Gremlin, Jinkin

Family: Gremlins

Tiny fey (gremlin), chaotic evil

Armor Class 14
Hit Points 7 (3d4)
Speed 40 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
3 (-1) 19 (+4) 11 (+0) 14 (+2) 14 (+2) 15 (+2)

Skills Acrobatics +6, Perception +4, Sleight of Hand +6, Stealth +8
Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 14
Languages Deep Speech
Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)

SPECIAL TRAITS

  • Innate Spellcasting. The gremlin’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 12). The gremlin can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:
  • Magic Resistance. The gremlin has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
  • Sneak Attack (1/Turn). The jinkin deals an extra 3 (1d6) damage when it hits a target with a weapon attack and has advantage on the attack roll, or when the target is within 5 feet of an ally of the jinkin that isn’t incapacitated and the jinkin doesn’t have disadvantage on the attack roll.
  • Tinker. A group of six jinkins working together over the course of an hour can cast bestow curse on a non-construct, non-undead creature, without using a spell slot or requiring components. This effect has a range of 60 feet, and the target creature must be either willing or helpless (but still gets a DC 12 saving throw to resist). Alternatively, the group of jinkins can attempt to infuse a magic item with a curse. The nature of this curse is determined randomly; half of these curses make the magic item unreliable (each time the item is used, there is a 20% chance it does not function), while the other half alter the function of the item. The item may gain a random magic item quirk, or its normal functions may be suppressed and replaced with those of a cursed item. For instance, a normal magical axe might become a berserker axe. A jinkin can take part in a tinkering only once per day, and may only tinker with a creature or object that isn’t already cursed. Once a tinkering curse is in place, it is permanent until removed via an effect like remove curse.

ACTIONS

  • Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 0 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d3 + 4) piercing damage.
  • Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 0 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d4 + 4) piercing damage.
  • Teleport (Recharge 6). The jinkin magically teleports, along with any equipment it is wearing or carrying, up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space it can see.

ABOUT

Sneaky and sadistic, jinkins are hideous gremlins that inhabit the dark places underground. Well acclimated to the shadows, they hide in cramped quarters and attack larger creatures when they’re strategically positioned, retreating with stolen goods when they can. Jinkins delight in leading larger creatures into dangerous caves or pits, usually by lunging out of the shadows to make a single sneak attack against a creature and then running away, taking care while “fleeing” to remain visible to their target so that they can lure the victim into a trap. The average jinkin stands almost 2 feet tall and weighs about 13 pounds.

Grudges. Jinkins hold dangerous grudges for years, always looking to take revenge for real or imagined slights. They especially despise dwarves, and the feeling is mutual.

Magical Saboteur. One of the most direct and unwelcome revenges of the jinkins is the destruction or cursing of magical items. Many times they’ll observe camped enemies from a distance and either steal an item to tinker with it or just use their tinkering magic at a distance to annoy the item’s owner. Once a jinkin has worked its sabotage on a stolen item, the jinkin either grows bored with the item or may attempt to return it to its owner. Jinkin lairs are often cluttered with stolen items that bear curses the jinkins themselves have forgotten all about.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Faerie Bestiary (5E) © 2022, Legendary Games; Authors Matt Kimmel, Michael “solomani” Mifsud, Miguel Colon, Robert J. Grady, Jason Nelson, Jeff Ibach, Tim Hitchcock.

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