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Pristi hymeno Ctenoconus 9

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by

Dale
in

Original Life Forms — This creature is a bizarre biological amalgam of four distinct life forms, each from a different major class within the Animalia Kingdom:
Class Insecta: Orchid Mantis (Hymenopus coronatus)
Class Chondrichthyes: Sawshark (Pristiophoriformes)
Class Arachnida: Trapdoor Spider (Ctenizidae)
Class Gastropoda: Cone Snail (Conus)

Appearance

The Ctenoconus is a nightmarish ambush predator. Its main body is low to the ground, resembling a massive, eight-legged spider, protected by a beautiful but deadly chitinous shell patterned with the hypnotic swirls of a cone snail. Its legs are thick and powerful, tipped with spade-like claws designed for rapid digging. The most terrifying feature is what serves as its “head”: a long, flat rostrum studded with sharp, irregular teeth, like the saw of a sawshark. This appendage twitches constantly, sensing vibrations in the ground. Hidden beneath the saw, within its complex mouthparts, is a fleshy siphon from which it can fire a venomous dart. The creature’s shell can subtly shift in hue, allowing it to decorate the lid of its burrow with an alluring, flower-like pattern reminiscent of an orchid mantis.

Size

This is a large creature, with a body roughly the size of a wolfhound or a small bear. Its leg span can be up to eight feet, though it typically holds its legs close to its body. The saw-like rostrum alone can measure four to five feet in length.

Speed

On the surface, the Ctenoconus is incredibly slow and cumbersome, moving with a ponderous, dragging gait. Its true speed is in its explosive ambush and its ability to burrow through soil and sand with surprising quickness.

Stat Modifiers

  • Strength: Very High
  • Dexterity: Low
  • Constitution: High
  • Wisdom (Perception): Low (Relies almost entirely on tremorsense)
  • Intelligence: Low (Instinctive)
  • Charisma: Very Low

Skills

  • Stealth: When concealed within its burrow, its skill is legendary.
  • Athletics: Extremely high, but only for the purpose of digging and burrowing.
  • Survival: Masterful at creating traps and lying in wait.

Behavior

The Ctenoconus is the embodiment of a patient ambush predator. It spends nearly its entire adult life within a single, silk-lined burrow dug deep into the earth. It creates a perfectly fitted, camouflaged lid for this burrow out of soil, silk, and its own shed chitin. It then lies in wait for days or even weeks, its saw-rostrum resting just beneath the lid, sensing the vibrations of anything that walks above. When suitable prey triggers the trap, the Ctenoconus bursts from the ground, slashing wildly with its saw to cripple its victim before dragging it down into the depths of its lair to be consumed.

Diet

The creature is a carnivore that will attempt to eat anything that it can disable and drag into its burrow. This includes large herbivores, other predators, and any humanoid unlucky enough to cross its path.

Emotions

This life form is almost entirely devoid of recognizable emotion. It operates on a simple, binary instinct: lie in wait, then attack. It does not feel anger, fear, or joy—only the patient, primal drive of a living trap waiting to be sprung.

Environment Where Found

It thrives in any environment with soft, deep earth suitable for creating its large burrows. It is most common in grasslands, temperate forests with deep loam, and the sandy edges of deserts. It avoids rocky or mountainous terrain where it cannot dig.

Tags: Feral, Amalgamation, Carnivore, Ambusher, Solitary, Burrower, Trap-Layer, Saw-Rostrum, Venomous, Patient Predator, Low Mobility, Tremorsense, Chitinous Shell, Camouflage, Pristi-hymeno Ctenoconus

Life Cycle & Mating

The life cycle of a Ctenoconus is a solitary and terminal process. These creatures are hermaphroditic and reproduce asexually only once at the very end of their long lives. After decades of growth, a biological trigger compels the creature to dig its final, grandest burrow. It spends months reinforcing the lair before producing a single, massive egg sac. This act of creation expends all of its remaining life energy.

Once the egg sac is secured deep within the burrow, the parent creature’s body begins to shut down. It perishes, and its corpse becomes the first crucial meal for its single offspring. The newly hatched nymph consumes its parent to fuel its initial growth before digging its own starter burrow nearby. It will spend the next several years growing, periodically abandoning old burrows for larger ones until it finds a prime territory to settle in for the remainder of its long, patient life.

Tactics

The Ctenoconus is a master of the patient ambush and has no other method of hunting. Its entire existence revolves around perfecting its trap.

  • The Lure: Its primary tactic is deception. The creature uses its innate ability to shift the color and pattern of its chitin to decorate the silk-and-soil lid of its burrow. It can create an irresistible lure, such as the appearance of a patch of exceedingly rare and beautiful flowers or the alluring glint of discarded gemstones, to draw curious prey directly onto the trapdoor.
  • The Burst: The attack is brutally efficient. Sensing vibrations from above, the Ctenoconus erupts from the earth in a shower of dirt and debris. It doesn’t target a specific creature at first but instead thrashes its saw-rostrum wildly in a 360-degree arc to maim anything and everything standing near the trap’s edge. The goal is to cripple and disable, preventing escape.
  • The Finisher: Once the initial chaotic assault is over, it singles out the largest or most resilient victim. If the target is still struggling, the Ctenoconus will use its hidden proboscis to fire a single, potent venomous harpoon to paralyze the prey before dragging it down into the burrow.

Actions

In a combat scenario, a Ctenoconus would use these unique actions:

  • Saw Burst (Ambush Only): When the Ctenoconus first emerges from its hidden burrow, it can unleash a devastating circular attack. All creatures within 5 feet must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, they take heavy slashing damage and are knocked prone. On a success, they take half damage and are not knocked prone.
  • Rostrum Saw (Melee Attack): A standard melee attack where the Ctenoconus thrashes its head, dealing heavy slashing damage to a single target.
  • Venom Harpoon (Rechargeable): The Ctenoconus fires a venom-tipped dart from its hidden proboscis at a single target within 30 feet. On a hit, the target takes piercing damage and must make a difficult Constitution saving throw or be paralyzed for several minutes.
  • Reinforce Lair: While inside its burrow, the Ctenoconus can use its action to pull down soil and silk, creating difficult terrain in the tunnel behind it to thwart pursuers.

Other Interesting Information

  • Lair Treasure: The Ctenoconus is an indiscriminate killer. The bottom of its deep, silk-lined burrow is often a macabre trove of the inedible remains of its victims. Adventurers brave enough to clear out a lair might find discarded armor, masterwork weapons, and heavy pouches of coins from less fortunate souls.
  • Pristine Silk: The silk this creature uses to line its burrow is incredibly durable and has a high tensile strength. It is prized by artisans for creating enchanted ropes that are nearly unbreakable, or for weaving into the lining of armor to add a layer of flexible, slash-resistant protection. Harvesting this silk, however, is an exceptionally dangerous task.
  • Geological Indicator: In the world of Saṃsāra, experienced prospectors have learned that the Ctenoconus prefers to burrow in specific types of mineral-rich soil. The discovery of one of its beautiful, deadly traps is often considered a reliable, albeit terrifying, sign that a valuable vein of ore may be located nearby.

A party of adventurers would cross paths with a Pristi-hymeno Ctenoconus either by pure, deadly accident or as the target of a very specific and dangerous quest.

Incidental Encounters

Because the Ctenoconus is a patient, stationary ambush predator, most encounters happen when a party unknowingly enters its kill zone.

  • The Unseen Trap: The most common scenario is a party simply traveling through a forest or grassland. A member might step on what appears to be a beautiful patch of flowers or a strangely symmetrical bit of ground, only for it to erupt as the camouflaged lid of the creature’s burrow. The encounter would begin instantly with the Saw Burst attack, turning a peaceful journey into a desperate fight for survival.
  • A Fatal Shortcut: The party might be chasing a fugitive or tracking another quarry. The trail could lead directly across the territory of a Ctenoconus. They would be forced to decide between taking a long and costly detour or risking a passage over the lair of one of the world’s most effective ambushers.
  • Disturbed Slumber: An adventurer using magic to burrow or phase through the earth could inadvertently tunnel directly into the side of a Ctenoconus’s lair, provoking a furious and immediate response from the territorial creature in the tight confines of its own home.

Deliberate Hunts

No one hunts a Ctenoconus for sport; the risks are too high. A party would only search for one if the reward was substantial enough to justify the danger.

  • The Alchemist’s Antidote: The creature’s venomous harpoon contains a complex neurotoxin. While deadly, this venom is also the sole source of a powerful, wide-spectrum antidote. A quest could be posted by a wealthy noble or a healing guild: a high-ranking official has been poisoned by an unknown substance, and the party must hunt a Ctenoconus to extract its fresh venom gland before the victim succumbs.
  • The Silk Harvest: The silk the creature uses to line its massive burrow is known to be one of the strongest and most magically resonant fibers in the world. A master artisan might hire the party to procure a large quantity of this Pristine Silk to craft a legendary piece of gear for a client. The task would require the adventurers to not only kill the beast but also venture deep into its lair to carefully harvest the valuable material.
  • Retrieval Mission: The bottom of a Ctenoconus burrow is a graveyard of its victims’ indigestible belongings. A famous hero or explorer may have vanished in a certain region years ago, and legends say they were carrying a unique map or a powerful artifact. A patron could hire the party to locate the specific Ctenoconus lair, slay the creature, and delve into the pit to recover the lost item from among the bones and broken armor.
  • The Roadside Menace: A particularly large Ctenoconus may have established its burrow too close to a vital trade route or farming community. After several merchants and livestock disappear, a local magistrate would post a significant bounty for any group of adventurers brave enough to locate the creature and permanently eliminate the threat, bringing back its massive saw-rostrum as proof of the deed.

Beyond the venom and silk, a well-equipped adventurer can harvest several other valuable components from the corpse of a Pristi-hymeno Ctenoconus.

Serrated Rostrum

This is the creature’s most prominent feature: the long, saw-toothed appendage it uses for attack. It’s incredibly dense and lined with sharp, irregular bone-like teeth.

  • Use: This is less a simple ingredient and more a pre-made weapon component. A master weaponsmith can take the entire rostrum and, with great effort, mount it onto a hilt to create a massive and brutal Saw-Tooth Greatsword or polearm. Weapons forged from the rostrum are exceptionally good at tearing and ripping, naturally damaging enemy armor on a critical hit.

Hypnotic Chitin

The large, beautifully patterned shell that protects the creature’s main body. The swirling, colorful patterns seem to shift slightly even after death.

  • Use: The shell can be broken down into large, curved plates. An armorer can incorporate these Hypnotic Chitin plates into a shield or a breastplate. Besides looking stunning, the gear retains a shard of the shell’s luring magic. Once per day, the wearer can channel their will into the item, causing the patterns to swirl hypnotically. This can be used to perform a dazzling feint, imposing a penalty on an enemy’s next attack roll.

Pheromonal Lure Gland

A small, delicate organ located near the creature’s mouthparts that produces the complex pheromones it uses to create its floral lure.

  • Use: An alchemist can carefully extract the potent, sweet-smelling liquid from this gland. The raw fluid can be used to create powerful Beast Lures, attracting specific types of wildlife when spread in an area. When distilled, it can be crafted into a rare Potion of Social Grace, a perfume that grants the wearer a temporary, significant bonus to persuasion and diplomacy checks.

Burrowing Claws

These are the dense, spade-like tips from the creature’s eight powerful legs. They are made of a unique form of chitin that is exceptionally resistant to abrasion and impact.

  • Use: The Burrowing Claws can be harvested and used as the heads for masterwork excavation tools. A pickaxe or shovel fitted with one of these claws will never dull and makes short work of rock and packed earth, doubling the speed of any digging or mining effort. They can also be fitted onto heavy gauntlets or boots to provide a powerful bonus to climbing checks on stone or ice.

Weaver in the Waiting Earth

From tablets older than the crumbling cyclopean stones of Mycenaean, scratched with symbols that twist the eye and the mind, comes a fractured tale. It speaks of a time when the land itself breathed differently, when the veil between the seen and unseen was thin like stretched spider-silk. In this time, they say, there was a hunger beneath the soil, a silence that sang of death.

They called it by many names, those who whispered of it in fear. Some knew it as the Ground-Jaw, others as the Silken Death. But the oldest texts, those barely clinging to the clay, name it the Trap-Dreamer. For it is said that the very earth around its lair was woven with its desires, a silent invitation to the unwary.

The story tells of a hunter, Tharalos of the Swift Feet, a man who knew the whispers of the wind and the language of the paw print. He was proud, for no prey had ever escaped his skill. One day, he tracked a stag of legendary size, its antlers like the branches of ancient oaks, its hooves leaving prints deeper than any he had seen before. The trail led him to a glade bathed in a strange, sweet light, a place where flowers bloomed in impossible patterns.

Tharalos, his heart pounding with the thrill of the hunt, did not notice the stillness of the air, the unnatural symmetry of the blossoms. He did not see the faint, silken threads that shimmered in the peculiar light. He only saw the promise of glory in the stag’s massive tracks.

He stepped into the glade. The ground beneath his foot gave way with a soft sigh.

The story becomes fragmented here, like a pot shattered by a careless hand. Some fragments speak of a monstrous maw lined with teeth like shards of obsidian, rising from the earth with impossible speed. Others describe a net of sticky strands, ensnaring Tharalos before he could even cry out. Still others mention a piercing sting, a cold fire that stole the strength from his limbs.

What is clear is that Tharalos, the hunter of swift feet, never emerged from that glade. The stag’s tracks continued, leading deeper into the strange growth, as if lured by the same unseen force. And both were swallowed by the waiting earth.

Days turned into moons. Tharalos’s kin searched for him, but they found no trace, only the glade with its unnaturally vibrant flora. They spoke of a curse, of spirits angered by some forgotten transgression. They did not understand the true weaver beneath their feet.

Years passed. A young shepherd, Lyra of the Gentle Voice, strayed from her flock. She was drawn by the glade, for the flowers there were unlike any she had ever seen. They pulsed with soft colors, their petals forming intricate, mesmerizing designs. She reached out a hand to touch one, a bloom that seemed to swirl with all the colors of the sunset.

The earth yawned open.

Lyra, unlike the proud hunter, saw the danger an instant before it struck. She saw the glint of sharp edges in the gloom of the opening, the unsettling pattern on the creature’s back, like a thousand eyes staring back at her. She screamed, a sound swallowed by the hungry ground.

This part of the tale is particularly garbled. There are references to a “poison kiss” and a “sawing doom.” Some fragments depict Lyra being dragged down into the darkness, her cries fading into the rustling of unseen things. Others suggest she fought back with a courage unexpected in one so young, but her struggles were as futile as a fly caught in a spider’s web.

The glade remained, a patch of unnatural beauty in the otherwise ordinary landscape, a silent testament to the patient hunger that dwelled beneath. Travelers learned to avoid it, whispering tales of the earth that eats. They did not know its true form, the horrifying fusion of hunter and trap, the silent weaver of death in the waiting earth.

The final fragments of the story speak of the glade shifting its location over the centuries, appearing in new places where the soil is soft and life is plentiful. It is said that if you find a patch of flora too perfect, too alluring, where the air hangs still and the ground feels strangely yielding, you may have stumbled upon the hunting ground of the Trap-Dreamer, the inheritor of the hunger beneath the world.

The Moral of this fragmented account is: Beauty can be the most cunning snare, and the earth itself may harbor hungers unseen until the very moment of consumption.

Suggested conversions to other systems:

Call of Cthulhu (7th Edition)

The Glade-Trap

This unnatural creature does not hunt; it simply waits. It is a living trap, a fusion of alien biology that creates a patch of irresistible, beautiful flora on the surface above its burrow, luring in prey. The few who have survived springing the trap are haunted by the memory of the ground giving way to a thrashing, sawing maw.

Characteristics STR 85, CON 90, SIZ 75, DEX 30, INT 25, POW 60, APP —

Combat HP: 16 Damage Bonus: +1d6 Build: 2 Move: 2 (on surface), 4 (burrowing) Magic Points: 12

Sanity Loss: 1/1d8 Sanity points to witness the trap spring open and see the creature emerge. 1/1d4 Sanity points to be hit by its Venom Dart and feel the paralysis begin.

Attacks

  • Fighting (Brawl) 70% (35/14), damage with one of the following:
    • Saw-Rostrum: 1d10 + DB. On an extreme success, the attack mangles the target’s limb, rendering it useless until they receive major medical attention.
    • Venom Dart: Fired once. This attack has a range of 20 yards and uses a Fighting (Brawl) roll. If it hits, it inflicts a Potency 15 poison. An investigator who fails their CON roll is paralyzed in 1d3 rounds for 1d10 hours.

Special Abilities

  • Ambush: The Glade-Trap lies in wait in its camouflaged burrow. Noticing the trapdoor requires a Hard Spot Hidden roll, and only if an investigator is actively looking for ground traps. Otherwise, the first person to step on it triggers the ambush. The Glade-Trap always attacks first in an ambush, and all its attacks in the first round are considered extreme successes.
  • Tremorsense: The Glade-Trap is effectively blind but automatically detects any creature touching the ground within 60 feet of its burrow.
  • Armored Carapace: The creature has 3 points of natural armor.

Blades in the Dark

The Silk-Lined Grave

(A horrifying, patient predator from the Deathlands that has taken root in a forgotten park or collapsed tenement ruin; Tier IV Threat)

This creature doesn’t stalk the alleys; it becomes them. It digs a deep shaft, covers it with a perfectly camouflaged lid decorated with alluring ghost-lilies, and waits. Stories say it can wait for decades, a silent, hungry pitfall in the heart of the city.

Drives:

  • To lure intruders into its trap with hypnotic beauty.
  • To remain utterly still and unseen until the moment of attack.
  • To drag its victims deep into the earth.

Abilities & Tactics: The Silk-Lined Grave is a static threat. The danger isn’t fighting it, it’s realizing you’re already in its clutches. It relies on its trap to do the work, erupting with terrifying speed to maim and poison its victims before they can even react.

Custom Moves:

  • The Beautiful Deception: When you are tempted by something beautiful and out of place in the ruins (a perfect flower, a strange jewel), you may be walking into its trap.
  • The Earth Gives Way: The ground collapses beneath you. You are immediately in a desperate position. Suffer Level 3 Harm (“Mangled & Ensnared”). You must resist or be dragged into the darkness below.
  • Erupt in a Saw-Storm: The creature attacks everyone standing at the edge of its pit with its thrashing, serrated maw.
  • Fire the Paralyzing Quill: It fires a single venomous dart at a target trying to flee or help a friend. The target’s muscles lock up; they cannot move until the venom is countered or wears off.

Dungeons & Dragons (5th Edition)

Ctenoconus

Large monstrosity, unaligned

Armor Class 17 (natural armor) Hit Points 114 (12d10 + 48) Speed 10 ft., burrow 20 ft.

Ability Scores STR 19 (+4), DEX 8 (-1), CON 18 (+4), INT 2 (-4), WIS 13 (+1), CHA 3 (-4)

Skills Perception +4, Stealth +5 Senses tremorsense 60 ft., blind beyond this radius Languages — Challenge 6 (2,300 XP) Proficiency Bonus +3

Traits

  • Trapdoor Ambush. While concealed in its burrow with the lid intact, the ctenoconus is invisible and can’t be detected by any means short of physically disturbing the lid. A creature that uses its action to examine the ground can make a DC 18 Intelligence (Investigation) check to discern the trap.
  • Tremorsense. The ctenoconus can detect and pinpoint the origin of vibrations on the ground within 60 feet, provided that the ctenoconus and the source of the vibrations are in contact with the same ground.
  • Lair-Bound. While outside its burrow, the ctenoconus has disadvantage on all attack rolls.

Actions

  • Saw-Rostrum. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 17 (2d12 + 4) slashing damage. If the target is a creature, its speed is reduced by 10 feet until it regains at least 1 hit point.
  • Venom Dart (1/Day). Ranged Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, range 30/60 ft., one creature. Hit: 4 (1d10 – 1) piercing damage, and the target must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or take 22 (4d10) poison damage and be Paralyzed for 1 hour. If the saving throw fails by 5 or more, the target is paralyzed for 24 hours.

Reactions

  • Erupt from Hiding. If a creature moves onto the lid of its burrow, the ctenoconus can use its reaction to burst forth. The lid is destroyed, and the ctenoconus can make one Saw-Rostrum attack against the triggering creature. All other creatures within 5 feet of the burrow must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or be knocked prone.

Knave (2nd Edition)

Lurking Bloom

A patient, subterranean predator. It creates a beautiful floral pattern on its trapdoor burrow lid to lure in prey, then erupts to attack with its saw-like head.

Level 5 Hit Dice 5 (22 HP) Armor 3 (Reduces damage from each hit by 3) Morale 12 Attack: Saw-Rostrum (d10 damage, ignores 1 point of enemy armor)

Qualities

  • Trapdoor Lair: PCs have a 1-in-6 chance to spot the camouflaged burrow lid before stepping on it. If they fail, the first PC to step on it falls 10ft into the burrow entrance.
  • Erupting Ambush: When its trap is sprung, the Lurking Bloom automatically wins initiative and its first attack against a surprised target is always a critical hit (deals maximum damage).
  • Paralyzing Dart: Once per day, as its action, it can fire a venomous dart at a target within 30ft. The target must pass a Constitution save or become paralyzed for d6 hours. The dart itself deals no damage.
  • Tremorsense: It cannot be surprised unless attacked by creatures that are flying, levitating, or otherwise not touching the ground.
  • Lumbering: Outside of its burrow, its speed is very slow (moves 15ft per round).

Fate Core

The Earth’s Patient Maw

(A living trap, a creature of pure, predatory instinct that becomes part of the landscape)

Aspects

  • High Concept: Patient Trapdoor Predator
  • Trouble: Utterly Immobile Outside Its Lair
  • Other Aspects: Beautiful, Deceptive Floral Lure, An Eruption of Saw-Toothed Chitin

Skills

  • Great (+4): Fight
  • Good (+3): Physique
  • Fair (+2): Athletics (for digging), Notice (for vibrations)
  • Average (+1): Stealth (for its trap)

Stunts

  • Erupting Ambush: Because it’s a Patient Trapdoor Predator, the Earth’s Patient Maw gets a +2 to its first Fight attack when emerging from its burrow against a surprised target.
  • Paralyzing Venom: Once per scene, the creature can fire its venomous dart. Instead of dealing stress, this attack automatically attaches the Paralyzed by Numbing Venom situation aspect to the target with two free invocations on a successful hit.
  • The Alluring Trap: Because of its Beautiful, Deceptive Floral Lure, it can use its Stealth skill to make a special Create an Advantage roll to tempt curious targets to step onto its hidden trapdoor.

Stress & Consequences

  • Stress: [1] [1] [1] [1]
  • Consequences: One mild, one moderate, one severe.

Numenera & Cypher System

Florivorous Static Hunter

This massive, bio-engineered creature has integrated itself into the local flora. It doesn’t hunt; it blooms, creating a perfect, beautiful flower on the surface above its subterranean lair. The flower is the lid of a grave.

Level: 6 Motive: To lure prey into its burrow. Environment: Any place with at least ten feet of soft soil, such as plains, forests, or riverbeds. Health: 18 Damage: 6 Armor: 3 Movement: Effectively none. Its “movement” is the springing of its trap.

Modifications: Tasks related to spotting its camouflaged trapdoor are level 8 (difficulty 24).

Combat: The Florivorous Static Hunter is a reactive killer. It remains dormant until a creature of sufficient mass steps onto its trapdoor lid. The lid then collapses, and the creature within attacks with a thrashing, saw-toothed rostrum. Its goal is to kill and drag its prey into the deep, silk-lined chambers below.

GM Intrusion: A character feels an unnatural, compelling desire to investigate the beautiful flower, perhaps to pick it or study it more closely, heedless of their surroundings.

Special Abilities:

  • Trapdoor Lair: When a character steps on the lair’s lid, the lid gives way. The character must make a difficulty 6 Speed defense task to leap clear. On a failure, they fall 10 feet into the burrow, take 3 points of damage, and the hunter makes an immediate attack against them.
  • Venom Dart: Once per day, the hunter can fire a venomous harpoon at a target within short range as a level 6 attack. A character hit by the dart takes no initial damage but must make a difficulty 6 Might defense task or become paralyzed, unable to take physical actions for 28 hours.

Pathfinder (2nd Edition)

Trapdoor Saw-maw – Creature 6

Neutral, Huge, Beast

Perception +11; tremorsense (imprecise) 60 feet Skills Athletics +17, Stealth +15 Str +5, Dex -2, Con +4, Int -5, Wis +0, Cha -5

AC 23; Fort +16, Ref +10, Will +12 HP 105 Immunities visual effects; Resistances poison 10

Abilities

  • Lurker’s Camouflage The trapdoor lid to the saw-maw’s burrow is exceptionally well hidden. A creature must use the Search action and succeed at a DC 28 Perception check to notice the trapdoor.
  • Lair-Bound A Trapdoor Saw-maw is reluctant to ever leave its burrow. While outside its burrow, it is clumsy and frightened, taking a –2 circumstance penalty to all checks and DCs.

Reactions

  • [reaction] Erupting Ambush Trigger A creature steps onto the saw-maw’s trapdoor lid. Effect The lid collapses, and the triggering creature falls 10 feet into the burrow and lands prone. The saw-maw then immediately makes a Saw-Rostrum Strike against the triggering creature and rolls initiative.

Actions

  • [one-action] Strike Saw-Rostrum; Melee +17 (reach 10 feet), Damage 2d12+8 slashing.
  • [two-actions] Venom Dart (Attack, Poison) The saw-maw fires a venomous dart. Ranged +10 (range increment 30 feet); Damage 1d4 piercing plus Saw-maw Venom.
    • Saw-maw Venom (Poison) Saving Throw DC 24 Fortitude; Maximum Duration 6 rounds; Stage 1 flat-footed and slowed 1 (1 round); Stage 2 paralyzed (1 round); Stage 3 paralyzed for 1 hour.

Savage Worlds Adventure Edition

Bloom-Trap

A terrifying ambush predator that appears to be nothing more than a beautiful, exotic flower growing in the wild. In truth, the flower is the camouflaged lid of a deep pit, from which a saw-toothed monster erupts.

Attributes: Agility d4, Smarts d4(A), Spirit d8, Strength d12, Vigor d10 Skills: Athletics d12, Fighting d10, Notice d8, Stealth d12+2 Pace: 2; Parry: 7; Toughness: 11 (4)

Special Abilities

  • Armor +4: Heavy chitinous shell.
  • Burrow (10”): The Bloom-Trap can tunnel through earth at a Pace of 10.
  • Construct: The Bloom-Trap is more like a living machine; it is immune to poison and disease, ignores wound penalties, and does not suffer from Tests.
  • Lair-Bound: Outside its burrow, the Bloom-Trap is lumbering and Vulnerable. Its Pace is 2.
  • Saw-Rostrum: Str+d8, AP 2.
  • Size 2 (Normal).
  • Tremorsense: The Bloom-Trap is aware of anything touching the ground within 12″. It ignores Gang Up bonuses, invisibility, and illumination penalties.
  • Trapdoor Ambush: The creature’s lair is concealed with a Stealth roll opposed by a character’s Notice. The first character to fail the roll and step on the trap falls 2d6″ and suffers a free Fighting attack from the Bloom-Trap, which is automatically on Hold.
  • Venom Dart: Once per day, the Bloom-Trap may make a special ranged attack with its Athletics skill. A target hit must make a Vigor roll at –2 or be paralyzed, unable to take physical actions for 2d6 hours.

Shadowrun, Sixth World

Geode-Maw

(Awakened Trapdoor Predator)

This paracritter is a terrifying example of magical evolution in polluted or high-magic environments. It mimics beautiful, crystalline flora or geode formations to lure its prey onto a camouflaged pit, from which it erupts in a storm of serrated chitin.

Attributes Body: 7 Agility: 3 Reaction: 4 (6) Strength: 6 Willpower: 4 Logic: 1 Intuition: 4 Charisma: 1 Edge: 3 Essence: 6.0 Initiative: 8 + 2d6

Derived Stats Defense Rating: 8 Physical Condition Monitor: 12 Stun Condition Monitor: 10 Overflow: 7

Skills Unarmed Combat: 6 (8) Stealth: 7 (9) Perception: 5 (7) Exotic Ranged Weapon (Venom Dart): 4 (6)

Critter Powers

  • Armor: The Geode-Maw’s crystalline shell provides an Armor rating of +8 (total soak 15).
  • Luring Camouflage: The lid of the Geode-Maw’s burrow is indistinguishable from natural rock or crystal formations. It requires a Hard (Threshold 4) Perception + Intuition test to notice before it is sprung.
  • Saw-Rostrum: The creature’s Unarmed Combat attack has a DV of (STR/2 + 3)P and an AP of -3.
  • Tremorsense: The Geode-Maw ignores all visibility penalties for targets touching the ground within 30 meters.
  • Venom Dart: As a Major Action, the Geode-Maw can fire a single biological dart. This is an Exotic Ranged Weapon attack that delivers a Paralyzing Toxin.
    • Paralytic Toxin: Vector: Injection; Speed: Immediate; Power: 8; Effect: Paralysis (Target cannot take any physical actions for 1d6 minutes).

Starfinder

Pristian Death-Lily – CR 6

XP 2,400 N Large magical beast

Init +0; Senses blindsense (vibration) 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +13

Defense EAC 18; KAC 20 HP 95 Fort +10, Ref +10, Will +5 Defensive Abilities lair-bound fortification; Immunities poison

Offense Speed 10 ft., burrow 15 ft. Melee saw-rostrum +16 (1d10+12 S) Ranged venom dart +13 (1d4 P plus paralysis) Offensive Abilities trapdoor ambush

Statistics STR +6, DEX +0, CON +4, INT -4, WIS +2, CHA -2 Skills Athletics +18, Stealth +13

Ecology Environment temperate forests and plains with deep soil Organization solitary

Special Abilities

  • Lair-Bound Fortification (Ex) While inside its burrow, the Pristian Death-Lily gains a +2 circumstance bonus to AC and saving throws.
  • Trapdoor Ambush (Ex) The lid of the Death-Lily’s burrow is camouflaged as a patch of exotic flowers. Spotting the trap requires a successful DC 25 Perception check. The first time a creature steps on the lid, it must succeed at a DC 16 Reflex save or fall 10 feet into the burrow, landing prone. The Death-Lily can then make a saw-rostrum attack against the fallen creature as a reaction.
  • Venom Dart (Ex) Once per day as a standard action, the Death-Lily can fire a venomous barb. A creature struck by the dart is subject to a powerful paralytic poison.
    • Pristian Venom: Type poison (injury); Save Fortitude DC 16; Track Strength (special); Frequency 1/round for 6 rounds; Effect progression to immobilized, then to paralyzed; Cure 2 consecutive saves.

Traveller (Mongoose 2nd Edition)

Pristi-hymeno Ctenoconus (Trapdoor Predator)

UPP: A9A911-A

A large, non-sentient predator native to worlds with deep soil and plentiful prey. This creature is a sedentary ambush hunter, creating a perfectly camouflaged pitfall trap which it uses to capture and kill its victims. Its lair is often littered with the inedible equipment of its past meals, making them dangerous but potentially rewarding sites for treasure hunters.

Traits

  • Pack: 0 (Solitary)
  • Instinct: 10
  • Attacks: Saw-Rostrum (4d6), Venom Dart (see below)
  • Skills: Stealth 3, Recon 3
  • Armor: 10 (Heavy Chitin Shell)
  • Endurance: 9
  • Behavior: Ambusher, Pouncer
  • Special Abilities:
    • Lumbering: When outside its burrow, the creature’s speed is halved and it has DM-2 on all initiative checks.
    • Trapdoor Lair: The creature’s burrow is covered by a camouflaged lid. Spotting the lid requires a Difficult (10+) Recon check. A character who steps on the lid falls 3m into the pit. The creature gets one free attack with its Saw-Rostrum against the fallen character.
    • Tremorsense: The creature cannot be surprised by anything touching the ground within 50m of its lair.
    • Venom Dart: Once per day, the creature can fire a venomous barb as a ranged attack at a target within 20m, rolling its Recon skill (3) to hit. A target hit must make an END 10+ check or be paralyzed for 1d6 hours.

Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay (4th Edition)

The Corpse-Bloom

Legends among the loggers of the Drakwald tell of the Corpse-Bloom, a beautiful, oversized flower that grows alone on the forest floor. They say its beauty is a lie, a lure for a monster that is both the flower and the grave beneath it. It is a creature of twisted, unnatural patience and sudden, brutal violence.

Main Profile WS 65, BS 40, S 55, T 60, I 50, Agi 15, Dex 30, Int 10, WP 40, Fel —

Secondary Profile A 2, W 22, SB 5, TB 6, M 2, Mag —, IP —, FP —

Skills: Athletics 65, Endurance 70, Intimidate 65, Perception 60, Stealth (Rural) 70 Talents: Ambidextrous, Dirty Fighting, Robust, Strike Mighty Blow Traits:

  • Armour: 4 (Heavy Chitin)
  • Fear: 2
  • Weapon (Saw-Rostrum): WS 65, Damage +9 (S+TB). Qualities: Damaging, Impale.
  • Ranged (Venom Dart): BS 40, Range 10, Damage +0 plus Paralytic Toxin.
  • Paralytic Toxin: A target hit by the Venom Dart must make a Hard (–20) Endurance Test or gain 4 Paralysed Conditions. This may only be attempted once per day.
  • Size: Large
  • Ambush Predator: When attacking a Surprised target from its lair, the Corpse-Bloom’s first attack automatically inflicts a Critical Hit.
  • Trapdoor: The Corpse-Bloom’s lair requires a Very Hard (–30) Perception Test to spot before it is sprung.