh can continue to command that creature, but not others. The gro'kosh reforms 2d6 days later, consuming the body of the host. If the implanted creature dies or the seed is removed before the gro'ko sh reforms completely, then the gro'kosh dies and cannot regenerate itself.

ECOLOGY

Environment any
Organization solitary
Treasure standard

Bizarre and intelligent, a gro'kosh is a mass of plant life that one could describe as a living and vibrant tumbleweed. These plants use the sharp thorns on their numerous vines to grip and drag themselves across the ground at exceptional speed. The distinctive flowers populating their forms separate them from other plant life and are always strange and numerous, often combining at least a half a dozen different types of flora with most of them found only on the gro'kosh's body. These flowers act as the creature's eyes and ears.

The average gro'kosh in its natural form is roughly spherical in shape with a diameter of 4 feet, but it is capable of shifting its form to fit into a smaller area. The gro'kosh can stretch out in order to squeeze into a passage as narrow as one foot wide.

Gro'kosh are intelligent plant-like creatures from exotic lands. They are adept leaders and are very effective at combating powerful mages. However, this does not make them a benevolent nor trustworthy ally. Their greatest strength is the ability to control other creatures and use them to further the gro'kosh's cause.

Ecology

The gro'kosh gathers sustenance by boring its vines deep into the earth and drawing moisture and other nutrients from the soil. They are not able to consume the flesh of creatures or other plant life.

When gro'kosh remain near stone, earth, and wood for several days, those objects begin to lose their form, as if they were melting at an incredibly slow pace.

Habitat & Society

The gro'kosh dominates a few key individuals and through them controls the rest of its flock. Often these followers do not know even who there true master is. When one controlled by the gro'kosh becomes aware of a threat, it quickly relays this information back to the gro'kosh, who can pass this information to other thralls. In this way, the gro'kosh can easily coordinate defenses, responding nearly instantaneously when a threat appears.

How the cults around them act largely differentiates the gro'kosh. No two gro'kosh can work together for too long before they find the goals and methods of the other lacking.

Gro'kosh seek to establish powerbases for themselves, and to a lesser extent their race. They do not care about others' goals unless it coincides perfectly with their own.

Section 15: Copyright Notice - Wayfinder #1
Wayfinder #1. © 2009, Paizo Fans United. Author: Adam Daigle, Charles Evans, Clinton J. Boomer, Colter "Dreamweaver" Guthrie, Craig "flash_cxxi" Johnston, Cristian "Cicattrix" Bodea, Dennis "daOgre" Baker, Eric "Epic Meepo" Morton, Ernesto "Montalve" Ramirez, Guy Humual, Hal Maclean, Ian "cappadocious" Cunningham, Kelly "Gotrek22" Gragg, Jeff "Shadowborn" Lee, Jonathan "Wicht" McAnulty, Joshua "Zynete" Blazej, Justin "Black Fang" Sluder, Larry "Larcifer" Wilhelm, Lissa "SunshineGrrrl" Guillet, Matthew "The Twitching King" Stinson, Michael "Ask a Shoanti" Kortes, Mike "taig" Welham, Neil Spicer, Ross Byers, Russ Taylor, Paris Crenshaw, Tae-Bin "Nerrat Dei" Gulliver, Theodore "Zuxius" Thompson, Troy E. Taylor.