Scheznyki

Small fey, chaotic evil

Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
Hit Points 135 (18d6 + 72)
Speed 20 ft., climb 15 ft., fly 40 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
19 (+4) 15 (+2) 18 (+4) 15 (+2) 16 (+3) 16 (+3)

Saving Throws Str +7, Con +7
Condition Immunities unconscious
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 13
Languages Common, Dwarvish, Sylvan
Challenge 6 (2,300 XP)
Proficiency Bonus +3

SPECIAL TRAITS

  • Beard Weakness. A creature grappling the scheznyki can take its action to cut off the scheznyki’s beard by succeeding on a DC 15 Strength check while holding an edged weapon. If its beard is cut off, the scheznyki can’t use Spellcasting until its beard regrows.
  • Brute. A melee weapon deals one extra die of its damage when the scheznyki hits with it (included in the attack).
  • Magic Resistance. The scheznyki has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

ACTIONS

  • Multiattack. The scheznyki makes three War Pick or Arcane Bolt attacks. It can replace one attack with a use of Spellcasting.
  • War Pick. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) piercing damage.
  • Arcane Bolt. Ranged Spell Attack: +6 to hit, range 60 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (3d6 + 3) force damage.
  • Invisibility. The scheznyki magically turns invisible until it attacks or casts a spell, or until its concentration ends (as if concentrating on a spell). Any equipment it wears or carries is invisible with it.
  • Spellcasting. The scheznyki casts one of the following spells, requiring no material components and using Charisma as the spellcasting ability (spell save DC 14):

ABOUT

The small, dwarf-like creature is bootless with broken, dirty toenails and wearing rough burlap and a leather tam hat. It brandishes a pick as it grins maliciously.

Corrupted Dwarves. These small, vicious, dwarf-like fey haunt abandoned quarries and ancient ruins, killing and robbing unsuspecting visitors. Legend says the scheznykis are lazy dwarves corrupted by the fey, though others claim that these are dwarves who swore allegiance to fey lords and ladies long ago.

Magical Hats. Scheznykis prize their tam hats and viciously hunt down any who steal their hats. When a scheznyki dies or if its hat is separated from it for more than 24 hours, some of the scheznyki’s magic imbues the hat (see below).

Vanisher Hat

Wondrous item, uncommon (requires attunement)

When a scheznyki dies or 24 hours after its hat is stolen, its hat is imbued with the scheznyki’s magic and becomes a vanisher hat.

This plain hat appears to be a rough burlap tam. A creature that can see through illusions sees the hat as a golden, bejeweled coronet. While wearing this hat, you can use an action to speak its command word to become invisible and gain a flying speed of 40 feet for up to 1 minute. Anything you are wearing or carrying is invisible with you. You remain invisible and capable of flying until you repeat the command word as an action or until you attack or cast a spell. Once used, the hat can’t be used again until the next dawn.

Arcane Beards. The majority of a scheznyki’s magic is tied to its beard, and its beard hair is a valuable component for creating exotic inks. If the majority of its beard is cut off, the scheznyki can’t cast spells until its beard regrows. If the scheznyki loses its hat and beard within the same 24-hour period, it falls into a deep, wasting coma and dies in 24 hours, crumbling to dust. If its beard is magically mended or regrown, or its hat restored to its head before this happens, the scheznyki recovers immediately.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

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

This is not the complete license attribution - see the full license for this page