Adze

Small Fiend (Shapechanger), Chaotic Evil

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Armor Class 13 (natural armor)
Hit Points 58 (9d6 + 27)
Speed 30 ft., fly 40 ft. (in insect form)

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
8 (-1)	16 (+3)	16 (+3)	14 (+2)	15 (+2)	18 (+4)

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Saving Throws Dex +5, Cha +6
Skills Deception +8, Stealth +7, Perception +4, Insight +4
Damage Resistances Cold, Necrotic; Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from Nonmagical Attacks
Damage Immunities Poison
Condition Immunities Poisoned
Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 14
Languages Common, Abyssal, Infernal
Challenge 6 (2,300 XP)

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Shapechanger.

The Adze can use its action to polymorph into a Tiny insect (usually a firefly or mosquito), or back into its humanoid form. While in insect form, its Strength becomes 1, its Dexterity increases to 20, and it gains a fly speed of 40 feet. It can remain in this form for up to 1 hour or until it reverts as a bonus action. While in insect form, it cannot speak or cast spells. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying is not transformed.

Innate Spellcasting.

The Adze’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 16). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:

• At will: Darkness, Invisibility, Charm Person
• 3/day: Bestow Curse, Hold Person
• 1/day: Mass Suggestion

Blood Drain (Insect Form).

When the Adze is in its insect form and attached to a creature, it can drain blood. A creature grappled by the Adze takes 5 (1d6 + 2) necrotic damage at the start of each of the Adze’s turns, and the Adze regains hit points equal to the necrotic damage dealt. This damage cannot reduce the target’s hit points below 0.

Possession (Recharge 5–6).

The Adze targets one Humanoid it can see within 5 feet of it. The target must succeed on a DC 16 Charisma saving throw or be possessed by the Adze; the Adze then vanishes, and the target is incapacitated and under the Adze’s control. The Adze retains its alignment, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma. It can use its action to control the body but can’t cast its innate spells while possessing the body. The possession lasts until the body drops to 0 hit points, the Adze ends it as a bonus action, or the Adze is forced out by a Remove Curse, Greater Restoration, or similar magic. When the possession ends, the Adze reappears in an unoccupied space within 5 feet of the body.

Feeding Frenzy (Frenzy State).

If the Adze goes 24 hours without blood, coconut milk, or palm oil, it must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or enter a frenzy. While frenzied, it gains advantage on all attack rolls but suffers disadvantage on Intelligence and Wisdom saving throws. The frenzy ends after the Adze feeds on blood or coconut milk.

Magic Resistance.

The Adze has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

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Actions

Multiattack.
The Adze makes two Claw attacks.

• Claw (Humanoid Form). Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (2d6 + 3) slashing damage.
• Blood Drain (Insect Form). Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 0 ft., one creature. Hit: The Adze attaches to the target and begins draining its blood (see Blood Drain above).

Attach (Insect Form).
If the Adze is in insect form, it can use its action to attach itself to a sleeping or incapacitated target. The target must succeed on a DC 14 Wisdom (Perception) check or remain unaware of the Adze’s presence. While attached, the Adze automatically hits with its Blood Drain attack.

Legendary Actions

The Adze can take 2 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action can be used at a time, and only at the end of another creature’s turn. The Adze regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.

• Invisibility (Costs 1 Action).
  The Adze magically turns invisible until it attacks or until its concentration ends (as if concentrating on a spell).
• Drain Life (Costs 2 Actions).
  The Adze targets a creature within 10 feet that has lost hit points from its Blood Drain ability. The creature must make a DC 16 Constitution saving throw, taking 10 (3d6) necrotic damage on a failed save or half as much on a success.
• Flicker (Costs 2 Actions).
  The Adze shifts briefly between its humanoid and insect forms, allowing it to move up to 30 feet without provoking opportunity attacks.

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Tactics

The Adze prefers to strike from the shadows, waiting until nightfall to approach sleeping or incapacitated victims. It will often use Invisibility or Shapechanger to infiltrate villages in insect form, attaching itself to targets to drain their blood over time. When threatened, the Adze will use Possession to control a nearby villager or use Invisibility to escape. If enraged or in a feeding frenzy, it becomes far more aggressive, attacking any nearby creatures with its Claw attacks or frantically draining blood to regain hit points.

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Description

The Adze is a vampiric spirit, known in folklore to possess and turn its victims into witches. It thrives in secluded villages, where it can feed unnoticed, leaving behind a wake of blood-drained corpses and suspicion. Shape-shifting into an insect allows it to approach unnoticed, and its supernatural hunger drives it to consume both the blood of the living and magical life forces, sustaining its dark existence.

Adze

“Who is that horrible looking blackened midget outside the village? Is he one of your men?” “No. And we do not speak of him. If you have seen him it would be wise you do not speak of him either or he will come for you.”

Originally Posted by Bhu of the Giant in the Playground Forums.

On this Thread

The Adze is a small jet-black malformed humanoid, often with a hunched back and skin that seems ill fitting. It often possesses men or other creatures in it’s search for food, or attacks them to drain their blood. So long as it has it’s fill of coconut milk, fruit juice, and palm oil (and occasionally some blood from the local children) all is well. But in times of famine, it begins to take a turn and possesses the local villagers making them into witches, and hunting down children or sleeping adults for blood.

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Adze
Small outsider (Native, Evil)
Hit Dice	5d8+10 (32 hp)
Initiative	+6 (+9 as fly)
Speed	30 ft. (6 Squares)
Armor Class	13 (+1 Size, +2 Dexterity), touch 13, flat-footed 11
Armor Class as Fly	23 (+8 Size, +5 Dexterity), touch 23, flat-footed 18
Base Attack/Grapple	+5/+0 (-4 as Fly)
Attack	By weapon +7 melee
Attack as Fly	Touch +18 melee (attach)
Full Attack	By weapon +7/+2 melee
Full Attack as Fly	Touch +18 melee (attach)
Space/Reach	5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks	Alternate Forms, Possession, Disease, Feeding Frenzy, Attach, Blood Drain
Special Qualities	The Blood is the Life, Dark Vision 60′, Immunities
Saves	Fort +6, Ref +6 (+9 as Fly), Will +7
Abilities	Strength 8, Dexterity 14 (20 as Fly), Constitution 14, Intelligence 16, Wisdom 16, Charisma 18
Skills	Bluff +11, Concentration +9, Hide +10 (+20 as Fly), Intimidate +12, Knowledge (Arcana, Nature) +10, Listen +11, Move Silently +10 (+13 as Fly), Spellcraft +10, Spot +10, Survival +10, Use Magic Device +11
Feats	Improved Initiative, Weapon Finesse
Environment	Warm Plains, Marsh or Hills
Organization	Unique
Challenge Rating	6
Treasure	Standard
Alignment	Always Chaotic Evil
Advancement	By Character Class (usually sorcerer)
Level Adjustment	+8

Combat

Adze prefer to attack sleeping victims and drink their blood as they are as vulnerable as any other humanoid. if angered or starving, it will possess people to make them Witches and wreak havoc.

Alternate Forms (Su): At will as a Swift Action the Adze can assume the form of a firefly or any biting insect of Size Class Fine. It’s abilities are unchanged except as follows: It’s Strength becomes drops to -, it’s Dexterity increases to 20, and it gains a Fly Speed of 40 (Good). The legends kinda argue about whether the bug or humanoid form is the real one, so I went with humanoid for now.

Possession (Su): This is identical to the Malevolence Ability listed on page 118 of the MM. It may only be used to possess Humanoids or vermin. Humanoids that this ability is used upon must make a DC 16 Willpower Save (Save DC is Charisma Based) or gain the Witch Template once the Adze is expelled (see below).

Disease (Ex): While in the shape of an insect the Adzes bite transfers many deadly diseases (usually Malaria). When using it’s Alternate Form ability and biting the Adze may choose to inflict a disease on it’s opponent. Choose any disease from the DMG or other source that can be inflicted by Injury, and it’s opponent must make a DC 16 Fortitude Save to avoid being infected (Save DC is Constitution based with a +2 Racial Modifier).

Feeding Frenzy (Ex): Every day an Adze goes without sufficient food it must make a DC 20 Willpower Save, or go into frenzy. The Save DC gains a cumulative +1 each day the Adze goes without enough food. If it fails the Save DC, it is subject to Rage (as per the Barbarian ability) for the entire day, and will consume anything it can, even attacking people. So long as it’s well fed this is not a risk.

Attach (Ex): While using it’s Alternate Form ability the Adze can make a Touch Attach to attach itself to an opponent. An attached Adze is effectively Grappling it’s prey and loses it’s Dexterity Bonus to AC (AC 18), but it gains a +12 Racial Bonus to Grappling Checks in Fly form. An attached Adze can be struck with a weapon to dislodge it, or an opponent can successfully Pin it in a Grapple. The touch of the Adze is fairly light, and it’s bite is difficult for people to feel. Anyone an Adze attaches to gets a Spot or Listen check vs its Hide or Move Silently Check. If they fail, they do not realize something is wrong until they have taken 1d3 Strength damage. Sleeping opponents automatically fail this check, but can still notice a problem after 1d3 points of Strength have been lost.

Blood Drain (Ex): While using it’s Alternate Form ability, and attached to an opponent, the Adze can drain 1 point of Constitution per round it remains attached to an opponent.

The Blood is the Life (Su): The Adze is empowered by blood and can become phenomenally powerful if it gains enough of it. For 24 hours after it drinks blood an Adze gains a Profane Bonus to AC equal to double the Constitution it drained successfully.

Immunities: Adze are immune to poison and disease.

Adze Witch

Witch is an Acquired Template that can be added to any Humanoid that has undergone the proper magical rituals or been possessed by an Adze.

• Size and Type: Unchanged.
• Hit Dice: Unchanged.
• Speed: Gains Fly Speed equal to twice Land Speed with Good Maneuverability.
• Armor Class: Unchanged.
• Attacks: Unchanged.
• Damage: Unchanged.
• Special Attacks: A Witch keeps all Special Attacks of the Base Creature and gains the following:
• Spell-Like Abilities (Sp): Witches may cast the following as Spell-Like Abilities: blindness/deafness, curse of ill fortune, curse water, death knell, desecrate, Doom, Hold Person at will. bestow curse, Contagion, diminish plants, Unholy Storm
• 3/day. Blight, feeblemind, Mass Curse of Ill Fortune, nightmare, unhallow 1/day.
• Capture Spirits (Su): Once per day as a Supernatural Ability the Witch can cast Magic Jar, except that it can only be used against Spirits (see Complete Divine), and instead of possessing the body you instead imprison the spirit in the Magic Jar.
• Blood Drain (Ex): With a successful touch attack while in incorporeal form the Witch can Drain 1d3 Constitution.
• Special Qualities: The Witch retains all Special Qualities of the base Creature, plus gains the following:
• Animal Forms (Su): At will you may Polymorph (as per the Spell) into any animal that is Size Class Small or smaller.
• Unleash Soul (Su): Once per day once the sun goes down, the witch may go to sleep and unleash her soul to attack the living. Effectively she gains the Ghost Template until the sun comes up (at which point she immediately returns to her body). She may teleport back to her body regardless of the distance she is from it as a Swift Action. Her type does not turn to undead, and she gains no Special Attacks/Qualities or Ability increases from the Ghost Template except Manifestation. She does however gain the Blood Drain attack while incorporeal.
• Unwilling to Die (Su): To truly kill a Witch one must cut out her tongue, nail it to her chin before beheading her, and then burning the body while staking the head and leaving it for the wild animals to feed on. If this is not done properly she gains the full abilities of the Ghost Template along with keeping her abilities from the Witch template, and her soul wonders from her grave at night to attack the living, teleporting back to it at sunrise.
• Saves: Unchanged.
• Abilities: +4 Wisdom, +4 Charisma
• Skills: Unchanged.
• Feats: Unchanged.
• Environment: Unchanged.
• Organization: Unchanged, but usually Solitary or Group (3-6).
• Challenge Rating: +4
• Treasure: Unchanged.
• Alignment: Always Chaotic Evil.
• Advancement: by Character Class (usually sorcerer or Warlock).
• Level Adjustment: +8

Example of creature using template here:

Ameyo 2nd level Commoner/Witch Template
Medium Humanoid
Hit Dice	2d8 (9 hp)
Initiative	+1
Speed	30 ft. (6 squares), Fly 60 ft. (Good)
Armor Class	11 (+1 Dexterity), touch 11, flat-footed 10
Base Attack/Grapple	+1/+0
Attack	By Weapon +0
Full Attack	By Weapon +0
Space/Reach	5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks	Spell-Like Abilities, Capture Spirits, Blood Drain
Special Qualities	Animal Forms, Unleash Soul, Unwilling to Die
Saves	Fort +0, Ref +1, Will +4
Abilities	Strength 8, Dexterity 12, Constitution 10, Intelligence 13, Wisdom 18, Charisma 19
Skills	Craft (any one) +4, Listen +8, Profession (Farmer) +7, Spot +8
Feats	Endurance
Environment	Any
Organization	Solitary
Challenge Rating	5
Treasure	Standard
Alignment	Always Chaotic Evil
Advancement	By Character Class
Level Adjustment	+8

Ameyo has recently been possessed by an Adze and has been banished from her village for being a witch. At first she believed this was unfair and cursed them for abandoning her, but as her powers began to show she understood. She also found a village of other Witches banished from their tribes that has banded together for Survival. Together the plot revenge on their families.