Papples
While some monsters are strange and unknowable, there are a few that are almost bewilderingly mundane. In a way, it can be even more unnerving for normal things to turn hostile; after all, what's left to trust when anything could be dangerous?
So, to exacerbate your players trust issues even more, try our newest monster, the papple. A seemingly normal apple, but with a fearsome temper and a nasty right hook. They may be CR 0, but we have seen multiple 1st level parties get wiped by these relentless little blighters. Turns out 1d4-1 is a lot more dangerous by the bushel.
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Papples
The denizens of nature are granted no special shelter against the strange and sometimes cruel curses of the fey. When a treant becomes the focus of such ire, they may be cursed with an infestation of evil fruitlike creatures called papples and become what is known as a papple tree. This curse causes its subject to begin sprouting the sinister living fruits, which it regards as misguided children to be taught and cared for.
Agents of Mischief. Though the treant’s goodhearted nature remains largely unchanged, they quickly find that cruelty begins to spread around them, undertaken by their new children. Blinded by their curse, the treant will excuse the behavior of the papples as child’s play and dismiss the consequences of carrying such children with them. For this reason, papple trees are treated as pariahs by their own kind, and they lose the ability to communicate with the surrounding forest.
Parental Connections. Though a papple treant might chafe under the burden of its children, it will never bring harm to them, nor will it willingly allow others to do so. Papples, meanwhile, regard the treant as both a host and parent, and will protect it with their life.
Papple
Tiny plant, chaotic evil
Armor Class 9
Hit Points 1 (1d4 - 2)
Speed 20 ft.
STR 9 (-1)
DEX 8 (-1)
CON 6 (-2)
INT 2 (-4)
WIS 8 (-1)
CHA 8 (-1)
Senses passive Perception 9
Languages understands Sylvan but can speak only in distorted grunts
Challenge 0 (10 XP)
False Appearance. While the papple remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from an ordinary apple.
Tough Legs. The papple is immune to falling damage.
Actions
Multiattack. The papple makes two fist attacks.
Fist. Melee Weapon Attack: +1 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1 (1d4 - 1) bludgeoning damage.
Variant: Papple Tree
Papple trees are a variant of the treant stack block. The papple tree statblock is recreated in this document for your convenience. A papple tree is a treant that has the following changes:
Its hit points become 207 (18d12 + 90).
It gains the following feature: Papple Infestation. The treant has 55 (10d10) papples growing within its branches. When it completes a long rest, the treant grows an additional (11) 2d10 papples, up to a maximum of 100. When the treant takes damage, 2 (1d4) hostile papples drop from its branches onto the ground.
Its slam attack has the following addition: Whether the treant hits or misses, 5 (2d4) hostile papples drop from the treant’s branches onto the ground.
It loses Animate Trees (1/Day).
Papple Tree
Huge plant, chaotic good
Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
Hit Points 207 (18d12 + 90)
Speed 30 ft.
STR 23 (+6)
DEX 8 (-1)
CON 21 (+5)
INT 12 (+1)
WIS 16 (+3)
CHA 12 (+1)
Damage Vulnerabilities fire
Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing
Senses passive Perception 13
Languages Common, Druidic, Elvish, Sylvan
Challenge 9 (5,000 XP)
False Appearance. While the treant remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from an ordinary apple tree.
Siege Monster. The treant deals double damage to objects and structures.
Papple Infestation. The treant has 55 (10d10) papples growing within its branches. When it completes a long rest, the treant grows an additional (11) 2d10 papples, up to a maximum of 100. When the treant takes damage, 2 (1d4) hostile papples drop from its branches onto the ground.
Actions
Multiattack. The treant makes two slam attacks.
Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 16 (3d6 + 6) bludgeoning damage. Whether the treant hits or misses, 5 (2d4) hostile papples drop from the treant’s branches onto the ground.
Rock. Ranged Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, range 60/180 ft., one target. Hit: 28 (4d10 + 6) bludgeoning damage.