New OE/BX Monster: Guardian Bramble

From the upcoming module
OE1 The Mysterious Mist of Foxpond,
an introductory OE/BX OSR adventure
for characters level 1-3.

NO. APPEARING: 4-16
ARMOR CLASS: 6
MOVE: Nil
HIT DICE: 1-2
% IN LAIR: 100%
TREASURE TYPE: Nil
ATTACKS: 1
DAMAGE: See below
ALIGNMENT: Neutral

Guardian brambles are fashioned by magic means from standard bramble bushes.

To create a guardian bramble a medium-level magic-user must enchant the brambles through use of a magical tome, or an 8th-level+ magic-user may use a combination of the following: a polymorph object spell, a strength spell, and a charm monster spell.

Guardian brambles are engaged to perform the simple act of protecting doors and passageways, and will try to stop anyone from passing except as instructed by their creator. A guardian bramble appears larger, thicker, and thornier than a standard bramble, and will never bear fruit (berries.) Each guardian bramble bush stands between 2' and 3' tall, and occupies anywhere from 3-5 square feet of ground. Furthermore, it will appear as a normal plant type and is not usually detected as anything more (unless detected by magic or some similar means) until it is approached or engaged in an effort by and intruding party to pass and access the door or passage beyond it. At that point, it will attack any creature within 3' of the area it protects.

A hit by a guardian bramble indicates that the target (i.e., “victim”) is entwined within it’s branches. Each bush has a strength equal to its current hit points. A victim compares his strength against the bush that has entwined it and has a 10% chance to escape for every strength point of difference (e.g., a 1 point advantage give the victim a 10% chance, a 2 point advantage gives the victim a 20% chance, and so on.) If the victim has a deficit in points, he will take a number of points of damage equal to the difference. Any entwined creature suffers a -1 penalty on it’s “to hit” rolls while entangled.