Buy me a coffeeAlicanto
This creature appears as a magnificent eagle with golden feathers. It shines with the light of the sun.
Taken from the creature codex
Although they resemble a bird of prey, the resplendent alicantos do not feed on meat. Rather, they eat metals of all kinds, although they prefer softer precious metals such as silver and gold. Thus, miners and treasure hunters have a love-hate relationship with these birds. A humanoid who is canny enough to spot and track an alicanto back to its lair is likely to find a motherload of ore—one that the bird and its kin will defend with blazing light and sharp talons.
Alicantos are far more social than other birds of prey, gathering into sizable flocks to defend their food sources. They are common in deserts and caves, where the forces of nature have exposed precious metal for the alicantos’ access.
These lairs are most commonly found at exposed seams of metal ore, although the birds have typically eaten most of what is available at the surface. The bodies of foolhardy adventurers can be found in these caves—the coins are typically consumed, metal weapons and armor picked at and damaged, but other valuables left untouched. Some alicantos take up posts in urban areas, where they prove pests. A single alicanto can scarf down a hundred coins worth of metal in a single sitting, and an aerie of alicantos can result in widespread economic panic.
Although some claim that alicantos are born from the feathers of a phoenix, they have a mundane reproductive cycle. Alicantos lay two or three eggs at a time, but typically only raise a single chick to maturity per brood—the smaller chicks are killed by their larger sibling. Alicantos can be trained if raised from an egg, and such birds are valuable to treasure seekers. An alicanto egg is worth 250 gp on the open market. An arcane spellcaster of 5th level or higher can take an alicanto as a familiar using the Improved Familiar feat.
Alicanto
Small elemental (earth), unaligned
Armor Class 12
Hit Points 12 (5d4)
Speed 30 ft.
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 (-3) | 14 (+2) | 10 (+0) | 2 (-4) | 11 (+0) | 10 (+0) |
Skills Perception +2, Stealth +4
Damage Vulnerabilities thunder
Damage Immunities poison
Condition Immunities poisoned
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12
Languages –
Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)
SPECIAL TRAITS
- Keen Hearing and Sight. The alicanto has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or sight.
- Metallic Illumination. The alicanto sheds bright light in a 5- to 20-foot radius and dim light for an additional number of feet equal to the chosen radius. The alicanto can alter the radius as a bonus action, including turning off its illumination completely.
- Treasure Sense. The alicanto can pinpoint, by scent, the location of precious metals, such as coins and veins, within 60 feet of it.
ACTIONS
- Talons. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) piercing damage.
- Breath Weapon (Recharge 6). The alicanto has a breath weapon based on the type of metal it has been devouring:
- Copper Breath. The alicanto exhales gas in a 15-foot cone. Each creature in that area must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the creature can’t use reactions, its speed is halved, and it can’t make more than one attack on its turn. In addition, the creature can use either an action or a bonus action on its turn, but not both. These effects last for 1 minute. The creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself with a successful save.
- Silver Breath. The alicanto exhales a 15- foot cone of cold air. Each creature in that area must succeed on a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw, taking 5 (2d4) cold damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. This leaves a silvery residue on the target worth 1d10 sp.
- Gold Breath. The alicanto exhales a 15-foot cone of molten gold. Each creature in that area must make a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw, taking 7 (2d6) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. This leaves golden flakes on the target worth 1d10 gp.
- Light Shadow. As a bonus action, the alicanto can douse its metallic illumination and become invisible, while creating an illusory duplicate of itself, as the mislead spell. That duplicate can continue with any unused movement remaining on the alicanto’s turn. As long as the real alicanto remains stationary, it can concentrate on maintaining this light shadow and directing its movements. When it begins to move on its own, it can no longer continue concentrating.
ABOUT
These small flightless birds live in hills and caves where precious metal and ores can be found. Their feathers bear a brilliant metallic shine in bright light, and even glow in areas of darkness, with their color reflecting the type of ore the alicanto has most recently consumed. When they lay eggs, the shells are typically made of the same metal, and cruel hunters may poach their eggs to sell or melt down. Some alicantos are coppery green, but most commonly their feathers are cool silver or burnished gold. Their feathers are always a glowing, gleaming silvery-white.
Metal Eaters. Alicantos hunger for metals much like a xorn, and clever prospectors who spot an alicanto may follow them through the mountains hoping that the bird’s unerring sense for ore might lead them to a rich deposit. Legend has it that alicantos can sense the intentions of creatures nearby, however, and that if they perceive those following them to be too greedy or not of good heart, they may lead them off a cliff or into an ambush by predators.
Section 15: Copyright Notice
Latin American Monsters (5E) © 2021, Legendary Games; Authors Miguel Colon, Ismael Alvarez, Robert J. Grady, Jason Nelson.
Alicanto CR 1
XP 400
N Small magical beast
Init +1; Senses low-light vision, metal sense, Perception +5
Aura brilliant aura (20 ft., DC 13)
Defense
AC 13, touch 12, flat-footed 12 (+1 size, +1 Dex, +1 natural)
hp 13 (2d10+2)
Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +1
Immune blindness, dazzling; Resist fire 5
Offense
Speed 20 ft., fly 50 ft (good)
Melee 2 claws +3 (1d4), bite +3 (1d4)
Ranged radiant beam +4 (1d6 plus blindness)
Special Attacks metal beak
Statistics
Str 11, Dex 13, Con 12, Int 2, Wis13, Cha 14
Feats Acrobatic
Skills Acrobatics +3, Fly +9, Perception +5
Ecology
Environment any deserts and underground
Organization solitary, pair or aerie (3-12)
Treasure standard (no coins)
Special Abilities
Brilliant Aura (Su) An alicanto radiates an aura of bright light up to 20 ft and dim light in a radius of 40 ft. Any creature within the bright light must succeed a DC 13 Fortitude save or be dazzled as long as it remains in the brilliant aura and for 1d4+1 rounds thereafter. Creatures in the brilliant aura can avert their gaze, as if this were a gaze attack. The save DC is Charisma based. An alicanto can snuff out or resume this aura as a move action.
Metal Beak (Ex) An alicanto ignores the first 10 points of hardness of an object with its bite attack.
Metal Sense (Ex) This functions as the scent special ability, except that an alicanto can only detect metals or creatures carrying or wearing metal. An alicanto can distinguish between different kinds of metal with this ability.
Radiant Beam (Su) As a standard action, an alicanto can focus its brilliant aura to a burning beam. Treat this as a ranged touch attack with a range of 60 feet and no range increment that deals 1d6 points of damage. Undead and creatures that are vulnerable to sunlight take twice the damage. A creature struck by an alicanto’s radiant beam must succeed a DC 13 Fortitude save or be blinded for 1 round. The save DC is Charisma based. An alicanto can only use this ability when its brilliant aura is active.