Dau

Small fey, chaotic neutral

Armor Class 13
Hit Points 49 (9d6 + 18)
Speed 20 ft., fly 60 ft. (hover)

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
7 (-2) 17 (+3) 14 (+2) 14 (+1) 17 (+3) 16 (+3)

Skills Deception +5, Insight +5, Perception +5, Stealth +5
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 15
Languages Deep Speech, Primordial, Sylvan, telepathy 60 ft.
Challenge 4 (1,100 XP)
Proficiency Bonus +2

SPECIAL TRAITS

  • Magic Resistance. The dau has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

ACTIONS

  • Multiattack. The dau makes two Slam attacks.
  • Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) bludgeoning damage plus 10 (3d6) necrotic damage, and the dau regains hp equal to the necrotic damage dealt. The target must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or its hp maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the necrotic damage dealt. This reduction lasts until the creature finishes a long rest. The creature dies if this effect reduces its hp maximum to 0.
  • Spellcasting. The dau casts one of the following spells, requiring no material components and using Charisma as the spellcasting ability (spell save DC 13):

REACTIONS

  • Mirror Dodge. When a creature the dau can see within 30 feet of it attacks the dau or targets it with a spell, the dau replaces itself with an illusory duplicate and teleports to any unoccupied space that it can see within 30 feet. The dau isn’t affected by the attack or spell, and the illusory duplicate is destroyed.
  • Tangible Illusion (1/Day). When the dau casts a spell that creates an illusion of an object, the dau temporarily transforms that illusion into a physical, nonmagical object. The temporary object lasts 10 minutes, after which it reverts to being an illusion (or vanishes, if the duration of the original illusion expires). During that time, the illusion has all the physical properties of the object it represents, but it doesn’t have any of the object’s magical properties. The dau must touch the illusion to trigger this transformation, and the object can be no larger than 5 cubic feet.

ABOUT

A constant shimmer surrounds this short, winged creature.

Staring at it is eye-watering and confusing, like a distant desert mirage, though it’s scant yards away.

Desert Mirage Fey. Daus are creatures of haze and illusion. They stand three feet tall, with sandy skin, and are surrounded by a shimmering aura like a heat haze. They are flighty, physically weak, and unfocused, but agile in body and wit.

Lazy and Bored. Their ability to magically provide for themselves in most material ways tends to make daus lazy and hedonistic. As a result, daus are often friendly and eager for company. They invite friends and strangers alike to rest in their lairs, partake in their feasts, and share their stories.

Sticklers for Etiquette. However, a dau’s hospitality turns to cruelty when guests breach its intricate rules of etiquette.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Tome of Beasts 1 ©2023 Open Design LLC; Authors: Daniel Kahn, Jeff Lee, and Mike Welham.

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