Fylaka

Medium celestial, neutral

Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
Hit Points 120 (16d8 + 48)
Speed 50 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
19 (+4)	16 (+3)	16 (+3)	13 (+1)	18 (+4)	14 (+2)

Skills Intimidation +5, Perception +7, Religion +4, Stealth +6, Survival +7
Damage Resistances necrotic, poison
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 17
Languages understands Abyssal, Celestial, and Infernal but can’t speak; telepathy 120 ft.
Challenge 6 (2,300 XP)
Proficiency Bonus +3

SPECIAL TRAITS

• Immortal Nature. The fylaka doesn’t require food, drink, or sleep.
• Innate Spellcasting. The fylaka’s spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 15). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:
  • At will: invisibility (self only)
  • 3/day each: dimension door, locate creature
• Magic Resistance. The fylaka has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
• Magic Weapons. The fylaka’s weapon attacks are magical.
• Soul Sense. The fylaka can magically sense the presence of living or undead creatures up to 500 feet away. It knows the general direction they’re in but not their exact locations.

ACTIONS

• Multiattack. The fylaka makes two attacks: one with its bite and one with its claws. It can replace its bite attack with Imprison.
• Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d6 + 4) piercing damage plus 7 (2d6) necrotic or radiant damage (the fylaka’s choice). If the target is a Medium or smaller creature, it is grappled (escape DC 15). Until this grapple ends, the fylaka can’t bite a different target.
• Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d8 + 4) slashing damage plus 7 (2d6) necrotic or radiant damage (the fylaka’s choice).
• Imprison. If the fylaka isn’t Imprisoning a creature, the fylaka makes a claws attack against a Medium or smaller creature it is grappling. If the attack hits, it also opens its rib cage and shoves the target into its chest cavity, ending the grapple. While imprisoned in this way, the target is restrained and moves with the fylaka. It can see and hear normally but can’t target anything outside the fylaka with attacks, spells, or abilities. It can be targeted by ranged effects originating outside the fylaka but has three-quarters cover, and it can’t be targeted by melee attacks or effects with a range of touch. If the fylaka chooses, the target takes 10 (3d6) necrotic or radiant damage (the fylaka’s choice) at the start of each of the fylaka’s turns. If the fylaka takes 15 damage or more on a single turn from an imprisoned creature, or if the fylaka dies, the creature is no longer restrained and falls prone in a space within 5 feet of the fylaka.
• Leap and Catch. The fylaka can jump up to its speed. It then uses Imprison, even against a creature it isn’t grappling.
• Breath Weapon (Recharge 5-6). The fylaka exhales energy in a 30-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 14 Constitution saving throw, taking 21 (6d6) necrotic or radiant damage (the fylaka’s choice) on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

ABOUT

Fylakas rarely aim to destroy their quarry.

For one thing, psychopomps aren’t particularly in the business of destroying souls. Rather, fylakas instead try to trap and escort souls to where they need to be.

Purgatory’s hounds accomplish this by catching spirits in their expansive rib cages, within which divine energy weakens the prisoner and keeps it from escaping during the journey back.