Large plant, unaligned
Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
Hit Points 136 (16d10 + 48)
Speed 20 ft., swim 20 ft.
Proficiency Bonus +3
Proficiency Bonus +7 (5th Edition Advanced Mode)
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 (+4) | 8 (-1) | 16 (+3) | 5 (-3) | 10 (+0) | 5 (-3) |
Saving Throws (suggested) Str +7, Con +6
Skills Stealth +2
Damage Resistances cold, fire
Damage Immunities lightning
Condition Immunities blinded, deafened, exhaustion
Senses blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this radius), passive Perception 10
Languages –
Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)
Lightning Absorption. Whenever the shambling mound is subjected to lightning damage, it takes no damage and regains a number of hit points equal to the lightning damage dealt.
ACTIONS
- Multiattack. The shambling mound makes two slam attacks. If both attacks hit a Medium or smaller target, the target is grappled (escape DC 14), and the shambling mound uses its Engulf on it.
- Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) bludgeoning damage.
- Engulf. The shambling mound engulfs a Medium or smaller creature grappled by it. The engulfed target is blinded, restrained, and unable to breathe, and it must succeed on a DC 14 Constitution saving throw at the start of each of the mound’s turns or take 13 (2d8 + 4) bludgeoning damage. If the mound moves, the engulfed target moves with it. The mound can have only one creature engulfed at a time.
5th Edition Advanced Mode
Limiting the power of a character and making the overall difficulty of the game harder, does not reduce the creativity, indeed it does quite the opposite.
The Game Master has the option to use any and all of the instances proposed in this guide, or just some of them according to their preference.
It is the lack of something that move and motivate characters, not the abundance of it
DESCRIPTION
A shambling mound, or a shambler, is a large, animated plant with predatory tendencies. It is formed when a mass of rotting vegetation is struck by lightning or exposed to some other source of magical energy. The plants fuse together and animate into a living creature. It appears to be a moving, vaguely man-shaped mound of rotting vegetation. Its body is composed of intertwined vines, branches, leaves, and fungi that give it a rough and lumpy texture. It has no discernible features, except for two glowing yellow eyes that peer out from the mass of plants. A shambling mound can grow up to 9 feet tall and weigh up to 3,800 pounds.
COMBAT
A shambling mound is a fearsome opponent in combat. It relies on its strength and durability to overpower its prey. It can move through difficult terrain, such as swamps and forests, with ease. It can also swim and breathe underwater, making it a threat in aquatic environments as well. A shambling mound can sense the presence of living creatures within 60 feet of it, even if they are invisible or hidden. It prefers to ambush its victims, using its stealth and camouflage to blend in with the surroundings.
A shambling mound attacks with two powerful slams that can crush bones and armor. If both slams hit a medium or smaller target, the shambling mound can engulf it, trapping it inside its body. The engulfed creature is blinded, restrained, and unable to breathe, and must struggle to escape or suffocate. The shambling mound can move with the engulfed creature inside it, dragging it along as it hunts for more prey.
A shambling mound has a remarkable ability to absorb lightning. Whenever it is subjected to lightning damage, it takes no damage and instead heals itself by the same amount. This makes it resistant to spells and weapons that use electricity. However, a shambling mound is vulnerable to fire and cold, which can dry out or freeze its plant tissues.
Decapitating a shambling mound does not harm it in the least, since its brain-like control center is located deep within its chest cavity. Since its limbs are merely aggregated clumps of vine and moss, the removal of one or more of them does not hamper the creature either. Remaining vines along the torso will join together to form a new limb by the next round. Only when enough of the shambling mound has been hacked away will the creature die.
A wounded shambling mound can retreat to a dense clump of wet foliage to heal. It will rise again in 12 hours, fully healed. It is likely to be very angry as well.
HABITAT / SOCIETY
A shambling mound is usually found in regions of dense rainfall and vegetation. Dismal swamps, marshes, and rain forests are its favorite climes, but some wet subterranean places also serve as shambled lairs. A shambling mound is solitary and territorial, roaming a large area in search of food. It feeds on animals and humanoids that wander into its domain. It sometimes drags its prey back to its lair, which is usually a secluded spot with thick vegetation or water.
A shambling mound has a rudimentary intelligence and no language. It does not communicate or cooperate with other creatures, except for some rare cases where it forms a symbiotic relationship with a plant-based creature, such as a myconid or a treant. A shambling mound does not have any culture or society of its own. It acts on instinct and hunger alone.
Shambling mounds are only rarely found living in the same area as other shamblers — usually only in areas where the food source is constant (e.g., near famous ruins or abandoned gold mines). Since shamblers gain power from electrical attacks, it is suspected that there may exist some shamblers that are vastly larger than the common ones seen thus far. Since will-o-wisps and shamblers often inhabit the same desolate regions of the world, it is possible that shambling mounds of 20 Hit Dice or more lie in the deepest, darkest swamps and jungles.
ECOLOGY
A shambling mound plays an important role in the ecosystem of its habitat. It helps decompose dead organic matter and recycle nutrients into the soil. It also controls the population of smaller animals that might otherwise overgraze or damage the plants. A shambling mound is considered a natural hazard by most civilized races, who avoid or destroy it whenever possible. However, some druids and rangers respect the shambling mound as a guardian of nature and a force of balance.
A shambling mound grows by absorbing more plants into its body over time. It can also reproduce by splitting off a part of itself that eventually grows into a new shambling mound.