Splinter Matron

Medium fey, chaotic evil

Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
Hit Points 136 (16d8 + 64)
Speed 40 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
14 (+2)	18 (+4)	19 (+4)	11 (+0)	9 (–1)	14 (+2)

Saving Throws Con +7, Cha +5
Skills Perception +2, Stealth +5
Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12
Languages Elvish, Sylvan
Challenge 7 (2,900 XP)
Proficiency Bonus +3

SPECIAL TRAITS

• Magic Resistance. The splinter matron has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
• Protective Frenzy. For 1 minute after a splinter matron’s tree takes damage, she has advantage on attack rolls against any creature that damaged her tree, and when she hits such a creature with her Claw, the Claw deals an extra 1d8 slashing damage.

ACTIONS

• Multiattack. The splinter matron makes two Claw or Splinter attacks.
• Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (3d6 + 4) slashing damage plus 7 (2d6) poison damage. If the target is a creature other than an Undead or Construct, it must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or take 4 (1d8) piercing damage at the start of each of its turns as splinters break off from the claws and dig into the wound. Any creature can take an action to remove the splinters with a successful DC 14 Wisdom (Medicine) check. The splinters fall out of the wound if the target receives magical healing.
• Splinter. Ranged Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, range 30/120 ft., one target. Hit: 22 (4d8 + 4) piercing damage.
• Splinter Spray (Recharge 6). The splinter matron blasts a spray of splinters in a 15-foot cone. Each creature in the area must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, a creature takes 45 (10d8) piercing damage and is blinded for 1 minute. On a success, a creature takes half the damage and isn’t blinded. A blinded creature can make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.

ABOUT

This woman’s form is twisted, gnarled, and woody, with cracked and pitted skin. Her hands split into long, branch-like claws.

Splinter matrons are survivors, dryads from trees in areas that were once lush and green forests but have—due to shifting rains or magical catastrophes—become barren wastelands. The dryad and her tree cling to life, but as the tree becomes more withered, twisted, and diseased, so too does the dryad change, becoming a mad, desperate thing that focuses upon survival above all else. Over decades, even centuries, they turn into feral beasts that view any creatures near their tree as a possible attacker and respond mercilessly to repel the intruder.

Hatred of Fey. While they view all creatures as enemies, splinter matrons particularly despise other fey, who they despite for as having abandoned them. A splinter matron will go out of her way to kill any fey she meets.

Sought by Night Hags. While night hags create tree skinners from dryads driven mad by the death of their trees, they view happening upon a splinter matron as a true gift. A splinter matron that has undergone the tree skinner transformation ritual becomes an unholy terror that makes common tree skinners look harmless by comparison.