Adaro

Medium monstrosity, chaotic evil

Armor Class 15 (natural armor)

Hit Points 75 (10d8 + 20)

Speed 30 ft., swim 60 ft.

STR 16 (+3) · DEX 17 (+3) · CON 15 (+2) · INT 10 (+0) · WIS 13 (+1) · CHA 10 (+0)

Saving Throws Dex +5, Con +4

Skills Athletics +5, Perception +4, Stealth +5

Damage Resistances poison

Condition Immunities poisoned

Senses blindsight 30 ft., darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14

Languages Aquan, Common

Challenge 4 (1,100 XP)

Traits

Amphibious. The adaro can breathe air and water.

Keen Smell. The adaro has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell.

Water Camouflage. The adaro has advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made while it is at least partially submerged in water.

Waterspout Rider. While in water, the adaro can Dash or use its Waterspout Leap bonus action without provoking opportunity attacks caused by that movement.

Spirit-Bound. The adaro’s existence is partly spiritual. A humanoid spellcaster who knows the proper rites and possesses a personal item once owned by the adaro’s original mortal self can spend 10 minutes performing a binding ritual while the adaro is within 60 feet and can see or hear the caster. At the end of the ritual the adaro must succeed on a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw or be charmed by the caster for 1 hour. While charmed in this way, the adaro follows the caster’s verbal commands and counts as the caster’s familiar for the duration (though it retains its own hit points and statistics). The adaro can repeat the saving throw whenever it takes damage, ending the effect on a success. Once it succeeds on this save, it is immune to any further Spirit-Bound attempts for 24 hours.

Actions

Multiattack. The adaro makes two attacks: one with its Bite and one with its Venomous Flying Fish.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 12 (2d8 + 3) piercing damage.

Venomous Flying Fish. Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, range 30/120 ft., one creature. Hit: 13 (1d6 + 3 piercing plus 2d6 poison) damage, and the target must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or become poisoned for 1 minute. While poisoned this way, the target takes 7 (2d6) poison damage at the start of each of its turns. The target can repeat the save at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.

Bonus Actions

Waterspout Leap (Recharge 4–6). While in water, the adaro creates a spiraling column that propels it up to its swim speed in a straight line, then up to 20 feet vertically and 20 feet horizontally onto land or into the air. If it lands within 5 feet of a creature, it can immediately make one Bite attack against that creature.

Reactions

Sudden Plunge. When a ranged attack targets the adaro and it is within 5 feet of water, the adaro can dive beneath the surface, imposing disadvantage on the attack roll.

Lore

The malevolent half of a person’s soul; it often takes the form of sea creatures such as sharks and becomes a conscious, vengeful monster.

The word adaro comes from the Arosi language and can mean “corpse,” “ghost,” “soul,” or “spirit.” Its existence is inseparable from the Makira people’s belief in the dual nature of the human soul, which holds that every person possesses two kinds of spirits:

Aunga: The positive, benevolent part of the spirit that, after death, successfully leaves the world of the living and journeys to the realm of the ancestors.

From Oceanian Bestiary 5E, p. 12 · Fern Flower Press