Dungeons and Dragons 5e Legendary Creature Series: Volume 1 - Gulthias Tree

Legend speaks of a vampire so powerful that when he was vanquished his dark soul infected the stake used to kill him and became a vile undead treant. A cult quickly sprung up around his new form dedicated to spreading his malfeasance around the world. To do this they take a cutting from the original Gulthias Tree, known as a Heart of Gulthias, and plant it in another forest.

When a Heart is planted in a forest and tended by members of the Cult of Gulthias, a sentient copy if the original Gulthias Tree is born. A mature Tree towers 15ft, its necrotic sap oozing from the tips of its branches and the cracks in its bark. This sap drains life from living creatures that touch it, an effect that the Tree uses to its full affect when defending itself.

Master's Facsimile. A brand new Tree begins its life as a separate being, but over time the tree matures into a clone of sorts. As it does, it corrupts the forest it was planted in and connects to the original, becoming a conduit for Gulthias' consciousness and creating a sort of hive mind by adding its knowledge to the whole.

Unmoving Patron. A Gulthias Tree is permanently rooted in the ground, so it is rarely found alone. In addition to the cultist that tend to it, the cult usually plants normal trees that their leader can awaken for it's defense. If an enemy can manage to dispatch with all of the Tree's defenders, it will usually attempt to entice them with promises of power before continuing to fight to the death.

Undead Nature. A Gulthias Tree doesn't require air, food, drink, or sleep.

Lair and Lair Actions

A Gulthias Tree is generally planted deep in a forest so that the tree can fully mature before anyone notices its effect. As it grows the forest around it tends to grow darker, sucking the life out of any light source brought within its borders. Eventually even the creatures that remain in the forest become corrupted unknowing defenders of the Tree.

Lair Actions

On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), the Gulthias Tree takes a lair action to cause one of the following effects; the Gulthias Tree can’t use the same effect two rounds in a row:

• The Gulthias Tree can target a 10ft by 10ft patch of ground it can see. Its roots grow up from the ground and any creature must succeed on a DC 15 Strength saving throw or be restrained. A creature may spend its action each turn to attempt the saving throw again to escape.
• The Gulthias Tree can target any creatures retrained by its roots. Each creature targeted must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw, taking 7 (2d6) necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. The Gulthias Tree regains hit points equal to the amount of damage taken by all targets.
• The Gulthias Tree can animate one Corrupted Animated Tree. There must be an inactive tree to use this action and there cannot be more than one active tree at any one time.

Regional Effects

The region containing a Gulthias Tree’s lair is warped by its presence.  Its sphere of influence grows over time and creates one or more of the following effects:

• The forest around a Gulthias Tree becomes corrupted and over grown over time.
• Within the Gulthias Tree's sphere of influence, unless travelers bring their own illumination the brightest it gets naturally is dim. Any unnatural light sources (including magical ones) only illuminate out 10ft.
• Over time animals within the Gulthias Tree's sphere of influence become corrupted with necrotic energy.

If the Gulthias Tree dies, these effects fade over the course of 3d10 days.

____________________________________________________

Open Game License information is located here.