b'Blood Kaktos \n'b'  Large   plant ,  lawful neutral  \n'b'  Armor Class  14 (natural armor)  Hit Points  60 (8d10 + 16)  Speed  25 ft.\n'b' STATS STR: 17 (+3) DEX:  10 (+0)  CON:  14 (+2)  INT:  10 (+0)  WIS:  9 (-1)  CHA:  7 (-2)  \n'b'\n'b'\n'b'\n'b'\n'b'\n'b'\n'b'  Skills   Stealth  +4,  Perception  (+3 or +1)  Damage Resistances  fire  Damage Vulnerabilities  cold  Condition Immunities   deafened   Senses   darkvision  60 ft., passive  Perception  13 (or 11)  Languages  Blood kaktos telepathy  Challenge  2 (450 XP) \n'b' SPECIAL TRAITS \n'b'\n'b'  Silent Slither . The blood kaktos has advantage on  Dexterity  ( Stealth ) checks to move silently through sand when sneaking up on prey. \n'b'  Telepathic Communication . The blood kaktos cannot speak, but it can communicate with others of its kind through telepathic communication. The communication consists of the conveyance of emotions and intent, allowing groups of blood kaktoses to loosely coordinate attacks against prey. \n'b'\n'b' ACTIONS \n'b'\n'b'  Multiattack . The blood kaktos makes two Prickly Punch attacks. \n'b'  Prickly Punch .  Melee Weapon Attack : +5, range 5 ft.  Hit : 6 (1d6 + 3) piercing damage and 3 (1d6) poison damage. If both prickly punch attacks are successful against the same target, the blood kaktos embraces the victim, who is  grappled  and  restrained  until it breaks the embrace. The blood kaktos extends its proboscis to penetrate any exposed skin, writhing through armor joints if need be. This is an automatic hit that causes its victim to lose 3 (1d4 + 1)  hit points  at the beginning of the target\xe2\x80\x99s turn as the blood kaktos gorges upon the victim\xe2\x80\x99s blood. If the victim breaks free from the embrace, the blood kaktos immediately retracts its proboscis, fearing damage to its delicate organ. The victim can use an action to attempt a DC 13  Strength  ( Athletics ) or  Dexterity  ( Acrobatics ) check to escape. A victim that escapes the embrace sustains an additional 3 (1d6) slashing damage as the needles rip the escapee\xe2\x80\x99s flesh. \n'b'  Huff and Puff (recharge 4-6) . The blood kaktos inhales air into the space between its outer layer of skin and its inner membranous tissue and then forces it out sharply, spraying needles in all directions over a 10-foot radius. Any creature within this area must make a DC 14  Dexterity  saving throw. Those that fail the saving throw take 9 (2d8) piercing damage from the flying needles while those that succeed take half this amount. \n'b'\n'b' ABOUT \n'b' The blood kaktos is a mobile, sentient plant that inhabits any warm, sandy environment. It is a relative of the common saguaro cactus and has leathery green flesh covered with needle-like spines, with two jointed, branch-like arms sprouting from a large trunk that grows to between five and seven feet tall upon maturity. \n'b' Three eyes approximately two inches in diameter appear as a darker shade of green. They are typically positioned in a scalene triangle formation and are the only obvious sensory organs. The casual observer could easily perceive the eyes as ordinary scars or imperfections found on a common cactus and may not be aware they are looking at a deadly blood kaktos.'