Child of the Briar

The ligneous figure’s eyes gleam like polished walnuts, and the sly smile seems oddly placed on the tiny body, covered in spikes and thorns. The creature’s waist is no thicker than a clenched fist, its sinuous arms no wider than a finger but twice the length of its body.

Child of the Briar CR 1

XP 400
NE Tiny plant
Init +3; Senses low-light vision; Perception +7

DEFENSE

AC 17, touch 15, flat-footed 14 (+3 Dex, +2 natural, +2 size)
hp 9 (2d8)
Fort +3, Ref +3, Will +0
Defensive Abilities plant traits; DR 5/cold iron
Weaknesses vulnerable to fire

OFFENSE

Speed 20 ft., climb 10 ft.
Melee 2 claws +6 (1d2-2 plus grab)
Space 2-1/2 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Special Attacks spitdart tongue, thorny grapple
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 2nd)

3/day—briar magic (DC 12)
1/dayentangle (DC 13)

STATISTICS

Str 6, Dex 17, Con 11, Int 13, Wis 10, Cha 14
Base Atk +1; CMB +2 (+6 grapple); CMD 10
Feats Weapon Finesse
Skills Bluff +4, Climb +8, Perception +7, Stealth +14 (+20 in forest); Racial Modifiers +8 Climb, +2 Perception, +6 Stealth while in forest
Language Briarclick (spoken only), Common, Sylvan
SQ fey blood

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Briar Magic (Sp)

A child of the briar can cast any cantrip from the sorcerer/wizard spell list (save DCs Cha-based).

Entangle (Ex)

As a standard action, two or more children of the briar in the same square can produce an effect identical to entangle in the 5-ft. square they occupy (DC 10 + number of children of the briar in the square). Briar children are immune to this ability, but other entangle effects affect them normally.

Fey Blood (Ex)

Children of the briar count as both plant and fey for any effect related to type.

Spitdart Tongue (Ex)

Every child of the briar can shoot a wooden spike from its mouth every other round. Treat this as a Tiny dart (1 damage, base range 20 ft.).

Thorny Grapple (Ex)

A child of the briar’s long thorny limbs enable it to grapple creatures up to 2 size categories larger than itself. It adds its Dexterity modifier instead of Strength modifier to any damage inflicted while grappling.

ECOLOGY

Environment temperate forest
Organization solitary, gang (2–8), or nest (9–24)
Treasure standard (usually small items)

Children of the briar are a frequent nuisance to fey and mortal alike. They grow in many briar patches but sometimes spawn when a sorcerer or magical creature’s blood is spilled on the forest floor. Despite their size, they gather in great numbers, cultivating the thorny thickets into veritable fortresses. Wise men flee when they hear their clicking language in the underbrush, for the children have a taste for blood and all the capricious wickedness of spiteful children.

From their lairs, the children of the briar creep far and wide to spy on the forest’s inhabitants, sometimes using spiders, monstrous centipedes, and giant dragonflies as mounts. They converse with travelers bearing interesting news, but their words are thorned with gleeful malice, jealous bile, and lies. They are not above murder. They bargain what they learn for trinkets, favors, and drops of spilled blood.

A caster of 3rd level or higher can gain a child of the briar as a familiar using the Improved Familiar feat.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Midgard Bestiary for Pathfinder RPG, (c) 2012 Open Design LLC; Author: Adam Daigle with Chris Harris, Michael Kortes, James MacKenzie, Rob Manning, Ben McFarland, Carlos Ovalle, Jan Rodewald, Adam Roy, Christina Stiles, James Thomas, and Mike Welham.

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