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Nerdarchy > Dungeons & Dragons  > Adventure Hooks  > Getting More from 5E D&D Monsters — Stonesnapper
5E D&D plant monster

Getting More from 5E D&D Monsters — Stonesnapper

D&D Ideas -- Dice
TTRPG Stock Sessions -- Fancy Party

The semi-sapient stonesnapper plant tends to grow where creatures that petrify like to make their lairs. The stonesnapper is a common fixture in many basilisk caves and there have been stories of medusae cultivating them and keeping them as pets in bygone eras. The flowers grow in vibrant colors, capable of motion and closing their petals around small objects. Their vines are also ambulatory. The stonesnapper doesn’t require much sunlight and in fact gets most of its nutrients by scooping up the leavings of creatures that have been petrified and then devoured — the crumbs left behind by things like gorgons, basilisks and medusae. The acidic fluid built up inside the stonesnapper in order to digest these leavings is a natural remedy for petrification. These plant monsters appear in Garden of Statuary, one of the digital fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons products we create for Patreon supporters and later for Nerdarchy the Store. Here you’ll find expanded 5E D&D content inspired by these opportunistic plant creatures along with the stat block as it appears in the book ready to drop into your games.

Stonesnapper for 5E D&D

Medium plant, chaotic neutral

Armor Class 15 (natural armor)

Hit Points 84 (13d8 + 26)

Speed 30 ft.

  • Strength 15 (+2)
  • Dexterity 14 (+2)
  • Constitution 15 (+2)
  • Intelligence 2 (-4)
  • Wisdom 12 (+1)
  • Charisma 6 (-2)

Senses passive Perception 11

Languages

Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)

Stone Digestion. The stonesnapper has the ability to digest petrified matter. The acid within the stonesnapper deals double structural damage to stone. If harvested, the stonesnapper’s acid acts as a natural remedy to petrification.

Actions

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 18 (3d10 + 2) piercing damage, plus 5 (1d10) acid damage and the target is grappled (escape DC 15). Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained and the stonesnapper can’t bite another target.

Swallow. The stonesnapper makes one bite against a Medium or smaller target it is grappling. If the attack is successful the target is swallowed, and the grapple ends. The swallowed target is blinded and restrained. It has total cover against attacks and other effects outside the stonesnapper. It takes 16 (3d10) acid damage at the start of each of the stonesnapper’s turns. The stonesnapper can only have one target swallowed at a time. If the stonesnapper dies, a swallowed creature is no longer restrained by it and can escape from the corpse using 5 feet of movement, exiting prone.

Root (Recharge 5-6). The stonesnapper roots itself for one round, regaining 16 (3d10) hit points and raising its AC by 2 until the end of its next turn.

Optional Traits and Actions

Making these changes does not affect the challenge rating of stonesnapper.

Trait

Acid Absorption. Whenever the stonesnapper is subjected to acid damage, it takes no damage and regains a number of hit points equal to the acid damage dealt.

Action

Acidic Flower. The stonesnapper chooses one creature it can see within 10 feet of it. The target must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw, or it is covered with acidic fluid and takes 5 acid damage at the start of each of its turns. Dousing the target with water reduces the acid damage by 1 point per pint or flask of water used.

New 5E D&D magic item

This magic item is inspired by the stonesnapper monster found in Garden of Statuary.

Stone Shard

Wondrous item, very rare (requires attunement by a druid)

This heavy shard of petrified wood is covered is glowing green nodules pulsing with acrid energy. As an action, you can attach the shard to a Tiny object (such as a weapon or a piece of jewelry) or detach it. It falls off if your attunement to it ends. You can use the shard as a spellcasting focus while you hold or wear it.

When you use your Wild Shape feature while you are holding or wearing the shard, you can transform into a plant creature subject to the same limitations as your beast form.

In addition you can use your action to cast polymorph on yourself, transforming into a stonesnapper. While you are in the form of the stonesnapper, you retain your Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores. The shard can’t be used this way again until the next dawn.

Stonesnapper adventure hooks

  • Shipments from a hard to reach mine have stopped and the local economy is in trouble. Adventurers who heed the call and make the difficult trek to the mountain dig site find the place deserted. Strange plantlife slowly overtaking the mine stems from a crude passageway that looks like the surrounding rock was melted. A lone stonesnapper created the tunnel and several basilisks emerged, causing havoc and leaving behind enough sustenance to sustain the stonesnapper.
  • A scattered rural community far from the security of civilizations suffers from coordinated cockatrice attacks. A misguided druid in the area trains and directs the monstrosities to control the spread of civilization in the region they’ve claimed as their own to protect and cultivate. The druid uses a stone shard to destroy evidence of the cockatrices’ victims by transforming into a stonesnapper.

This content gets more out of monsters from our digital products to enhance those experiences and introduce fun new stuff to your 5E D&D games. When you sign up for Nerdarchy the Newsletter you’ll get $9.99 in store credit you can use to pick up Garden of Statuary and anything else to drop right into your game. You’ll also receive a free gift! Sign up for weekly news, views and homebrews right to your inbox and snag all those benefits here.

*Featured image — The stonesnapper as seen in Garden of Statuary. [Art by Nelson Vieira]

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Doug Vehovec

Nerditor-in-Chief Doug Vehovec is a proud native of Cleveland, Ohio, with D&D in his blood since the early 80s. Fast forward to today and he’s still rolling those polyhedral dice. When he’s not DMing, worldbuilding or working on endeavors for Nerdarchy he enjoys cryptozoology trips and eating awesome food.

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