White Stag

This beautiful and noble snow-white stag has an impressive rack of antlers and glows with an otherworldly, golden light.

Large celestial, chaotic good

Armor Class 13 (natural armor)
Hit Points 45 (7d10 + 7)
Speed 60 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
17 (+3) 15 (+2) 13 (+1) 10 (+0) 14 (+2) 15 (+2)

Skills Athletics +5, Insight +4, Perception +4
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14
Languages understands Celestial, Common, Elvish and Sylvan but can’t speak
Challenge 2 (450 XP)

Special Traits

  • Beloved by the Gods. When the white stag dies, the deity that created it curses the creature that dealt the killing blow. The cursed creature finds the natural world working against it: roots randomly rise up to trip the creature when it walks past a tree (5% chance per mile traveled in forested terrain), animals are more reluctant to obey (disadvantage on Wisdom (Animal Handling) checks), and the wind seems to always be blowing in the least favorable direction for the creature (scattering papers, sending the creature’s scent in the direction of a creature tracking it, etc.). This curse lasts until it is lifted by a remove curse spell or after the cursed creature completes a task of penance for the deity or its temple.
  • Forest Runner. Difficult terrain doesn’t slow the white stag’s travel while in a forest.
  • Running Leap. With a 10-foot running start, the white stag can long jump up to 25 feet.

Actions

  • Multiattack. The white stag makes one gore attack and one hooves attack.
  • Gore. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) piercing damage.
  • Hooves. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 10 (2d6 + 3) bludgeoning damage.

About

White stags are celestial beings, sent by the gods to the Material Plane to provide guidance to mortal heroes. Their appearance is said to be an indication that great events are in the offing, and those who are privileged enough to see one of these creatures will have an important part to play.

Divine Messengers. When pious elves die and their spirits journey to the Outer Planes, some are accorded the honor of spending a year and a day serving the elven gods as a white stag before moving on to enjoy the afterlife. A deity will dispatch a white stag to the Material Plane when it wants to send a group of mortals on a divine quest, or it needs to give them a nudge in the right direction.

Forest Chase. A white stag always appears some distance away in a forest or deep wood. Surrounded by a nimbus of golden light, it is clearly an otherworldly creature. The stag will look directly at a group of travelers, but if approached, it will turn and sprint off through the trees. If chased, the stag will lead its pursuers through a number of obstacles in the forest before eventually coming to a halt at a spot that has some bearing on the travelers’ quest. If the travelers are able to keep the stag in sight or to follow its tracks, they are likely to find a useful clue or item when the creature stops running. Sometimes, the pursuers may experience a vision or other divine revelation.

Dying Curse. A white stag always runs when attacked. If cornered, it defends itself to the best of its ability. Killing a white stag angers the gods who created it. When the stag dies, its body vanishes in a puff of white smoke, and the person who slew the creature is subject to a curse that can only be removed with magic or by performing a quest on behalf of the gods- sometimes both.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Creature Codex. © 2018 Open Design LLC; Authors Wolfgang Baur, Dan Dillon, Richard Green, James Haeck, Chris Harris, Jeremy Hochhalter, James Introcaso, Chris Lockey, Shawn Merwin, and Jon Sawatsky.