Bonespear | New Monster for Fifth Edition

Bonespears are patient predators that live on many different planes. Named for the two long, wickedly barbed horns that grow from their heads, they are a menace to any creature they might perceive as food–a category that includes most anything that moves. Their home plane is Acheron, but bonespears have spread throughout the planes and can be found in even the most inhospitable climates due to their natural hardiness.

Bonespears resemble large grasshoppers in shape. Their dark, carapaced bodies are 8 feet long, and they stand nearly 5 feet tall at the shoulder. Their heads are capped by a pair of 3-foot-long barbed horns. Only when the creature begins to hunt does it become apparent that the horns are not firmly attached to the creature’s head–long sinews connecting the head and the horns enable the bonespear to launch its horns at prey and real them in to be consumed.

Bonespears can sit for days on end, waiting for suitable prey to wander by. They typically choose barren rocky places to conduct their hunts, and many bone spears lair underground. If more than a week passes without a sign of prey, the creatures move on until they find a food source.

Bonespear

Large monstrosity, unaligned


Armor Class 16 (natural armor)

Hit Points 123 (13d10 + 52)

Speed 40 ft.


Abilities Str 22 (+6), Dex 17 (+3), Con 19 (+4), Int 1 (-5), Wis 12 (+1), Cha 7 (-2)


Saving Throws Str +10

Skills Athletics +14, Perception +5

Damage Resistances fire, thunder; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks

Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 15

Languages

Challenge 9 (5,000 XP)


Immobile Stance. As a bonus action, the bonespear can make itself virtually immobile by anchoring itself to the surrounding terrain with its six large, strong feet. While in this stance, it gains a +10 bonus to saving throws to avoid being pushed back or knocked prone. If the bonespear moves, this effect ends for it. In addition, the bonespear can use its bonus action to end the effect.


Actions

Multiattack. The bonespear makes one attack with its horns, uses reel, and makes one attack with its bite.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d6 + 6) piercing damage.

Horns. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 10 ft. or range 60 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d6 + 6) plus 14 (4d6) poison damage and the target is grappled (escape DC 22). While grappled by the bonespear, the target automatically takes damage from the bonespear’s horn attack at the end of each of its turns. Once the bonespear spears a target, it can’t use its horns on another target until its current target escapes or is dead.

Reel. The bonespear pulls a creature it has speared up to 20 feet straight towards it.

 

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Art by Wizards of the Coast.

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