Shambling Mound
CLIMATE/TERRAIN:Swamps or sub-terranean
FREQUENCY: Rare
ORGANIZATION: Solitary
ACTIVITY CYCLE: Any
DIET: Omnivore
INTELLIGENCE: Low (5-7)
TREASURE: B, T, X
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
NO. APPEARING: 1-3
ARMOR CLASS: 0
MOVEMENT: 6
HIT DICE: 8-11
THAC0: 8 HD:13, 9-10 HD:11, 11 HD:9
NO. OF ATTACKS: 2
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 2-16/2-16
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Suffocation
SPECIAL DEFENSES: See below
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Nil
SIZE: L (6'-9' tall)
MORALE: Fanatic (17-18)
XP VALUE: 8 HD: 6,000 (+1000 for each Hit Die)
Shambling mounds, or shamblers, appear to be heaps of rotting vegetation. They are actually an intelligent form of plant life, with a roughly humanoid shape, and a brain-like control center in its ``chest'' area. A shambler has a 6-foot girth on its lower half, tapering to about 2 feet at its ``head.'' Shambling mounds are found only in regions of dense rainfall and vegetation. Dismal swamps, marshes, and rain forests are their favorite living areas, but some wet, subterranean places also serve as shambler lairs. They are solitary beasts, rarely living in the same area with other shamblers -- usually only in areas where the food source is constant, near famous ruins, or abandoned gold mines.
Shamblers are almost totally silent and invisible in their natural surroundings; opponents suffer a -3 penalty to surprise rolls. A shambler often lies in a shallow bog, waiting for some creature to walk onto it, then it attacks. The creatures are excellent swimmers as well, and they have been known to sneak into the camps of unsuspecting travelers at night.A shambling mound attacks with huge, arm-like appendages; a victim hit by both arms in the same round is entangled in the creature's slimy vines and rotting vegetable matter. Entangled creatures suffocate in the slime in 2d4 rounds unless the shambler is killed, or the victim breaks free with a successful bend bars/lift gates roll.
Because of the vegetation which covers its critical inner body, the shambling mound is immune to blunt weapons, and takes only half damage from piercing and slashing weapons. The creature is immune to fire, and takes half or no damage from cold, depending on whether it makes its saving throw. Lightning actually causes a shambler to grow, adding 1-foot to its height, as well as 1 HD and appropriate hit points, for each lightning-based attack used against it.Because of the location of its brain, the shambler cannot be killed by lopping off its head or limbs. The remaining vines along the torso join together to form a new extremity within one round. Only when enough of the shambling mound has been hacked away, will it finally die. A wounded shambler need only rest in a damp clump of foliage to heal; it rises again in 12 hours, fully healed, and probably angry.Since shamblers gain power from electrical attacks, there are rumors of shambling mounds with 20 or more Hit Dice. Since they often live in the same areas as will-o'-wisps, there may be truth to such rumors, and giant shamblers may inhabit deep, dark swamps and jungles.
Based on this info and the ToB Shambling Mound, I've created three of my custom versions:
Druid Level 1-14
Lesser Shambler
Level (HD) 12
STR: 18
DEX: 10
CON: 16
INT: 7
WIS: 7
CHA: 7
AC: 4
THAC0: 9
Hit Points: 80
Regeneration: 1 hit point every 5 seconds
Attacks: 2 per round (2d4 crushing damage per attack, 50% chance to Entangle opponent on hit save vs spells at +2 to avoid)
Saving throws:
Paralyzation/Poison/Death 7
Rod/Staff/Wand 9
Petrification/Polymorph 8
Breath Weapons 8
Spells 10
Resistances:
Magic Damage: -50
Acid: 0
Poison: 0
Cold: 25
Electricity: 127
Fire: 50
Crushing: 30
Piercing: 15
Slashing: 15
Missile: 15
Druid Level 15-24
Shambling Mound
Level (HD) 16
STR: 20
DEX: 10
CON: 18
INT: 7
WIS: 7
CHA: 7
AC: 2
THAC0: 5
Hit Points: 110
Regeneration: 1 hit point every 4 seconds
Attacks: 2 per round (2d6 crushing damage per attack, 50% chance to Entangle opponent on hit save vs spells to avoid)
Saving throws:
Paralyzation/Poison/Death 4
Rod/Staff/Wand 6
Petrification/Polymorph 5
Breath Weapons 4
Spells 7
Resistances:
Magic Damage: -50
Acid: 0
Poison: 0
Cold: 50
Electricity: 127
Fire: 75
Crushing: 60
Piercing: 30
Slashing: 30
Missile: 30
Druid Level 25+
Greater Shambler
Level (HD) 20
STR: 22
DEX: 10
CON: 20
INT: 7
WIS: 7
CHA: 7
AC: 0
THAC0: 1
Hit Points: 140
Regeneration: 1 hit point every 3 seconds
Attacks: 2 per round (2d8 crushing damage per attack, 100% chance to Entangle opponent on hit save vs spells at -2 to avoid)
Saving throws:
Paralyzation/Poison/Death 3
Rod/Staff/Wand 5
Petrification/Polymorph 4
Breath Weapons 4
Spells 6
Resistances:
Magic Damage: -50
Acid: 0
Poison: 0
Cold: 50
Electricity: 127
Fire: 90
Crushing: 90
Piercing: 50
Slashing: 50
Missile: 50
As you can see I've toned down the resistances a bit and added a vulnerability to Magical Damage (i.e. Horrid Wilting, Skull Trap, Magic Missile etc.) This vulnerability was added because Shambling Mounds are supposed to be plant creatures which in term are supposed to be very vulnerable to Horrid Wilting, but since this was not properly implemented in BG2 I decided to do it this way. BTW, I haven't included the 'suffocating slime' but I've added the entangle on hit effect instead. The Shamblers are immune to Charm and Sleep spells and Entanglement, but they have no further spell immunities and can be instantly slain by Death Spell or Death Fog as all other summons. Also, they will no longer be directly controllable by the player and will run on an AI script instead. Nonetheless, they will still be considered allies so you will get XP for any kills which they might make. BTW, if a non-Druid (i.e. a Thief or Bard with UAI) tries to use the shield, the summoned Shambler will turn hostile and attack him and the shield will be destroyed.
What do you think of this idea? Would these new shamblers prove too powerful for BG2/ToB (consider the required Druid levels) or are they perhaps too week ? Post your comments or suggestions.
