Caym

Large fiend (shapechanger), lawful evil

Armor Class 19 (natural armor)

Hit Points 207 (18d10 + 108)

Speed 40 ft., fly 60 ft. (hover)

STR 22 (+6) · DEX 16 (+3) · CON 22 (+6) · INT 18 (+4) · WIS 16 (+3) · CHA 19 (+4)

Saving Throws Str +11, Dex +8, Con +11, Int +9, Wis +8, Cha +9

Skills Arcana +9, Deception +14, Insight +10, Perception +13, Persuasion +14

Damage Resistances cold; lightning; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks

Damage Immunities fire, poison

Condition Immunities poisoned

Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 23

Languages all, telepathy 120 ft.; understands the speech of beasts

Challenge 16 (15,000 XP)

Traits

Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If Caym fails a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead.

Magic Resistance. Caym has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Magic Weapons. Caym’s weapon attacks are magical.

Shapechanger. As a bonus action, Caym can polymorph into a Tiny blackbird (AC 19, fly 60 ft.; he can’t make weapon attacks in this form) or back into his true form. His statistics, other than size and speed, are unchanged.

Aura of Coals. Fiery cinders swirl in a 10-foot radius around Caym. A creature that enters the aura for the first time on a turn or starts its turn there takes 10 (3d6) fire damage. Caym can suppress or reactivate the aura (no action required).

Command of Beasts. Beasts within 120 feet of Caym can understand his speech. As a bonus action, he targets up to three beasts he can see within that range. Each must succeed on a DC 19 Wisdom saving throw or be charmed by him for 1 minute (as dominate beast, save ends at the end of each of the creature’s turns).

Foresight. Caym can’t be surprised and has advantage on initiative rolls.

Innate Spellcasting. Caym’s spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 19, +11 to hit with spell attacks). He can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:

At will: detect magic (PHB. p. 231/262), minor illusion (PHB. p. 260/298), speak with animals (PHB. p. 277/318), tongues (PHB. p. 283/334)

3/day each: confusion (PHB. p. 224/253), divination (PHB. p. 234/264), dominate beast (PHB. p. 234/265), wall of fire (PHB. p. 285/338)

1/day each: foresight (PHB. p. 244/276)

Actions

Multiattack. Caym makes three Saber attacks, or two Saber attacks and one Smoke Words attack.

Saber. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 15 (2d8 + 6) slashing damage plus 9 (2d8) fire damage.

Smoke Words. Ranged Spell Attack: +11 to hit, range 60 ft., one creature. Hit: 27 (6d8) psychic damage, and the target must succeed on a DC 19 Wisdom saving throw or become confused (as the confusion spell) until the end of its next turn.

Smoke Veil (Recharge 5–6). Thick, unnatural smoke billows from Caym, creating a 30-foot-radius sphere centered on him that is heavily obscured for 1 minute or until a strong wind disperses it. While within the smoke, Caym is invisible. He can see through the smoke as though it were clear.

Reactions

Parry. Caym adds 4 to his AC against one melee attack that would hit him. To do so, Caym must see the attacker and be wielding his saber.

Legendary Actions

Caym can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn. Caym regains spent legendary actions at the start of his turn.

Attack. Caym makes one Saber attack.

Ashen Step (Costs 2 Actions). Caym teleports up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space he can see, leaving a swirl of hot ash behind. Each creature he leaves within 5 feet of him must succeed on a DC 19 Dexterity saving throw or take 9 (2d8) fire damage.

Word of Unraveling (Costs 3 Actions). Caym utters a sentence of annihilating logic at one creature he can see within 60 feet. The target must make a DC 19 Intelligence saving throw, taking 27 (6d8) psychic damage on a failed save and becoming stunned until the end of its next turn, or half damage on a successful save and not stunned.

Lore

A blackbird that becomes a swordsman who converses with all animals and can turn nature against foes.

Caym, or Camio, calls for deep linguistic and historical analysis that goes far beyond simply listing grimoires. The most persuasive theory connects him with the biblical Cain, the first fratricide, turning a historical sinner into an eternal demonic archetype.

On the other hand, the name Caim is still found in Wales as a male given name meaning “defender” (amddiffynydd). This feeds the hypothesis that the figure of Caym emerged from a protective spirit or Celtic deity, rebranded as a demon when the old gods were recast by Christian apologetics.

From Demonic Bestiary 5E, p. 38 · Fern Flower Press