Elemental, Permafrost

Family: Elementals

Large elemental, neutral

Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
Hit Points 133 (14d10 + 56)
Speed 20 ft., burrow 30 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
19 (+4)	8 (–1)	18 (+4)	5 (–3)	15 (+2)	5 (–3)

Damage Vulnerabilities fire
Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
Damage Immunities cold, poison
Condition Immunities exhaustion, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, unconscious
Senses darkvision 60 ft., tremorsense 60 ft., passive Perception 12
Languages Terran
Challenge 6 (2,300 XP)
Proficiency Bonus +3

SPECIAL TRAITS

• Earth Glide. The permafrost elemental can burrow through nonmagical, unworked earth and stone. While doing so, the permafrost elemental doesn’t disturb the material it moves through.
• Elemental Nature. The permafrost elemental doesn’t require air, food, drink, or sleep.
• Frigid Footprints. The ground within 10 feet of the permafrost elemental freezes over and is difficult terrain.
• Plague Bearer. If the permafrost elemental takes more than 15 fire damage on a single turn, each creature within 10 feet of the elemental must succeed on a DC 14 Constitution saving throw or becomes infected with the primordial plague disease. Alternatively, the creature becomes infected with sewer plague or cackle fever (the elemental’s choice) instead. Primordial plague takes 1 minute to manifest in an infected creature. After 1 minute, the creature is poisoned until the disease is cured. Every 24 hours that elapse, the creature must repeat the saving throw, reducing its hp maximum by 5 (1d10) on a failure. The disease is cured on a success. This reduction lasts until the disease is cured. The creature dies if the disease reduces its hp maximum to 0.

ACTIONS

• Multiattack. The elemental makes two Slam attacks.
• Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) bludgeoning damage plus 7 (2d6) cold damage.
• Plague-Ridden Pound (Recharge 5–6). The permafrost elemental brings both of its fists down, striking the ground and sending shards of ice from its body flying at nearby creatures. Each creature on the ground within 20 feet of the elemental must make a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, a creature takes 10 (3d6) bludgeoning damage and 10 (3d6) cold damage, is knocked prone, and becomes infected with primordial plague (see the Plague Bearer trait). On a success, a creature takes half the damage and isn’t knocked prone or infected.

ABOUT

Cracks in the earth form a furrowed brow, deep dimples, and wide mouth in this ice-coated earth elemental.

Hailing from the border between the elemental planes of earth and water, the permafrost elemental is composed of large intersecting pieces of frozen earth coated with thick, white ice. The permafrost elemental moves slowly and purposefully with the knowledge of eons concealed within its rocky form.

Primordial Traps. Many diseases from ancient times have been frozen in the permafrost soil. Those bold enough to burn the permafrost elemental—or foolish enough to let its corpse thaw—soon find themselves fighting maladies dating back to when the gods were young.

Permanent Hoarfrost. The permafrost elemental exudes an ancient cold that hangs heavy in the air and coats nearby ground with a slick of ice.