Ripplemaw
Large beast, unaligned
Up where the river still runs sweet, ferrymen trail their tails in the water to feel for rocks. Below the tide line they trail nothing, because of the ripplemaw: a chitin-plated river insect the size of a skiff that feels a spell being shaped the way a trout feels a footstep. It does not hate wizards. It eats motion, and casting is motion.
Armor Class 14 (natural armor)
Hit Points 126 (12d10 + 60)
Speed 30 ft., swim 40 ft.
- STR
- 18 (+4)
- DEX
- 14 (+2)
- CON
- 20 (+5)
- INT
- 2 (-4)
- WIS
- 14 (+2)
- CHA
- 6 (-2)
Skills Stealth +4
Senses tremorsense 30 ft. (only while its tail is submerged), passive Perception 12
Languages —
Challenge 4
Traits
Ripple Detection. While its tail is submerged, the ripplemaw has tremorsense out to 30 feet and advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks to detect creatures in water.
Drowning Lock. A spellcaster grappled by the ripplemaw must succeed on a DC 14 Constitution saving throw at the start of its turn or be unable to cast spells with verbal components until the start of its next turn.
Actions
Multiattack. The ripplemaw makes one bite attack and one claw attack.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) piercing damage.
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) slashing damage, and the target is grappled (escape DC 14).
Drag Under. As a bonus action against a Medium or smaller creature it is grappling, the ripplemaw pulls the target 10 feet deeper into the water.
