# Forum > Gaming > Homebrew Design >  New Creature help!

## OrlockDelesian

I created this Creature for my campain, It's a Hanman Tree with a bit of a Twist (we play in a Supernatural Themed Campain)

The Original Hangman Tree is CR 7, since I upped it's HD by 2 and gave it a few extra abilities I guess a +1-+2 bump to CR is in order. What do you think? CR 8 or 9? Or higher?

N Huge Plant
Init +3; Senses blindsight 60 ft.; Perception +11
DEFENSE
AC 20, touch 7, flat-footed 20 (1 Dex, +13 natural, 2 size)
hp 105(10d8+60)
Fort +13, Ref +4, Will +6
Defensive Abilities: Immune plant traits; Projection; SR 18
Weaknesses vulnerable to electricity
OFFENSE
Speed 10 ft.
Melee 4 vines +12 (1d10+7 plus grab and strangle)
Space 15 ft.; Reach 15 ft.
Special Attacks constrict (1d10+7), hallucinatory spores, pull, strangle, Curse, No Escape, Devour Soul
STATISTICS
Str 25, Dex 8, Con 23, Int 12, Wis 12, Cha 10
Base Atk +7; CMB +16 (+19 grapple); CMD 25 (29 vs grapple)
Feats Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Ability Focus (Curse), Improved Natural Attack
Skills Perception +13, Stealth 2
Languages Sylvan
ECOLOGY
Environment temperate forests
Organization solitary or pair
Treasure standard
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Hallucinatory Spores (Ex) Once per day as a standard action, a hanging tree can release a cloud of spores in a 50-foot-radius spread. Creatures in the area must make a DC 20 Will save or believe the hangman tree to be a perfectly ordinary treeor at worst, a treant or some other friendly tree-like creature. An affected creature becomes passive for 2d6 minutes and refuses to attack the hangman tree during this time. An affected creature can attempt a new Will save each round that the tree attacks an allyif a hallucinating creature is attacked by the tree, it gains a +4 bonus on its Will save to see through the hallucination. This is a mind-affecting compulsion effect. The save DC is Constitution-based.
Vines (Ex) A hangman tree's vines are primary attacks that deal bludgeoning damage. When a hangman tree grapples a foe with its vines, the tree does not gain the grappled condition.

Curse (Su): A creature hit by a vine might succumb under one of the following Hexes (save dc 16 Negates. The DC is charisma based. A creature that saves is immune to that particular hex for 24 hours

* Agony: Fortitude Save
* Evil Eye: Will save
* Misfortune: Will save

Projection: Once per day as a full-round action, a Hanging Tree can enter a trance that separates the creatures spirit from its body. This splits the Hanging Tree's current hit points in half between its body and its spirit.

The Hanging Tree's spirit body is a distorted version of the Dryad that once occupied it. Consider it a normal dryad but it has the Hanging trees mental scores.

This spirit projection can travel no more than 1 mile away from the Hanging Tree's body. Because the creature is only partially in existence when in this state, its body gains displacement as the spell.

When separated in this way, the Hanging Tree's body remains motionless and helpless. If the Hanging Tree's body is injured while in this state, the separated projection immediately returns to its body.

If the spirit is reduced to 0 or fewer hit points, it returns to the body immediately, retaining any damage it took. A Hanging Tree in spirit form can end the effect at any time as a standard action, at which point the spirit immediately returns to the body.

When a Hanging Tree's spirit form returns to the body, add both the spirit body's hit points and the physical body's hit points back together to determine the creature's current hit point total.

While in Spirit Form-and only then- the hanging Tree can cast the following Spells

Constantspeak with plants
At willentangle (DC 11), tree shape, wood shape (1 lb. only), cure light wounds
3/daycharm person (DC 11), deep slumber (DC 13), Feather Step Communal, Call lightning Storm (DC 15)
1/daysuggestion (DC 13), Find the Path

The tree Rarely -if ever- enters combat while in this form. It uses it to appear as a benevolent druid or fay to lure creatures to it.

No Escape: A creature that was strangled by the tree but managed to flee it alive, will be targeted each night by a Nightmare spell. This works exactly like the spell (DC 16) but the damage can never kill a creature (though exhaustion might). The Tree uses this ability to force escapees to return to it.

Devour Soul: The soul of a creature slain by strangulation is trapped within the tree. The creature cannot be brought back to life until the Hanging Tree's TRUE destruction, which releases its soul.


Lore:

From Pathfinder Chronicles issue 78

"The Hanging Trees: I have spent my entire life researching the deadliest and most elusive of beasts, but none have been as haunting and terrifying as the Hanging Trees. These monsters are born from the blood of a benevolent dryad , killed and hanged from its own tree.

Whether by a mob of angry villagers, passing bandits or ruthless adventurers, the death is always traumatic. Since the tree remains, the Dryad cannot be reborn in the first world but the brutality of it's demise doesn't allow it to restore it's body either.

Thus the once bright spirit is mangled by horror beyond recognition. The tree itself withers but doesn't completely die. The spirit of the fay -or whatever remains of it- retreats deep within its tree, animating the wood, creating a horror that curses people and haunts woodland areas for as long as it stands.

The Hanging Trees are not easily distinguished from regular trees until it's too late. They can project a distorted image of their former companion for miles, even using some of it's magic, luring unsuspecting travelers closer to their deadly grasp. The creature's vines, thick and gnarled with the energy of the fay's magic, will choke the life out of anyone who comes too close.

The Hanging Tree will feed on the victim's soul, leaving the body as an empty husk of its former self as it tries to restore it's irreversibly lost companion. These monsters are incredibly elusive, and their curse spreads miles away from the tree's location which is thankfuly -since the tree is very slow when it moves- somewhat stationary.

Those who are unlucky enough to catch the attention of the Hanging Tree but manage to flee it, might be driven mad with despair and horrid visions as the tree haunt them with its projection ability, making them wander aimlessly through the woods, unable to escape the ghost's haunting presence until they let themselves be taken to end their torment.

There only two ways to destroy a Hanging Tree. The first is to find the fay's body, sprinkle it with cold iron dust and burn it, breaking the curse and freeing the spirit from its prison.


This is not an easy task, as the body is often hidden away by the tree, deep within the heart of the forest. The usual signs of fay presence might be an indication. Mushroom circles, serene glades, playful pixies- though all of these might be somewhat corrupted due to the situation and more cruel than usual.

The only thing more difficult than finding the body is surviving the Hanging Tree's wrath long enough to set it ablaze, since even if destroyed the remnants of the spirit will possess another tree, transforming it within a full lunar cycle.

The second -and this is a THEORY- is to find those responsible for the dryad's death and feed them to the tree. Since the tree needs decades to animate, this is downright impossible.

Strangely not the tree nor the projection register as evil. I theorize that this is because there isn't an actual spirit within the tree but a memory, an echo if you prefer, of the poor Dryad in her last coherent moments. Of course, this is just my theory.

-Jubilost Narthopple

----------

