Menehune

Small humanoid (fey), neutral good

Armor Class 15 (natural armor)

Hit Points 38 (7d6 + 14)

Speed 25 ft., climb 15 ft.

STR 14 (+2) · DEX 16 (+3) · CON 14 (+2) · INT 12 (+1) · WIS 13 (+1) · CHA 10 (+0)

Saving Throws Dex +5, Con +4

Skills Athletics +4, Perception +3, Sleight Of Hand +5, Stealth +7

Senses darkvision 90 ft., passive Perception 13

Languages Common, Hawaiian; understands Sylvan

Challenge 1 (200 XP)

Traits

Industrious Strength. The menehune counts as one size larger when determining its carrying capacity and the weight it can push, drag, or lift.

Night Builder. While in dim light or darkness, the menehune has advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks and can take the Hide action as a bonus action.

Stone Camouflage. The menehune has advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made to hide in rocky terrain or among masonry.

Keen Sight. The menehune has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight.

Master Artisan. The menehune carries a tiny satchel of chisels, pegs, and cord. With artisan’s tools it has advantage on ability checks to build simple structures or improvise traps.

Actions

Multiattack. The menehune makes two Stone Sling or Throwing Stone attacks, or one of each.

Stone Sling (Ranged Weapon Attack). +5 to hit, range 40/160 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d6 + 3) bludgeoning damage. If the target is surprised, the attack deals an extra 3 (1d6) bludgeoning damage.

Throwing Stone (Ranged Weapon Attack). +5 to hit, range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d8 + 3) bludgeoning damage.

Banana-Fiber Club (Melee Weapon Attack). +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 2) bludgeoning damage.

Set Rockfall (Recharge 5–6). The menehune triggers or topples a prepared pile of stones within 30 feet. Each creature in a 10-foot-radius area beneath the stones must make a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw, taking 10 (3d6) bludgeoning damage and being knocked prone on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. The stones create difficult terrain until cleared.

Bonus Actions

Nimble Dash. The menehune moves up to half its speed without provoking opportunity attacks. It must end this movement in lightly or heavily obscured terrain.

Reactions

Quick Duck. When a ranged attack targets the menehune and it can see the attacker, it adds +2 to its AC against that attack.

Lore

Menehune are a race of mythical dwarfs known for their legendary ability to build large-scale, intricate engineering works—ponds, aqueducts, and the like—in a single night.

Menehune are a race of mythical dwarfs, also known as “The Night Architects” because of their legendary ability to build large-scale, intricate engineering works—ponds, aqueducts, and the like—in a single night.

In the legends, Menehune are described as gnomes standing anywhere from six inches (15 cm) to three feet (90 cm) tall who lived in Hawaiʻi before the arrival of the Polynesian settlers. They are credited with supernatural strength and master-level construction skills. Some tales call them spirits; others say they are descendants of Mu, an ancient people who, according to myth, once populated the Pacific. Physically, they are portrayed as stocky and extraordinarily muscular, able to perform heavy labor and move stones of enormous size. Their anatomy is perfectly tuned for survival in dense forests: their small stature allows them to stay hidden and slip quickly, silently through jungle thickets and lava tubes. Another anatomical hallmark is their large eyes, which give them exceptional night vision—crucial for their strictly nocturnal lifestyle and their habit of avoiding humans. They also use low, humming voices to coordinate their work in the dark. Menehune are shy keepers of old crafts rather than monsters: they inspire awe as ingenious, hardworking artisans, though they are also mischievous and quite capable of pranks or revenge.

From Oceanian Bestiary 5E, p. 50 · Fern Flower Press