Death Eel (CR 2)
The Death Eel is a creature which thrives on death, and some believe that it is the presence of death is what creates these monsters.
Legend says that the first Death Eels were born from an act of jealous rage. Many centuries ago, a fisherman arrived home to find his wife in bed with another woman. He flew into a rage, killing his wife and her lover. Upon realising what he had done, he threw their bodies into the nearby lake from which he fished. His victims would not find rest, however, and their vengeful spirits returned as the first Death Eels. They killed everything in the lake, dooming the murderous fisherman to never bring home another catch.
Death Eels are found in bodies of freshwater which have come to contain an excess of corpses. A river in which a deadly shipwreck occurred, a lake in which a killer is disposing of his victims, or a pond in which a group ended up drowned, any of these could become home to Death Eels. They can appear in water bodies which are unconnected to any others, leading to the belief that they are created by death itself. Death Eels have two heads and are always found in pairs, giving them a near perfect perception of their surroundings.
Life of Death.
Once they have appeared in a river or lake they will kill all other creatures in the water. The first sign of their presence will be dead fish covering the surface of a lake, or washing up on the banks of a river. These creatures despise life, and kill simply to destroy it. They have an innate connection to death, and can magically manipulate the bones of corpses. They will often be seen swimming with skulls and sharpened bones slowly orbiting their bodies. These bones are the Death Eel’s primary weapon; it will fling them toward its enemies, impaling them on sharp bones.
Adapted to Decay.
Death Eels eyes glow a deep blood red, and this is often the first thing their prey will see through the murky water they inhabit. Water filled with the numerous corpses created by these creatures rarely stays clear, and will become dark and thick as it fills with decaying flesh. Death Eels have adapted to this, and are able to sense the location of their victims through movements in the water around them.
Death Eel
Medium Monstrosity, Neutral Evil
Armour Class: 14 (Natural Armour)
Hit Points: 75 (10d8 + 30)
Speed: 0ft., swim 20ft.
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
| 12 (+1) | 13 (+2) | 17 (+3) | 11 (+0) | 12 (+1) | 15 (+2) |
Skills Perception +3
Damage Vulnerabilities radiant
Damage Resistances necrotic, poison
Condition Immunities charmed, prone
Senses blindsight 30ft., darkvision 60ft., passive Perception 13
Languages understands All but cannot speak
Challenge 2 (450xp)
Water Breathing. The Death Eel can only breathe underwater.
Wakeful. When one of the Death Eel’s heads is asleep, the other is awake.
Life Sense. The Death Eel can sense any living creature within the same body of water as itself. It knows the distance and direction toward these creatures, as well as their approximate species. This ability has a maximum range of one mile within rivers or large lakes.
Actions
Multiattack. The Death Eel makes two Bite attacks.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack. +3 to hit, reach 5ft., single target. Hit: 4 (1d6 + 1) piercing damage plus 4 (1d8) necrotic damage.
Bone Shot. Ranged Spell Attack. +4 to hit, range 30/120., single target in the same body of water. Hit: 14 (4d6) piercing damage.
The Death Eel manipulates a sharpened bone, sending it flying through the water at its target.
Force of Death (Recharge 6). The Death Eel chooses 4 living creatures within 30 feet, and in the same body of water as itself. It compels all bones in the area to fly toward the creatures, dealing 13 (2d12) piercing damage to each target. A target which succeeds on a DC13 Dexterity saving throw takes half damage. The Death Eel cannot use this ability in an area with no bones.
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