Skelzi, Vampiric

Family: Skelzi

Medium humanoid, chaotic evil

Armor Class 14 (natural armor)
Hit Points 44 (8d8 + 8)
Speed 30 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
14 (+2) 15 (+2) 12 (+1) 10 (+0) 10 (+0) 10 (+0)

Skills Perception +2, Stealth +4
Senses passive Perception 12
Languages Common, Skelzi
Challenge 1 (200 XP)

SPECIAL TRAITS

  • Chameleonic Hide. If the skelzi sheds its garments, it can hide when lightly obscured, its Stealth bonus increases to +6, and it has advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks and on initiative rolls.

ACTIONS

  • Multiattack. The skelzi makes one Claw attack and one Blood Whip attack.
  • Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) slashing damage.
  • Blood Whip. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) slashing damage and the target must make a successful DC 12 Constitution saving throw or take a bleeding wound. At the start of each of the wounded creature’s turns, it takes 1d6 necrotic damage for each time it has been wounded, and it can then make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw, ending the effect of all such wounds on itself on a success. Alternatively, the wounded creature, or a creature within five feet of it, can use an action to make a DC 15 Wisdom (Medicine) check, ending the effect of such wounds on it on a success.
  • Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one willing creature or a creature that is grappled by the skelzi, incapacitated, or restrained. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) piercing damage plus 7 (2d6) necrotic damage. The target’s hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the necrotic damage taken, and the skelzi regains hit points equal to that amount. The reduction lasts until the target finishes a long rest. The target dies if this effect reduces its hit point maximum to 0.
  • Charm. One creature within 30 feet must succeed on a DC 10 Wisdom saving throw or be charmed for 24 hours. The creature is not under the skelzi’s control but regards it as a trusted friend, takes its requests as favorably as possible, and is willing to be bitten. Each time the skelzi or its allies do anything harmful to the creature, it can repeat the saving throw.

ABOUT

Skelzis originate from beyond the Material Plane. They have humanoid bodies with leathery skin, but their human appearance is rendered alien by the long, sharp beak that protrudes from the birdlike skelzi face. Moreover, a skelzi’s hide is chameleonic and can change to blend with its surroundings. The creatures usually travel robed and masked so that they are less alarming to other races and to conceal their chameleonic power until the need for it arises. A typical skelzi stands six feet tall and weighs 160 pounds. A number of vampiric skelzis exist, having been transformed via ritual by Fuulagh (see the blood orchid entry) and through other means. About half of them are also spellcasters (see below).

Skelzis are aggressively expansionistic, so countless colonies and more than a few empires exist across the infinite planes of existence. Great skelzi empires tend to be decadent, corrupt, torpid, and slow to respond to threats. When they do respond, it is likely to be with overwhelming force.

Skelzi Spellcasters

Some skelzi are also spellcasters. A spellcasting skelzi has a Challenge of 2 (450 XP), Intelligence 15 (+2), and the spellcasting trait:

Spellcasting. The skelzi is a 5th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 12, +4 to hit with spell attacks). It can cast the following spells:

Section 15: Copyright Notice

The City That Dripped Blood © 2018, Frog God Games, LLC; Author: Steve Winter

Tome of Horrors 2020, (C) 2020, Necromancer Games

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