Possessed Pillar

Large construct, unaligned

Armor Class 14 (natural armor)
Hit Points 95 (10d10 + 40)
Speed 20 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
20 (+5) 8 (-1) 19 (+4) 3 (-4) 11 (+0) 1 (-5)

Damage Immunities poison, psychic; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical weapons that aren’t adamantine
Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned
Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 10
Languages understands the languages of its creator but can’t speak
Challenge 7 (2,900 XP)

Special Traits

  • Immutable Form. The pillar is immune to any spell or effect that would alter its form.
  • Magic Resistance. The pillar has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
  • Magic Weapons. The pillar’s weapon attacks are magical.
  • Steal Weapons. The eldritch magic that powers the pillar produces a magnetic power that seizes metal objects that touch it, including metal weapons. When a creature successfully strikes the pillar with a metal melee weapon, the attacker must make a successful DC 15 Strength or Dexterity saving throw or the weapon becomes stuck to the pillar until the pillar releases it or is destroyed. The saving throw uses the same ability as the attack used. The pillar can release all metal weapons stuck to it whenever it wants. A pillar always drops all weapons stuck to it when it believes it’s no longer threatened. This ability affects armor only during a grapple.
  • False Appearance. While the pillar remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from a statue or a carved column.

Actions

  • Multiattack. The pillar makes two slam attacks.
  • Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 18 (3d8 + 5) bludgeoning damage.

About

This ancient animal-headed pillar is engraved with weathered symbols from ancient empires.

About

Animal Headed. Possessed pillars are carved from enormous blocks of stone to look like animal-headed gods of ancient pantheons, or sometimes demonic figures of zealous cults. The most common are the jackal-faced and the ibis-headed variants, but pillars with baboon, crocodile, elephant, or hawk heads also exist.

Hijacked by Cults. Some such pillars are claimed by various cults, and carved anew with blasphemous symbols or smeared with blood, oils, and unguents as sacrificial offerings.

Weapon Donations. Priests claim the weapons stolen by the pillars and distribute them to temple guards or sell them to fund temple activities.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Tome of Beasts. Copyright 2016, Open Design; Authors Chris Harris, Dan Dillon, Rodrigo Garcia Carmona, and Wolfgang Baur.