Cauldron BloomThree thick vines sprout from this massive cylindrical plant’s
base. Ruddy light flickers beneath its sloping armored sides, and
it exudes a palpable aura of magic.Cauldron Bloom CR 15Source Pathfinder #142: Gardens of Gallowspire pg. 86
XP 51,200
N Colossal plant
Init +6; Senses blindsight 120 ft., low-light vision,
tremorsense 1 mi., true seeing; Perception +33DefenseAC 28, touch 4, flat-footed 26 (+2 Dex, +24 natural, –8 size)
hp 231 (22d8+132)
Fort +21, Ref +11, Will +11
Immune plant traits; SR 26OffenseSpeed 10 ft., burrow 10 ft.
Melee 3 slams +24 (2d8+16)
Space 30 ft., Reach 30 ft.
Special Attacks sanguine centrifuge (2d8+16 plus 3d6 bleed,
AC 22, hp 27; DC 23), warping field (DC 23)
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 22nd; concentration +24)
1/day—greater teleport (self plus stomach contents only;
see text)StatisticsStr 42, Dex 15, Con 27, Int 15, Wis 14, Cha 14
Base Atk +16; CMB +40 (+44 bull rush); CMD 52 (54 vs.
bull rush)
Feats Awesome Blow, Cleave, Combat Expertise, Great
Cleave, Greater Bull Rush, Improved Bull Rush, Improved
Initiative, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Power Attack, Skill
Focus (Perception)
Skills Handle Animal +13, Perception +33, Perform
(percussion) +13, Stealth +11 (+31 while underground),
Survival +24; Racial Modifiers +20 Stealth
while underground
Languages Sylvan, Terran (can’t speak)
SQ terraforming teleportEcologyEnvironment any cold land
Organization solitary
Treasure standardSpecial AbilitiesSanguine Centrifuge (Su) Creatures that enter, or begin their
turn within, the cauldron bloom’s stomach take 2d8+16 points
of bludgeoning damage plus 3d6 bleed as spinning arcane
currents force the blood from their bodies. This bleed cannot
be stopped while the creature is within the cauldron bloom’s
stomach. Corpses of creatures slain by this damage are torn
apart, as disintegrate. Furthermore, creatures within the
stomach must succeed at a DC 23 Reflex save to maintain
control while caught in the currents or be nauseated for
1 round; creatures with freedom of movement are still
affected but gain a +4 bonus on the saving throw. The save
DC is Charisma-based. This otherwise functions as the swallow
whole ability, with the following changes: a cauldron bloom
can simultaneously hold up to one Gargantuan creature, two
Huge creatures, four Large creatures, and so forth; swallowed
creatures can use any of their available attacks to cut
themselves free; and after a swallowed creature has cut itself
free, the cauldron bloom can continue to teleport creatures
into its stomach with its warping field ability, but it receives
a cumulative –2 penalty to its ability DCs for each time a
creature has cut its way out.
Terraforming Teleport (Sp) A cauldron bloom’s greater
teleport spell-like ability has a range of 1 mile, and the
destination must be within enough stone, soil, sand, or
similar material to surround the cauldron bloom’s body. The
material the cauldron bloom will occupy is in turn teleported
to backfill the cavity left by the creature’s departure. If a
cauldron bloom attempts to teleport to an invalid location,
the ability fails with no effect.
Warping Field (Su) A cauldron bloom draws prey close with
invisible arcane strands, which it projects in one of two forms:
diffuse or targeted. Projecting diffuse strands is a swift action,
and forces each creature within 120 feet of the cauldron
bloom to attempt a DC 23 Reflex save. A creature that fails
the save is teleported 60 feet toward the cauldron bloom;
if this would bring a creature or object within 30 feet of the
cauldron bloom, it is instead teleported into the cauldron
bloom’s stomach. Projecting targeted strands is a standard
action and forces one creature within 360 feet to attempt
a DC 23 Fortitude save. If the creature fails, it is teleported
into the cauldron bloom’s stomach. Targets must be at least
one size category smaller than the cauldron bloom, and this
ability attempts to teleport the closest creature first. A creature
cannot be teleported into the cauldron bloom if it would
not fit, as noted above. Creatures affected by effects that
block extradimensional travel, such as dimensional lock, are
immune to this ability. Both save DCs are Charisma-based.DescriptionCauldron blooms are immense, slow-moving subterranean
plants that maintain their arcane metabolisms by
consuming massive quantities of blood. They dwell in
cold environs, typically along the migration routes of
herd animals, and slowly teleport to new locations in
search of food. Feeding cauldron blooms generally erupt
from the ground in the midst of such herds. The animals’
panicked cries are cut short when the terrified individuals
wink out of existence, reappearing a moment later inside
the cauldron bloom’s otherworldly guts. Arcane winds
within the cauldron bloom’s stomach rapidly draw the
blood from ingested prey, shred their bodies, and leave
nothing behind. A particularly hungry cauldron bloom
can systematically consume entire herds of animals, or
sequester one individual—such as an unlucky giant
or megafauna—inside its stomach. The prey’s blood
fuels the plant’s magical physiology, casting flickering
arcane light as it distributes throughout the cauldron
bloom’s body.
Typically, cauldron blooms live for hundreds of years.
Their bodies are around 15 feet in diameter and weigh
upward of 80 tons.EcologyCauldron blooms do not feed in a traditional sense.
Instead, they wrap potential prey in invisible threads of
magical energy. Snared creatures are teleported directly
into the blooms’ stomachs, where interior winds swirl in
a roaring arcane centrifuge that forcibly extracts prey’s
blood and quickly renders any mundane organic material
to a fine powder. Equipment and magical oddities are left
behind, however, meaning clouds
of manufactured shrapnel
circulate within most older
cauldron blooms.
Cauldron blooms most
often dwell in cold regions.
A consistent diet of blood is
necessary for them to maintain
a healthy and elevated internal
temperature. They use their
innate teleportation abilities to
jump between subterranean points
in pursuit of herding prey. Cauldron
blooms give little sign of their presence
while beneath the ground, and their senses
are highly attuned to surface vibrations.Habitat and SocietyCuriously, despite their warm-blooded
nature and massive size, cauldron blooms
don’t exude heat. This allows them to
go largely undetected between feedings. Their
petals are also dexterous and quiet enough
that their slow burrowing doesn’t alert
surface-dwellers. Intelligent, meticulous
planners, most of these giant plants
use their stealth to actively cultivate
herds of prey animals. Cauldron
blooms may divert water, manage
predator populations, and
engage in similar protective
activities to ensure a long-term
food supply.
The plants’ unique method
of locomotion means their
habitats are pocked with
incongruous subsurface materials. A marsh, for instance,
may have a stand-alone deposit of dense stone, and a
few settlements are even founded on such locations. A
dead cauldron bloom, however, may be a hazard to the
local environment, as its decay slowly turns the area
into a giant sinkhole; a hole above a particularly ancient
cauldron bloom eventually reveals a treasure trove of
collected objects within the dead creature’s gut.
Their heightened intellects mean that cauldron
blooms are generally quite knowledgeable about local
terrain, fauna, and even historical events, though such
information is presented through the unique filter of
a subterranean carnivorous plant. One historical
record even describes a cauldron bloom with
heightened telekinetic abilities working alongside
smaller beings to build and protect an
entire city; the report’s veracity is
the subject of ongoing and lively
academic debate.
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