Aatxe - Creature Codex

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Actions

Gore. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5ft, one target. Hit: 19(3d8+6) 3d8+6 piercing damage.
Paw the Earth. The aatxe lowers its horn and paws at the ground with its hoovers. Each creature within 30 feet of the aatxe must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or be frightened of the aatxe for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. If the creature's saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the creature is immune to the aatxe's paw the earth for the next 24 hours.

 

Legendary Actions

The aatxe has 3 legendary actions.
Detect. The aatxe makes a Wisdom(Perception) check.
Gore (Cost 2 Actions). The aatxe makes one gore attack.
Bulwark (Cost 3 Actions). The aatxe flares crimson with celestial power, protecting those nearby. The next attack that would hit an ally within 5 feet of the aatxe hits the aatxe instead.
  If using the corrupted variant you gain this legendary action in place of Bulwark.
Punish (Cost 3 Actions). The aatxe flares crimson with celestial power, punishing those daring to harm it. The next attack that would hit the aatxe hits the attacker instead.

Lair Actions

On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), the aatxe takes a lair action to cause one of the following magical effects: • The ground bubbles into a sticky muck in a 20-foot radius centred on a point that the aatxe can see within 120 feet of it. That area becomes difficult terrain, and each creature in that area must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or be restrained by the muck. A creature can take its action to free itself or another stuck creature from the muck by succeeding on a DC 15 Strength check. The muck hardens back into earth when the aatxe uses this lair action again or when it dies. • The aatxe targets one creature it can see within 30 feet of it. A glowing beam of red light tethers the aatxe to the target. An unwilling target must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw to resist the tether. Each time the target takes damage, the damage is split evenly between the target and the aatxe, transferring along the red beam. While tethered, the aatxe has resistance to all damage, except for damage transferred along the beam. This tether lasts until the tethered target dies, the aatxe uses this lair action again, or the aatxe dies. • Motes of celestial light dance around the aatxe. Each hostile creature within 20 feet of the aatxe must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or be covered in the motes of light. A creature covered in motes of light sheds dim light in a 10-foot radius and can’t benefit from being invisible. Any attack roll against a creature covered in motes of light has advantage if the attacker can see the creature. The motes of light last until initiative count 20 on the next round.

Aatxes prefer to make their homes in caverns or other secluded locations, though they will forego that preference in favour of ruins or shelters which provide a view of the regions they protect

Regional Effects

The region containing an aatxe’s lair is changed by its celestial presence, which creates one or more of the following effects: • Nonmagical light illuminates an additional 10 feet within 3 miles of an aatxe’s lair. • From sunset to sunrise, birds within 5 miles of an aatxe’s lair do their best to draw attention to those lying in wait to ambush or stalking victims for nefarious purposes. A separate DC 15 Dexterity (Stealth) check must be made to avoid the attention of birds in the area while stalking or preparing to ambush an intelligent being. If the creature engaged in such activity is a fiend or undead, the birds will race to alert the aatxe to its presence. • Predatory beasts within 5 miles of an aatxe’s lair find intelligent beings unpalatable.

Description

Earthbound Celestial Guardians. Aatxes serve as protective agents of benevolent deities, sent to watch over pious communities and provide them with a measure of protection from harm.
Walks Among the People. Though its true form is that of a great red bull, an aatxe can take on the form of a male humanoid to walk among the people it is tasked to protect—the better to uncover threats to their safety. An aatxe so disguised rarely takes on the appearance of anyone familiar to those it protects and avoids unnecessary communication and attachment, attempting to pass itself off as an uninteresting traveler.
Deceptively Cautious. Once it detects a threat to its charges, the aatxe will stalk the roads, fields, and wilderness near its home, seeking to find its foes where it can dispatch them without harming the innocent. The aatxe is also known to chase bystanders back indoors when a threat is beyond its abilities, though it will also sacrifice itself to protect them, if necessary.     VARIANT: Corrupted Aatxe. Aatxe spend their considerable lifetimes protecting a swath of territory that contains several small villages and farming communities. In time, the aatxe becomes the embodiment of its communities’ values and traditions, upholding such tenets. If left without the guidance of the deity who assigned the aatxe to the area, an aatxe can become corrupted when a community’s values and traditions steer toward tyranny and oppression. A corrupted aatxe’s alignment changes to lawful evil, it has advantage on Charisma (Intimidation) checks, and its Bulwark legendary action changes to the following
Punish (Costs 3 Actions). The aatxe flares crimson with celestial power, punishing those daring to harm it. The next attack that would hit the aatxe hits the attacker instead.