Cottabus

Medium monstrosity, chaotic neutral

Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
Hit Points 45 (6d8 + 18)
Speed 30 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
14 (+2)	16 (+3)	16 (+3)	13 (+1)	10 (+0)	8 (-1)

Skills Arcana +3, History +3, Insight +2, Investigation +3, Nature +3, Perception +2
Senses passive Perception 12
Languages Common
Challenge 1 (200 XP)

SPECIAL TRAITS

• Question Eater. The cottabus needs 50 questions answered per day. Eating 25 questions a day counts as half a day without food. The cottabus can go without food for six days. At the end of each day beyond that limit, it automatically suffers one level of exhaustion. A normal day of eating resets the count of days without food to zero.
• Tree Stride. Once on each of its turns, the cottabus can use 10 feet of its movement to step magically into one living tree within 5 feet of it and emerge from a second living tree within 60 feet of it that it can see, appearing in an unoccupied space within 5 feet of the second tree. Both trees must be Large or bigger.

ACTIONS

• 50 Questions. The cottabus chooses up to three creatures it can see within 60 feet of it. Each target must succeed on a DC 11 Wisdom saving throw, or it takes 5 (1d8 + 1) psychic damage. Constructs and undead are immune to this effect.
• Tail Swat. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) bludgeoning damage and the target must succeed on a DC 12 Strength saving throw or be pushed 5 feet in a straight line away from the cottabus. If the saving throw fails by 5 or more, the target falls prone.
• Weird Insight. The cottabus targets one creature it can see within 30 feet that can hear it. The target must contest its Charisma (Deception) check against the cottabus’ Wisdom (Insight) check. If the cottabus wins, it magically learns one fact or secret about the target. The target automatically wins if it is immune to being charmed.

ABOUT

This rabbit-like creature is as large as a pony, but is shaped like a great overfed cat. Its eyes bulge unpleasantly and the end of its tail ends in a large fan. It won’t stop asking questions: “Will you kindly tell me who you are, where you came from, when you came, what you are going for, how you are going to get it, why you are going and what you are going to do when you do get it!” Cottabuses are desperate, lonely creatures who are well aware of how annoying they are, but ask questions anyway.

They feed on answers, gradually getting weaker and more desperate if they fail to get anyway. A well-fed cottabus eats fifty questions a day.

Cottabuses have several abilities that give them an advantage in dragging questions out of their prey. They can stride amongst the trees, following doggedly following targets through forests. If attacked, they use their tails to swat foes away. But for the most part they just ask endless questions. Despite their irritating nature, cottabuses can be useful sources of information as the answers to their endless questions often garners hints about nearby dangers.