Savager

Large beast, neutral evil

Armor Class 17 (natural armor)
Hit Points 115 (1d10 + 60)
Speed 40 ft., climb 20 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
22 (+6)	14 (+2)	22 (+6)	2 (-4)	10 (+0)	13 (+1)

Saving Throws Dex +5, Con +9
Skills Perception +3
Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical weapons
Condition Immunities charmed, frightened
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 13
Challenge 8 (3,900 XP)

Special Traits

• Mighty Swing. When a savager attacks without moving during its turn, it makes its claw attack with advantage.
• Quills. A creature takes 4 (1d8) piercing damage at the start of its turn while it is grappling a savager.

Actions

• Multiattack. The savager makes one bite attack and one claw attack.
• Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 19 (2d12 + 6) piercing damage.
• Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 38 (5d12 + 6) slashing damage.
• Wondrous item, uncommon (requires attunement) This hat grants a non-scheznyki wearer the ability to become invisible or fly once per day (self only) for up to 1 minute. The wearer must use an action to trigger the hat’s ability. The hats normally appear to be rough burlap tams, but a true seeing spell reveals them to be golden, bejeweled coronets.

About

A porcupine-quilled creature built like a grizzly bear with claws and fangs like scimitars. A savager’s forelegs are mangled and scabbed, and its eyes shine with hatred and anticipation.

About

Driven by Dark Spirits. While druids claim these bear-like animals are not cursed or enchanted, the savager’s habit of killing any living creature on sight is not natural behavior. Hunger doesn’t explain their attacks, since savagers eat only part of their kills before abandoning the meal and looking for other animals to attack. Some dark forest spirit drives them.

Gnaws Itself. When there are no other creatures nearby to attack, a savager gnaws on its own forelimbs, resulting in scabs, scars, and calluses so thick and numb that they protect the savager from even the sharpest of swords.

Rare Meetings. The only creature a savager won’t attack on sight is another savager. If they are of the same sex, the two avoid each out of self-preservation, and if they’re of the opposite sex, they mate so ferociously that both creatures are left wounded, angry, and hungry. A savager litter contains anywhere from 10 to 25 cubs, all of them born able to walk and fend for themselves. This is important, because within 24 hours after giving birth, a savager mother no longer recognizes her own offspring, and she will attack and cannibalize any that don’t escape on their own.

A savager weighs 1,800 pounds and is 11 feet long.