Barghest

Barghest

Large fiend (shapechanger)
Challenge

STR
4
DEX
2
CON
2
INT
1
WIS
1
CHA
2

90
12d10+24
19
Soak
2
Fort
+3
Ref
+4
Will
+2
Defense note natural armor
Damage resistances cold, fire, lightning; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
Damage immunities acid, poison
Condition immunities poisoned

Speed 10 m. (5 m. in goblin form)
Skills Athletics +5 (16), Brawn +5 (16), Deception +3 (14), Divinity (cha) +3 (14), Intimidation +3 (14), Perception +2 (13), Stealth +3 (14)
Senses blindsight 10 m., darkvision 10 m.
Languages Abyssal, Common, Goblin, Infernal, telepathy 10 m.

Fire Banishment. When the barghest starts its turn engulfed in flames that are at least 2 meters high or wide, it must succeed on a Difficulty 12 Will saving throw or be instantly banished to Gehenna. Instantaneous bursts of flame (such as a red dragon’s breath or a fireball spell) don’t have this effect on the barghest.

Keen Smell. The barghest has advantage on Perception checks that rely on smell.

Maneuvers. The barghest uses maneuvers (maneuver save Difficulty 14). It has 4 stamina dice which are d8s, a dice limit of 2, regains all expended stamina dice when it finishes a long rest, and regains half its total stamina dice when it finishes a short rest. It knows the following maneuvers:

1 stamina die: grapple, lunge, spring attack, swipe, tear flesh, trip

2 stamina dice: tear tendon

Soul Feeding. The barghest can feed on the corpse of a humanoid that it killed that has been dead for less than 10 minutes, devouring both flesh and soul in doing so. This feeding takes at least 1 minute, and it destroys the victim’s body. The victim’s soul is trapped in the barghest for 24 hours, after which time it is digested. If the barghest dies before the soul is digested, the soul is released.

While a humanoid’s soul is trapped in the barghest, any form of revival that could work has only a 50 percent chance of doing so, freeing the soul from the barghest if it is successful. Once a creature’s soul is digested, however, no mortal magic can return that humanoid to life.

Spellcasting. The barghest uses Divinity (cha) to cast spells (spell save Difficulty 12, +3 to hit with spell attacks). It has 2 mana, a mana limit of 1, regains all expended mana when it finishes a long rest, and regains half its total mana when it finishes a short rest. It knows the following spells:

At will: levitate, pass without trace

Cantrips (at will, 5th-level spellcaster): ghostly spirit, soul sap, thaumaturgy

1 mana: absorb spirit, ancestral blessing, bind soul, consult the spirits, find familiar, spirit drain

Actions (1)

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) piercing damage.

Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit. Hit: 8 (1d8 + 4) slashing damage.

Change Shape (1/turn). The barghest can polymorph into a Small goblin or back into its true form. Other than its size and speed, its statistics are the same in each form. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying isn’t transformed. It reverts to its true form if it dies.

Forest, Grassland, Hill, Lower planes, Mountain, Underdarkvgtm

Maneuvers

As an action, make a melee weapon attack and a Brawn check to grapple the creature.

Enhance

You can add the stamina die to the attack’s damage (add half on a miss by 4 or less) for each additional stamina die expended.

As an action, make a melee weapon attack and increase your reach for the attack by 1 meter.

On a hit, add the stamina die to the attack’s damage.

On a critical hit, add twice as much damage.

On a miss by 4 or less, add half as much damage.

Enhance

You can increase the damage for each additional stamina die expended.

As an action, you can use the Dash action. If you move at least 3 meters straight toward a creature, you can make a melee weapon attack against it.

On a hit, add the stamina die to the attack’s damage.

On a critical hit, add twice as much damage.

On a miss by 4 or less, add half as much damage.

Enhance

You can increase the damage for each additional stamina die expended.

As an action, make a weapon attack with a melee weapon with a natural weapon that deals slashing damage and then swipe through the target. Each creature within 1 meter of the target and within your weapon’s reach must make a Reflex saving throw.

On a failure, it takes slashing damage equal to the stamina die.

On a critical failure, it takes twice as much damage.

On a success, it takes half as much damage.

On a critical success, it takes no damage.

Enhance

You can increase the damage for each additional stamina die expended.

As an action, make a melee weapon attack with a natural weapon that deals piercing or slashing damage to cause jagged wounds that bleed.

On a hit, add the stamina die to the attack’s damage and the creature is bleeding 1.

On a critical hit, add twice as much damage.

On a miss by 4 or less, add half as much damage.

Enhance

You can increase the damage and bleeding level by 1 for each additional stamina die expended.

As an action, make a melee weapon attack and a Brawn check to Trip.

Enhance

You can add the stamina die to the attack’s damage (add half on a miss by 4 or less) for each additional stamina die expended.

1 minute/stamina die

As an action, make a melee weapon attack with a natural weapon that deals piercing or slashing damage to tear the creature’s tendon.

On a hit, add one stamina die to the attack’s damage and the creature must succeed on a Fortitude saving throw or it is slowed 1 for the duration and while affected it loses health equal to one of the stamina dice for every meter it travels. This has no effect on any creature that cannot bleed or lose a vital liquid substance.

On a critical hit, add twice as much damage.

On a miss by 4 or less, add half as much damage.

The creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.

Enhance

You can increase the damage for each additional stamina die expended and the slowed level by 1 for every two additional stamina die expended.

Spells

As an action, you summon a ghostly spirit (11 Defense; 7 Health) in a space you can see within 5 meters. The spirit can appear translucent or emit a faint glow, shedding dim light in its space.

When you cast this spell, or as an action on a later turn, you can cause a spirit to shriek at a creature of your choice within 5 meters of it. The creature must make a Will saving throw. If the creature is immune to being frightened, the spell has no effect on it.

On a failure, it takes 1d4 psychic damage and can’t willingly move closer to the space where the spirit was until the end of its next turn.

On a critical failure, it takes twice as much damage.

On a success, it takes half as much damage.

On a critical success, it takes no damage.

You can summon up to three spirits. If a spirit shrieks, the spirit disappears.

At higher levels

This spell’s damage increases by 1d4 when you reach 9th level (2d4) and 17th level (3d4).

As an action, you siphon life force from a creature that you can touch or see within 5 meters to heal your wounds. The creature must make a Fortitude saving throw. If the creature is a construct or an undead, the spell has no effect on it.

On a failure, it takes 1d6 necrotic damage.

On a critical failure, it takes twice as much damage.

On a success, it takes half as much damage.

On a critical success, it takes no damage.

You gain temporary health equal to half the amount of necrotic damage dealt.

At higher levels

This spell’s damage increases by 1d6 when you reach 9th level (2d6) and 17th level (3d6).

1 minute

As an action, you manifest a minor wonder, a sign of supernatural power, within 5 meters. You create one of the following magical effects.

  • Your voice booms up to three times as loud as normal.
  • You cause flames to flicker, brighten, dim, or change color.
  • You cause harmless tremors in the ground.
  • You create an instantaneous sound, such as a rumble of thunder, the cry of a raven, or ominous whispers.
  • You instantly light or snuff out a candle, a torch, or a small campfire.
  • You instantaneously cause an unlocked door or window to fly open or slam shut.
  • You alter the appearance of your eyes.

If you cast this spell multiple times, you can have up to three of its effects active at a time, and you can dismiss such an effect on your turn (no action required).

As a reaction, which you use when a creature within 5 meters of you dies, you can absorb its spirit. You gain 1d10 + your spellcasting ability temporary health.

Augment

You gain 1d10 additional temporary health for each additional mana expended.

As a reaction, which you use when you or another creature that isn’t a construct or an undead that you can touch or see within 10 meters makes a skill check or a saving throw, your ancestral spirits guide the creature. The creature makes the roll with advantage. You can do so after the roll but before any effects of the roll occur.

If the roll already has advantage or disadvantage, you cannot apply another instance of advantage or disadvantage and you must use this before the roll to cancel out any advantage or disadvantage.

Augment

You can your ancestral blessing to one additional creature for each additional mana expended. The creatures must be within 5 meters of each other when you target them.

M (a piece of jewelry worth 200 sp); 1 hour/mana

As an action, you touch the piece of jewelry that serves as the material component for this spell to a creature that has died within the last minute. If the creature’s soul is willing and able to return, it becomes bound to the piece of jewelry for the duration.

While the soul is bound in this way, the creature bound to the jewelry and the creature wearing it can telepathically communicate with one another. The spell ends early if the jewelry is destroyed or if the bound creature is returned to life.

A bound soul can attempt to break free from the jewelry if it experiences any emotional, psychological, or physical pain. The creature must make a Will saving throw.

On a failure, the soul cannot attempt to break free for another 7 days.

On a success, the soul is free.

Augment
You can augment this spell with the following options, expending mana for each option.
  • You can expend 1 additional mana so the duration changes to 10 days.

  • You can expend 2 additional mana so the duration changes to 1 year.

  • You can expend 3 additional mana and so the duration becomes permanent.

  • You can expend 1 additional mana so the creature can have died within the last hour.

  • You can expend 2 additional mana so the creature can have died within the last 24 hours.

  • You can expend 3 additional mana so the creature can have died within the last week.

  • You can expend 4 additional mana so the creature can have died within the last month.

(ritual); M (physical item serving as a connection to the spirits worth at least 25 sp)

As you spend 1 minute to cast this spell, you receive an omen from the spirits about the results of a specific course of action that you plan to take within the next 30 minutes. The GM chooses from the following possible omens:

  • Weal, for good results
  • Woe, for bad results
  • Weal and woe, for both good and bad results
  • Nothing, for results that aren’t especially good or bad

The spell doesn’t take into account any possible circumstances that might change the outcome, such as the casting of additional spells or the loss or gain of a companion.

If you cast the spell two or more times before completing your next long rest, there is a cumulative 25% chance for each casting after the first that you get a random reading. The GM makes this roll in secret.

(ritual); M (charcoal, incense, and herbs worth 10 sp that must be consumed by fire, consumed)

As you spend 10 minutes to cast this spell, you gain the service of a familiar, a piece of you that takes an animal form you choose: almiraj, awakened shrub, badger, bat, cat, chwinga, crab, crawling claw, fish (quipper), flying monkey, flying snake, frog, hawk, homunculus, lizard, octopus, owl, poisonous snake, rat, raven, scorpion, sea horse, spider, toad, tressym, weasel, or any Tiny or smaller animal of challenge rating 0.

Appearing in an unoccupied space within 5 meters, the familiar has the statistics of the chosen form, though its health is increased by 5. Your familiar can understand your speech and you gain the ability to decipher its noises and motions.

Your familiar acts independently of you, but it always obeys your commands. In combat, it rolls its own initiative and acts on its own turn. If you don’t issue any commands to your familiar, it defends itself from hostile creatures but otherwise takes no actions. A familiar can’t attack, but it can take other actions as normal.

While your familiar is within 20 meters of you:

  • Your familiar has resistance to all damage. Each time it takes damage, you take the same amount of damage.
  • When you cast a spell with a range of touch, your familiar can deliver the spell as if it had cast the spell. Your familiar must use its reaction to deliver the spell when you cast it. If the spell is an attack, you use your own skill check for the roll.

As an action, you can temporarily dismiss your familiar if it is within 5 meters of you. It disappears into a pocket dimension where it awaits your summons. As an action while it is temporarily dismissed, you can cause it to reappear in any unoccupied space within 5 meters of you that you can see.

You can’t have more than one blood sentinel, divine emissary, familiar, or wild companion at a time. If you cast this spell while you already have a blood sentinel, divine emissary, familiar, or wild companion, the spell fails.

When the familiar drops to 0 health, it disappears, leaving behind no physical form. It reappears after you cast this spell again. If it is slain by a creature, you gain advantage on your next attack made against the killer.

Augment

You can increase your familiar’s health by 15 for each additional mana expended.

concentration, 5 minutes/mana

As an action, you raise your hands to the sky as you rise vertically, up to 5 meters, and remain suspended there for the duration.

You can move only by pushing or pulling against a fixed object or surface within reach (such as a wall or a ceiling), which allows you to move as if you were climbing. Once on your turn, you can change your altitude by up to 5 meters in either direction.

If you are still aloft when the effect ends, you descend 10 meters per round for 1 minute until you lands, which you do safely. If you can’t land after 1 minute, you fall the remaining distance.

Augment
You can augment this spell with the following options, expending mana for each option.
  • You can target one additional willing creature or object within 10 meters for each additional mana expended. The creatures and objects must be within 5 meters of each other when you target them. The spell can levitate a Medium or smaller creature or objects that weighs up to 150 kilos. Once on your turn, you can change the altitude of a target within 10 meters by up to 5 meters in either direction. You can affect a creature of a larger size and an object that weighs 150 kilos more for each additional mana expended.

  • You can expend 1 additional mana to target a creature that you can touch or see within 10 meters. The creature must succeed on a Fortitude save or it is levitated, up to 5 meters, and remains suspended there for the duration. The spell can levitate a Medium or smaller creature. Once on your turn, you can change the altitude of a target within 10 meters by up to 5 meters in either direction. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. You can affect a creature of a larger size for each additional mana expended.

  • Fly. You can expend 1 additional mana and touch a willing creature so the creature gains a flying speed of 10 meters for the duration.

1 hour/mana

As an action, a veil of shadows and silence covers you, masking you from detection. For the duration, you have advantage on Stealth checks and can’t be tracked except by magical means. A creature that receives this bonus leaves behind no tracks or other traces of its passage.

Augment

You can expend 1 additional mana so each creature you choose within 5 meters of you (including you) has advantage on Stealth checks and can’t be tracked except by magical means.

As an action, you drain the spiritual energy from a creature that you can touch or see within 10 meters. The creature must make a Will saving throw. If the creature doesn’t have mana, ki, or stamina dice, the spell has no effect on it.

On a failure, it takes 2d6 necrotic damage, loses 1 mana, 2 ki, or 2 stamina dice (its choice), and is slowed 1 until the end of its next turn.

On a critical failure, it takes twice as much damage and is slowed 2 until the end of its next turn.

On a success, it takes half as much damage.

On a critical success, it takes no damage.

If the creature has slots that are not converted to mana, the GM removes an equivalent level slot. If the creature has innate spellcasting with a set amount each day, use the highest level slot from that section to determine if the slot is lost.

Augment

You can increase the damage by 5d6 and the target loses 1 additional mana or 2 additional stamina dice for each additional mana expended.