Ghillie Dubh
Medium Celestial, lawful good
This bipedal creature seems to be a humanoid-shaped mound of leaves and moss given life. Dark pits in its head resemble empty eye sockets._
Protectors of the Lost. Ghillie dubhs hail from good-aligned arboreal planes. There, they guide visitors through the sometimes-confounding landscape. They often rescue those who incidentally succumb to the peaceful nature of planar woodlands and might otherwise perish. However, they find their services more useful on the Material Plane where nature is generally more unforgiving. Their desire to help mortals leads them to more extreme climates, with a strong preference for colder weather. Ghillie dubhs find lost travelers and guide these unfortunates to safe places. If a traveler impresses a ghillie dubh with knowledge or a desire for knowledge about the forest, the ghillie dubh gifts the traveler with some of its knowledge.
Punishment of Transgression. Likewise, a ghillie dubh expects visitors to the area it oversees to be respectful of the land. Ghillie dubhs lecture mild violators and briefly use nature to inconvenience them, such as by covering paths or removing tracks. More heinous acts—like wantonly slaughtering animals or setting trees ablaze—are met with physical retaliation.
Part of the Forest. Ghillie dubhs take on characteristics of the forests they call home to blend in seamlessly with the trees and other plants. They can listen to subtle variations in the trees’ movements to receive early warning about attacks, and they can turn their attention to any part of the forest to ensure no harm is coming to an area.
Armor Class 13 (natural armor)
Hit Points 52 (8d8+16)
Speed 30 ft., climb 20 ft., swim 20 ft.
- STR
- 15 (+2)
- DEX
- 13 (+1)
- CON
- 14 (+2)
- INT
- 12 (+1)
- WIS
- 19 (+4)
- CHA
- 16 (+3)
Saving Throws Cha +5, Wis +6
Skills Nature +3, Stealth +3, Survival +8, Perception +6
Damage Resistances cold, radiant
Damage Immunities poison
Condition Immunities poisoned
Senses passive Perception 16
Languages Celestial, Common, Sylvan, telepathy 60 ft.
Challenge 1
Traits
Forest Camouflage. The ghillie dubh has advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made to hide in forest terrain.
One with the Trees. If the ghillie dubh has spent at least 24 hours in a forest, it has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks while in that forest. In addition, it can spend 10 minutes focusing its attention on the forest and an invisible, sapling-shaped sensor anywhere in its forest within 1 mile of it. It can see and hear everything within 60 feet of this sensor, but it is deaf and blind with regard to its own senses while doing so. The sensor lasts for 1 minute or until the ghillie dubh dismisses it (no action required).
Speak with Beasts and Plants. The ghillie dubh can communicate with beasts and plants as if they shared a language.
Actions
Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (2d6 + 2) bludgeoning damage.
Forest Knowledge (Recharge 6). The ghillie dubh can alter nearby creatures' knowledge of the forest, choosing one of the following. An effect lasts for 24 hours, until the creature leaves the ghillie dubh's forest, or until the ghillie dubh dismisses it as a bonus action. * Remove Knowledge. Each creature within 30 feet of the ghillie dubh must succeed on a DC 13 Charisma saving throw or become hopelessly lost in the ghillie dubh's forest. The creature has disadvantage on Wisdom (Survival) checks and takes 50 percent more time on overland travel, even delaying clearheaded companions. * Share Knowledge. Each creature within 30 feet of the ghillie dubh has advantage on Wisdom (Survival) checks. The creature can move at a fast pace through forest terrain, and difficult terrain composed of nonmagical plants doesn't cost it extra movement.
