Plant Dossier: Gold-Pouch Pitcher
“Never trust a sack of coin you find nestled into a nook in the woods. Never trust one you find in the middle of a dungeon either… actually a good rule of thumb is to just stay away from suspicious looking sacks.” — Voltar
Type: Carnivorous, acid
Where to Find: Forest edges, city parks, cave entrances. Comfortable range: 43° - 92° F
Distinguishing Features: Beige burlap-textured outside. Numerous sparkling gold bulbs inside.
_____________________
Tempting Tricksters
The Gold-Pouch Pitcher is a carnivorous plant infamous for tricking greedy adventurers. More closely related to a mimic than a pitcher plant, the Gold-Pouch Pitcher lures and consumes prey with a deadly silent fervor.
Gold-Pouches attach themselves to other matter to grow. Typically, they will wrap a long cream-colored vine around a tree trunk or rock 2 or 3 times. Afterwards, it takes 7-10 days for the pitfall leaf to grow. These leaves are quite heavy, with most sagging down far enough to touch the ground.
Unlike pitcher plants, Gold-Pouches do not emit a scent. Instead, once their pitfalls touch the ground numerous small coin-sized bulbs sprout inside the pitfall. These bulbs form a copious looking shimmering layer that reflects light. The bulbs are beautiful and enticing and give the Gold-Pouch its name. They are also tremendously sticky.
Goblins, kobolds, crows, and unknowing adventurers are all counted among the Gold-Pouch’s victims. When a creature attempts to snag a “coin” from the plant, the sticky blubs adhere to the creature. Then, the pitfall lurches inward, often drawing a whole arm (or entire small animals) into the plant where they are quickly sprayed with corrosive digestive fluids.
Gold-Pouches are highly energy efficient and have incredibly slow metabolisms. They can survive for months off a single captured goblin. As if to further taunt ever more immense prey, Gold-Pouches go through a strong period of growth once a year. Some have reported finding Gold-Pouches with bulbs the size of dragon hoards in dense jungles.
_____________________
Gameplay Effects
Adhesive Bulbs. Whenever a creature reaches inside the Gold-Pouch Pitcher it must make a DC 10 Strength saving throw. If it fails it is considered grappled and takes 1d4 acid damage. The creature may attempt to make the saving throw again at the start of its turn. A creature reduced to 0 HP by this ability is swallowed by the plant.
False Appearance. The Gold-Pouch Pitcher is mostly indistinguishable from a bag of coins. A creature must succeed on a DC 10 Perception or Nature check to recognize the plant’s true nature.
By succeeding on a DC 15 Nature check a creature may harvest the pitfall leaf. The pitfall leaf operates as the following item:
Gold-Pouch Capture Bag
(common, mundane item)
This bag is used to lure and trap creatures. This item has the “Adhesive Bulbs” and “False Appearance” abilities. You can use your action to throw the bag a number of feet equal to 10 × your Strength modifier (minimum 10 ft.).
