Savage Menagerie: Polonium Ivy

No. Enc.: 0 (1d8)
Alignment: None
Movement: None
Armor Class: 9
Hit Dice: 2
Attacks: 1
Damage: Special
Save: L1
Morale: None
Hoard Class: None

Polonium Ivy appears as a thin, reddish-brown vine covered with the triple-leaved clusters. These leaves are a brilliant orange in color mottled with small black spots. Polonium Ivy -- a mutated off-shoot of an Ancient strain of poison ivy -- can be found growing in a variety of places: snaking up a tree trunk, in leafy bushes in fields and forests, or even as a single solitary plant that has infested a village garden.

Polonium Ivy is coated with a highly irritating oil that causes a blistering rash to spread wildly over any area that comes into contact with it. If someone comes into contact with Polonium Ivy, they should make a save versus Poison. If they fail, they have been exposed to the Ivy's oils and the rash immediately breaks out on the affected area. This rash itches and burns with a white-hot intensity that is impossible for the victim to ignore. The mutant will wildly scratch at the irritation, suffering a -2 penalty on all saves versus DEX, INT, and WIL, as the victim remains completely preoccupied by the irritation. They will also suffer a -2 penalty on all rolls to hit in combat, whether hand-to-hand or ranged, until the rash clears up. This rash will last for 20 days minus the victim's CON score. (A mutant with a CON of 15 will suffer from the rash for 5 days; a CON score of 11 equals a 9-day rash; etc.) The rash is not contagious and cannot be spread via contact with another mutant.

The other hazard to watch out for in relation to Polonium Ivy is that it is mildly radioactive. Polonium Ivy's radiation class falls between 1 and 4 (roll 1d4 when first encountered). Fortunately, the radiation emitted is at a low level, even though it may be of a high intensity. Anyone exposed to Polonium Ivy radiation only needs to make a save versus Radiation once a day rather than per round. If there is a village with many new mutations erupting throughout the populace (as well as an unexplained intense rash suffered by everyone), PCs should be on the lookout for a patch of Polonium Ivy.

Mutations: toxic weapon, energy emission (radiation)