Cloaked Gouger

Medium fey, neutral evil

Armor Class 13
Hit Points 82 (11d8 + 33)
Speed 30 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
18 (+4)	16 (+3)	17 (+3)	16 (+3)	14 (+2)	15 (+2)

Skills Intimidation +5, Medicine +5, Perception +5, Stealth +6
Senses darkvision 120 ft. (blind without Gouger Cloak), passive Perception 15
Languages Common, Sylvan
Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)
Proficiency Bonus +3

SPECIAL TRAITS

• Dazzling Aura. The first time in a day that a creature starts its turn within 30 feet of the gouger and can see the gouger, the creature is distracted by the entrancing, unblinking eyes on the gouger’s cloak. The creature makes attack rolls against the gouger with disadvantage until the end of its next turn.
• Gouger Cloak. While wearing its cloak, the gouger has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight, and it can’t close or avert its eyes to avoid harmful effects like a medusa’s gaze. The gouger is blind while not wearing its cloak. Unless surprised, a creature can avert its eyes from the gouger. If it does, it can’t see the gouger or cloak until the start of its next turn, when it can avert its eyes again.
• Sense Life. The gouger can magically sense the presence of living creatures within 60 feet. It knows the general direction they’re in but not their exact locations.

ACTIONS

• Multiattack. The gouger can use Cloak’s Gaze. It then makes two attacks.
• Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 6 (1d4 + 4) slashing damage, and the target makes a DC 14 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, the target takes 7 (2d6) poison damage and is poisoned for 1 minute. If the saving throw fails by 5 or more, the target is also stunned while poisoned in this way. The target repeats the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
• Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60, one target. Hit: 6 (1d4 + 4) piercing damage.
• Entangling Cloak. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d4 + 4) bludgeoning damage. If the target is a Medium or smaller creature, it is grappled (escape DC 14). Until this grapple ends, the gouger can’t make entangling cloak attacks.
• Cloak’s Gaze (Recharge 5-6). The eyes stitched to the gouger’s cloak fix their gaze on a creature within 30 feet that can see the gouger. That creature must make a DC 13 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, the creature is blinded for 1 minute. A creature grappled by the gouger makes the saving throw with disadvantage.
• Gouge Eyes. The gouger uses its dagger to cut out the eyes of an incapacitated creature within 5 feet of it. The creature is permanently blinded. A greater restoration spell or similar magic can end this effect.

ABOUT

Cloaked gougers are shadowy fey hunters who hunt down creatures and steal their precious eyes to add to their collection. A gouger wears its collection of stolen trophies on its person in the form of a macabre cloak made from its victims’ flattened and stitched eyeballs. Since cloaked gougers have no eyes themselves-that part of their face is only featureless flesh-they rely on their cloaks to navigate the world and perform their foul deeds.

Cloaked gougers travel far and wide looking for creatures with extraordinary eyes. Monsters with supernatural gazes, people who have seen incredible things, or beings with particularly beautiful eyes should fear the attention of a cloaked gouger. Once a gouger selects a target, it sets up an ambush and surprises its prey, paralyzing it with toxins so it can remove its prize. Gougers use alchemical elixirs to preserve the eyeballs of their victims and enhance the most desirable features of their organs.

Despite their vulnerability to gaze attacks, gougers prize the eyes of creatures such as basilisks above all others. A gouger that can claim such trophies earns incredible respect from other gougers. Even more valuable are the eyes of the medusa, a creature both feared and respected by cloaked gougers. Adventurers who can attain such eyes gain a powerful edge in bargaining with gougers.