Rum Story Keeper

Family: Gremlins

Tiny fey, chaotic evil

Armor Class 13
Hit Points 38 (7d4 + 21)
Speed 20 ft., climb 10 ft., swim 10 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
12 (+1) 16 (+3) 16 (+3) 12 (+1) 9 (–1) 16 (+3)

Skills Deception +5, Performance +5, Persuasion +5, Condition Immunities poisoned
Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 11
Languages Common
Challenge 2 (450 XP)
Proficiency Bonus +2

SPECIAL TRAITS

  • Aura of Drunkenness. The story keeper radiates an aura of drunkenness to a radius of 20 feet. Each creature that starts its turn in the aura must succeed on a DC 12 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned for 1 hour. A creature that has consumed alcohol within the past hour has disadvantage on the saving throw. While poisoned, a creature falls prone if it tries to move more than half its speed during a turn. A creature that succeeds on the saving throw is immune to the Aura of Drunkenness of all rum gremlins for 24 hours.
  • Magic Resistance. The story keeper has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

ACTIONS

  • Mug Slap. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, range 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) bludgeoning damage plus 7 (2d6) poison damage.
  • Rum Splash. Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, range 40/80 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (2d6) poison damage.
  • Drinking Stories. The story keeper tells a story of a rum gremlin celebration. Each story has an initial effect and an additional effect if the story keeper takes a bonus action on its subsequent turns to continue the story. It can stop telling a story at any time, and the story ends if the story keeper is incapacitated. The story keeper can tell only one story at a time. It chooses from the following stories:
    • Tale of Liquid Courage. Each rum gremlin within 30 feet of the story keeper and that can hear it gains 5 temporary hp for 1 minute. While this tale continues, each rum gremlin that starts its turn within 30 feet of the story keeper has advantage on saving throws against being frightened.
    • Tale of the Bar Room Rush. Each rum gremlin within 30 feet of the story keeper and that can hear it can use its reaction to immediately move up to its speed. While this tale continues, each rum gremlin within 30 feet of the story keeper can take the Dash or Disengage action as a bonus action on its turn.
    • Tale of the Great Shindig. Each rum gremlin within 30 feet of the story keeper and that can hear it can use its reaction to immediately shove a Medium or smaller creature. While this tale continues, each rum gremlin within 30 feet of the story keeper has advantage on Strength (Athletics) checks and can shove creatures up to two sizes larger than it.
  • Spellcasting. The story keeper casts one of the following spells, requiring no material components and using Charisma as the spellcasting ability (spell save DC 13):

ABOUT

A potbellied gremlin dressed in a dirty tabard, stained ruff collar, tattered cloak, and puffy breeches takes a swig from a jug of foulsmelling rum.

Drunken Celebrities. Story keepers are renowned among rum gremlins for always being at the center of any major drunken debauchery. They travel to gremlin gatherings then retell them as stories to other gremlins. The stories often include besting rivals in drinking contests and chaotic hijinks for non-gremlins. Rum lords lure story keepers to their courts with promises of rum and fun when seeking to increase their courts’ prestige.

Solo Artists. Story keepers don’t like to share the spotlight when telling stories. They are notorious for sabotaging and outright attacking other performers—even performers that aren’t gremlins. Devious rum lords have been known to summon rival story keepers to court at the same time in hopes of sparking a drinking or storytelling duel for the court’s entertainment.

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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