Umbral Banyan (CR 10)
Huge Plant
Alignment: Usually evil
Initiative: -1 (Dex)
Languages: speaks Sylvan but rarely chooses to do so.
AC: 18 (-2 size, -1 Dex, +11 natural), touch 7, flat-footed 18
Hit Dice: 15d8+75 (142 hp)
Fort +14, Ref +4, Will +4
Speed: 0 ft.
Space: 10 ft./15 ft.
Base Attack +11; Grapple +15
Attack: 4 tendrils +18 melee
Full Attack: 4 tendrils +18 melee
Damage: Tendril 1d8+9
Special Attacks/Actions: Improved grab, yank upward, Strength damage
Abilities: Str 29, Dex 8, Con 21, Int 4, Wis 9, Cha 12
Special Qualities: Plane shift, camouflage, plant, half damage from piercing
Feats: -
Skills: -
Advancement: 16-30 HD (Huge); 31-45 HD (Gargantuan)
Climate/Terrain: Any forest
Organization: Solitary
Treasure/Possessions: 1/10 coins; 50% goods; 50% items
Source:
Manual of the Planes
An umbral banyan is cagey enough to know that it has to strike with surprise to be successful. A sessile plant, it can't run if a battle goes against it, although it can retreat to the Plane of Shadow and fight there. It fights to the death unless it can grab a prisoner to bargain with as it seeks a truce.
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, the umbral banyan must hit a Large or smaller opponent with a tendril attack. Each successful grapple check after the first deals normal tendril damage. If it surprises multiple foes, the umbral banyan tries to grapple up to four of them, despite the reduced attack bonus for successive grapple checks (its highest bonus for grapple checks is +28).
Yank Upward (Ex): On the round after an umbral banyan grapples a foe, it can automatically yank the held creature 20 feet up into the air if it is still successfully grappling. Opponents who escape the grapple take 2d6 points of damage from the fall to the ground.
Strength Damage (Su): Beginning on the round after an umbral banyan yanks its prey upward, each tendril deals 1d4 points of temporary Strength damage each round it maintains the grapple (in addition to normal tendril damage). A successful Fortitude save (DC 22) negates the Strength damage for that round.
Plane shift (Su): As a free action, an umbral banyan can shift itself and any grappled opponents to a forest on the Plane of Shadow for 5 rounds, as the plane shift spell. The umbral banyan and any creatures within 20 feet of it return to the original spot on the Material Plane at the end of that time, unless the banyan is destroyed in the meantime, in which case any surviving opponents must find their own way home. Umbral banyans native to the Plane of Shadow can plane shift to a forest on the Material Plane in the same way.
Camouflage (Ex): Because an umbral banyan looks like a normal tree when at rest, it takes a successful Spot check (DC 25) to notice it before it attacks. Anyone with Survival or Knowledge (plants or herbs) can use those skills instead of Spot to notice the umbral banyan.
Half Damage from Piercing (Ex): Piercing weapons deal only half damage to an umbral banyan, with a minimum of 1 point of damage.