Aíje Tadpole

Family: Aíje

Small monstrosity, unaligned

Armor Class 13 (natural armor)
Hit Points 7 (1d12)
Speed 5 ft., swim 30 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
8 (-1)	20 (+5)	10 (+0)	8 (-1)	10 (+0)	11 (+0)

Skills Perception +2, Stealth +7
Senses passive Perception 12
Languages Aquan
Challenge 1/4 (50 XP)

SPECIAL TRAITS

• Amphibious. The aíje can breathe air and water.
• Hold Breath. The aíje can hold its breath for 1 hour.
• Innate Spellcasting. The aíje’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma. The aíje can innately cast the following spells, requiring no components:
  • At will: detect poison and disease, locate animals or plants
  • 1/day each: cure wounds, speak with animals, speak with plants
• Invisible in Water. The aíje is invisible while fully immersed in water.

ACTIONS

• Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6 + 1) piercing damage.
• Song of the Aíje. The aíje sings a magical song, causing all humanoids and fey within 30 feet to become charmed if they fail a DC 10 Wisdom saving throw. Creatures that cannot hear the song are immune. The aí?e must use a bonus action each round to continue singing. Charmed creatures more than 5 feet away from the aí?e must use all possible movement on their turn to move toward the aí?e by the most direct route. They are otherwise incapacitated and become deafened to all sounds other than the aí?e’s song. Creatures moving toward the aí?e don’t avoid opportunity attacks, but before moving into damaging or obviously dangerous terrain, such as a river rapid or a cliff, and whenever it takes damage from a source other than the aí?e, a target can repeat the saving throw. A creature can also repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns. If a creature’s saving throw is successful, the effect ends on it. A target that successfully saves is immune to this aí?e’s song for the next 24 hours. Once a charmed creature is within 10 feet of the aí?e they must present an offering, any combination of flowers, feathers, dance or song and succeed on a DC 16 Charisma (Persuasion) or Charisma (Performance) check with disadvantage to coerce the aí?e to stop playing its magical song. Creatures immune to the song do not have disadvantage on such checks when presenting their gifts to the aí?e. After two failed checks by any combination of creatures, the aí?e becomes offended and swims away.

ABOUT

Thriving in the murky waterways of dark jungles and dank swamps to the brackish waters of large estuaries are a species of mythical aquatic beings referred to by the local population as the aí?e. This amphibious creature has magical skin that camouflages them on land and makes them virtually undetectable in the water. An unsuspecting party or beast would not notice them until they hear the aí?e’s song, and then it is often too late. Their magical song makes it very hard for anyone to kill them. They use their song to mesmerize their captors or prey. Fortunately, the aí?e is not aggressive by nature, but if crossed, it would be wisest to flee with haste. They have a face of teeth like a piranha and can use them to razor through anything that displeases them.

Naturally Cultured. Aí?e have a fondness for good music and dance and can be persuaded to leave others unarmed or even to help if impressed or distracted with a skilled performance. Gifts of flowers and feathers also please them, as do gifts of food, but they are temperamental and may respond angrily if offered something they perceive as poor quality or beneath their dignity.

Growth Cycle. The youngest aí?e are vulnerable to their surroundings and rarely leave the water. They rely on stealth and their magical skin to remain invisible while in the water. They continue to grow in size and magical power throughout their lives, eventually developing the ability to waddle clumsily up onto land. Huge adult aí?e are irascible and can be violent, lashing out with fangs or with magical songs that can sway entire villages. Ancient elder aí?e swim in fresh and salt water alike, growing to immense size with thick, callused skin, but are more patient than in their adult years and sometimes bestow blessings and healing on the lucky few that encounter them.

Companions. An aí?e tadpole can be raised in captivity, being fed and cared for and using its magical skills for the betterment of those that befriend it. However, they grow equally quickly when so contained, and those that fail to release them into waterways and swamps when they outgrow their pools and ponds earn their wrath. They never forget those who have raised them, and while an aí?e can be vengeful to those who have mistreated it, it is equally devoted to the welfare of those that have treated it well. If called upon in times of need, the aí?e will always seek to answer.