This next one is slightly different because it’s a combination of two different monsters. In Dragon #57, Michael Malone wrote an adventure called “The Wandering Trees” which features the
phooka. A few issues later, in Dragon #60, Michael Fountain created the
pooka. Both are variants on the same mythical creature, although the two monsters are quite different in their abilities. Most noticeably, Malone’s version has 4+4 Hit Dice and is more of a tree spirit, like a male dryad, while Fountain’s version, goes the anthro animal route (specifically: a 6-foot-tall white rabbit), has 100+ Hit Dice and power to manipulate time. Fountain’s article also brings up the pooka in media (
Harvey, of course, but also
A Midsummer Night’s Dream), but fails to take the next logical step, which is, obviously, that Toons are pookas.
Since I like both variants and they both refer to the same mythological creature, I’m going to combine them into a single
púca (plural: púcaí, according to Wikipedia). I am
not an expert on Celtic myth here, although I am using the Wikipedia entry and other websites to round this entry out a bit.
Although I’m not going to give this guy a full hundred Hit Dice (I still can’t get over this! I don’t think greater
gods in 1e had that many hp!), that level of power means that I’m making this a legendary creature.
(And yes, it’s another Chaotic monster.)
Púca
The Wandering Trees, Dragon Magazine #57 and Pooka, Dragon Magazine #60
Created by Michael Malone and Michael Fountain
A púca (plural: púcaí) is a rare but very powerful fey. In their true form, they look something like a goblin-y satyr: on the short side, with withered features and twisted horns, very dark or very pale hair and fur, and amber eyes. They’re rarely seen in this form, as changing shape and turning invisible are as natural as breathing to the púca. Regardless of their form, they keep their coloration—in humanoid form, the púca will have hair that is dark brown, black, or white-blond, and amber eyes. In animal form, their fur or feathers will be of similar colors.
Time-Wielders. Púcaí have the ability to bend time to their will, and they do so readily. And while they often do so for trivial reasons, such as to assist in their pranks or to drink a large amount of alcohol in a seemingly impossibly short period of time, they also are cunning in how they use this ability; in combat, they use it to seemingly dance around the battlefield, stealing objects from their foes to render them unable to battle.
Notorious Tricksters. Like many fey, púcaí love playing tricks on people. Their tricks tend more towards gaslighting their targets, using their abilities to make their target’s feel as if they’re going crazy. If their target gets angry or violent, then the púca will up their game, attacking the target with constant pranks of increasing cruelness—for a week or so, at which point the púca usually gets bored or distracted by drink and forget all about their former victim. If the target is a good sport about it, though, the púca will likely befriend them instead—and a púca is a friend for life. This is not always has useful as it might sound, though, since that doesn’t mean they stop their pranks, though.
Púcaí also enjoy manifesting chains around themselves while in animal form and scaring travelers on dark nights. Fortunately for their targets, púcaí eschew violence and physical injury in favor of embarrassment and gaslighting.
Legends and Lore
With an Arcana check, the characters can learn the following:
DC 10. A púca is a fun-loving, shapeshifting fey that is normally invisible. It generally only shows itself to a single person at a time—and usually only after that person has had a few drinks under their belt.
DC 15. Púcaí have a fondness for many humanoid vices: they particularly enjoy alcohol, gambling, jaunty music, and stage plays.
DC 20. Unlike faeries, pucaí are rarely involved in faerie politics. They enjoy messing around with humans too much for that, and very much like humanoids who are willing to be good sports about the púca’s shenanigans. They are very powerful and have the ability to manipulate time itself, and even archfey are hesitant to deal with one.
Púca Encounters
Terrain: Feywild, Forest, Grassland, Settlement
CR 5-8 púca, púca with 1d4 satyrs or pixies.
Treasure: bag of beans, flask of inebriation, wand of wonder
Signs
1. Hoofprints that turn into booted footprints.
2. Townsfolk who say they’ve seen the same impossible creature… while they were drunk.
3. While at a tavern, full glasses of ale being drained when the drinker’s back is turned.
4. A musician whose critics suffer from amusingly ironic and embarrassing punishments.
5. An adult humanoid with a pleasant personality but who isn’t particularly bright talks about their friend only they can see.
6. A gnarled, leafless tree that one would swear wasn’t there yesterday.
7. The sound of rattling chains in the distance.
8. The smell of pipe smoke in a room where nobody is smoking.
Behavior
1. In horse form, hoping to lure a humanoid into getting on their back, at which point the púca will take the rider on a wild and frightening journey.
2. In goat form, following the party around, even into places goats wouldn’t normally go.
3. In humanoid form, pretending to be uproariously drunk while gambling—yet still managing to win more than lose.
4. Moving a person’s belongings around or replacing them with
nearly-identical copies.
5. Invisible and appearing to a single person while weaving illusions only they can see, in the hopes of making that person look insane.
6. Drinking. A lot.
Names
Branwen, Brennus, Colum, Conrí, Echthigern, Énna, Gavin, Rónán
Púca
Medium legendary fey (shapechanger)
Challenge 7 (2,900 XP)
AC 14
HP 117 (18d8+36; bloodied 59)
Speed 40 ft. (varies in beast form)
STR 12 (+1)
DEX 19 (+4)
CON 14 (+2)
INT 17 (+3)
WIS 10 (+0)
CHA 22 (+6)
Proficiency +3
Maneuver DC 15
Skills Deception +9, Perception +3 (
+1d6), Persuasion +9, Sleight of Hand +7 (+
1d4), Stealth +7
Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, rattled, poisoned
Senses truesight 60 ft., passive Perception 16
Languages Common, Sylvan, and up to five more
Blink Of An Eye. The púca has advantage on initiative checks.
Change Shape. The púca magically takes on one of the following forms: an animated tree (speed 20 ft.), a goat or Large giant goat, a Large draft horse, or riding or war horse (speed 60 ft.), a mastiff, a Large dire wolf (speed 50 ft.), any Tiny or Small beast (speed varies), a satyr, a pixie, a specific humanoid (one of elf, gnome, goblin, halfling, or human, speed 40 ft.) with the ears of one of the aforementioned animals, or changes back into its true form. Regardless of shape, the púca’s stats are unchanged except for its size and speed.
Chaotic. The púca radiates a chaotic aura.
Innate Spellcasting. The púca’s spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 17). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no components:
At Will:
bane, druidcraft, hex, major image, minor illusion, prestidigitation, shillelagh, thaumaturgy
1/day each:
animate objects, hallucinatory terrain, wall of thorns
Legendary Resistance (1/day). When the púca fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead. When it does so, it can’t use its Slip Free of Time or Dance With Me legendary actions until it finishes a long rest.
Magic Resistance. The púca has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Pink Elephants. When the púca casts
major image, it can choose to make the illusion detectable by only a single creature.
Speak with Nature. The púca can communicate with beasts and plants as if they shared a language.
Actions
Multiattack. The púca makes two shillelagh attacks.
Shillelagh. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Hit: 10 (1d8+6) bludgeoning damage.
Bonus Actions
Selective Invisibility. The púca turns invisible until its concentration ends (as if concentrating on a spell). This invisibility ends if the púca fall unconscious, uses a bonus action to dismiss the effect, or dies. Any equipment the púca wears or carries is invisible with it. Additionally, while invisible, the púca can move through objects, but not creatures, as if they were difficult terrain. It takes 5 (1d10) force damage if it ends its turn inside an object. While invisible, the púca’s voice can’t be heard by any creature that can’t see invisible things, although other noises it makes can be heard as normal. Each time the púca turns invisible, it chooses one creature that can see and hear it.
Produce Club. The púca can produce a club, staff, or walking stick out of thin air. While doing so, it casts
shillelagh on it at the same time.
Slow Down (Recharge 5-6). The púca targets one or more creatures within 30 feet that it can see. Each target makes a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, the target is slowed for 1 minute. A target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
Reactions
Drop That! After taking damage from a melee weapon, the púca causes the attacker to fumble. The attacker must make a DC 17 Dexterity saving throw or drop whatever it is holding. The object falls into its space.
Legendary Actions
The púca can take 3 legendary actions. Only one legendary action can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn. It regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.
Shapechanger. The púca uses its Change Shape trait.
Tree Stepping. The púca transports to an empty space within 5 feet of a tree, bush, or other Small or larger plant it can see within 60 feet of it. The púca must be touching a plant, even grass, for this ability to work.
Slip Free From Time (Costs 2 Actions). The púca casts
time stop. While this spell is active, the púca can affect objects worn or carried by other beings. Affecting a creature still ends the spell, however.
Dance With Me! (Costs 3 Actions). The púca casts
time stop on itself and one creature of its choice. The creature may make a DC 17 Charisma saving throw to resist. The púca can affect objects worn or carried by other beings, but the targeted creature can’t.
Combat
Púcaí stay out of combat whenever possible and will flee while invisible, often while using
major image to create an image of itself in its place. If forced into combat, it will use Slow Down! on a target that is either physically powerful or obviously a spellcaster, then cast
hex or
bane on a weaker target. They will then use Slip Free From Time or Drop It! to cause targets to lose their weapons and foci. If they have to use weapons, they prefer to pummel their targets into unconscious than kill them.