Moonlight Leshy

Family: Leshy

Small plant (leshy), neutral

Armor Class 17 (natural armor)
HP 154 (28d6+56)
Speed 30 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
17 (+3)	19 (+4)	14 (+2)	11 (+0)	16 (+3)	23 (+6)

Saving Throws Dex +8, Cha +10
Skills Acrobatics +8, Perception +7, Religion +4, Stealth +8
Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 17
Languages Common, Druidic, Sylvan
Challenge 9 (5,000 XP)

SPECIAL TRAITS

• Plant Speech. nocturnal plants
• Plant Form. Small moonlight cactus plant
• Verdant Burst. When the Moonlight leshy dies, a burst of primal energy explodes from its body, restoring 38 (7d10) hit points to each plant creature in a 30-foot radius. This area immediately fills with moonlight cacti, becoming difficult terrain. The cacti wither when exposed to light.
• Rare Beauty. The Moonlight leshy blooms for only one night, making its beauty a rare sight. The first time a creature sees the Moonlight leshy in bloom must make a DC 16 Wis. saving throw or become charmed for 1 minute. Regardless of the outcome, all creatures are immune to Rare Beauty for 24 hours after this effect has been resolved.
• Light Wither. The Moonlight leshy suffers 4 (1d8) force damage at the start of each turn it spends in direct sunlight.
• Innate Spellcasting. The Moonlight leshy’s innate spellcasting ability is Cha. (spell save DC 18, ability modifier +10)
  • At-Will: darkness
  • 3/day each: mirror image, sleep

ACTIONS

• Multiattack. The Moonlight leshy can make three attacks on its turn as an action, using either its Tail or Spine attacks.
• Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6+4) bludgeoning damage.
• Spine. Ranged Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, range 30/120 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d8+4) piercing damage.
• Condense Moonlight. While exposed to direct moonlight, the leshy gathers light within its body, concentrating it and releasing a massive burst. Each creature within a 30-foot radius must make a DC 16 Dex. saving throw, suffering 39 (6d12) force damage and becoming blinded for 1 minute on a failed save (half damage and not blinded on a success).

ABOUT

The Moonlight leshy is based on the Queen of the Night cactus, which grows flowers that only bloom at night. Once a year, bright white petals unfurl to attract moths and nocturnal pollinators, then wilt before dawn.

While not the only plant to bloom at night, the dramatic display of the Queen of the Night is one of the most spectacular to behold.

A rare creature, the Moonlight leshy is reclusive and prefers to spend dark desert nights alone. It lies dormant most of the year, becoming more active as it nears its yearly bloom. While shunning direct sunlight, the leshy can channel moonlight to form powerful attacks, though it is not quick to violence.

Like many foods humans enjoy eating, the onion contains a chemical defensive mechanism to ward off hungry foragers; in this case, a stinging aerosol that irritates nerves in the eye. Despite this, onions have been a staple of many diets for thousands of years. The bulb of an onion is made up of layers of leaves that store nutrients for future use, giving it a striking resemblance to ogres.

The Onion leshy takes the form of a knight with a large, spear-like sword.

This chubby, happy adventurer is always looking for its next meal, and will viciously defend against anyone looking to swipe some food. Crossing this unassuming figure might leave you in tears, in more ways than one.