NPC, Infested Duelist

Family: NPC

Medium humanoid (any), chaotic neutral

Armor Class 18 (natural armor)
Hit Points 144 (32d8)
Speed 40 ft., climb 30 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
11 (+0) 20 (+6) 10 (+0) 10 (+0) 16 (+3) 15 (+2)

Saving Throws Con +4, Wis +7, Cha +6
Skills Acrobatics +10, Stealth +10
Damage Resistances acid
Damage Immunities poison
Condition Immunities exhaustion, restrained, poisoned
Senses passive Perception 13
Languages any one language (usually Common)
Challenge 9 (5,000 XP)
Proficiency Bonus +4

SPECIAL TRAITS

  • Evasion. If the infested duelist is subjected to an effect that allows it to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, the duelist instead takes no damage if it succeeds on the saving throw, and only half the damage if it fails.
  • Parasite Sense. The infested duelist has advantage on attack rolls against poisoned creatures.
  • Plant-Powered Mobility. Opportunity attacks made against an infested duelist have disadvantage. If the duelist is prone at the start of its turn, it can immediately stand without costing movement.

ACTIONS

  • Multiattack. The infested duelist makes one Slam attack and two Shortsword attacks, or it makes two Thorn Shot attacks.
  • Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d6 + 6) piercing damage.
  • Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 15 (2d8 + 6) bludgeoning damage, and the target must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, the target takes 14 (4d6) poison damage and is poisoned for 1 minute. On a success, the target takes half the damage and isn’t poisoned. The poisoned target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
  • Thorn Shot. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, range 30/120 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (2d4 + 5) piercing damage plus 7 (2d6) poison damage.

REACTIONS

  • Spore Cloud. When the duelist takes damage from a ranged attack, it emits a burst of thick, yellow spores. The spores surround the infested duelist and heavily obscure the area within 5 feet of it. The spores dissipate at the start of the duelist’s next turn.

ABOUT

The ivory bloom fungus infects dinosaurs, causing mild illness in such beasts. In humanoids, however, it is much more dangerous. It progresses from a simple growth into a bodycovering horror, where it greatly enhances the physicality of its victim as it slowly turns the body into a massive, sporing fruit.

With magical treatment, this stage can last a year or more. An infested duelist has purposefully nurtured the fungus into this terminal stage, accepting a curtailed lifespan in exchange for raw physical power.

Driven Fighters. Most infested duelists are pursuing a goal, hunting down a hated enemy, or attempting one last stand against an overwhelming force. Few, if any, expect to live long enough to regret their decision. As a result, infested duelists are committed, uncompromising foes who never surrender, having already made peace with their impending deaths.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Tome of Beasts 3 © 2022 Open Design LLC; Authors: Eytan Bernstein, Celeste Conowitch, Benjamin L. Eastman, Robert Fairbanks, Scott Gable, Basheer Ghouse, Richard Green, Jeremy Hochhalter, Jeff Lee, Christopher Lockey, Sarah Madsen, Ben Mcfarland, Jonathan Miley, Kelly Pawlik, Sebastian Rombach, Chelsea Steverson, Brian Suskind, Mike Welham

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