Fungal Raptor

Medium plant, unaligned

Armor Class 14
Hit Points 105 (14d8 + 42)
Speed 20 ft., fly 50 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
15 (+2)	18 (+4)	16 (+3)	2 (-4)	15 (+2)	7 (-2)

Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12
Languages –
Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)
Proficiency Bonus +3

SPECIAL TRAITS

• Curse of Blood. Contact with blood harms a fungal raptor. Each time a creature within 5 feet of the raptor takes piercing or slashing damage (including from the raptor’s own attacks), the raptor takes 5 (2d4) poison damage. Creatures that don’t bleed do not trigger this effect.
• Forest Camouflage. The raptor has advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made to hide in forests and swamps.
• Keen Smell. The fungal raptor has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell.
• Sanguinary Disease. A creature hit by the raptor’s attacks or exposed to its spores must succeed on a DC 14 Constitution saving throw or become infected with sanguinary disease. While diseased, the creature is poisoned, and its wounds do not bleed. A creature repeats the saving throw every 24 hours, becoming cured after 3 successes and dying after 3 failures. Creatures without blood are immune to this disease.

ACTIONS

• Multiattack. The raptor makes two attacks: one with its beak and one with its claws.
• Beak. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d10 + 4) piercing damage, or 15 (2d10 + 4) If the raptor surprises a creature and hits it during the first round of combat, and the target is exposed to Sanguinary Disease.
• Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) slashing damage, and the target is exposed to Sanguinary Disease.
• Diseased Wake (Recharge 5-6). The raptor flies up to its fly speed, coating the area beneath it with deadly spores. Any space the raptor enters during this movement, as well spaces up to 15 feet directly below it, are filled with spores. The spores last for 1 minute. The area is lightly obscured for creatures except for fungal raptors. A creature that starts its turn in the area or enters it for the first time on a turn is exposed to Sanguinary Disease.

ABOUT

To the untrained eye, a fungal raptor initially appears to be a disease-ridden avian skeleton. In fact, however, this unsightly creature is a naturally occurring airborne fungus that grows in the shape of a bird of prey.

Somehow, fungal raptors have gained enough intelligence to imitate the forms of their namesake flying predators. Packs of fungal raptors hunt dark forests and damp swamps, using their diseased wings to drive prey deeper into their territory by creating a maze of pestilence. Once a target is thoroughly disoriented and lost, the fungal raptors ambush their prey, infect their victim with a unique blood-devouring disease, and then retreat into the trees where they wait for their helpless victims to succumb to exsanguination. Like true carrion feeders, fungal raptors never eat live prey, but even more importantly, fresh blood itself is harmful to fungal raptors-a fact desperate defenders might try to use to their advantage.

Like most fungi, fungal raptors blossom and grow in dank, dimly lit areas such as dungeons, grottos, and ruins, making them a common threat to spelunkers and treasure-hunting adventurers. In addition, territorial druids sometimes purposefully cultivate fungal raptors to protect their primal demesnes.

On the outskirts of Purgatory, sometimes confused or stubborn spirits wander away, avoiding judgment and refusing to pass on to the afterlife. In these cases, psychopomps called fylakas are charged with tracking down these runaway souls and bringing them back to face judgment.

Though their ability to sense alive and undead creatures is not as precise as other psychopomps, fylakas can sniff out souls from incredible distances, and they are relentless in their pursuits. The mere sight of one of these skull-faced bloodhounds is often enough to motivate a wandering soul to fall back in line and, in this way, fylakas keep the flow of souls moving through purgatory both steady and orderly.