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Tembril

Size
Large
Type
Monstrosity
Challenge Rating
6
Source
Tome of Beasts 2
Alignment
Unaligned
Armor Class
15
Speeds
40
Walking Speed
40
Strength Score
19
Dexterity Score
14
Constitution Score
18
Intelligence Score
4
Wisdom Score
15
Charisma Score
16
Skill Proficiencies
Perception, Stealth
Vision
Darkvision (60ft)
Languages Ref
—
Hit Points
114
Resistances
Resistant to Cold Damage

Large monstrosity, unaligned


Armor Class 15 (natural armor)

Hit Points 114 (12d10+48)

Speed 40 ft.


STR
19 (+4)
DEX
14 (+2)
CON
18 (+4)
INT
4 (−3)
WIS
15 (+2)
CHA
16 (+3)

Skills Perception +5, Stealth +8

Damage Resistances cold

Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 15

Languages —

Challenge 6 (2,300 XP)

Ambusher. In the first round of combat, the tembril has advantage on attack rolls against any creature it has surprised.

Nimble Leap. The tembril can take the Dash or Disengage action as a bonus action on each of its turns.

Actions

Multiattack. The tembril makes three attacks: one with its bite and two with its claws.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) piercing damage. If the tembril scores a critical hit against a Medium or smaller target and the damage reduces the target to below half its hp maximum, the target must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or be instantly killed as its head is removed. A creature is immune to this effect if it is immune to piercing damage or doesn't have or need a head.

Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) slashing damage.

Maddening Chitter (Recharge 6). The tembril chitters maddeningly in a 30-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, a creature takes 21 (6d6) psychic damage and is incapacitated for 1 minute. On a success, a creature takes half the damage and isn't incapacitated. If a creature fails the saving throw by 5 or more, it also suffers short-term madness. An incapacitated creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the incapacitated condition on itself on a success.

Description

Standing on its back legs and holding a decapitated human head in its hands, this nightmarish creature resembles a gigantic squirrel with saber-like teeth, soulless black eyes, and hard, scaly skin. It chitters softly and eerily._
Forest Terrors. In the dark and foreboding forests of the north, tales are spun of terrible ogres, hags, evil wolves, and great arctic serpents, but humans and ogres alike fear the tembril, a savage monstrosity that feeds specifically on the eyes, tongues, and brains of humanoids. Resembling a squirrel the size of a bear, but with brown scales and immense claws and fangs, the tembril hunts sapient fey, humanoids, and giants exclusively, using its claws to eviscerate its opponent as its teeth punctures their skulls.
Head Collectors. The victim of a tembril attack is almost always found without its head, for the creature collects the severed cranium to devour the contents either immediately or at a later time. Tembrils store the heads in the long winter months, hiding them within the hollows of great trees or in other suitable locations and covering them in ice so they don’t decompose. The decapitated bodies left behind make a meal for many forest-dwelling scavengers, and crows, Open Game License

Stat block from Tome of Beasts 2 (Kobold Press), Open Game Content used under the Open Game License 1.0a. Tome of Beasts 2. Copyright 2020 Open Design LLC; Authors Wolfgang Baur, Celeste Conowitch, Darrin Drader, James Introcaso, Philip Larwood, Jeff Lee, Kelly Pawlik, Brian Suskind, Mike Welham. It is not Geminaea material. See Legal.