Gymnophobia

Large aberration, chaotic evil

Armor Class 18 (corpse outfit)
Hit Points 152 (16d10 + 64)
Speed 25 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
20 (+5)	14 (+2)	18 (+4)	15 (+2)	17 (+3)	11 (+0)

Skills Deception +4, Stealth +6
Damage Vulnerabilities slashing
Condition Immunities blinded, deafened
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 13
Languages Deep Speech
Challenge 9 (5,000 XP)
Proficiency Bonus +4

SPECIAL TRAITS

• Corpse Outfit. The gymnophobia wears a patchwork outfit made of various corpses. If the gymnophobia is reduced to less than 76 hit points, or immediately upon being damaged by a critical hit, the corpse outfit breaks. While the corpse outfit is broken, the gymnophobia’s Armor Class is reduced to 14 and the gymnophobia is frightened of every creature that is able to observe it.
• Multiple Heads. The gymnophobia has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks and on saving throws against being charmed, stunned, and knocked unconscious.

ACTIONS

• Multiattack. The gymnophobia can use Patch Outfit. It then makes three attacks: one with its bite and two with its tentacles.
• Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 15 ft., one creature. Hit: 21 (3d10 + 5) piercing damage, and the target is grappled (escape DC 15). Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained.
• Tentacle. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d8 + 5) bludgeoning damage.
• Constrict. Each creature grappled by the gymnophobia must make a DC 17 Constitution saving throw, taking 21 (6d6) bludgeoning damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
• Patch Outfit. If the gymnophobia is within 5 feet of the corpse of a Small or larger creature that died within the last hour, the gymnophobia tears off pieces of the corpse to patch its corpse outfit. The gymnophobia regains 21 (6d6) hit points. If the gymnophobia’s hit points are increased to 76 or more, its Corpse Outfit is repaired, increasing its Armor Class to 18 and removing the frightened condition. The gymnophobia can tear pieces from a Small corpse once, a Medium corpse twice, and a Large or larger corpse three times.

REACTIONS

• Meat Shield. If the gymnophobia is grappling a creature, it can add 3 to its AC against one attack that would hit it. The attack must be made by a creature the gymnophobia can see. If the increase to AC causes the attack to miss, the attack instead hits a creature grappled by the gymnophobia.

ABOUT

Gymnophobia is a cheeky nickname given to these strange aberrations, which appear to be roiling masses of dozens of gymnophiona-long, legless amphibians-conjoined to a single heart-like organ. This organ produces a blood-like substance that gives its constituent critters sentience and enables them to wear and preserve human corpses for weeks. Gymnophobias have a crippling fear of having their true forms seen by other creatures, and so they wear their macabre disguises to blend in with society. Of course, an outfit made from a bloated, hardened corpse does little to dispel most people’s concerns at the sight of these shambling horrors.

While a gymnophobia’s dozens of tendrils share a single mind controlled by the being’s heart-like organ, each individual amphibian head has its own personality. If severed, a gymnophobia’s head will grow back, but with a new personality. In this way, a gymnophobia self-polices, with the more violent or belligerent heads nipping off their weaker brethren. The only thing all heads seem to agree on is the need to hide and protect their monstrous heart.