Woods Ape

Medium monstrosity, unaligned

Armor Class 11 (16 with barkskin)
Hit Points 82 (11d8 + 33)
Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
17 (+3)	13 (+1)	16 (+3)	11 (+0)	18 (+4)	7 (–2)

Skills Nature +6, Perception +7, Stealth +4 (+7 in forested terrain), Survival +10
Damage Immunities poison
Condition Immunities poisoned
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 17
Languages Druidic
Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)

Special Traits

• Land’s Stride. The woods ape can move through nonmagical difficult terrain without using extra movement and can pass through nonmagical plants without being slowed by them and without taking damage if they have thorns, spines, or a similar hazard. In addition, the woods ape has advantage on saving throws against plants that are magically created or manipulated to impede movement.
• Innate Spellcasting. The woods ape’s innate spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 15, +7 to hit with spell attacks). It can cast the following spells, requiring no material components:
  • At will: guidance, mending, create or destroy water, detect poison and disease, entangle, speak with animals, speak with plants, tree stride
  • 3/day each: animal messenger, barkskin, call lightning, locate animals or plants, pass without trace
  • 1/day each: awaken, commune with nature, conjure animals, plant growth

Actions

• Multiattack. The woods ape makes two claw attacks.
• Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (2d6 + 3) slashing damage.

About

This large ape appears to have symbiotic plants growing on its back and shoulders, almost as if it were a cloak or mantle. Indeed, despite not showing any root system or other sign of natural plant lifecycle, the plants appear in perfect health, blooming and flowering.

Towering up to 6 feet tall, the ape also bears antlers which drip flowering vines.

The woods ape is a bipedal, fur-covered primate. Arms and legs are present where expected, and its eyes are filled with an intelligence that belies its unassuming appearance. A woods ape acts as a mystical grower of all plants, encouraging them, speaking to them, and ensuring they grow healthy and full. Not only is it a preternatural act for a woods ape, it is something it takes great pride in. The origin of the woods ape is shrouded in mystery as the rare creature does not deign to inform those few who encounter them of their life, save that they should tread wearily through their forest garden and not linger or harm the life it contains.

A woods ape’s connection to its forest is such that it will protect it against all those who seek to harvest it unduly. A humble woodsman can pass through, gathering deadwood or harvesting small plants, as long as it is done with respect. A woods ape will also bargain seeds or rare plants for those who bring it gifts, such as new seeds for it to grow. A callous hunter or other creature who enters the forest without respect will meet with the woods ape’s wrath.

A woods ape’s forest garden is usually about a mile in diameter, often deep within other forests, or sometimes, a forest sprouting from a grassy plain. All forest domains of a woods ape are dark forests, thick with vegetation and bare of any game trails.