Tlahuelpuchi

Medium undead, lawful evil

Armor Class 15 natural armor
Hit Points 130 (20d8+40)
Speed 30 ft., fly 20 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
17 (+3)	16 (+3)	14 (+2)	11 (+0)	15 (+2)	8 (-1)

Skills Animal Handling +5, Athletics +6, Perception +8, Stealth +9, Survival +8
Damage Resistances poison
Condition Immunities exhaustion, poisoned, paralyzed
Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 18
Languages Common; can speak with and understand all birds as if they shared a language with them
Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)

SPECIAL TRAITS

• Disembodied Flight. At night, the tlahuelpuchi can detach its upper body at the waist and becoming a bird. In this form it has the statistics of a raven. In this bird form, the tlahuelpuchi sheds bright light for 50 feet, and dim light for another 50 feet. If the tlahuelpuchi takes damage in this form, it reverts to its true form without its legs with its usual statistics, losing its walk speed. If the tlahuelpuchi does not return to its legs by dawn, it is destroyed.
• Weaknesses. Tlahuelpuchi have several weaknesses that may keep it away. The tlahuelpuchi cannot enter a building until they spend 1d4 rounds flying in a cross shape over it first. A tlahuelpuchi cannot approach a creature that is warded by garlic, onions, silver, or iron.

ACTIONS

• Multiattack. A female tlahuelpuchi makes two melee attacks; one with her bite/peck, and one with her claws. A male tlahuelpuchi makes two attacks with his claws.
• Bite/Peck. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 12 (2d8 + 3) piercing damage and 13 (3d8) necrotic damage. The tlahuelpuchi heals half the necrotic damage that they deal to the target.
• Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (2d6 + 3) slashing damage.
• Change Shape (Female Only). At night, a female tlahuelpuchi can use its action to polymorph into a Medium donkey, a Small turkey, or a Tiny spider. When in animal form, she assumes the size and movement speed of the form she takes. Her other statistics remain unchanged. Anything she is wearing transforms with her, but nothing she is carrying does. She reverts to her true form if she dies. If she takes a form that allows her to fly, she sheds bright light out to 50 feet, and dim light out to another 50 feet.
• Summon Swarm (Male Only). A male tlahuelpuchi magically calls 1d4 swarms of ravensSRD, provided that the sun isn’t up. The called creatures arrive in 1 round, acting as allies of the tlahuelpuchi and obeying his spoken commands. The beasts remain for 1 hour, until the vampire dies, or until the vampire dismisses them as a bonus action.

ABOUT

The feared and respected tlahuelpuchi are a relative random occurrence. A humanoid that is at the cusp of adulthood might become a tlahuelpuchi within the span of days, losing their humanity and becoming dangerous and deceitful monsters that must eat flesh to live.

Though a tlahuelpuchi will starve if they don’t feed at least once a month, these creatures tend to prefer the flesh of infants. This has led to the careful protection of children and infants with the use of wards and rituals meant to fend off the life-draining creatures. When pressed, a tlahuelpuchi can eat livestock to survive, but may develop a grudge against those that deny them their preferred meal.

The tlahuelpuchi can sometimes find itself as part of the local community, trading favors with local elders in exchange for dead livestock. Though this can make for odd alliances, there are some rural settlements that are willing to look the other away if a tlahuelpuchi devours a few bandits.