Faolyn
(she/her)
Up next is the peltast, and it’s going to be a departure from normal monsters. It’s one of those creatures that honestly feels like it should be an object instead. I could give it full stats, but let’s face it: nobody is going to fight this thing. It has no attacks and isn't capable of speech. There’s no monster use here. And so: the peltast, a living magic item.
This also brings a new entry into the Table of Contents in post #1: Monsters That Should Be Objects. There was one in an earlier issue of Dragon, but it was basically a living computer with infinite hp, so I didn’t feel a need to convert it.
Artist: ?. From MC Appendix II; the art in the Creature Catalog was... not very useful
Peltast
Creature Catalog, Dragon Magazine #89
Created by Ed Greenwood
Wondrous object, very rare (cost 9,000 gp)
Crafting Components: A peltast is a living being and can’t be constructed—although it can, potentially, be bred.
Distantly related to the mimic, a peltast in its natural form looks like a Tiny blob of amorphous leather. They are incapable of taking on as many forms as mimics can and are limited to shapechanging into a Tiny or Small leather object, such as a belt or backpack. In object form, a peltast is indistinguishable from a normal object.
The first time each day a peltast in object form is donned by a humanoid, it attaches to its wearer and bites. The peltast’s saliva injects an anesthetic, making the bite painless and unnoticeable. When first donned, and at the end of each short rest the wearer makes, the wearer must make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, its hit point maximum is reduced by 1 due to blood loss. The wearer dies if this effect reduces its hit point maximum to 0. This reduction lasts until the wearer completes a long rest. Removing the peltast requires no action.
While the peltast is attached, the wearer has advantage on saving throws to avoid being diseased or poisoned and gains an expertise die on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. If the wearer is reduced to 0 hit points, it is reduced to 1 hit point instead. Once this happens, the peltast can’t grant this ability again until it completes a long rest.
Although a detect magic will reveal that there is a magical aura around a peltast, an identify spell won't reveal what it is. A DC 15 Nature check is required, instead.
The peltast is a CR 1/8 Monstrosity has AC 11, 5 (2d4) hit points, and a speed of 10 ft., climb 10 ft. It has darkvision to 30 feet and tremorsense to 30 ft. It is resistant to fire and lightning damage, immune to poison and bludgeoning damage, and to the grappled, poisoned, and prone conditions. It has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Its attributes are Strength 6 (-2), Dex 13 (+1), Con 10 (+0), Int 6 (-2), Wis 9 (-1), Cha 6 (-2). It can’t speak or understand any languages.
The peltast exudes waste materials whenever it is immersed in water. This stains and fouls adjacent water within 5 feet of it, making it unpotable, and anyone who drinks the water is poisoned for 10 minutes and suffers from cramps and nausea.
This also brings a new entry into the Table of Contents in post #1: Monsters That Should Be Objects. There was one in an earlier issue of Dragon, but it was basically a living computer with infinite hp, so I didn’t feel a need to convert it.
Artist: ?. From MC Appendix II; the art in the Creature Catalog was... not very useful
Peltast
Creature Catalog, Dragon Magazine #89
Created by Ed Greenwood
Wondrous object, very rare (cost 9,000 gp)
Crafting Components: A peltast is a living being and can’t be constructed—although it can, potentially, be bred.
Distantly related to the mimic, a peltast in its natural form looks like a Tiny blob of amorphous leather. They are incapable of taking on as many forms as mimics can and are limited to shapechanging into a Tiny or Small leather object, such as a belt or backpack. In object form, a peltast is indistinguishable from a normal object.
The first time each day a peltast in object form is donned by a humanoid, it attaches to its wearer and bites. The peltast’s saliva injects an anesthetic, making the bite painless and unnoticeable. When first donned, and at the end of each short rest the wearer makes, the wearer must make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, its hit point maximum is reduced by 1 due to blood loss. The wearer dies if this effect reduces its hit point maximum to 0. This reduction lasts until the wearer completes a long rest. Removing the peltast requires no action.
While the peltast is attached, the wearer has advantage on saving throws to avoid being diseased or poisoned and gains an expertise die on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. If the wearer is reduced to 0 hit points, it is reduced to 1 hit point instead. Once this happens, the peltast can’t grant this ability again until it completes a long rest.
Although a detect magic will reveal that there is a magical aura around a peltast, an identify spell won't reveal what it is. A DC 15 Nature check is required, instead.
The peltast is a CR 1/8 Monstrosity has AC 11, 5 (2d4) hit points, and a speed of 10 ft., climb 10 ft. It has darkvision to 30 feet and tremorsense to 30 ft. It is resistant to fire and lightning damage, immune to poison and bludgeoning damage, and to the grappled, poisoned, and prone conditions. It has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Its attributes are Strength 6 (-2), Dex 13 (+1), Con 10 (+0), Int 6 (-2), Wis 9 (-1), Cha 6 (-2). It can’t speak or understand any languages.
The peltast exudes waste materials whenever it is immersed in water. This stains and fouls adjacent water within 5 feet of it, making it unpotable, and anyone who drinks the water is poisoned for 10 minutes and suffers from cramps and nausea.
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