Beastman Cursemaker

Medium humanoid (human), chaotic evil

Armor Class 12
Hit Points 39 (6d8+12)
Speed 30 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
14 (+2)	15 (+2)	15 (+2)	9 (-1)	14 (+2)	9 (-1)

Saving Throws Wisdom +4
Skills Intimidation +1, Perception +4, Stealth +4
Senses passive Perception 14
Languages Urgan, Low Atlantean
Challenge 2 (450 XP)

SPECIAL TRAITS

• Keen Nose The beastman has tactical advantage on Perception checks involving scent.
• Sudden Fury The beastman has tactical advantage on attacks during the first round of an encounter.
• Spellcasting. The cursemaker is a 3rd-level caster. Its spellcasting ability is Wisdom (DC 13, attack +5).
  • At Will: guidance, message, resistance
  • 1st Level (4 slots): bane, bless, cure wounds
  • 2nd Level (2 slots): aid, hold person

ACTIONS

• Stone Spear. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit (reach 5 ft., one target). Hit: 1d8+2 piercing damage.
• Juju Head. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, range 10/30 ft., one target. Hit: 2d8+2 necrotic damage, and the target must succeed on a Wis save throw (DC 12) or become frightened. At the end of each of its turns, the target can attempt another save to end the effect.

ABOUT

This stocky, hairy sub-human is armed with a stone spear and wears a poorly cured animal pelt around his waist.

Beastmen are a primitive branch of humankind. Brutal, cruel, short-tempered, and contemptuous of anyone weaker than themselves, they are fierce warriors and raiders who pose a great threat to anyone traveling abroad in the wild lands. Beastmen are especially notorious for seizing captives and dragging them back to their lairs to be put to work as drudges, sacrificed to their bloodthirsty gods, or simply tortured to death in horrible ways for their amusement.

Beastmen hate humans (and most other intelligent races for that matter). They see all other peoples as enemies, and do not hesitate to kill any they cannot carry off into captivity.

They have been known to engage in cannibalism, although this is considered a sacred ritual among their kind and requires the appropriate ritual preparations-eating their foes is an act of dominance, not sustenance.

Most adult beastmen are hunters; a beastman who cannot make his or her own kills and keep up with the rest of the tribe is usually left to die. They are strong, hardy foes, throwing themselves into battle at any opportunity.

Beastmen know they are stronger and more fierce than most human warriors, so they do not hesitate to attack groups that outnumber them by a small margin.

Beastman fear arcane magic and usually put captive spellcasters to death in peculiar and horrible ritual murders to ensure that the “bad magic” dies with its users.

Beastmen begin any fight with a burst of raw fury that often overwhelms weaker foes. They have no concept of honor or fair play-in fact, a large gang of beastmen often fall all over themselves in their hurry to get in a cheap hit against outnumbered enemies. A warrior doesn’t care how he manages to blood his spearpoint as long as he isn’t left out of the “fun.”

Beastmen hate and fear most magic, but some are drawn to primitive and bloodthirsty jungle spirits or give themselves to the service of the ape-god Herum. These simple-minded shamans are known as “cursemakers” by other beastmen, and are both feared and hated by rest of their tribe. By tradition, a tribe’s cursemaker is second only to the warchief in importance, and wields enough influence to choose which warrior becomes warchief when the tribe is in need of new leadership.

Thick-bodied and covered in matted hair, this primitive humanoid wears bits of bone and feather in his beard and hair. He wears poorly cured animal pelts, and carries a bandolier adorned with animal skulls and bones.