Shambling Mound
Shambling mounds, or shamblers, appear to be heaps of rotting vegetation. They are actually an intelligent form of plant life, with a roughly humanoid shape, and a brain-like control center in its "chest" area. A shambler has a 6-foot girth on its lower half, tapering to about 2 feet at its "head." Shambling mounds are found only in regions of dense rainfall and vegetation. Dismal swamps, marshes, and rain forests are their favorite living areas, but some wet, subterranean places also serve as shambler lairs. They are solitary beasts, rarely living in the same area with other shamblers -- usually only in areas where the food source is constant, near famous ruins, or abandoned gold mines. Shamblers are almost totally silent and invisible in their natural surroundings; opponents suffer a -3 penalty to surprise rolls. A shambler often lies in a shallow bog, waiting for some creature to walk onto it, then it attacks. The creatures are excellent swimmers as well, and they have been known to sneak into the camps of unsuspecting travelers at night. A shambling mound attacks with huge, arm-like appendages; a victim hit by both arms in the same round is entangled in the creature's slimy vines and rotting vegetable matter. Entangled creatures suffocate in the slime in 2d4 rounds unless the shambler is killed, or the victim breaks free with a successful bend bars/lift gates roll. Because of the vegetation which covers its critical inner body, the shambling mound is immune to blunt weapons, and takes only half damage from piercing and slashing weapons. The creature is immune to fire, and takes half or no damage from cold, depending on whether it makes its saving throw. Lightning actually causes a shambler to grow, adding 1-foot to its height, as well as 1 HD and appropriate hit points, for each lightning-based attack used against it.
Because of the location of its brain, the shambler cannot be killed by lopping off its head or limbs. The remaining vines along the torso join together to form a new extremity within one round. Only when enough of the shambling mound has been hacked away, will it finally die. A wounded shambler need only rest in a damp clump of foliage to heal; it rises again in 12 hours, fully healed, and probably angry. Since shamblers gain power from electrical attacks, there are rumors of shambling mounds with 20 or more Hit Dice. Since they often live in the same areas as will-o'-wisps, there may be truth to such rumors, and giant shamblers may inhabit deep, dark swamps and jungles.
