Gapsan Goe 갑산괴

Medium monstrosity, chaotic evil

Armor Class 18 (natural armor; supernatural speed)

Hit Points 168 (16d10 + 80)

Speed 50 ft., climb 40 ft.

STR 18 (+4) · DEX 22 (+6) · CON 20 (+5) · INT 12 (+1) · WIS 14 (+2) · CHA 16 (+3)

Saving Throws Dex +10, Con +9, Wis +6

Skills Acrobatics +10, Perception +6, Stealth +10, Survival +6

Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from non-magical attacks

Damage Immunities fire

Condition Immunities charmed, frightened

Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 16

Languages Common, Infernal

Challenge 11 (7,200 XP)

Traits

Blinding Eclipse. While in dim light or darkness, Gapsan Goe can take the Hide action as a bonus action.

Evasion. If Gapsan Goe is subjected to an effect that allows it to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, it instead takes no damage on a success and half damage on a failure.

Noise Aversion. If Gapsan Goe starts its turn within 30 feet of at least three creatures that are each using their action to produce loud, rhythmic noise (yelling, beating drums, etc.), it must succeed on a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened until the start of its next turn. While frightened in this way, the creature must move away from the source of the noise and can’t take reactions.

Supernatural Speed. Gapsan Goe can Dash or Disengage as a bonus action on each of its turns, and opportunity attacks against it are made with disadvantage.

Flaming Orb. A sphere of fire hovers in the monster’s right hand. The orb sheds bright light in a 20-foot radius and dim light for an additional 20 feet. It can’t be disarmed, and if it is ever out of Gapsan Goe’s hand, it reformulates there at the start of the monster’s next turn.

Deflect Missiles. When Gapsan Goe is hit by a ranged weapon attack, it can use its reaction to reduce the damage by 1d10 + 10. If the damage is reduced to 0, it catches the missile, and can immediately make a ranged attack (+10 to hit, 1d8 + 4 damage) with it as part of the same reaction.

Actions

Multiattack. Gapsan Goe makes three attacks, only one of which can be a Bite.

Longbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, range 150/600 ft., one target. Hit: 17 (2d8 + 2d6 + 6) piercing and fire damage. The attack ignores half and three-quarters cover.

Fire Orb. Ranged Spell Attack: +8 to hit, range 60 ft., one target. Hit: 21 (6d6) fire damage, and the target must succeed on a DC 17 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.

Saw-Toothed Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 17 (3d6 + 4) slashing damage, and the target is grappled (escape DC 17) if it is Large or smaller. Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained, and Gapsan Goe can’t bite another target.

Decapitating Strike. If Gapsan Goe makes a Bite attack against a creature it is currently grappling and hits, the attack instead deals 34 (6d6 + 13) slashing damage. If this damage reduces the target to 0 hit points, the creature’s head is severed and it dies.

Bonus Actions

Blur of Motion. Gapsan Goe takes the Dash or Disengage action.

Lore

A monster that descends from the mountains during a solar eclipse. It has saw-sharp teeth, a bow in its left

The creature takes its name from the place where it first appeared—the city of Gapsan (甲山). In old tales it’s also called Geochinyeo (거치녀), which literally means “the Woman with Saw-Teeth.”

The earliest written record dates back to the 16th century. At that time many citizens of Gapsan swore they saw the beast descend from the mountains during a solar eclipse, and the sight threw the whole city into panic. Scholar Heo Bong left us the most detailed description. According to him, Gapsan Goe is roughly the size of a large adult human—maybe a bit bigger. Its teeth are “huge and saw-like,” its head a wild tangle of long, matted hair. Several women reported its enormous eyes and a chilling, predatory stare. The creature’s left hand clutched a bow and arrows, while its right hand held a floating ball of fire that it could hurl at will. Heo Bong believed the symbolism was obvious: the bow and arrows stand for open warfare and conflict, while fire represents the total destruction that war drags in its wake. In his notes Heo Bong concluded that Gapsan Goe came to embody unavoidable catastrophe; once the creature was seen, the disasters that followed felt both “understandable” and “foretold.”

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