Uraeus

Tiny celestial, lawful neutral

Armor Class 14 (natural armor)
Hit Points 40 (9d4 + 18)
Speed 30 ft., fly 60 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
6 (-2) 15 (+2) 14 (+2) 10 (+0) 14 (+2) 9 (-1)

Skills Perception +4
Damage Resistances fire; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical weapons
Damage Immunities poison
Condition Immunities poisoned
Senses blindsight 10 ft., passive Perception 14
Languages understands Celestial and Common but can’t speak
Challenge 2 (450 XP)

Special Traits

  • Flyby. The uraeus doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks when it flies out of an enemy’s reach.
  • Ward Bond. As a bonus action, the uraeus forms a magical bond with a willing creature within 5 feet. Afterward, no matter how great the distance between them, the uraeus knows the distance and direction to its bonded ward and is aware of the creature’s general state of health. The bond lasts until the uraeus or the ward dies, or the uraeus ends the bond as an action.

Actions

  • Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing damage plus 9 (2d8) poison damage, and the target must make a successful DC 12 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned for 1 minute. While poisoned in this way, the target takes 9 (2d8) fire damage at the start of its turn. A poisoned creature repeats the saving throw at the end of its turn, ending the effect on a success.
  • Searing Breath (Recharge 5-6). The uraeus exhales a 15-foot cone of fire. Creatures in the area take 10 (3d6) fire damage, or half damage with a successful DC 12 Dexterity saving throw.

Reaction

  • Bonded Savior. When the uraeus’ bonded ward takes damage, the uraeus can transfer the damage to itself instead. The uraeus’ damage resistance and immunity don’t apply to transferred damage.

About

A sleek serpent wends through the air, held aloft on bronze-feathered wings. The flying cobra flares its hood and hisses, hurling a spray of orange sparks from its fanged mouth.

About

A uraeus resembles a vibrantly colored cobra. The serpent’s scales are the rich gold-flecked blue of lapis lazuli and its eyes gleam white, but its most distinguishing feature is a pair of feathery bronze wings. It glides gracefully through the air with a deliberate vigilance that reveals its intelligence. A uraeus grows up to three feet long, and weighs around 5 pounds.

Divine Protectors. Uraeuses are celestial creatures that carry a spark of divine fire within them, and they thirst for purpose when they arrive on the Material Plane. Whether the creature was deliberately summoned or found its way to the Material Plane through other means, a uraeus is created to protect. Once it finds a worthy charge, it devotes its fiery breath and searing venom to protecting that ward.

A uraeus is fanatically loyal to the creature it protects.

Only gross mistreatment or vicious evil can drive a uraeus to break its bond and leave.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

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