Treegrowth
(Alteration)(Plant)

Range:  0
Components:  V, S, M
Duration:  Permanent
Casting Time:  7 rounds
Area of Effect:  One Hit Die per level creature touched or one building
Saving Throw:  Negates

This spell causes a plant of the desired type to start growing upon the target, which can be a person, building, ..., whatever. This plant will feed on the life force of the target creature, or, if cast on something that has none, on any other energy it can find and use.
If the target is a building, then the plant will simply grow in, on, or around it, possibly causing structural damage, as specified by the priest. It takes seven hours for the plant to grow to full size, so this spell will not work as an instant ladder. It can, on the other hand, be used to hide an entrance or make a treasure cache quite undetectable.
If the target is a creature with life force or other energy (undead and golems are not immune, for example), the plant will feed on the life force of the target creature, draining one level of energy each round, until the target drops to -1 HD, and dies. Ability scores fall proportionately as fast as the Hit Dice. So, a 9th-level character with Strength 18 and Intelligence 9 would lose 2 points of Strength, 1 HD, and 1 point of Intelligence, among other things, for nine rounds, and then die. The corpse of the target creature will then turn into parts of the plant. To reverse the process, raise dead or similar spells do not work. Additionally, having an Intelligence score of zero makes speak with dead impossible. On the other hand, such a victim can still reincarnate, and speak with plants is also possible, as the mind remains within the plant.
This is a spell that is very seldom used by druids because of its long casting time and obvious evilness. It is normally used on old druids who feel that their life is at an end and wish to live on in the grove, or as a partial retribution on those who destroy plant life needlessly or violate any dryad, supposing either is within the protection of a druid.
The material component of this spell is a seedling of the plant to grow on the target, which must have been softened in holy water for at least a day.

