Pacu Pati

Large fiend (demon, shapechanger), chaotic evil

Armor Class 18 (natural armor)

Hit Points 225 (18d10 + 126)

Speed 40 ft., climb 30 ft.

STR 20 (+5) · DEX 16 (+3) · CON 24 (+7) · INT 18 (+4) · WIS 18 (+4) · CHA 20 (+5)

Saving Throws Dex +9, Con +13, Wis +10, Cha +11

Skills Arcana +10, Deception +11, Insight +10, Perception +10, Stealth +9

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

Damage Immunities poison

Condition Immunities charmed, poisoned

Senses truesight 60 ft., darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 20

Languages Abyssal, Common, Paishachi, telepathy 120 ft.

Challenge 13 (10,000 XP)

Traits

Shapechanger. Pacu Pati can use its action to polymorph into a Tiger (MM), Hyena (use Dire Wolf statistics), Wolf, or Medium humanoid woman, or back into its true form. Its statistics are the same in each form (other than size). Any equipment it is wearing or carrying isn’t transformed. It reverts to its true form if it dies.

Blood-Sight. Pacu Pati knows the location of any creature that doesn’t have all its hit points within 120 feet of it, as well as any creature that is frightened.

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

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

Regeneration. Pacu Pati regains 20 hit points at the start of its turn. If Pacu Pati takes radiant damage or damage from a weapon blessed by a deity or coated in holy oil, this trait doesn’t function at the start of its next turn. Pacu Pati dies only if it starts its turn with 0 hit points and doesn’t regenerate.

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

At will: detect thoughts (PHB, p. 231/262), invisibility (PHB, p. 254/289), minor illusion (PHB, p. 260/298)

3/day each: fear (PHB, p. 239/271), greater invisibility (PHB, p. 246/281), hallucinatory terrain (PHB, p. 249/283), vampiric touch (PHB, p. 285/337)

1/day each: dominate person (PHB, p. 235/266), dream (PHB, p. 236/266), plane shift (self only; PHB, p. 266/305)

Actions

Multiattack. Pacu Pati makes three attacks: two with its Claws and one with its Bite.

Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d8 + 5) slashing damage.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 16 (2d10 + 5) piercing damage plus 18 (4d8) necrotic damage. Pacu Pati regains hit points equal to the necrotic damage dealt.

Possession (Recharge 5–6). One humanoid Pacu Pati can see within 30 feet must succeed on a DC 19 Charisma saving throw or be possessed; Pacu Pati disappears, and the target is incapacitated and gains one level of exhaustion as its mind is wracked by horrific visions. Pacu Pati controls the body but doesn’t deprive the target of awareness. While possessed, the target’s type changes to fiend, and Pacu Pati can’t be targeted by any attack or effect except radiant damage. The possession lasts until the body drops to 0 hit points, Pacu Pati ends it as a bonus action, the target is exposed to holy fire (sacred flame, flame strike, or similar), or the target succeeds on a DC 19 Wisdom (Insight) check made at the end of each of its turns. When the possession ends, Pacu Pati reappears in an adjacent space with 3d6 psychic damage.

Reactions

Unnerving Glare. When a creature Pacu Pati can see within 60 feet targets it with an attack, Pacu Pati imposes disadvantage on the attack roll unless the attacker succeeds on a DC 19 Wisdom saving throw. A creature that succeeds is immune to this effect for 24 hours.

Legendary Actions

Pacu Pati 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. Pacu Pati regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.

Move. Pacu Pati moves up to its speed without provoking opportunity attacks.

Claw Attack. Pacu Pati makes one Claw attack.

Invisibility (Costs 2 Actions). Pacu Pati magically turns invisible until it attacks, casts a spell, or uses Possession, or until its concentration ends (as if concentrating on a spell).

Lore

A powerful lord of ghouls and revenants who haunts cemeteries and execution grounds.

In Indian demonology Pacu Pati occupies a central place as the commander of the vampire-like revenant race known as the pishachas (pishacha is a term from Indian mythology that means a malicious spirit or demon—the restless soul of the dead that feeds on flesh and blood, something akin to a ghoul). The very name “Pacu Pati,” drawn from Tamil and Sanskrit roots, literally translates as “lord of the herd” or “master of human cattle.” In its demonic sense the meaning is flipped: people are treated as livestock for slaughter and consumption. In certain older legends Pacu Pati can be found under the name Mmbju, signifying Death and the supreme ruler of the creatures of night, who stands above the entire hierarchy of evil spirits.

Pacu Pati’s racial identity is tied directly to the pishachas—necrophagous demons whose name goes back to the Sanskrit root “pish,” “to eat raw meat.” In the Vedic system they are viewed as the most hostile of all unclean beings. Pacu Pati appears not as a lone monster but as the apex of a racial pyramid that commands an entire community of such creatures.

From Vampire Bestiary 5E, p. 80 · Fern Flower Press