Ti-khana Deinonychus
Medium monstrosity (shapechanger), neutral evil
Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
Hit Points 33 (6d8 + 6)
Speed 40 ft.
STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|
15 (+2) | 17 (+3) | 12 (+1) | 6 (–2) | 13 (+1) | 10 (+0) |
Skills Acrobatics +5, Perception +3, Stealth +5
Senses passive Perception 13
Languages —
Challenge 2 (450 XP)
Proficiency Bonus +2
Shapechanger. The ti-khana deinonychus can use its action to polymorph into a Tiny snake, or back into its true form. Its statistics are the same in each form. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying isn't transformed. It reverts to its true form if it dies.
Keen Sight and Smell. The ti-khana deinonychus has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight or smell.
Innate Spellcasting (Deinonychus Form Only). The ti-khana deinonychus's innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 10). The ti-khana can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:
Magic Resistance. The ti-khana has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Pack Tactics. The ti-khana deinonychus has advantage on an attack roll against a creature if at least one of the deinonychus's allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn't incapacitated.
Pounce. If the ti-khana deinonychus moves at least 20 feet straight toward a creature and then hits it with a talon attack on the same turn, that target must succeed on a DC 12 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone. If the target is prone, the deinonychus can make one bite attack and one claws attack against it as a bonus action.
Rush (3/day). As a bonus action, the ti-khana deinonychus can take the Dash action.
Actions
Multiattack (Deinonychus Form Only). The ti-khana deinonychus makes two attacks: one with its claws and one with a bite or talon.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing damage plus 3 (1d6) poison damage.
Claws (Deinonychus Form Only). Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) slashing damage.
Talon (Deinonychus Form Only). Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Hit: 9 (2d6 + 2) piercing damage.
Mindfang (Recharge 4-6). The ti-khana deinonychus targets one creature it can see within 100 feet of it. The target must succeed on a DC 10 Intelligence saving throw or take 13 (2d12) psychic damage and be frightened of anything reptilian for 5 (1d10) rounds; as well as actual reptiles like snakes, lizards, yuan-ti and dinosaurs, this fear encompasses scaled monster that resemble reptiles or have reptilian features such as a dragonne or chimera. On a success, the target takes half damage and is not frightened. A frightened target can also repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns. If the saving throw is successful, the effect ends on it.
Description
A lean bipedal dinosaur about the size of a large human. Clearly a predator, it is armed with long jaws lined with sharp teeth, clawed forelimbs and a great talon on each of its feet. When it opens its mouth, the reptile reveals it also has fangs and a forked tongue like a viper.
The ti-khana deinonychus serves the yuan-ti in a manner similar to a trained dog: guarding the yuan-ti and their property or hunting their enemies. Some yuan-ti have these creatures turn into tiny vipers and carry them about, using the ti-khana as a powerful bodyguard they wear like jewelry.
Creatures of the Yuan-ti. Over millennia of experimentation, the yuan-ti have transformed various scaly reptilian animals into monstrosities that share some of their traits. Called ti-khana, these prized pets are carefully trained to serve their ophidian masters. All ti-khana are resistant to magic like yuan-ti and possess the innate ability to detect magic. The majority of ti-khana also have venomous fangs, the ability to transform into a poisonous snake, and some kind of supernatural or magical attack.
Ti-khana require the dark magic and alchemy of the yuan-ti to breed and develop their powers. Ti-khana can survive in the wild, but it is unlikely they can reproduce properly without the yuan-ti's arcane treatments. It is possible some types of ti-khana can mate with their unaltered relatives or lay viable eggs with their own kind. However, feral offspring can not develop ti-khana abilities without yuan-ti intervention so, at best, would grow into beasts resembling the ti-khana's mundane ancestors.
Breeding and training ti-khana is usually performed by specialist yuan-ti spellcasters, but an edifice can be enchanted to perform this task for one or more strains of ti-khana. This allows ancient yuan-ti sites to have a population of ti-khana "guarddogs" even if no yuan-ti has visited them for millennia.
(Originally appeared in the
Fiend Folio (2003).)
