Animal Lord, Toad King

Family: Animal Lords

Medium fey (shapechanger), neutral

Armor Class 15
Hit Points 150 (20d8 + 60)
Speed 30 ft., swim 60 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
14 (+2)	20 (+5)	17 (+3)	16 (+3)	13 (+1)	21 (+5)

Saving Throws Dex +9, Con +7, Cha +9
Skills Acrobatics +9, Deception +9, History +7, Insight +5, Nature +7, Survival +5
Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
Damage Immunities poison
Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, poisoned, stunned
Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 11
Languages all, telepathy 120 ft.
Challenge 10 (5,900 XP)

SPECIAL TRAITS

• • Amphibious. The Toad King can breathe air and water.
  • Anuran Passivism. No frogs or toads can willingly attack the Toad King. They can be forced to do so through magical means.
  • Feint. As a bonus action before taking an action to attack, the Toad King can attempt to feint an opponent within 5 feet of him. The target must succeed on a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw, or the Toad King has advantage on his next attack.
  • Magic Resistance. The Toad King has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
  • Magic Weapons. The Toad King’s weapon attacks are magical.
  • Rejuvenation. If he dies, the Toad King’s soul reforms on the Astral Plane. In 1d6 days, it inhabits the body of another frog or toad on the Material Plane, which then becomes the Toad King (with all of the hp and abilities thereof). Only killing every frog and toad on the Material Plane will prevent this trait from functioning.
  • Royal Croak. As a bonus action, the Toad King croaks at a frog or toad within 30 feet of him. If the target can hear him, it can make one weapon attack as a reaction against any creature that has attacked the Toad King since the end of his previous turn.
  • Shapechanger. The Toad King can use his action to polymorph into a Large emerald frog, a Medium male human, or back into his true Medium bipedal toad form. His statistics, other than his size, are the same in each form-with the exception that only his true and frog forms retain his swimming speed. Any equipment he is wearing or carrying transforms with him. He reverts to his true form if he dies.
  • Speak with Frogs and Toads. The Toad King can communicate with frogs and toads as if they shared a language.
  • Standing Leap. The Toad King’s long jump is up to 20 feet and his high jump is up to 10 feet, with or without a running start.
  • Innate Spellcasting. The Toad King’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 17). He can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:
    • At will: heroism, suggestion
    • 3/day each: expeditious retreat, grease
    • 1/day each: geas, water walk

ACTIONS

• • • Multiattack. In frog form, the Toad King makes two bite attacks. In humanoid form, he makes three rapier attacks. In his true form, he makes three attacks: one with his bite and two with his rapier.
    • Bite (Frog Form and True Form Only). Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 12 (2d6 + 5) piercing damage plus 7 (2d6) poison damage. If the target is a Medium or smaller creature, it is grappled (escape DC 14). Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained, the Toad King can automatically hit the target with his bite, and he can’t make bite attacks against other targets. When the Toad King moves, any Medium or smaller target he is grappling moves with him.
    • Rapier (Human and True Form Only). Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d8 + 5) piercing damage.

REACTIONS

• • • Parry (Human and True Form Only). The Toad King adds 4 to his AC against one melee attack that would hit him. To do so, the Toad King must see the attacker and be wielding a melee weapon.

ABOUT

The Toad King enjoys sending adventurers on elaborate quests to cure his “curse,” often spinning tales of his woeful plight wrought at the hands of evil fey or witches. Here are some example quests for particularly helpful adventurers:

• • • Retrieve the warty nose of a green hag who lives deep in the swamp, then burn it in the remains of a yowler. The Toad King must inhale the rotten perfume.
    • Collect a dozen thornless roses from the cursed forest and sprinkle the petals in an ellipse around the Toad King at midnight on the night of a full moon.
    • Bathe a false gemstone from an arachnocrat in the molten saliva of a hoard drake, then place the glistening jewel on the Toad King’s forehead.
    • Obtain a gallon of water once inhabited by a crinaea. The water must be freely given and free of poison, and the Toad King must bathe in it for 24 hours.
    • Soak the feather of a lymarien in the tears of guardian naga. The Toad King must consume the tear-soaked feather before the next crescent moon.
    • Bring the Toad King a cloak of winter wolf fur held together by a clasp made from a haleshi’s clam. The clam must have been used by the haleshi at least once to magically transport itself and others.
    • The Toad King must consume a potion made of basilisk eyes, pixie dust, and holy water. The potion must be frozen by an ice bogie before consumption.
    • Weave a crown made of hair from a sea hag, an orphan of the black, and a mountain nymph, then place the crown on the Toad King’s head.
    • Coat an acorn in a paste made from ashes left in an ashen custodian’s wake and plant it in the soil of the Toad King’s home. The first seed the tree bears will cure the Toad King.

While humanoids have vast pantheons and divine figures of every stripe, the animals of the world have much simpler forms of faith. Among each species there is always one paragon that embodies the animal spirit in a humanoid form, the better to speak to others and represent the animals in celestial councils.

This human-sized toad has an enormous head and expressive onyx eyes. His broad smile, accentuated by wrinkles and warts, complements his regal bearing and attire.

King of Frogs. All amphibians respect the Toad King, but frogs and toads follow his orders. He lives among them in swampy areas and often adds his voice to their croaking choruses.

Fairy-tale Nobility. Comporting himself with dignity, the Toad King enjoys pretending to be a prince or king cursed to take a toad’s form. He spins a grand tale about witches or fey enchanters and convinces listeners to undertake elaborate quests to break the curse. He is generous with castings of heroism to aid those who agree to do his bidding, but he often insists on casting geas to ensure compliance. The Toad King hints at rewards but tries not to promise anything specific. If he does guarantee a reward, he is obligated to make good on his promise if his pawns succeed.

On the Cusp of Legend. The Toad King has not quite achieved status equivalent to other animal lords. However, he expects he will undergo apotheosis when he convinces a hero or group of heroes to complete a grand adventure on his behalf.