The Argopelter is a mysterious and dangerous cryptid from North American lumberjack folklore, often described as an ape-like creature with a wiry, elongated body. It is known for its long, powerful arms, which resemble whips in their ability to reach and snap off branches from trees. These arms are key to the creature’s modus operandi, as it uses them to throw branches and debris with great accuracy, typically targeting unwary humans passing beneath its tree lair.
Appearance: The Argopelter has a slender, wiry frame, with an ape-like face, which gives it a sinister and villainous appearance. Its long, muscular arms are disproportionately large, allowing it to swing effortlessly from tree to tree. Its agility and speed in the forest are impressive, as it is able to move quietly and swiftly, often without being noticed until it strikes.
Behavior: This creature is known to be highly territorial and aggressive. It resents human intrusion in its domain and reacts by attacking those who venture too close. Its attacks are primarily aimed at loggers or forest workers, whom it targets by hurling heavy, dead branches from the safety of the trees. While it rarely kills its victim’s, the limbs it throws can cause severe injury
It is also described as a solitary creature, avoiding human contact except when provoked
Habitat: They are typically found in dense, remote forests, particularly in areas that are rich in trees with hollowed-out trunks. These hollow trees provide the Argopelter with the perfect vantage point to ambush its prey. The creature chooses trees with dead branches as its home, ensuring it always has ammunition to use in its attacks.
Modus Operandi: The Argopelter’s primary method of attack involves waiting quietly in the hollow trunk of a tree, often blending into its environment. Once it spots a target below, it picks up a dead branch and hurls it at the intruder with deadly precision. Its aim is so accurate that even seasoned loggers have been struck down without warning. A survivor of one such attack, Ole Kittleson, described how he was knocked down by a rotted limb, giving him a brief moment to observe the creature before it disappeared into the forest.
Motivation: The Argopelter’s aggressive actions seem motivated by a deep-seated resentment of human intrusion. It is often considered a guardian of the forest, protecting its domain from loggers who disturb the natural world. The creature is also thought to be territorial, attacking anyone who dares to pass near its home, especially around frequent forest paths.
Though sightings of the Argopelter are rare and largely anecdotal, it remains a fascinating part of lumberjack lore and one of the many mysterious creatures in the folklore of the northern forests.
Armor Class: 15 (Natural Armor) Hit Points: 136 (16d8 + 64) Speed: 40 ft., climb 40 ft.
STR
DEX
CON
INT
WIS
CHA
18 (+4)
16 (+3)
18 (+4)
8 (-1)
13 (+1)
6 (-2)
Saving Throws: Dex +7, Wis +4 Skills: Stealth +7, Perception +4, Athletics +8 Senses: Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 14 Languages: Understands Common, but does not speak Challenge: 7 (2,900 XP) Proficiency Bonus: +3
Traits
Tree Camouflage. It has advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made to hide in forested terrain.
Keen Hearing and Smell. It has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or smell.
Ambush Predator. On the first round of combat, the Argopelter has advantage on attack rolls against any creature that has not yet taken a turn.
Silent Stalker. When the Argopelter moves, it does so without making a sound. It has advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made to avoid detection by creatures that rely on hearing.
Actions
Multiattack. It makes three attacks: two with its Branch Toss and one with Rending Claws if within range
Branch Toss.Ranged Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, range 30/60 ft., one target. Hit: 12 (2d8 + 3) bludgeoning damage.
Branch Strike. If the Argopelter hits a target with both Branch Toss attacks on the same turn, the target must succeed on a DC 15 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.
Rending Claws.Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 15 (2d10 + 4) slashing damage.
Falling Snare.(Recharge 5–6) The Argopelter uses its environment to its advantage, causing a large branch to break above a target. The creature must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or take 21 (6d6) bludgeoning damage and become restrained under the branch. A creature can use its action to make a DC 15 Strength check to free itself.
Reactions
Reactive Swing. When a creature enters the Argopelter’s reach for the first time on a turn, the Argopelter can make one Branch Toss attack against it as a reaction.
Tactics
The Argopelter prefers to ambush its foes from above, staying hidden in the treetops until its prey is within range. It begins combat with Falling Snare if possible, using the surrounding trees to trap and isolate a target. During combat, it uses Branch Toss to keep enemies at a distance, knocking them prone if it successfully hits twice. It moves through the treetops with ease, often repositioning to prevent groups of foes from surrounding it.
When threatened in close range, the Argopelter lashes out with Rending Claws before retreating to higher branches, using Reactive Swing to deter attackers. It will retreat if significantly wounded, using its speed and stealth to avoid further confrontation.
From a nearby tree, a monkey-faced creature coils a heavy stick in its whip-like arms, taking aim with beady black eyes.
The elusive, reclusive argopelters consider themselves the natural guardians of the ancient forests in which they dwell, places such as the Redwood Forest, White Mountain, and the Calaveras Big Trees.
Argopelters do not get along well with dryads, treants, druids, or other beings that defend the wildwoods. Such beings find argopelters to be dangerous nuisances, but often cede territory to them since the argopelters are both motivated and capable of protecting their woods. Argopelters often cross between this and the First World at places where the planar boundaries grow thin, although no one knows from which world they came.
This may explain their legendary territoriality, since the ancient woods in which they lair often contain portals between the worlds. Argopelters hate most humanoids, although they tolerate gnomes. They especially despise lumberjacks and woodcutters and will go out of their way to ambush anyone carrying an axe or cut wood.
Many a logger has been found with his skull crushed by a ‘fallen limb.’ An argopelter’s wiry arms are strong and highly flexible. The creature uses them for both movement, brachiating through the trees, and attack, flinging tree branches with deadly accuracy. An argopelter’s pebbly hide camouflages it perfectly against tree bark. It has a lithe frame but stumpy legs. An argopelter stands about three feet high and weighs around 60 pounds.
Originally Posted by Charlie Bell of the Paizo forums.
Skills Acrobatics +16, Climb +21, Knowledge (nature) +10, Perception +16, Stealth +20 (+28 in forested areas); Racial Modifiers +8 Stealth in forested areas
Languages Sylvan
SQ brachiator
Ecology
Environment any forest
Organization solitary, pair, or gaggle (3-7)
Treasure standard
Special Abilities
Brachiator (Ex) An argopelter travels by swinging through the trees on its wiry arms. An argopelter suffers no penalty to Acrobatics and Stealth checks due to undergrowth or difficult terrain in forested areas. Whenever it is climbing, an argopelter is counted as having a running start when making Acrobatics checks to jump, and uses its climb speed rather than its land speed to determine its bonus or penalty to Acrobatics checks made to jump. Branch Throwing (Ex) An argopelter hurls tree limbs with cannon-like force. An argopelter has a +1 racial bonus on attack rolls with thrown branches, sticks, or similar pieces of wood. The creature can hurl irregularly-shaped tree branches of up to Small size. In forested areas, an argopelter has an effectively unlimited supply of branches available. An argopelter can pick up and ready a branch as a free action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity. An argopelter’s thrown branches have a range increment of 40 feet and deal 1d8 points of bludgeoning damage plus 1 1/2 times the creature’s Strength bonus. An argopelter can throw branches up to five range increments.
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