Buy me a coffee“Shellycoat: The Mischievous Fey Trickster of Marshes and Rivers”
A rattling trickster of Scottish waterways, the Shellycoat cloaks itself in clinking shells to lure wanderers astray with eerie laughter and the promise of hidden peril.
A hunched, sinewy fey draped in a mantle of river shells that clatter and scrape with every motion. Its pallid, water-slick skin gleams in the half-light, while sharp, glinting eyes peer from beneath a mask of barnacles and reeds. From a distance, it resembles a heap of river stones suddenly given shape and malice.
Behaviour
Shellycoats thrive on mischief, more trickster than killer. They stalk the edges of streams and marshes, startling travelers with rattling shells, mocking laughter, or uncanny imitations of lost voices. Rarely do they strike directly; instead, they revel in fear, confusion, and the slow unraveling of a wanderer’s nerve.
Habitat
These spirits claim lonely riverbanks, moss-cloaked glens, and tidal marshes where fog and water conceal their presence. A Shellycoat anchors itself to a single stretch of water, fiercely protective of its chosen haunt and intolerant of intrusion.
Modus Operandi
A master of deception, the Shellycoat lures prey astray with phantom noises and false cries, drawing them into bogs, deep pools, or unstable ground. In combat, it lashes out with sudden bursts of strength, battering foes with shell-studded limbs or dragging them into sucking mud. It prefers to exhaust and terrify before retreating beneath the waters.
Motivation
A Shellycoat seeks dominance over its watery domain, measured not in wealth or conquest but in the fear it inspires. It craves acknowledgment of its power—mocking curses, panicked screams, and stumbling victims are trophies enough to sate its pride.
Shellycoat 5e 2024
Shellycoat, Pathfinder
Shellycoat
Medium Fey, Chaotic Neutral
Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
Hit Points 88 (16d8 + 32)
Speed 30 ft., swim 30 ft.
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 (+2) | 16 (+3) | 14 (+2) | 11 (+0) | 14 (+2) | 15 (+2) |
Saving Throws Dex +5, Wis +4, Cha +4
Skills Deception +4, Perception +4, Stealth +5, Survival +4
Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
Damage Immunities poison
Condition Immunities charmed, poisoned
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14
Languages Sylvan; understands Common but rarely speaks
Challenge 4 (1,100 XP)
Proficiency Bonus +2
Traits
Amphibious. The Shellycoat can breathe air and water.
Shell Rattle. Any creature that starts its turn within 20 feet of the Shellycoat must succeed on a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw or be frightened until the start of its next turn. On a success, the creature is immune to this effect for 24 hours.
Mimicry. The Shellycoat can imitate voices and natural sounds. A listener can discern the imitation with a successful DC 14 Insight check.
Innate Spellcasting (Fey). The Shellycoat’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 14). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no components:
- At will: minor illusion, thaumaturgy
- 3/day each: fog cloud, silent image
- 1/day each: fear, phantasmal force
Actions
Multiattack. The Shellycoat makes two Shell Slam attacks.
Shell Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (2d6 + 2) bludgeoning damage.
Drag into Mire (Recharge 5–6). The Shellycoat pulls a creature within 5 feet into mud or shallow water. The target must succeed on a DC 14 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone and restrained. A restrained creature can use its action to make a DC 14 Strength (Athletics) check, freeing itself on a success.
Reactions
Startling Rattle. When a creature enters within 10 feet, the Shellycoat rattles its shells. That creature must succeed on a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw or have disadvantage on its next attack roll before the end of its turn.
Legendary Actions
The Shellycoat 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 Shellycoat regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.
- Shell Clatter. Each creature within 15 feet must succeed on a DC 14 Constitution saving throw or be deafened until the end of its next turn.
- Phantom Lure (Costs 2 Actions). The Shellycoat creates an illusory voice or cry within 30 feet. One creature that hears it must succeed on a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw or be compelled to move up to 15 feet toward the sound on its next turn.
- Slip into Water. The Shellycoat moves up to half its swim speed without provoking opportunity attacks.
Combat Tactics
A Shellycoat relies on deception and control rather than brute force. It begins encounters by creating fog or illusions, then uses Shell Rattle to scatter and frighten foes. It isolates stragglers with Drag into Mire, attacking only when it has the advantage. If pressured, it slips into water to reposition, harassing from concealment until enemies retreat.
Shellycoat’s Lair
A Shellycoat makes its lair along a marshy river, a moss-draped ford, or the reedy edges of a tidal pool. Its lair is littered with shells, broken branches, and half-sunken stones, which clatter and shift when intruders pass.
Lair Actions
On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), the Shellycoat can take a lair action to cause one of the following magical effects; the Shellycoat can’t use the same effect two rounds in a row:
- Illusory Footfalls. The sound of footsteps or splashing water erupts within 60 feet. One creature of the Shellycoat’s choice must succeed on a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened until the start of its next turn.
- Bog’s Grasp. Mud and reeds animate in a 20-foot square within 60 feet. The area becomes difficult terrain until initiative count 20 on the next round. Each creature in the area must succeed on a DC 14 Strength saving throw or be restrained until the end of its next turn.
- Sudden Mist. A 20-foot-radius sphere of fog appears centered on a point within 60 feet. The area is heavily obscured until initiative count 20 on the next round.
Regional Effects
The region containing a Shellycoat’s lair is warped by its mischievous magic, creating one or more of the following effects:
- Eerie Echoes. Sounds of dripping water, splashing footsteps, or distant cries echo through the marsh, even when no one is there.
- Treacherous Ground. Within 1 mile of the lair, patches of earth unexpectedly soften into sucking mud or shallow pools. A creature that dashes across such terrain must succeed on a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw or fall prone.
- Flickering Lights. At night, faint ghostly lights (similar to dancing lights) appear above water or bogs, luring travelers toward dangerous ground.
If the Shellycoat dies, these effects fade over 1d10 days.
Combat Tactics
A Shellycoat relies on deception and control rather than brute force. It begins encounters by creating fog or illusions, then uses Shell Rattle to scatter and frighten foes. It isolates stragglers with Drag into Mire, attacking only when it has the advantage. If pressured, it slips into water to reposition, harassing from concealment until enemies retreat.
Shellycoat
This small man-like creature has slick skin and a vaguely frog-like cast to its bearded face. It wears a suit of jangling armor made from hundreds of seashells.
Taken from the Creature Codex
CN Small Fey (Aquatic)
Shellycoats are incorrigible pranksters native to salt marshes, estuaries, and rivers. Though not malicious by nature, their dangerous habitats and their tendency to forget that mortals cannot breathe underwater often turn their jokes deadly. Swamp-folk distrust them, warning children of “murderous little men in the water.”
Shellycoats are opportunistic omnivores, eating fish, mollusks, berries, tubers, and eggs. Highly gregarious, they enjoy the company of their own kind and other aquatic fey. They chatter eagerly with mortals but rarely resist humiliating tricks—wild goose chases, illusions, and sudden dunkings. A typical shellycoat is about 3 feet tall and weighs 50 pounds; females differ only in having patchier beards.
Shellycoat — CR 1
XP 400
Init +2; Senses low-light vision; Perception +4
Defense
AC 16, touch 13, flat-footed 14 (+1 size, +2 Dex, +3 shell armor)
hp 10 (3d6)
Fort +1, Ref +5, Will +1
DR 5/cold iron; SR 12
Offense
Speed 20 ft., swim 40 ft.
Melee 2 claws +1 (1d4–1)
Ranged water spray +4 touch (1d6 nonlethal plus push)
Special Attacks clatter, push (5 ft.)
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 3rd; concentration +4)
- At will—dancing lights, ventriloquism (DC 12)
- 1/day—cause fear (DC 12), entangle (DC 12), hideous laughter (DC 13), minor image (DC 13)
Statistics
Str 9, Dex 15, Con 11, Int 10, Wis 6, Cha 12
Base Atk +1; CMB +2; CMD 11
Feats Agile Maneuvers, Point-Blank Shot
Skills Bluff +7, Escape Artist +8, Knowledge (nature) +6, Perception +4, Stealth +12, Swim +13
Languages Common, Sylvan
SQ amphibious, shell armor
Ecology
Environment temperate marshes, estuaries, rivers
Organization solitary, pair, clutch (3–6), or gang (8–16)
Treasure standard
Special Abilities
Clatter (Ex). As a swift action, a shellycoat can jangle its shell armor to create a distracting noise. Creatures within 10 feet must succeed at a DC 12 Will save or be dazzled for 1 round. This is a sonic effect. The DC is Charisma-based.
Shell Armor (Ex). A shellycoat’s coat of shells grants a +3 armor bonus to AC. This bonus is unique to the creature and does not count as manufactured armor for speed, Dexterity, or spell failure. The armor only functions for the shellycoat that created it.
Water Spray (Su). As a standard action, a shellycoat can spray a blast of high-pressure water from its mouth. This is a ranged touch attack with a 40-foot range (no range increments), dealing 1d6 nonlethal damage and pushing the target 5 feet (as the push universal monster ability).