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Ambush Copse

Sawed and axe-hewn timber grind together as an ambush copse moves, smashing through the forest. Cuts and burns mar the bark of this gigantic, angry mass of whirling, deadly logs.

The forest never forgets. It remembers the hatchets, the rasping saws, and the smoke of crackling wood fires. It remembers the carts taking ancient trees away to cut, shape, and burn. Fey meddling or errant elemental magic draw such memories out alongside the rage and sorrow of the forest to form an ambush copse.

An ambush copse exacts its ire on villages along the woodcutter's path or waits for intruders to step into its forest domain. While an ambush copse might be mistaken for a wounded arboreal, it can cease movement to appear as an overgrown pile of logs or a partially collapsed hovel. There, it waits for retribution.

Recall Knowledge - Elemental (Arcana, Nature): DC 31
Recall Knowledge - Plant (Nature): DC 31
Unspecific Lore: DC 29
Specific Lore: DC 26

Elite | Normal | Weak
Proficiency without Level

Ambush CopseCreature 13

Huge Elemental Plant Wood 
Source Monster Core 2 pg. 24
Perception +20; tremorsense 30 feet
Languages Common, Fey, Muan; (can't speak any language)
Skills Athletics +27, Intimidation +20, Stealth +23 ((+25 in forests))
Str +8, Dex +4, Con +6, Int +0, Wis +4, Cha +0
AC 33; Fort +25, Ref +22, Will +22
HP 300; Resistances bludgeoning 10, piercing 10; Weaknesses axes 10, fire 15
Berserk An ambush copse that sees fire or axes has a chance of going berserk. At the start of its turn, if it is aware of an axe or a fire the size of a lit torch or larger, the ambush copse must succeed at a DC 5 flat check or go berserk. A berserk ambush copse can't use concentrate actions and wildly attacks the nearest living creature, or the nearest object if no creatures are nearby.Blinding Branches [reaction] Trigger A creature within 20 feet of the ambush copse leaves a square during a move action it's using; Requirements The triggering creature is in forest terrain; Effect The ambush copse's elemental energy animates nearby tree branches to swat at the creature's face. The triggering creature must succeed at a DC 30 Reflex save or become blinded for 1 round.Felling Ambush [reaction] Trigger A creature moves within 10 feet of the ambush copse; Requirements The ambush copse is disguised as trees or logs; Effect The ambush copse makes a log Strike against the triggering creature. If the attack hits, the creature must attempt a DC 30 Reflex save or be knocked prone.
Speed 30 feet
Melee [one-action] log +27 [+22/+17] (backswing, forceful, reach 20 feet, sweep), Damage 3d12+14 bludgeoning plus pounding smashRanged [one-action] caber +25 [+20/+15] (thrown 40 feet), Damage 3d12+6 bludgeoningFeign Copse [one-action] (concentrate) Until the next time it acts, the ambush copse appears to be a harmless patch of trees or logs. It has an automatic result of 43 (45 in forests) on Deception checks and DCs to pass as trees or logs.Pounding Smash Regardless of whether the Strike hits or misses, the ambush copse's melee Strikes create a 5-foot-square of difficult terrain in the target's space.Pulverizing Barrage [three-actions] The ambush copse makes three log Strikes, each at a –2 penalty, all targeting the same creature. The ambush copse's multiple attack penalty doesn't increase until after it has made all three attacks. The ambush copse gains the clumsy 2 condition until the beginning of its next turn.Sunder Objects When an ambush copse damages an item or structure, it deals an additional 15 damage to that item or structure.

Sidebar - Advice and Rules Ravages Of Revenge

An endless wait for revenge invariably leaves an ambush copse riddled with mushrooms and termites. Apply the weak adjustment to such an ambush copse and give it weakness 10 to bludgeoning damage. During a period of dormancy, parts of the ambush corpse might break off, gain their own sentience, and make their way into a nearby camp or village. Use the stats for a twigjack to represent these stray pieces, whose arrival might presage the full awakening of an ambush copse.