TEXT: 1
  ENVIRONMENTAL
  IMPACT
  A Short Adventure for Four 
  8th-Level Player Characters
  CREDITS
  Design:
  Ramon Arjona
  Editing:
  Penny Williams
  Typesetting:
  Nancy Walker
  Cartography:
  Rob Lazzaretti
  Web Production:
  Julia Martin
  Web Development:
  Mark A. Jindra
  Graphic Design:
  Sean Glenn, Cynthia Fliege
  Based on the original DUNGEONS & DRAGONS¤ game by E.
  Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson and on the new edition of the
  DUNGEONS & DRAGONS game designed by Jonathan Tweet,
  Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Rich Baker, and Peter Adkison.
  D&D, DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, and DUNGEON MASTER are registered trade-
  marks owned by Wizards of the Coast, Inc. The d20 logo is
  a trademark owned by Wizards of the Coast, Inc. All Wizards
  characters, character names, and the distinctive likenesses
  thereof are trademarks owned by Wizards of the Coast, Inc. 
  This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States
  of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or
  artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written
  permission of Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
  ©2003 Wizards of the Coast, Inc. All rights reserved. 
  Made in the U.S.A. 
  This product is a work of fiction. Any similarity to actual people, 
  organizations, places, or events is purely coincidental.
  This Wizards of the Coast game product contains 
  no Open Game Content. 
  No portion of this work may be reproduced in any form 
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  Open Gaming License and the d20 System License, 
  please visit www.wizards.com/d20.
  Environmental Impact is a short D&D adventure for
  four 8th-level characters. Consult the Scaling the
  Adventure sidebar for ways to modify the scenario 
  for higher or lower levels of play.
  This scenario can be incorporated into any style of
  campaign. Since the adventure takes place in a forest
  and includes plant creatures, any party that chooses to
  undertake the mission would benefit from the pres-
  ence of a druid.
  PREPARATION
  You (the DM) need the D&D core rulebooks, including
  the Player’s Handbook, the DUNGEON MASTER’s Guide, and
  the Monster Manual. This adventure also uses monsters
  from Monster Manual II and information from Masters of
  the Wild: A Guidebook to Barbarians, Druids, and Rangers,
  but all information from those books that is needed to
  run the adventure has been provided.
  You can place this adventure in any section of your
  campaign world that features a forested area with at
  least one small human village. Adapt the material
  given here as you see fit to make it work with your
  campaign.
  To get started, print out this module (including the
  map). Familiarize yourself with the descriptions of the
  tendriculos, assassin vine, and shambling mound from
  the Monster Manual. Also, read over the monster
  descriptions and statistics provided in the text for the
  needlefolk (from Monster Manual II) and the root of all
  evil, a monster that appeared in the regular Monster
  Mayhem feature on the Wizards of the Coast website
  (http://www.wizards.com/dnd/article.asp?x=dnd/mm/
  mm20021221a). 
  ADVENTURE
  BACKGROUND
  A mad druid named Drylle holds a grudge against the
  forest village of Sumpter, which he views as an unlaw-
  ful encroachment of civilization upon wild lands. In an
  effort to drive the villagers away, he has brought unsea-
  sonably hot and rainy weather to the area. As a result,
  the nearby river and lake have flooded several times,
  and crops in the village gardens and orchards have
  rotted from excessive moisture. Rising temperatures,
  high humidity, and disease brought by insects attracted
  to the standing water have already caused the deaths of
  several villagers, and more may follow any day. Still, the
  villagers have held on, demonstrating the characteristic
  stubbornness of pioneers.
  
  2
  Frustrated by his lack of success and determined
  to put a stop to humankind s constant expansion,
  Drylle has spent the past few weeks traveling far and
  wide, collecting a veritable army of hostile plant crea-
  tures to bring back to his forest. Some he has brought
  through coercion, using his Plant Control feat (see
  Masters of the Wild: A Guidebook to Barbarians, Rangers,
  and Druids); others have joined him willingly, lured
  by the promise of rich feeding grounds. With these
  troops,  he plans to lay siege to Sumpter, preventing
  the residents from going into the forest for food.
  Once starvation and disease have weakened them
  enough to prevent effective resistance, he will send
  in his troops to finish them off.
  But the best-laid plans are bound to go awry.
  Shortly after Drylle returned to the forest outside
  Sumpter, he fell victim to one of his own recruits
  the root of all evil. Without their leader, the plant
  creatures mill about the forest, gorging themselves
  on forest denizens and the occasional villager who
  braves the wilderness in search of food. With no one
  to command them, they cannot execute the druids
  well-thought-out plan to overrun the village, but
  their presence in the forest serves much the same
  purpose p reventing the villagers from leaving or
  seeking aid. Eventually, the plant army will exhaust
  the resources of the forest ecosystem and descend on
  the town in a series of uncoordinated raids. Although
  their attacks would be much more effective with
  Drylle to guide them, the hostile plants may yet pre-
  vail over the hapless villagers
  unless the PCs can
  intervene to save the day.
  ADVENTURE SYNOPSIS
  The PCs arrive in Sumpter the night before Drylles
  return to the area. They wake the next morning to the
  sound of screams from the street below. Two young
  men who had set off into the woods at dawn in search
  of game have been killed by a gang of needlefolk
  within sight of town. Other villagers who tried to
  rush to their aid were driven back by still more
  needlefolk. Villagers attempting to leave town by
  other routes met with similar fates. One or two scouts
  who did manage to make it back to the village alive
  report that hordes of vicious plant monsters have sur-
  rounded the village overnight.
  The villagers beg the PCs for aid against this new
  threat. To save Sumpter, the characters must either clean
  all the plant monsters out of the forest or lead the vil-
  lagers to safety elsewhere. Ultimately, they must face the
  root of all evil, now the de facto leader of the plant army.
  ADVENTURE HOOKS
  As DM, you know best how to involve your players and
  their characters in an adventure. You can use the fol-
  lowing adventure hooks to spur your imagination,
  modifying them as necessary to make them appropriate
  for the characters  interests.
  •
  A week ago, a group of NPC adventurers from Sumpter
  were due to arrive in the town of Lerick to pick up
  supplies. They never arrived. The merchant providing
  the goods asks the PCs to deliver them to Sumpter and
  find out what happened to the NPC party. (It was
  waylaid by Drylles army while en route to Lerick.)
  SCALING THE ADVENTURE
  Environmental Impact is designed for a party of four
  8th-level adventurers, but it can easily be modified
  to present an appropriate challenge for parties of
  different sizes or levels. Consider adapting the
  adventure as follows. 
  Four 6th- and 7th-level PCs: Run the adventure as
  written, but with the following changes: 
  ¥ Halve the number of needlefolk wherever they
  appear.
  ¥ Remove the assassin vine from encounter 4.
  ¥ Halve the number of shambling mounds wher-
  ever they appear.
  ¥ Halve the root of all evil’s hit points (the result of
  damage it took in combat with Drylle).
  Four 9th- and 10th-level PCs: Run the adventure
  as written, but with the following changes.
  ¥ Add four needlefolk to any encounter in which
  they appear.
  ¥ Add three assassin vines to encounter 4.
  ¥ Add one more shambling mound to any
  encounter in which they appear.
  ¥ Don’t allow the PCs time to rest and regain spells
  between encounters; instead, have the plant
  monsters seek them out relentlessly.
  ¥ Add four shadows or four wights to encounter 7.
  They can provide flanking opportunities for the
  root of all evil and benefit from its magic circle
  against good ability.
  pqqqqrs
  pqqqqrs
  
  3
  •
  A young woman asks the PCs to escort her to
  Sumpter to see her parents. She was traveling with a
  bodyguard, but he went out to ask questions of a local
  druid a few days ago and didnt return (another casu-
  alty of Drylles advancing forces).
  •
  Any druid traveling with the party senses that a
  terrible tragedy is about to befall a nearby woodland
  area. Worse, the imbalance in the natural world may
  begin to spread outward from the area like a cancer.
  Quick action is needed to restore the balance.
  •
  The characters encounter a lone traveler who was
  waylaid by Drylles forces two days before. Though
  he somehow managed to escape, he is wounded and
  hungry. He begs the PCs to intercept the plant army
  before it can wreak havoc on a populated area.
  BEGINNING THE
  ADVENTURE
  Environmental Impact consists of one or more encounters
  in town and a free-form hunt through the wilderness.
  The adventure begins the morning after the PCs
  reach the village of Sumpter. Once the plant monsters
  make their presence known, the characters are in the
  same predicament as the villagers
  unable to leave
  without hacking their way through hordes of enemies.
  Without the NPC party that went on the ill-fated
  supply run to Lerick, the villagers have no heroes of
  their own. Once it becomes clear that they will die
  without aid, they beg the PCs for help, offering to give
  them every material possession they own. The total
  reward comes to 1,500 sp worth of goods, loose coins,
  and cheap jewelry.
  No Gather Information checks are necessary for
  gaining the following information from the villagers;
  they are more than happy to tell the PCs anything they
  wish to know. If the characters choose to conduct their
  own investigations via Knowledge (nature) or bardic
  knowledge checks, the appropriate DCs are given
  below where applicable.
  •
  No Check Required:Two young men tried to enter
  the forest this morning to hunt for game, but they were
  attacked and killed by some horrible, humanoid crea-
  tures that resembled walking, treelike bugs.
  •
  No Check Required: The villagers have enough
  food and water to last three more days at half rations. 
  •
  Bardic Knowledge or Knowledge (nature)
  DC 10: The rainy weather and extreme heat are
  completely unexpected. These conditions have been
  in effect for months.
  •
  Bardic Knowledge DC 15: A crazy hermit
  named Drylle used to live in the woods. Hed curse
  and spit whenever he encountered any of the
  villagers, claiming they were ruining the forest by
  building homes in Sumpter.
  •
  Bardic Knowledge DC 20: Drylle claimed to be
  a druid. He sometimes threatened woodcutters and
  foragers with terrible retribution if they did not
  depart from his  forest.
  •
  Bardic Knowledge DC 20: Drylle was seen in
  the forest not too long before the rain started. He
  grinned wickedly at a group of foragers and said,
  The end will come soon, now.
  PC OPTIONS
  It s up to the characters to decide how they wish to
  tackle the problem of saving Sumpter. Their primary
  choices are to roam the forest and clear it of monsters,
  or try to lead the villagers out to safety in another town. 
  CLEARING THE FOREST
  Except for the roadways, the forest is too thick to move
  through on horseback. The PCs must explore the forest
  around the village on foot, seeking out and destroying
  pockets of monsters as they encounter them. If they
  miss a particular encounter area, you can (if desired)
  bring that encounter to them instead. Any monster
  they fail to locate and destroy will continue to pose a
  danger to the villagers.
  ESCAPING WITH THE VILLAGERS
  Forty-five villagers remain in Sumpter fifteen men,
  ten women, and twenty children. After the deaths of
  the hunters, all of them flatly refuse to enter the forest.
  Changing their minds requires either strong persua-
  sion or magical compulsion. 
  Persuading a villager to accompany the party on an
  overland trek requires a successful Diplomacy check
  (DC 25). Once one has agreed to go, the DC for subse-
  quent checks against other villagers drops to 20.
  If the PCs attempt to get their way through the use
  of charm person, treat each villager (adult or child) as a
  1st-level commoner. Each child has half the hit points
  of an adult. Unless the PCs have access to the mass
  charm spell, they probably cant convince all the vil-
  lagers to accompany them through magical means.
  Any villagers who do agree to accompany the PCs
  attempt to flee at the first sign of combat. Any monsters
  not engaged with characters pursue fleeing villagers,
  forcing the PCs to give chase as well. Be sure to make the
  
  most of the added drama and tension introduced by the
  presence of helpless villagers in harms way. In each
  combat, have a villager get into trouble at an appropri-
  ately dramatic moment. For example, a young mother
  and her baby could be snatched by the assassin vines, or
  an old man could be surrounded by needlefolk. Dont be
  afraid to kill off a villager or two, and be sure the PCs (at
  least the ones with good alignments) feel terrible about it.
  DELAYING
  If the characters wait more than five days to take
  action, the plant monsters exhaust all the food in the
  forest and begin raiding the village in small groups.
  Simply move the encounters to the edge of town and
  use the monster groupings as given.
  PLANT TACTICS
  Two of the plant monsters
  the tendriculos and the
  assassin vine in encounter 4 have agreed to share ter-
  ritory because their combined abilities allow them to
  exploit their environment more effectively than either
  could alone. For the most part, however, the plant mon-
  sters do not coordinate their attacks beyond the level
  noted in the encounter descriptions, nor do they
  engage in any sort of complex, cooperative behavior.
  IN THE FOREST
  The following encounters take place at the correspon-
  ding numbered locations on the map. 
  ENCOUNTER 1: PINS AND
  NEEDLEFOLK (EL 8)
  Read or paraphrase the following aloud when the party
  reaches this area.
  Creatures: There are nine needlefolk in this area.
  D Needlefolk (9): CR 2; Medium-size plant; HD
  3d8+3; hp 16; Init +0; Spd 30 ft.; AC 14, touch 10, flat-
  footed 14; Atk +2 ranged (1d4+1, needles), or +3 melee
  (1d4+1, 2 claws); SQ low-light vision, plant traits; AL N;
  SV Fort +4, Ref +1, Will +3; Str 12, Dex 10, Con 13, Int
  6, Wis 15, Cha 5.  
  Skills and Feats: Hide +0 (or +8 when moving at
  half-speed through forest, or +16 when stationary in
  forest).
  Plant Traits: A needlefolk is immune to
  poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, and polymorphing.
  It is not subject to critical hits or mind-influencing
  effects.
  Tactics: The needlefolk attack the PCs from
  hiding, shooting volleys of needles and then retreating
  as best they can if their opponents attempt to close for
  melee. Fleeing needlefolk give the areas occupied by
  the tendriculos and the root of all evil a wide berth,
  even if driven toward them by the PCs. If cornered
  against the boundary of either plant monster s range,
  the needlefolk turn to face their opponents and con-
  tinue to attack with their spines for as long as possible
  before resorting to their claws.
  Needlefolk do not coordinate their attacks with
  one another. However, they have a strong hatred of
  elves and will attack one in preference to any other
  target.
  ENCOUNTER 2: HUNGRY
  NEEDLEFOLK (EL 8)
  A needlefolk that has caught a rabbit sits feasting on it
  in the middle of the road. Make a Listen check for the
  needlefolk when the PCs approach; on a success it
  drops the rabbit and hides among the trees. Read or
  paraphrase the following aloud if this occurs.
  If the needlefolk fails its Listen check, read or para-
  phrase the following aloud instead.
  The partially devoured carcass of a rabbit lies in
  the middle of the forest path. The trees overhead
  are eerily silent.
  Yellow sunlight filters through the tall trees. Under
  your feet, the ground squishes, the fallen leaves a
  mass of damp, rotting compost from the excessive
  rain. Molds and moss grow in profusion every-
  where
  both on the ground and on the tree trunks.
  Wildflowers are showing signs of overwatering, and
  some plants have even begun to rot where they stand.
  4
  pqqqqrs
  AERIAL RECONNAISSANCE
  Industrious PCs with the proper spells or equipment
  may attempt to fly over the forest on a reconnais-
  sance mission before entering the woods. Unfortu-
  nately, the plant monsters blend in well with the
  forest and are difficult to spot in the dense foliage
  and heavy tree cover. Each plant monster in the
  adventure gains a +10 circumstance bonus on Hide
  checks made to oppose Spot checks by airborne
  PCs. The root of all evil has burrowed underground
  and so is not visible from the air at all.
  pqqqqrs
  
  5
  Creatures: Seven needlefolk roam this vicinity.
  D Needlefolk (7): CR 2; Medium-size plant; HD
  3d8+3; hp 16; Init +0; Spd 30 ft.; AC 14, touch 10, flat-
  footed 14; Atk +2 ranged (1d4+1, needles), or +3 melee
  (1d4+1, 2 claws); SQ low-light vision, plant traits; AL N;
  SV Fort +4, Ref +1, Will +3; Str 12, Dex 10, Con 13, 
  Int 6, Wis 15, Cha 5.  
  Skills and Feats: Hide +0 (or +8 when moving at half-
  speed through forest, or +16 when stationary in forest).
  Plant Traits: A needlefolk is immune to poison,
  sleep, paralysis, stunning, and polymorphing. It is not
  subject to critical hits or mind-influencing effects.
  Tactics: If caught in the road, the needlefolk drops
  the rabbit and runs as soon as it sees the PCs. The
  remaining six needlefolk are hiding at various spots
  around the path. All seven attack with their spines as
  soon as the opportunity presents itself.
  ENCOUNTER 3: NEEDLEFOLK 
  IN A HAYSTACK (EL 8)
  Read or paraphrase the following aloud when the char-
  acters enter this area.
  Creatures: There are eight needlefolk in this area,
  hiding among the trees. 
  D Needlefolk (8): CR 2; Medium-size plant; HD
  3d8+3; hp 16; Init +0; Spd 30 ft.; AC 14, touch 10, flat-
  footed 14; Atk +2 ranged (1d4+1, needles), or +3 melee
  (1d4+1, 2 claws); SQ low-light vision, plant traits; AL N;
  SV Fort +4, Ref +1, Will +3; Str 12, Dex 10, Con 13, Int 6,
  Wis 15, Cha 5.  
  Skills and Feats: Hide +0 (or +8 when moving at half-
  speed through forest, or +16 when stationary in forest).
  Plant Traits: A needlefolk is immune to poison,
  sleep, paralysis, stunning, and polymorphing. It is not
  subject to critical hits or mind-influencing effects.
  So dense is the foliage here that the sunlight
  slants down through the trees in only a few spots.
  Rustlings in the underbrush indicate the presence
  of some relatively large forest denizens.
  A vaguely humanoid-shaped creature sits in the
  middle of the forest path, devouring the carcass of
  a rabbit. Its green body resembles that of an insect
  and is covered with needlelike spines.
  
  6
  Tactics: The needlefolk do not crowd together
  needlessly, but they may congregate if forced to retreat
  by the PCs, or if they spot elves within the party and
  wish to stage a massive assault against them.
  ENCOUNTER 4: VINES 
  AND MORE VINES (EL 7)
  This territory is claimed by a tendriculos and an assas-
  sin vine. The vine curls up through the branches of a
  nearby tree, but a few of its tendrils hang nearly to the
  ground. Next to the vine, the tendriculos waits in
  hiding for prey to approach. The creature resembles a
  mossy hummock until it attacks. Read or paraphrase
  the following aloud when the characters enter this area.
  The sound is the result of the normal plants rising up to
  entangle the PCs at the command of the assassin vine.
  Creatures: The tendriculos and assassin vine are
  the only creatures other than normal plants within a
  200-foot radius of this spot. 
  D Assassin Vine (1): hp 30; see Monster Manual,
  page 20.
  D Tendriculos (1): hp 94; see Monster Manual,
  page 175.
  Tactics: The two creatures have developed a rudi-
  mentary alliance that comes into play whenever crea-
  tures approach in groups. The vine uses its entangle
  ability to catch and immobilize as many creatures as
  possible, then both monsters use their improved grab
  abilities to seize any creatures that can still move.
  Opponents snared in the assassin vines entangling veg-
  etation are ignored as long as any other foes remain free
  to attack. The tendriculos attempts to grab and swallow
  stronger-looking foes, leaving the weaker ones for the
  assassin vine to slay by constriction. Only after all
  mobile foes are dead do the two plants turn their atten-
  tion to entangled creatures.
  Development: Because of the tendriculos s
  regeneration ability, the PCs may manage to incapaci-
  tate it without actually killing it. In that case, the crea-
  ture waits until it is back at full hit points, then begins
  seeking a new location with a better food supply. It
  moves closer to town if the villagers are still there, or
  follows the group if the villagers are with the PCs. It
  does not enter the territory claimed by the root of all
  evil, but it may take up a position just outside that area.
  ENCOUNTER 5 (EL 8) 
  SHAMBLING MOUNDS
  Read or paraphrase the following when the characters
  enter this area.
  Creatures: The vegetation is actually a pair of sham-
  bling mounds. The tendriculos and the root of all evil
  have been outcompeting the shamblers for food, and
  the PCs represent a welcome respite from hunger.
  D Shambling Mound (2): hp 60 each; see Mon-
  ster Manual, page 162
  Tactics: The shambling mounds demonstrate no
  tactics beyond waiting until prey comes within reach
  before attacking. If they are attacked before this occurs,
  they give up their attempts to hide and rush into melee.
  ENCOUNTER 6: MORE 
  SHAMBLING MOUNDS (EL 8)
  Another pair of shambling mounds inhabits this area.
  These two are about 10 feet apart, just within the cover
  of the trees beside the road. 
  Creatures: Two shambling mounds have taken up
  temporary residence here.
  D Shambling Mound (2): hp 60 each; see Mon-
  ster Manual, page 162.
  Tactics: The two shamblers ambush the party as
  soon as a clear opportunity presents itself. Should
  the PCs attempt to flee the encounter, any sham-
  blers left alive give chase. They stop short of
  encroaching on the territory claimed by the root of
  all evil, but they attempt to follow the PCs anywhere
  else on the map.
  ENCOUNTER 7: 
  ROOT OF ALL EVIL (EL 8)
  This territory is claimed by the root of all evil. All the
  other plant creatures in the forest respect the power of
  this creature and do not encroach on its area, even if
  pursued. Read or paraphrase the following when the
  characters reach this area.
  The stench of rotted flesh is strong here, as
  though someone left a corpse out in the sun for
  weeks. The road is clear except for a few puddles
  drying in the hot sun.
  This area reeks of mold, mildew, and a thousand
  other musty scents reminiscent of rot and decay.
  The source of the smell seems to be a pile of rot-
  ting vegetation that lies directly in your path.
  A strange odor like that of rotting meat fills this
  section of the forest. A faint rustling from the
  nearby trees quickly grows into a tremendous roar
  as the forest floor itself seems to surge upward.
  
  7
  A successful Wilderness Lore check (DC 20) reveals
  that this extreme quiet is unnatural. It is not the restful
  quiet of a healthy forest; it is more like the silence that
  envelops the natural world moments before some
  terrible disaster strikes. In this case, disaster is about to
  strike in the form of the root of all evil. 
  Creature: The root of all evil hates life and seeks to
  kill all living, blood-bearing beings that it encounters. Odd
  in appearance, a root of all evil resembles a large parsnip
  with a vicious maw surrounded by green, ferny foliage at
  the top. A root of all evil feeds primarily on blood, but it
  also needs at least two hours of sunlight per week.
  DRoot of All Evil: CR 8; Huge plant; HD 13d8+65;
  hp 123; Init —1; Spd 20 ft., burrow 30 ft.; AC 20, touch 7,
  flat-footed 20; Atk +17 melee (2d6+13 plus 2d6
  unholy/19—20, bite); Face/Reach 15 ft. by 10 ft./10 ft.; SA
  improved grab, smite good, swallow whole; SQ blood
  scent, DR 10/+1, magic circle against good, plant traits,
  SR 19, tremorsense, unholy bite; AL NE; SV Fort +13, Ref
  +5, Will +4; Str 28, Dex 9, Con 21, Int 7, Wis 11, Cha 10.  
  Skills and Feats: Hide +4*, Listen +13, Spot +13;
  Improved Critical (bite), Lightning Reflexes, Weapon
  Focus (bite).
  Improved Grab (Ex): If the root of all evil hits a
  Large or smaller opponent with a bite attack, it deals
  normal damage and attempts to start a grapple as a free
  action without provoking an attack of opportunity
  (grapple bonus +26). If it gets a hold, it can attempt to
  swallow on the next round (see below). Alternatively,
  the root has the option to conduct the grapple nor-
  mally, or simply use its jaws to hold the opponent (—20
  penalty on the grapple check, but the root is not consid-
  ered grappled). In either case, each successful grapple
  check it makes during successive rounds automatically
  deals bite damage. 
  Smite Good (Su): Once per day, a root of all evil
  can make a normal attack to deal +13 points of damage
  to a good foe.
  Swallow Whole (Ex): A root of all evil can swal-
  low a Large or smaller grabbed creature by making a
  successful grapple check (grapple bonus +26), provided
  that it already has that opponent in its maw (see
  Improved Grab, above). Once inside the root, the oppo-
  nent takes 2d6+13 points of bludgeoning damage and
  1d4 points of Constitution damage per round from
  hundreds of tiny, biting and sucking mouths. A suc-
  cessful grapple check allows the swallowed creature to
  climb out of the interior and return to the roots maw,
  where another successful grapple check is needed to
  get free. Alternatively, a swallowed creature can try to
  cut its way out with either claws or a light piercing or
  slashing weapon. Dealing at least 25 points of damage
  to the interior (AC 20) in this way creates an opening
  large enough to permit escape. Once a single swal-
  lowed creature exits, the hole seals; thus, another swal-
  lowed opponent must cut its own way out. The roots
  interior can hold 1 Large, 2 Small, 4 Tiny, 8 Diminutive,
  or 16 Fine opponents. 
  Blood Scent (Su): A root of all evil can sense the
  presence of all animals, beasts, dragons, fey, giants,
  humanoids, magical beasts, monstrous humanoids, out-
  siders, and shapechangers within 60 feet. (This ability
  does not detect constructs, elementals, oozes, plants,
  undead, and vermin.)
  Magic Circle against Good (Su): This ability
  continuously duplicates the effects of the spell of the
  same name. The root of all evil cannot suppress this
  ability.
  Plant Traits: A root of all evil is immune to
  poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, and polymorphing. It
  is not subject to critical hits or mind-affecting effects.
  Tremorsense (Ex): Roots of all evil can automati-
  cally sense the location of anything within 60 feet that
  is in contact with the ground.
  Unholy Bite (Ex): A root of all evils bite attack
  functions as an unholy weapon and deals +2d6 points
  of bonus unholy (evil) damage against any creature of
  good alignment.
  Feats: A root of all evil gains feats as though it were
  an undead. 
  Skills: A root of all evil receives skill points as
  though it were an undead. *It has a +20 racial bonus on
  Hide checks in areas with other vegetation.
  Tactics: The root of all evil possesses a vile cun-
  ning that allows it to utilize rudimentary battle tactics.
  It directs its initial attacks at the weakest or most
  injured PCs (or NPC villagers, if present). Should the
  PCs begin to gain the upper hand, it burrows into the
  earth to escape, only to return again later and seek out
  the party using its tremorsense and blood sense abilities.
  The root continues to use hit-and-run tactics such as
  these until it or the PCs are dead.
  Development: The root of all evil does not com-
  municate with the PCs, even if they manage to speak
  with it. The creature is interested only in slaying as
  many creatures as possible.
  This portion of the forest seems strangely peace-
  ful. Not a sound disturbs the stillness n o t  t he
  call of a bird nor the crack of a twig. Gentle rays of
  sunlight filter through the treetops.
  
  A successful Search check (DC 15) reveals a broken
  staff lying in a bush. Once magical but now ruined, the
  staff is all that remains of Drylle, the mad druid. He
  became the first victim of the root of all evil after he
  escorted it to its new home.
  ENCOUNTER 8: 
  DEADFALL TRAP (EL 2)
  This section of forest is the former home of Drylle.
  Read or paraphrase the following when the PCs enter
  the area.
  This lean-to was Drylles primary dwelling. Here he
  hatched his plot to raise a vegetable army and lead his
  troops to victory against the encroaching sentient races.
  Trap: A deadfall trap protects the structure.
  Anyone who comes within 20 feet of the lean-to with-
  out activating the bypass mechanism releases a huge
  tree trunk that sweeps down from the forest canopy,
  striking every creature within 20 feet of the lean-to that
  fails a Reflex save.
  Deadfall Trap: CR 2; mechanical; proximity trig-
  ger; manual reset; hidden switch bypass (Search DC
  15); DC 20 Reflex save avoids; falling log (1d12, slam);
  multiple targets (all within a 20-ft. radius); Search (DC
  20); Disable Device (DC 20). Market Price: 4,400 gp.
  Development: Inside the lean-to, a successful
  Search check (DC 15) reveals jewelry, gems, and coins
  worth a total of 1,000 gp. A second successful Search
  check (DC 20) reveals an indentation in the floor. Dig-
  ging here unearths a small chest containing Drylles
  druid vestment and a rod of wonder that he acquired
  shortly before his untimely demise.
  CONTINUING THE 
  ADVENTURE
  The inclement weather ceased with Drylles death. If
  the PCs stop short of clearing the monsters out of the
  forest, those left alive return to their former encounter
  areas within two days and resume harassing the vil-
  lagers. Should this occur, the villagers ask the PCs to
  come to the rescue once again.
  Drylles attitude toward the advance of civilization is
  rare but not unheard of in druidic circles. If desired,
  you could base another adventure on the idea that he
  had a part n e r or even a superior in his mission.
  This other druid, named Tursk, is 10th level and neutral
  evil. Tursk and his minions are dedicated to removing
  the taint of civilization from the natural world by any
  means necessary. 
  The first clues that the PCs receive about the pres-
  ence of a new enemy are the reports of other small vil-
  lages on the outskirts of civilization being overrun by
  plant creatures. If the PCs do not intervene, Tursk
  begins to gain ground, pushing the boundary of the
  forest farther and farther into formerly inhabited areas.
  He makes little distinction among humans, halflings,
  dwarves, or elves
  all intelligent races are putrid can-
  cers that must be swept from the world.
  Over time, Tursk begins to move against even larger
  towns and cities. If not stopped, he eventually amasses
  a huge army of needlefolk, shambling mounds, and
  other plant creatures and leads them against the great-
  est capitals of the campaign world. By this point, he has
  drawn many more druids to his cause, as well as a
  number of clerics who have access to the Plant domain,
  and a contingent of neutral evil rangers. Such a military
  campaign pits the destructive forces of nature against
  the strongest fortresses of the civilized races.
  The PCs must discover Tursks plot and find a way to
  stop him before the verdant tide of his advancing army
  overwhelms the entire world. The longer they take to
  unravel and foil the evil druid s plan, the harder it
  becomes to stop him.
  ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  Ramon Arjona is a software developer with Wizards of
  the Coast, Inc. His work has appeared in Strange Hori-
  zons (www.strangehorizons.com), The Absinthe Literary
  Review (www.absinthe-literary-review.com), and
  ZZYZYVA. He would like to dedicate this miniadven-
  ture to the all the designers and editors who have made
  D&D a great game, both in print and on the Web.
  In the center of this forest glade is a small lean-to
  made of twisted branches and leaves. No smoke
  issues from the firepit out front, and the area
  seems strangely quiet and deserted.
  8
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/Adventures/Mega book pack adventures/Level 06-10/Environmental Impact.pdf