A-mi-kuk

Huge aberration, chaotic evil

Armor Class 14 (natural armor)
Hit Points 115 (10d12 + 50)
Speed 30 ft., burrow 20 ft., swim 40 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
21 (+5)	8 (-1)	20 (+5)	7 (-2)	14 (+2)	10 (+0)

Skills Athletics +10, Perception +5, Stealth +2
Damage Resistances acid; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
Damage Immunities cold
Condition Immunities paralyzed, restrained
Senses darkvision 60 ft., tremorsense 30 ft., passive Perception 15
Languages understands Common but can’t speak
Challenge 7 (2,900 XP)

SPECIAL TRAITS

• Hold Breath. The a-mi-kuk can hold its breath for 30 minutes.
• Fear of Fire. The a-mi-kuk is afraid of fire, and it won’t move toward any fiery or burning objects. If presented forcefully with a flame, or if it is dealt fire damage, the a-mi-kuk must succeed on a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened until the end of its next turn. After it has been frightened by a specific source of fire (such as the burning hands spell), the a-mi-kuk can’t be frightened by that same source again for 24 hours.
• Icy Slime. The a-mi-kuk’s body is covered in a layer of greasy, ice-cold slime that grants it the benefits of freedom of movement. In addition, a creature that touches the a-mi-kuk or hits it with a melee attack while within 5 feet of it takes 7 (2d6) cold damage from the freezing slime. A creature grappled by the a-mi-kuk takes this damage at the start of each of its turns.

ACTIONS

• Multiattack. The a-mi-kuk makes two attacks: one with its bite and one with its grasping claw.
• Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 12 (2d6 + 5) piercing damage.
• Grasping Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 18 (3d8 + 5) bludgeoning damage, and the target is grappled (escape DC 16). The a-mi-kuk has two grasping claws, each of which can grapple only one target at a time.
• Strangle. The a-mi-kuk strangles one creature grappled by it. The target must make a DC 16 Strength saving throw. On a failure, the target takes 27 (6d8) bludgeoning damage, can’t breathe, speak, or cast spells, and begins suffocating. On a success, the target takes half the bludgeoning damage and is no longer grappled. Until this strangling grapple ends (escape DC 16), the target takes 13 (3d8) bludgeoning damage at the start of each of its turns. The a-mi-kuk can strangle up to two Medium or smaller targets or one Large target at a time.

ABOUT

Crimson slime covers this ungainly creature. Its tiny black eyes sit in an abnormally large head, and dozens of sharp teeth fill its small mouth. Its limbs end in large, grasping claws that look strong enough to crush the life out of a bear.

Hidden Terror. The dreaded a-mi-kuk is a terrifying creature that feasts on any who venture into the bleak and icy expanses of the world. A-mi-kuks prowl the edges of isolated communities, snatching those careless enough to wander too far from camp. They also submerge themselves beneath frozen waters, coming up from below to grab and strangle lone fishermen.

Fear of Flames. A-mi-kuks have a deathly fear of fire, and anyone using fire against one has a good chance of making it flee in terror, even if the fire-user would otherwise be outmatched. A-mi-kuks are not completely at the mercy of this fear, however, and lash out with incredible fury if cornered by someone using fire against them.

Unknown Origins. A-mi-kuks are not natural creatures and contribute little to the ecosystems in which they live. The monsters are never seen together, and some believe them to be a single monster, an evil spirit made flesh that appears whenever a group of humans has angered the gods. A-mi-kuks have no known allies and viciously attack any creatures that threaten them, regardless of the foe’s size or power.