For various reasons, some monsters from the Midgard Campaign Setting didn’t make it into the Midgard Bestiary: 13th Age Compatible Edition. One of these was the deadly dragonleaf tree, cultivated in the Mharoti Empire. Here are five of these exotic enemies to spring on your unsuspecting players, complete with nastier specials and magic items. 

Dragonleaf Tree

Standard dragonleaf tree abilities: All dragonleaf trees have the following 2 abilities:

Rooted:  A dragonleaf tree is immobile in combat, but can shift position slowly when out of combat.

Long-limbed:  As a quick action, the dragonleaf tree can engage a nearby enemy and cannot be intercepted.

Breath attacks: Each dragonleaf tree has its own style of breath attack that mimics the breath weapon of its associated dragon.  Unlike most close attacks that target a number of enemies, it doesn’t matter whether or not the targets are in a group: a dragonleaf tree’s breath weapon emanates from the entire tree.

White Dragonleaf Tree

The bark of the birch grove fades into the stark white of the winter wasteland beyond.  Blood soaks the snow beneath several trees, but no trace of a body can be seen.

Large 2^nd Level Troop [PLANT]

Initiative: +2

Vulnerability: fire

Slam +7 vs. AC – 14 damage

Natural even hit or miss: The dragonleaf tree can make a winter wind attack as a free action.

R: Razorleaves +7 vs. AC (2 targets)  – 5 damage.

Natural 16+: 5 ongoing damage.

Natural even hit or miss: The dragonleaf tree can make a winter wind attack as a free action.

[Special trigger] C: Winter wind +6 vs. PD (1d3 nearby enemies) – 5 cold damage.

Resist cold 12+: When a cold attack targets this creature, the attacker must roll a natural 12+ on the attack roll or it only deals half damage.

Nastier Specials

Roll on the Random Dragonleaf Tree Abilities table below.

AC 18
PD 16             HP 72
MD 12

 

Black Dragonleaf Tree

Rising from the black water a lone mangrove tree menaces the surrounding swamplands.  An unsuspecting water fowl ventures too close.  A lurch and a splash later, only ripples spread across the silent pond.

Large 3rd Level Wrecker [PLANT]

Initiative: +3

Vulnerability: thunder

Slam +8 vs. AC – 20 damage

Natural even hit or miss: The dragonleaf tree can make an acid spray attack as a free action.

 R: Rotting leaves +8 vs. AC (2 targets)  – 8 damage.

Natural 16+: 5 ongoing acid damage.

Natural even hit or miss: The dragonleaf tree can make an acid spray attack as a free action.

[Special trigger] C: Acid spray +7 vs. PD (1d3 nearby enemies) – 8 acid damage. Miss: Half damage.

Resist acid 12+: When an acid attack targets this creature, the attacker must roll a natural 12+ on the attack roll or it deals only half damage.

Nastier Specials

Roll on the Random Dragonleaf Tree Abilities table below.

AC 19
PD 17             HP 90
MD 13

 

Green Dragonleaf Tree

The gently swaying branches of the willow tree promise rest and shade. The bodies lying at the foot of the tree, their limbs bruised and faces contorted in horror, suggest that this rest will be permanent.

Large 4^th Level Caster [PLANT]

Initiative: +4

Vulnerability: psychic

Grasping Strands +9 vs. AC (2 attacks) – 15 damage.

Natural 16+: target is hampered

Natural even hit or miss: The dragonleaf tree can make a poison cloud attack as a free action.

C: Poison cloud +9 vs. PD (1d3 nearby enemies) – 7 poison damage.

Natural even hit or miss: 5 ongoing poison damage.

Resist poison 12+: When a poison attack targets this creature, the attacker must roll a natural 12+ on the attack roll or it only deals half damage.

Nastier Specials

Roll on the Random Dragonleaf Tree Abilities table below.

AC 20
PD 18             HP 108
MD 14

 

Blue Dragonleaf Tree

The charred glade shows ominous signs of repeated lightning strikes, but the oak towering above it is remarkably untouched.

Large 5^th Level Spoiler [PLANT]

Initiative: +5

Vulnerability: force

Slam +10 vs. AC (2 attacks) – 15 damage.

Natural odd hit: 5 ongoing lightning damage

Natural even hit or miss: The dragonleaf tree can make a lightning blast attack as a free action.

R: Lightning leaves +9 vs. AC (2 attacks)  – 8 damage.

Natural odd hit: target is dazed.

Natural even hit or miss: The dragonleaf tree can make a lightning blast attack as a free action.

[Special trigger] C: Lightning blast +9 vs. PD (1d3 nearby enemies) – 10 lightning damage. Miss: Half damage.

Resist lightning 12+: When a lightning attack targets this creature, the attacker must roll a natural 12+ on the attack roll or it only deals half damage.

AC 21
PD 19             HP 144
MD 15

 

Red Dragonleaf Tree

The crimson leaves of the huge maple arch majestically overhead and carpet the ground for yards.  When setting sun rests upon the branches the tree seems wreathed in flames.

 Large 6^th Level Wrecker [PLANT]

Initiative: +6

Vulnerability: cold

Slam +11 vs. AC (3 attacks) – 15 damage.

Natural odd hit: 5 ongoing fire damage

Natural even hit or miss: The dragonleaf tree can make a flamewind attack as a free action.

R: Flameleaves +11 vs. AC (2 attacks)  – 10 damage plus 5 ongoing fire damage.

Natural even hit or miss: The dragonleaf tree can make a flamewind attack as a free action.

C: Flamewind +10 vs. PD (1d3 nearby enemies) – 15 fire damage. Miss: Half damage.

Resist fire 12+: When a fire attack targets this creature, the attacker must roll a natural 12+ on the attack roll or it only deals half damage.

Nastier Specials

Roll on the Random Dragonleaf Tree Abilities table below.

AC 22
PD 20             HP 180
MD 16

 

Random Dragonleaf Tree Abilities

Some rare dragonleaf trees have been imbued with special draconic abilities. Roll 1d8 on the table below to determine which of these nastier specials a tree possesses.

1. Tough bark: The dragonleaf tree has a +1 bonus to AC
2. No vulnerability: Unlike other dragonleaf trees of its color, this one has no vulnerability.
3. If I weren’t a tree, I’d be mad!: The first time the dragonleaf tree is staggered each battle, it uses its breath weapon attack as a free action.
4. Serious threat: Disengage checks against the dragonleaf tree take a –5 penalty. When a creature fails to disengage from the dragonleaf tree, it takes damage equal to  double the dragonleaf tree’s level.
5. Raw power: Until it is staggered, the dragonleaf tree rolls 2d20 with its melee attacks and uses the higher roll.
6. Damage aura: When an enemy starts its turn engaged with the dragonleaf tree, it takes damage equal to the dragonleaf tree’s level (adventurer tier), double the level  (champion tier), or triple the level (epic tier). The damage type is the same as the dragonleaf tree’s breath weapon.
7. Carve this!: On a natural odd roll that isn’t a critical hit, increase the critical range for the dragonleaf tree.  Reset the critical range when a crit is scored.
8. Escalator: The dragonleaf tree adds the escalation die to its attack rolls.

 

Magic Items:

Imbued with dragon magic, the remains of dragonleaf trees can be fashioned into powerful magic items.

Dragonleaf Garland (necklace).  Druids can weave the leaves of a dragonleaf tree into garlands that grant the resistances of the plant.  The necklaces grant the same resistances and vulnerabilities of the tree used to create them.

• White: Resist cold, vulnerable to fire.
• Black: Resist acid, vulnerable to thunder.
• Green: Resist poison, vulnerable to psychic.
• Blue: Resist lightning, vulnerable to force
• Red: Resist fire, vulnerable to cold

Adventurer level: Resist 12+. Champion level: Resist 16+. Epic level: Resist 16+, no vulnerability.  Quirk: Strong desire to soak feet in every stream.

Flamewind Staff (staff – weapon/implement).  A staff crafted from a red dragonleaf tree is imbued with the flamewind.  Natural even hit: Extra 15 fire damage.  Natural even miss: 5 fire damage.  Quirk: Overwhelming desire to set fire to things.

About Dragonleaf Trees

Dragonleaf trees originate in the Mharoti Empire, where the draconic rulers have cultivated groves of them. They commanded that the Empire’s finest druidic minds craft these magnificent plants; and once they accomplished their masterpiece, they were slaughtered, so none would learn the secret of dragonleaf tree creation.

While most groves consist of only one type of dragonleaf tree, rarely a dragon gifts a tree to cement a pact or as a show of fealty. The dragon giving the tree relinquishes command of the plant as part of the deal. (The plant is too dim to remember anything that happens around it, so it makes an ineffective spy anyway.) The practice of gifting a dragonleaf tree accounts for mixed groves belonging to especially powerful dragon lords.

Dragonleaf trees live up to 1,000 years. They stand 15 ft. tall and weigh 3,000 lb., but ancient specimens can reach heights of 45 ft. tall. Growing a new dragonleaf tree requires a cutting from an existing tree at least half a century in age, which the tree’s master imbues with its power, sacrificing the use of its breath weapon for a month. While this time barely registers on a dragon’s whole lifespan, it still carefully considers the creation of a new tree in fear of others discovering its temporary loss of power.