Child of the Briar

Tiny plant, neutral evil

Armor Class 13
Hit Points 50 (20d4)
Speed 20 ft., climb 10 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
6 (-2) 17 (+3) 11 (+0) 13 (+1) 10 (+0) 14 (+2)

Skills Perception +4, Stealth +7
Damage Vulnerabilities fire
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14
Languages Briarclick, Common, Sylvan
Challenge 1 (200 XP)
Proficiency Bonus +2

SPECIAL TRAITS

  • Fey Ancestry. The child of the briar has advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put it to sleep.

ACTIONS

  • Multiattack. The child of the briar makes two Claw attacks. If both attacks hit a Medium or smaller creature, the target is grappled (escape DC 13). At the start of each of the grappled creature’s turns, it takes 2 (1d4) piercing damage. The child of the briar can have only one target grappled at a time.
  • Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) piercing damage.
  • Spitdart Tongue (Recharge 4–6). Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) piercing damage.
  • Entangle. While within 10 feet of at least one other child of the briar, this child can cast the entangle spell (spell save DC 13). Each friendly child of the briar within 30 feet of this child can use its reaction to join the casting. For each child beyond the first participating in the casting, the save DC increases by 1, to a maximum of DC 17, and the size increases by 5 feet, to a maximum of a 40-foot square. The entangled area must include at least one of the children involved in the casting. All participating children of the briar are immune to the spell’s effects. Its eyes gleam like polished walnuts, and its sly smile seems oddly placed on the tiny body, covered in spikes and thorns. The creature’s waist is no thicker than a clenched fist, and its sinuous arms are no wider than a finger but twice the length of its body.

ABOUT

Born of Magic. Children of the briar are a frequent nuisance to fey and mortal alike. They grow in deep briar patches in forest clearings or along sunny hillsides and riverbanks. More rarely, they spawn when a sorcerer or magical creature’s blood is spilled on the forest floor, or when summoned into being by obscure druidic items of power.

Thorn Fortresses. Despite their size, children of the briar gather in great numbers, cultivating ancient forest thickets into veritable fortresses. Wise men flee when they hear the clicking language in the underbrush, for children of the briar have the capricious wickedness of spiteful children and a taste for blood.

Spies and Scouts. From their lairs, children of the briar creep far and wide to spy on the forest’s inhabitants, sometimes using spiders, monstrous centipedes, and giant dragonflies as mounts. They converse with travelers bearing interesting news, but their words are thorned with gleeful malice, jealous bile, and lies. They are not above murder. They trade news and gossip for trinkets, favors, and drops of spilled blood.

Fey Blessed. The fey have long used children of the briar as spies and informants. The power of the fey courses through their veins, allowing them to work simple magical tricks and slip between the mortal and fey realms with relative ease.

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