Chatterbox

Tiny undead, neutral

Armor Class 10 (13 with mage armor)
Hit Points 67 (15d4 + 30)
Speed 0 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
2 (-4)	10 (+0)	15 (+2)	16 (+3)	14 (+2)	9 (-1)

Skills Arcana +5, Perception +4
Damage Resistances necrotic
Damage Immunities poison
Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, poison, unconscious
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14
Languages Common, one other language
Challenge 2 (450 XP)

SPECIAL TRAITS

• Alert System. If the chatterbox senses a creature, it doesn’t recognize, it raises an alarm that is audible out to 300 feet.
• Dismaying Chatter. The chatterbox never ceases its murmurs and grumbles. A creature that starts its turn within 10 feet of it has disadvantage on attack rolls against it.
• Exploding Head. When the chatterbox is reduced to 0 hit points it explodes. All creatures within 10 feet of it must make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw, taking 7 (2d6) slashing and 7 (2d6) necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one.
• Spellcasting. The chatterbox is a 5th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 13, +5 to hit with spell attacks). The chatterbox has the following spells prepared, requiring no material or somatic components:
  • Cantrips (at will): chill touch, dancing lights, mage hand, poison spray
  • 1st level (4 slots): grease, mage armor, sleep
  • 2nd level (3 slots): acid arrow, blindness/deafness, hold person
  • 3rd level (2 slots): fear, slow

ACTIONS

• Multiattack. The chatterbox can use caustic words in the same round it casts a spell that can be cast as 1 action.
• Caustic Words. Melee or Ranged Spell Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 30 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d10 + 3) psychic damage.

TACTICS

If it isn’t surprised, the chatterbox sounds an alarm and casts mage armor before combat starts.

• Initial Round-The chatterbox multiattacks, using Caustic Words on the closest enemy and then casts slow on the six creatures nearest to it. As a result, chatterboxes may be charmed by charismatic creatures to allow intruders entry to a wizard’s lair or into divulging sensitive information. This is doubly dangerous as it won’t alert its master to the presence of danger.
• Subsequent Round(s)-The chatterbox multiattacks, using Caustic Words on the same enemy as the previous round or on the closest enemy if that enemy has been neutralized. If it has lost concentration on slow, it casts fear, hoping to catch as many creatures as possible in the area of effect. Otherwise, it casts grease on the floor beneath it.
• Defensive Round-The chatterbox multiattacks, using Caustic Words on the same enemy as the previous round or on the closest enemy if that enemy has been neutralized. Depending on its action in the previous round, it casts grease as in round 2, or it casts sleep with a 2nd-level spell slot, catching as many people as possible in the area of effect.

ABOUT

The appearance of a grimacing shrunken head covered in runes and scraps of leathery flesh chatterboxes raises the hackles of anyone who sees them. When they begin to quiver, whisper, scream, and babble, most sane individuals attempt to move away as quickly as possible. Chatterboxes rarely cease making noise for long and often grumble angrily to themselves for hours when in their dormant state.

Hoarding information comes naturally to spellcasters, and wresting it from other wizards is a very direct route to this knowledge. Depending on the lengths this approach takes, it can be dangerous to leave the dead bodies of wizards lying about for fear of them returning for vengeance as an undead or through magical revivification. One method for countering this is sever the dead wizard’s head and create a chatterbox. This serves a dual purpose in removing a future threat and providing ongoing security and defense.

When a chatterbox becomes aware of an intruder (any creature not introduced or approved by its master), it will scream loudly and unceasingly to warn its wizard. While not technically a familiar, the means of their creation may create resentment between master and servant.

Chatterboxes often retain more of their original personality than their new master would prefer. This manifests as resentment in the loss of their freedom and mobility and leads to them hatching elaborate plots for escape and vengeance. If they can manage to gain their freedom, their next motivation is bring their master to a sticky end. Stories abound concerning being stitched to a zombie body, being hardwired into an alchemical golem, or learning how to move via telekinesis.

They are generally pleasant creatures, but as the drink keeps flowing and the party continues, their prankster nature tends to come out, and the event turns into a truly liquor-soaked madhouse. They also possess Feywild Draughts both Wondrous and Baleful variants. (see Feywild Draughts table below).

d6	Chatterbox Treasure*
1	A pouch containing a pair of lacquered wooden dice with azurite pips worth 188 gp
2	Set of thieves’ tools
3	Dust of dryness
4	Spell scroll of silence
5	Felt hunter’s cap in green with electrum stitching worth 34 gp
6	Pouch of 2d10 freshwater pearls worth 10 gp each

*Treasures possessed by the chatterbox are either worn as jewelry or have been placed inside its hollowed skull.