The huay chivo is a legendary Mayan beast. It is a half-man, half-beast creature, with burning red eyes, and is specific to the Yucatán Peninsula. It is often said to be an evil sorcerer who can transform himself into a supernatural animal, usually a goat, dog or deer, in order to prey upon livestock.
Huay Chivos in Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition
Unfortunately, the reality of huay chivos’ origins is much grimmer. They are fiends, servants of El Diabolo Primero, and are, indeed, powerful practitioners of sorcery. They offer their services to the desperate and weak-willed, often in exchange for a blood-price: one’s entire livestock, a firstborn child, or even their mortal soul.
Huay chivos have the ability to command animals to do their bidding, and often protect themselves with mundane beasts. In addition, they have the ability to mutate and change living creatures into horrible monstrosities that follow their commands. When pressed, the huay chivo can use its own claws and horns to defend itself.
Ultimately, a huay chivo is a coward and prefers to talk its way out of combat if it must, offering gifts in exchange for its life. Even then, it will attempt to get the better end of a bargain, finding loopholes in all deals it makes.
Huay Chivo
Large fiend (devil), lawful evil
Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
Hit Points 171 (18d10 + 72)
Speed 40 ft.
Abilities Str 21 (+5), Dex 14 (+2), Con 19 (+4), Int 18 (+4), Wis 12 (+1), Cha 20 (+5)
Saving Throws Dex +6, Con +9
Skills Deception +9, Insight +5, Persuasion +9
Damage Resistances cold; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks not made with silvered weapons
Damage Immunities fire, poison
Condition Immunities poisoned
Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 11
Languages Common, Infernal
Challenge 10 (5,900 XP)
Charge. If the huay chivo moves at least 20 feet straight toward a target and then hits it with a ram attack on the same turn, the target takes an extra 21 (6d6) bludgeoning damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 15 saving throw or be knocked prone.
Command Beasts (Recharges after a Short or Long Rest). As a bonus action, the huay chivo can command up to 60 hit points worth beasts that it can see within 60 feet of it. The beasts must be aware of the huay chivo and have an Intelligence score of 3 or less. The creatures are affected in ascending order of their current hit points (ignoring unconscious creatures). Starting with the creature that has the lowest current hit points, each creature affected by the huay chivo’s Command Beasts is charmed by the huay chivo for 24 hours or until the huay chivo or its allies harm the creature or an Intelligent creature makes a successful DC 17 Wisdom (Handle Animal) check to break the charm. Subtract each creature’s hit points from the total before moving on to the creature with the next lowest hit points. A creature’s hit points must be equal to or less than the remaining total for that creature to be affected. Creatures charmed in this way obey the huay chivo’s commands and can’t take reactions, and the huay chivo and the target can communicate telepathically with each other at a distance of up to 500 feet. If the effect ends for a creature, it is immune to all huay chivos’ Command Beasts ability for 24 hours.
Magic Resistance. The huay chivo has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Actions
Multiattack. The huay chivo makes three attacks: one with its ram attack and two with its claws.
Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 16 (2d10 +5) slashing damage.
Ram. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 19 (4d6 + 5) bludgeoning damage.
Gruesome Transformation (1/day). The huay chivo targets one beast it can see of Intelligence 3 or lower within 30 feet of it. The beast must succeed on a DC 17 Charisma saving throw or undergo a horrific transformation. The following changes occur:
- The transformed beast’s size increases as if under the effects of the enlarge/reduce spell.
- The transformed beast emanates an aura of fear. Any creature within 60 feet of the transformed beast that can see it must succeed on a DC 17 Wisdom saving or become frightened for 1 minute. A frightened creature can repeat its saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself with a success. If a creature succeeds on its saving throw or the effect ends for it, the creature is immune to this transformed beast’s fear effect for the next 24 hours.
- The transformed beast develops natural armor which provides it an Armor Class of 12 plus its Dexterity modifier, or if it already has natural armor, its armor class increases by 2.
- If the transformed beast’s new size is Medium or larger, it gains an acid breath weapon. The breath weapon has the same recharge time, area of effect, saving throw, and damage as a black dragon of the same size category’s. For example, a Large transformed beast has the same breath weapon as a young black dragon.
- The transformed beast can’t regain hit points, and its hit point maximum decreases by 5 (2d4) at the end of each of its turns. Once its hit point maximum reaches 0, it dies and dissolves into a puddle of acrid ooze.
- A remove curse spell or other magic can change the animal back into its original form.
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Huay chivos are part of the Mesoamerican fantasy campaign setting I’m creating for Patreon, but free for you to use in your own Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition campaign settings.
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