Hirudine Stalker

Medium monstrosity, neutral evil

Armor Class 13
Hit Points 52 (8d8 + 16)
Speed 30 ft., climb 20 ft., swim 30 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
13 (+1)	16 (+3)	14 (+2)	12 (+1)	14 (+2)	12 (+1)

Saving Throws Con +4, Wis +4
Skills Perception +4, Stealth +5, Survival +4
Damage Vulnerabilities psychic
Damage Resistances necrotic, poison
Senses blindsight 120 ft. (blind beyond this radius), passive Perception 14
Languages Common, telepathy 120 ft. (only with other hirudine stalkers)
Challenge 2 (450 XP)
Proficiency Bonus +2

SPECIAL TRAITS

• Amphibious. The hirudine stalker can breathe air and water.
• Blood Scent. The hirudine stalker has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) and Wisdom (Survival) checks to find or track a creature that doesn’t have all its hp.

ACTIONS

• Multiattack. The hirudine stalker makes two Bite or Spit Tooth attacks.
• Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (2d4 + 3) piercing damage plus 3 (1d6) necrotic damage, and the hirudine stalker regains hp equal to the necrotic damage dealt.
• Spit Tooth. Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, range 30/120 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (2d4 + 3) piercing damage, and the target must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or suffer one of the following effects (the hirudine stalker’s choice):
• Anesthetic. On a failed save, the target is unaware of any damage it takes from the hirudine stalker’s Spit Tooth attack for 1 hour, but it is still aware of other sources of damage.
• Debilitating. On a failed save, the target is incapacitated until the end of its next turn. If the target fails the saving throw by 5 or more, it also suffers one level of exhaustion. A creature can’t suffer more than three levels of exhaustion from this attack.
• Magebane. On a failed save, the target has disadvantage on Constitution saving throws to maintain its concentration for 1 hour. If the target fails the saving throw by 5 or more, it also loses its lowest-level available spell slot.

BONUS ACTIONS

• Hidden Predator. The hirudine stalker takes the Hide action.

ABOUT

This pale, flabby, leech-like creature props itself up on two thin arms. Its smooth, eyeless head is mostly a mouth containing rings of needle teeth.

Hirudine stalkers inhabit the deepest, most inhospitable jungles and swamps. They prey on all living creatures, but humanoids are their favorite prey.

Strong Social Order. Each hirudine stalker is a member of a family with a single elder, called a primal. Because hirudine stalkers reproduce asexually, with each family produced from a single elder hirudine stalker, all members of a family are clones of the primal. All hirudine stalkers work together for the benefit of the family, their telepathic communication allowing them to act as if sharing a single mind.

Ambush Tactics. Hirudine stalkers stalking their prey with great patience, observing from the shadows. They are glad to let other dangers exhaust their prey’s strength, while sniping with tooth attacks, waiting for right moment for a final confrontation.

Flying Teeth. The hirudine stalker can fire its teeth as projectiles, after coating them with one of several venoms it produced. The strange anatomy of the hirudine stalker allows its muscles to launch teeth, then bring the inner rings of teeth in its mouth forward to fill empty spaces, providing a practically unlimited amount of ammunition.