Ichneumon

Large monstrosity, unaligned

Armor Class 16 (natural armor; 18 with Mud Armor)
Hit Points 123 (13d10 + 52)
Speed 50 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
22 (+6) 18 (+4) 18 (+4) 6 (-2) 14 (+2) 12 (+1)

Saving Throws Dexterity +8, Constitution +8, Wisdom +6
Skills Acrobatics +8, Athletics +10, Stealth +8, Survival +6
Damage Resistances acid, cold, fire, lightning, poison; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 12
Languages
Challenge 11 (7,200 XP)

Special Traits

  • Draconic Predator. The ichneumon is immune to a dragon’s Frightful Presence and has advantage on saving throws against the breath weapons of dragons.
  • Evasion. If the ichneumon is subjected to an effect that allows it to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, the ichneumon instead takes no damage if it succeeds on the saving throw, and only half damage if it fails.
  • Keen Hearing and Smell. The ichneumon has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or smell.
  • Mud Armor. If the ichneumon spends an hour applying mud to itself, it can increase its AC by 2 for 8 hours.

Actions

  • Multiattack. The ichneumon makes three attacks: two with its bite and one with its claws.
  • Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 20 (4d6 + 6) piercing damage and the target is grappled (escape DC 18). Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained, and the ichneumon can’t use its bite on another target.
  • Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 16 (3d6 + 6) slashing damage.

About

With powerful jaws and teeth capable of shearing scales from meat with ease, the creature resembles a weasel the size of a brown bear.

Outsized Temerity. These creatures live in burrows and caves whose previous inhabitants were likely devoured by the new residents. Wily hunters, ichneumons prey upon all kinds of creatures, but they go to great lengths and far out of their way to feast on dragon eggs, or the dragons themselves if they can.

Resourceful Rodent. Ichneumons have a keen animal intelligence, and they make an innovative use of their environment. A musky oil with insulating properties coats the fur of an ichneumon, granting it a measure of protection. When an ichneumon has the luxury of time to prepare before hunting, it finds the nearest source of mud and applies layer after layer to itself. The mud bonds with the creature’s oily coat and forms a hard, thick outer armor, enhancing its natural protections.

Hunted and Hated. The ichneumon’s very existence is a source of humiliation and outrage for dragonkind. The mention of a dragon’s name who was killed by an ichneumon is considered distasteful among dragons once they have hunted for the killer and settled the matter. Different standards of decency apply for other beings, however, and any non-dragon foolish enough to mention an ichneumon within hearing of a dragon might never be heard from again.

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.

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