Parasitic tree with face-shaped fruits. A plant.

Imagine a weeping willow but with much thicker branches. It bears head sized fruits that smell like rotting flesh and sporadically have gas leaks that sound like cries. Even more disturbingly, from afar, each fruit looks like the severed head of a humanoid and floats if detached.

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HD: 6	Armor: as plate
Hit it: easy	Dodge it: easy
Move: no

It is immune to being stunned. It resists to bludgeoning, piercing and fire damage (because of its moist wood). It can detect movement in its vicinity. It can’t see or hear. Additionally, the death’s head tree has 4D4 heads. While it has more than one head, it has advantage on saving throws. Whenever the death’s head tree takes 4 or more damage in a single turn, one of its heads detaches.

Attacks (# of heads/round)

Fruit Kiss. The death’s head tree makes one melee attack (1). On a hit, the target makes a save vs poison or catches the death’s head parasite.

Needle. The death’s head tree makes one ranged attack (1). On a hit, the target makes a save vs poison or catches the death’s head parasite.

Death’s Head Parasite. Disease. Symptom: reduces maximum HP by 1D4. Save every night to avoid adding a cumulative symptom. If max HP is 0, gain 1D4 wounds instead.

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Death’s Head Fruit

Imagine very rotten squash with folds that make it look like a pretty convincing wrinkly face. It floats.

HD: 0	Armor: none
Hit it: easy	Dodge it: easy
Move: fly slow

It is immune to being stunned. It can detect movement in its vicinity. It can’t see or hear.

Attacks (1/round)

Kiss. The death’s head fruit makes one melee attack (1). On a hit, the target makes a save vs poison or catches the death’s head parasite.

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Random Encounter

1. Monster: 1 death’s head tree & 1D6 fruits.
2. Lair: A clearing with traces of ancient bloodshed with 1D19 fruits and the tree looming not very far.
     OR
   Omen: Strange exhaled moans.
3. Spoor: 1D4 floating death’s head fruits.
4. Tracks: Faint cries for help.
5. Trace: A rotten fruit, strangely looking like a head.
6. Trace: A dead body with a tree growing from it.

Salvaging the body

Death’s head fruits are not only disgusting, but also diseased. The wood from the tree is supple and dark red, a favorite of vampire artisans. Magic weapons and armors can often be found under the roots of such tree.

D6 Symbolism

In local cultures this beast is a symbol of …

1. Grief
2. Ancestors
3. Secrets
4. Tragedy
5. Taboo
6. Sacred

Credits

The original death’s head tree comes from Ravenloft, and like many Ravenloft creatures, it is full of creepy flavor. For this adaptation, I simply streamlined the mechanics.