Bird-Maiden

Medium fey (shapechanger), Neutral

Armor Class 14 (Natural Armor)

Hit Points 104 (16d8 + 32)

Speed 30 ft., Fly 50 ft.

STR 10 (+0) · DEX 18 (+4) · CON 14 (+2) · INT 14 (+2) · WIS 16 (+3) · CHA 18 (+4)

Saving Throws Dex +6, Cha +6

Skills Arcana +4, Nature +4, Perception +5, Stealth +6

Gear Magical Plumage Cloak (required for flight and transformation)

Senses passive Perception 15

Languages Common, Sylvan

Challenge 4 (1,100 XP)

Traits

Feather Bond. The Bird-Maiden relies on her magical plumage to transform and fly. If her plumage is stolen or destroyed, her Fly speed is reduced to 0, she cannot use her Avian Transformation Bonus Action, and she loses her Spellcasting ability until the plumage is recovered.

Actions

Multiattack. The Bird-Maiden makes two attacks. She can replace one of these attacks with a use of Spellcasting.

Wing Buffet (Melee Attack). +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) Bludgeoning damage. If the target is Medium or smaller, it is automatically pushed 10 feet away.

Plumage Dart (Ranged Attack). +6 to hit, range 60 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) Piercing damage plus 4 (1d8) Force damage, and the target's speed is reduced by 10 feet until the start of the Bird-Maiden's next turn.

Spellcasting. The Bird-Maiden casts one of the following spells, requiring only verbal components, using Charisma as the spellcasting ability (Spell Save DC 14):

At Will: Druidcraft (PHB, p. 266), Mold Earth (XGE, p. 162)

2/Day Each: Charm Person (PHB, p. 249), Fog Cloud (PHB, p. 276)

1/Day Each: Plant Growth (PHB, p. 305), Wind Wall (PHB, p. 341)

Bonus Actions

Avian Transformation. The Bird-Maiden magically transforms into a Small bird or back into her true Medium humanoid form. Her statistics, other than her size, are the same in each form. Any equipment she is wearing or carrying melds into her new form.

Lore

Prince Charles is a young royal who loses his life in a fateful card game and must survive impossible trials with the help of a magical maiden to escape a wicked wizard in the French fairy tale "Barbovert Green Beard".

Somewhere in medieval France, a young prince named Charles lost his way in the forest while out hunting. The whole thing was absurd— the weather was clear and sunny, and nothing hinted at danger. After wandering for hours and growing weary, he stumbled upon a roadside inn and met a mysterious stranger. Spotting the royal crests on Charles’s fine clothes, the stranger offered him wine, a place to rest, and a friendly game of cards.

Luck, however, was nowhere to be found. Hand after hand went against the prince, each one robbing him of any chance to recover. Whenever victory seemed within reach, it slipped away at the last second. Charles lost all his money, then his horse, and finally, caught up in gambling fever, he wagered his own life—and lost that, too.

From The Fairy Tale Compendium · Fern Flower Press