Innate Spellcasting. The couatl's spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 14). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring only verbal components:
At will: detect evil and good, detect magic, detect thoughts
3/day each: bless, create food and water, cure wounds, lesser restoration, protection from poison, sanctuary, shield
1/day each: dream, greater restoration, scrying
Magic Weapons. The couatl's weapon attacks are magical.
Shielded Mind. The couatl is immune to scrying and to any effect that would sense its emotions, read its thoughts, or detect its location.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 8 (1d6 + 5) piercing damage, and the target must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned for 24 hours. Until this poison ends, the target is unconscious. Another creature can use an action to shake the target awake.
Constrict. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 10 ft., one Medium or smaller creature. Hit: 10 (2d6 + 3) bludgeoning damage, and the target is grappled (escape DC 15). Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained, and the couatl can't constrict another target.
Change Shape. The couatl magically polymorphs into a humanoid or beast that has a challenge rating equal to or less than its own, or back into its true form. It reverts to its true form if it dies. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying is absorbed or borne by the new form (the couatl's choice).
In a new form, the couatl retains its game statistics and ability to speak, but its AC, movement modes, Strength, Dexterity, and other actions are replaced by those of the new form, and it gains any statistics and capabilities (except class features, legendary actions, and lair actions) that the new form has but that it lacks. If the new form has a bite attack, the couatl can use its bite in that form.
low key drives me nuts when americans pronounce those names with an "-addle" sound at the end cause that is NOT how that's pronounced. but oh well, even in mexico there's a lot of misconceptions about the pronunciation (like in that link about Quetzalcoatl) something like "ket-zal-KO-at" would be more acurate, there's no emphasis on the L at the end. so yeah the page is wrong sadly :/
The graphics are cool but I think there should be a higher level armor.
Honestly I understand why it's a CR4 but I would prefer maybe CR5. but maybe I'm crazy, stats are pretty balanced. I have a guy in my campaign who can kill this in 3 rounds going solo(though he'd die fighting it solo)[he's a level 5 multi-class Bloodhunter-artificer 3 bloodhunter- 2 artificer] and he can kill this if he had his friends helping him thanks to his ability to deal large damage in one turn. But if he fought it solo it's damage could kill him in 1-2 turns. But yeh, no. I have a lot of my own level 4-6 characters and party members that can kill this in 3-4 turns and some 1-2 ifd they alll ganged on it. So it Looks intimidating but it's not all that bad. I actually use these a lot for encounters in high loot areas so yeh, not that big of an opponent, just gotta be wise and not try to be a blitz killer of a DM to actually give your players a chance. Though I know how to kill a party of 4 in 2 turns if they're lv3-4 but yeh. In high level character fights, this thing isn't scary at all. Anyway have a wonderful day, honestly love the Couatl.
bruh had a part of 2 being a lv3 Ranger, and a lv 5 bloodhunter-artificer(3 BH- 2 AR) and they killed it in 4 turns. Unless your a bloody party of wizards this thing isn't dangerous at all. The only reason they fought it to begin with, is my Ranger is chaotic neutral and a cultist of a Chaos goddess of lust, and my BH is chaotic evil. This thing isn't hostile unless you are. But anyway yeh. They killed this thing and neither died once. Hell the bh literally survived with over half health and the Ranger wasn't hit but once. It did 4 damage. and failed the poison attack.
A patron doesn't have to grant power directly. For example, in Erin Evan's Brimstone Angels the main character makes a pact with a Cambion. In that book, the Cambion is able to grant the character power from the hells, even though he is not that highly ranked among devils or all that powerful himself. For the sake of creating a warlock in 5e, I think the patron options don't exactly align with these types of lesser patrons, but since Brimstone Angels is canon in Forgotten Realms lore, I think its safe to say that a player could flavor their patron in such a way and not be violating any of the established lore or game rules.
it is cr4 because 1: it is LAWFUL GOOD 2: it is only agressive if the orders it has require it to attack to defend what it's guarding 3: Couatls are benevolent serpentine beings of great intellect and insight. Their brilliantly colored wings and gentle manner speak of their celestial origins. Divine caretakers Couatls were created as guardians and caretakers by a benevolent god not worshipped since the dawn of time, and which is forgotten now by all but the couatls themselves.( monster manual desc.)
I mean, they're not listed as an example patron for the subclass, so I'm not sure where this is coming from. Not everything under the general umbrella of a patron type has the clout to be a patron. Granted, I could see a couatl serving as an intermediary between your patron and yourself, running messages and suchlike.
Can you technically Polymorph into this, or does Polymorph only allow specifically "creatures"?
It knocks people unconscious in one hit of course it should be a higher CR.
You can only polymorph into a Beast. This is a Celestial.
I think there is something wrong with the stat block. Why has the constrict only a +6 to hit? Proficiency + Str = 5 or if Dex based proficiency + Str = 7, but the bite is +8 to hit? Now, it has 13d8 hit die, which would technically make this a lvl 13 creature. In that case, proficiency bonus would be +5 which nicely gives 5 Prof + 3 Str = +8 for the bite. But then I would expect the constrict to also be a +8 to hit. Something does not add up here at all.
what are you talking about, that's totally normal for CR 4
I thought I knew the rules pretty well, but one thing about this creature puzzles me.
The Constrict attack has a reach of 10 feet. But if it hits, and grapples and restrains the target, clearly at least part of the couatl is wrapped around the target. So while I would rule on common-sense grounds that the target can still attack the couatl even if it doesn't have any attacks with a reach of 10 feet, is there a RAW justification for that ruling?
CR 4 is only 1 CR less than the CR of a level 20 character
"created as guardians and caretakers by a benevolent god not worshiped since the dawn of time, and which is forgotten now by all"
Is the "not" a typo? That just seems really strange given the rest of the sentence.
the god was worshipped before time and hasn't been worshipped since the dawn of time and in the time stretch between the dawn of time and the current day the god was forgotten.
Yeah some rough estimations land me at CR8 or so. It's damage is not very high but it has a lot of utility and survivability. Definitely underrated at CR4.
have you heard of derro savant ? https://www.dndbeyond.com/monsters/2560772-derro-savant i like him ♥
bc its not home rn
So, apparently, the God in question is named "Jazirian" or "The Eternal Serpent". A lawful good greater diety of peace and community. It is revered by nagas and couatls. Doesn't have clerics ( or had, it seems ) nor shamans. It's realm is situated in Celestia and called Uroboros. Doesn't have any superiors.