Carbunclo

Tiny monstrosity, unaligned

Armor Class 12
Hit Points 21 (6d4 + 6)
Speed 20 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
6 (-2) 17 (+3) 12 (+1) 7 (-2) 13 (+1) 10 (+0)

Skills Stealth +5, Survival +3
Damage Resistances slashing
Damage Immunities acid
Condition Immunities blinded, deafened, exhaustion
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 11
Languages
Challenge 1 (200 XP)

SPECIAL TRAITS

  • Empath. Carbunclos possess a crude form of telepathy, allowing them to detect thinking creatures within 60 feet. This grants the carbunclo advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made to hide from creatures it has detected. Creatures other than constructs, plants, and undead cannot succeed on a Dexterity (Stealth) check made to sneak up on a carbunclo.
  • Innate Spellcasting. The carbunclo’s innate spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 11). The carbunclo can innately cast the following spells, requiring no components:
    • At will: feign death, levitate (self only)
    • 1/day each: fear
  • Spell Vulnerability. A carbunclo is affected by spells that normally only affect beasts.

ACTIONS

  • Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) piercing damage.

ABOUT

Never have legend and misinformation met upon a more inauspicious brow than that of the lowly carbunclo. They appear to be little more than ungainly reptiles but are set apart by their strange magical abilities and the fist-sized gemstone horn jutting from above their bulging eyes. Although tales differ regarding the type and value of the stone, many claim it is a ruby or garnet. In truth, however, a carbunclo’s gem is merely a highly reflective growth, not unlike a fingernail.

Cowardly but practical creatures, carbuncles make their dens wherever they might live comfortably and with little threat from predators and hunters. This typically means near groves of fruit trees deep within ancient forests, amid berry briars in stagnant marshlands, or near falls thick with water bugs. Wherever a carbuncle can eat its fill and hide from both real and imagined dangers, these nervous creatures are satisfied. Such tendencies contribute to the species’ rarity, as they have little reason or desire to ramble. Thus, only those who wander the most secluded paths of the world-and even then only those with sharp eyes-ever stumble across carbuncles.

Most carbuncles regard others of their kind with indifference. A safe and comfortable glen far from scary creatures might hold up to a half dozen carbuncles, but as soon as the group proves too large for the sanctuary to support, the youngest slink off in search of new homes. Carbuncles-even those living in close proximity-have little to do with others of their kind. While certainly intelligent enough to form relationships and societies, most carbuncles would rather spend their days pilfering honeysuckle, floating in cool springs, or reclining amid shadowy tree branches. Some carbuncle groups have even been known to die out, as none of the members can be bothered to mate. Yet should a group be threatened, they can prove quite clever in distracting enemies from others of their kind. A frequent tactic involves using their empathic abilities to create pleasing smells and sensations to coax dangerous trespassers into the path of other threats while the wily carbuncle quietly slips away.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Latin American Monsters (5E) © 2021, Legendary Games; Authors Miguel Colon, Ismael Alvarez, Robert J. Grady, Jason Nelson.

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