StranglereedThis tangled mass of thick reeds extends from a bulbous pod split
by a wide, thorn-toothed maw.Stranglereed CR 9Source Bestiary 5 pg. 237, Pathfinder #82: Secrets of the Sphinx pg. 90
XP 6,400
N Large plant (aquatic)
Init +9; Senses low-light vision; Perception +10DefenseAC 23, touch 14, flat-footed 18 (+5 Dex, +9 natural, –1 size)
hp 114 (12d8+60)
Fort +13, Ref +11, Will +5
Defensive Abilities all-around vision; DR 5/slashing; Immune plant traits
Weaknesses vulnerable to fireOffenseSpeed 5 ft., climb 10 ft., swim 20 ft.
Melee 2 tendrils +16 (2d8+7 plus grab), bite +15 (1d8+7)
Space 10 ft., Reach 10 ft. (5 ft. with bite)
Special Attacks constrict (2d8+7), grab, pull (tendril, 5 ft.),
strangle, suffocateStatisticsStr 25, Dex 20, Con 21, Int 1, Wis 12, Cha 6
Base Atk +9; CMB +17 (+21 grapple); CMD 32 (can’t be
tripped)
Feats Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes, Lunge, Skill
Focus (Stealth), Stealthy, Weapon Focus (tendrils)
Skills Climb +15, Escape Artist +7, Perception +10, Stealth
+15, Swim +15
SQ freeze, water dependencyEcologyEnvironment warm rivers or lakes
Organization solitary or patch (2–6)
Treasure incidentalSpecial AbilitiesFreeze (Ex) A stranglereed can hold itself so still that it
appears to be normal vegetation. A stranglereed that
uses this ability can take 20 on its Stealth check to hide
in plain sight as a regular patch of reeds.
Grab (Ex) A stranglereed can grab a foe of up to one size
category larger than itself.
Strangle (Ex) Stranglereeds have an unerring talent
for seizing their victims by the throat. A creature
grappled by a stranglereed can’t speak or cast spells
with verbal components.
Suffocate (Ex) A creature affected by a stranglereed’s
strangle ability can’t breathe and must hold its breath
or suffocate.DescriptionStranglereeds float motionless in calm lakes and
rivers, waiting for prey to approach before lashing
out with thick tendrils, grabbing their targets by the
throat. Once the stranglereed has secured its prey, it pulls
the victim beneath the surface of the water and directs
the meal into it’s “mouth,” a submerged circular orifice
ringed with gnashing barbs and thorns. Exceptionally
voracious, the stranglereed never stops feeding, and
in desperate times, the industrious plant can leave the
water briefly in order to hunt on land. These vicious
plants may even chase slower prey if it breaks free of their
tendrils, but fortunately, a stranglereed can spend only a
limited amount of time out of water. Each stranglereed
resembles a patch of normal reeds that covers a roughly
circular 10-foot-diameter area, while its large, mawed
central pod normally hides beneath the water’s surface.
A stranglereed weighs 800 pounds.
A stranglereed reproduces by expelling seeds that float
on air currents, much like dandelion fluff. Those that
land on dry earth soon die or become meals for birds and
other small animals, but those that land in water grow into
full-sized stranglereed stalks within 1 month. A large body
of water can be home to multiple stranglereeds, but only if
the food supply can meet their demands.
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