Astral Invisibility. As a bonus action, the panther can magically turn invisible until its concentration ends (as if concentrating on a spell) or until it makes an attack. When its invisibility ends, it flashes with enchanting starlight. Each other creature within 20 feet of the panther must succeed on a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw or be charmed by the panther until the end of its next turn. While charmed in this way, it is unable to move or take actions. A creature is immune to this effect if it doesn’t rely on sight, as with blindsight, or if it can't see, as when blinded.
Illumination. While the panther isn't invisible, it sheds dim light in a 40-foot radius.
Innate Spellcasting. The panther's innate spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 17). The panther can innately cast the following spells, requiring no components:
At will: dancing lights, misty step, pass without trace, starlight (new)
1/day each: contact other plane, dimension door, dream
Keen Smell. The panther has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell.
Magic Resistance. The panther has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Magic Weapons. The panther's weapon attacks are magical.
Multiattack. The panther makes two two melee attacks: either two attacks with its claw, or one attack with its bite and one attack with its claw.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 16 (2d10 + 5) piercing damage.
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 15 (3d6 + 5) piercing damage plus 3 (1d6) radiant damage.
Ethereal Pounce. The panther pounces through the ethereal plane, teleporting up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space. The teleportation consumes the panther's speed as movement. The panther can immediately make two claw attacks against a target within 5 feet, and if either attack hits, the target must succeed on a DC 16 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone. If the target is prone, the panther can make one bite attack against it as a bonus action.
Description
The Astral Panther is the spirit of the starry night sky and, in some worlds, even the moon. The Panther is an ambassador between the pure darkness of the Bat and the blinding sunlight of the Eagle. The Astral Panther also patrols the dream world, hunting for nightmares.
The Panther is enigmatic and nearly always speaks in riddles. It takes champions more frequently than almost any other primal spirit, yet its champions rarely know its actual goals, as the Panther prefers to give its messages through mysterious dreams, and no one can be certain which lands even constitute the Panther's domains.
The Panther is secretly aware of many prophecies, both cosmic and small-scale predictions, and seems to be concerned with the path of natural fate itself. It even sometimes appears in the dreams of those other than druids, delivering cryptic messages to nudge fate along.
Primal Spirit Avatars
The wilderness in all its many forms — tundra, forest, desert, and other biomes — is not without awareness or agency. The land itself gives birth to mighty spirits, fey and elementals that are so ancient that they are largely forgotten except by the oldest in the multiverse. These primal spirits are all connected to a form of land, taking the shape of a plant or animal from their domains.
Though they are composed of powerful magic, these mighty spirits struggle to physically leave their ancient realms in some of the oldest parts of the Feywild: the savage wilds called the Spirit World. If their domains on the Material Plane are threatened, they project a weak reflection of their true nature, an avatar, to defend the land. These avatars take little effort for a primal spirit to control, and the spirit is not harmed if the avatar is slain.
Incarnations of Ancient Titans. The primal spirits are ancient beings that traversed the Feywild and the Material Plane when the world was young and the land was still forming. The spirits are each representations of the lands themselves. The majority of these spirits keep their ancient, true names a secret, though some are known by nicknames they have adopted for the benefit of mortals, such as Coyote or Greatmother Oak. Those nicknames have been used so often that they are now applied to any coyote or any oak tree, instead of merely the primal spirit, and the original names of these animals and plants have been lost.
Druids Serve as Champions. Primal spirits often require the aid of druids and archdruids to help defend their lands against despoilers. Druids can be trusted to act more swiftly and in more places than a spirit could possibly manage from their realm in the Feywild. Arch-druids can wield powerful enough magic to summon an avatar of the spirit without effort from the spirit itself, but primal spirits trust very few with this privilege. They entreat carefully with archdruids and only select their favorite among them as a champion who can conjure their avatar to aid both their goals.
Hatred for Despoilers. The spirits of nature despise those that would despoil nature in any of its forms. Not all forms of consumption earn the spirits' ire: the spirits themselves are often predator or prey, and understand that survival often means destruction. They despise the reckless and sometimes gleeful destruction of nature that has nothing to do with survival and too much to do with mortal flaws such as greed, pride, or ambition. This is what the spirits consider to be "despoiling."
Primal Nature. A primal spirit avatar doesn't require air, food, drink, or sleep.
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