#tabonga

[frankendavis]

It’s December 22nd, so it’s time for another page from my annual “Advent” calendar of sorts. This is Number 22 in a series of bits of holiday nonsense that I’ve put together over the years.

[thecreaturecodex]

Tabonga

“From Hell It Came” © Richard Sala, accessed at his website here

[As I usually like to do around the Halloween season, it’s time for some monsters inspired by movies, particularly B-movies of yesteryear. There’s a lot of gritty re-imaginings of the walking tree monster from From Hell It Came circulating around the internet, but I can’t help loving the pug nose and big scowl of the original. The “curse of remorse” ability is not in the movie--it would be pretty gruesome for a 50s picture--but it was inspired by their plant revenant status.]

Tabonga CR 6 NE Plant This gnarled tree-like creature has a scowling face and withered branches growing from its crown. Its arms are overlong and end in blunt fists.

A tabonga is a strange creature that blurs the lines between plant and undead. They grow from the graves of those executed for a crime they didn’t commit, and are infused with negative energy. A tabonga begins its new life with faint memories of its death, and its first actions are typically to murder those responsible. Their rampages usually extend beyond this, however, into a general enmity towards all civilized life.

All tabongas have a preternatural knowledge of the landscape around them, and often plan their attacks to make use of natural terrain hazards like rocky ledges, quicksand and sinkholes. Although they are slow, they are surprisingly stealthy, able to sneak up on most foes. They fight with thrown rocks at a distance, but prefer to close into melee with their fists. Those struck by their slams are overwhelmed with a terrible remorse, crying tears of blood until they die or are saved through magical or mundane healing.

Most tabongas are solitary creatures, but a whole grove of these monsters can arise in the wake of a mass execution. A tabonga stands between six or seven feet tall, and weighs around five hundred pounds. Although they can speak, they rarely do so.

Tabonga               CR 6 XP 2,400 NE Medium plant Init +4; Senses darkvision 60 ft., Perception +8, tremorsense 30 ft. Defense AC 18, touch 10, flat-footed 18 (+8 natural) hp 60 (8d8+24) Fort +9, Ref +2, Will +5 DR 10/magic and slashing; Immune plant traits; Resist acid 10, electricity 10, fire 10; SR 17 Defensive Abilities negative energy affinity, unnatural aura Offense Speed 20 ft. Melee 2 slams +12 (1d6+6 plus grab plus curse of remorse) Ranged rock +7 (1d6+9) Special Attacks constrict (1d6+9), rock throwing (60 ft) Statistics Str 22, Dex 11, Con 17, Int 8, Wis 12, Cha 17 Base Atk +6; CMB +12 (+16 grapple); CMD 22 Feats Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Power Attack, Vital Strike Skills Perception +8, Stealth +7 (+15 in forests); Racial Modifiers +8 Stealth in forests Languages Common, Infernal SQ natural knowledge Ecology Environment any forest Organization solitary or grove (2-12) Treasure incidental Special Abilities Curse of Remorse (Su) A creature hit by a tabonga’s slam attack must succeed a DC 17 Will save or begin to cry tears of blood. A creature so affected takes 1d6 points of bleed damage a round, is sickened, and suffers a 20% miss chance against all creatures if it uses vision. Attempts to heal a creature suffering from the curse of remorse must succeed a DC 17 caster level check or the spell fails. A DC 17 Heal check can also staunch the bleeding. This is a curse effect and the save DC is Charisma based. Natural Knowledge (Su) A tabonga knows the location of all terrain features, bodies of water and natural hazards within 8 miles of itself, as if it had cast commune with nature.

[frankendavis]

It’s December 10th, so it’s time for my annual “Advent” calendar of sorts. This is Number 10 in a series of bits of holiday nonsense that I’ve put together over the years. If I have time, I may try to come up with a few more this year. 

[frankendavis]

It's time for my annual Advent calendar of sorts. This is Number 15 in a series of 25, 26, or so bits of holiday nonsense that I've put together over the years. :)

[frankendavis]

It's time for my annual Advent calendar of sorts. This is Number 8 in a series of 25, 26, or so bits of holiday nonsense that I've put together over the years. :)

[rhetthammersmithhorror]

From Hell It Came | 1957

[rhetthammersmithhorror]

From Hell It Came | 1957

[rhetthammersmithhorror]

From Hell It Came | 1957