Mutant Cacti
If you’ve never checked out The Public Domain Review, you should. It’s nifty. Keen, even. The two illustrations that accompany this post come from Iconographie descriptive des cactées, ou, Essais systématiques et raisonnés sur l’histoire naturelle, la classification et la culture des plantes de cette famille by French botanist Charles Lemaire (for more information, check this out).
Many dangers exist in the radioactive deserts of the mutant future.
Erinaceus
Alignment: Neutral
Movement: 30′ (10′)
Armor Class: 6
Hit Dice: 4
Attacks: 1
Damage: 1d4 (plus 3d6 poison)
Save: L2
Morale: 8
Hoard Class: None
XP: 245
Mutations: Projectile Thorns (Class 3 Poison), Unique Sense (“Smell” Water [60 feet])
An erinaceus is a roundish, predatory cactus with a thick, tough exterior. It rolls slowly by shifting water stored in its tissues toward the direction of travel. This plant senses water, to include the natural moisture stored in most creatures’ bodies, via an olfactory sense analogous to the sense of smell. An erinaceus brings down prey by means of its projectile thorns. These thorns have the same ranges as a thrown dagger, and each packs a powerful toxic punch (save for half damage permitted). Once its prey is down, an erinaceus rolls to it and uses its roots to extract the prey’s blood.
Hexadres
Alignment: Neutral
Movement: None
Armor Class: 8
Hit Dice: 6
Attacks:
Damage:
Save: L6
Morale: 7
Hoard Class: None
XP: 1,070
Mutations: Fragrance Development (Plants), Neural Telepathy, Teleport
A hexadres is an intelligent, telepathic cactus. Inoffensive and contemplative, a hexadres prefers to simply teleport away if molested. Of course, a hexadres is often protected by various creatures that have fallen victim to the plant’s enticing scent. A hexadres communicates via telepathy.
