Monster Geographica - Marsh & Aquatic.pdf - The Secrets of the ...

5 Memory Moss
Hazard (CR 5)
Memory moss appears as a 1-foot square
patch of black moss. It grows in temperate or
warm climates and is sometimes encountered in
subterranean realms (though not often). Memory
moss cannot abide the cold or the arid clime
of the desert and is never encountered in such
environments.
When a living creature moves within 60 feet
of a patch of memory moss, it attacks by attempting
to steal that creature’s memories. It can target a
single creature each round. A targeted creature must
succeed on a DC 16 Will save or lose all memories
from the last 24 hours. This is particularly nasty
to spellcasters, who lose all spells prepared within
the last 24 hours that have not yet been used.
Spellcasters that are not required to prepare their
spells in advance instead lose the ability to cast their
remaining spells for the rest of the day if they fail the
save.
Once a memory moss steals a creature’s
memories, it sinks back down and does not attack
again for 24 hours. Any creature that loses its
memories to the memory moss acts as if affected by
a confusion spell (caster level 8th) for the next 1d4
hours. Lost memories can be regained by eating the
memory moss that absorbed them. Doing so requires
Ravelly Pad
Medium Plant
Hit Dice: 6d8+18 (45 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: Swim 5 ft. (1 square)
Armor Class: 11 (+1 Dex), touch 11, flatfooted
10
Base Attack/Grapple: +4/+9
Attack: Slam +9 melee (1d8+5)
Full Attack: 4 slams +9 melee (1d8+5)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Constrict 1d8+5, improved
grab, swallow whole
Special Qualities: Blindsense 30 ft., lowlight
vision, plant traits, resistance to fire 10,
vulnerability to electricity
The ravelly pad appears to be little more than
a common, albeit larger than average, cluster of lily
pads. Some display one or more large and colorful
cup-shaped flowers. They mostly remain still,
occasionally wandering slowly to a new location,
preferring freshwater to saltwater.
The bulk of the creature can be found beneath
the calm surface of the water, silently waiting for
prey. A large oval pod hangs suspended by the wide
96
a DC 13 Fortitude save, with failure resulting in
the creature being nauseated for 1d6 minutes and
suffering 1d4 points of Constitution damage.
A creature that eats the memory moss
temporarily gains the memories currently stored
therein (even if they are not the creature’s own
memories). Such creatures can even cast spells if the
memory moss has stolen these from a spellcasting
creature. Any non-spellcaster that attempts to
cast a spell gained in this way must succeed on a
Concentration check (DC 10 + spell level) or the
spell fizzles away harmlessly. After 24 hours, the
memories fade (including any spells not yet cast).
Creatures eating the memory moss to regain their
own lost memories do not lose them after 24 hours.
Any amount of fire or cold damage will kill a single
patch of memory moss.
When first encountered, there is a chance that
the memory moss has eaten within the last day and
does not attack by stealing memories. In such a case,
the moss contains 2d4 spells determined randomly.
When a living creature moves within 60 feet of a
sated memory moss, it assumes a vaguely humanoid
form and casts the stolen spells at its targets. The
moss casts these spells as a sorcerer of the minimum
level necessary to cast the stolen spell (save DC 10
+ spell level).
Saves: Fort +8, Ref +3, Will +2
Abilities: Str 20, Dex 12, Con 16, Int —, Wis
10, Cha 11
Skills: Swim +13
Feats: —
Environment: Any aquatic and marsh
Organization: Solitary, cluster (2-45)
Challenge Rating: 5
Treasure: 50% standard
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 7-12 HD (Medium); 13-18 HD
(Large)
Level Adjustment: —
pads, bristling with tentacle-like tendrils of various
lengths that drift lazily in the current. If the ravelly
pad is observed for a while, it will probably grab a
fish, or other small animal that swims within range
with a tendril, and cram it up inside the central
pod. The ravelly pad dislikes bones and other hard
objects, often ejecting them from the pod if no food
remains.