Amphibious. The water kelpie can breathe air and water.
Shapechanger. The water kelpie can use its action to polymorph using a water kelpie bridle/necklace into a large humanoid, or back into its true form, as a horse. Its statistics, other than its AC, are the same in each form. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying in humanoid isn't transformed. When it dies the water kelpie collapses into a pile of river plants and seaweed.
The water kelpie can move through a space big enough for a size small creature to pass through without squeezing.
Charge (Horse Form Only). If the water kelpie moves at least 20 feet straight toward a target and then hits it with a hoof attack on the same turn, the target takes an extra 9 (2d8) bludgeoning damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 14 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.
Innate Spellcasting. The water kelpie's innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 13). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:
At will: druidcraft, friends.
1/day: control water, charm person, entangle
Multiattack. The water kelpie makes one bite attack and one bludgeoning attack with its hooves (horse form) or one bite attack and two claw attacks (human form).
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (3d6 + 4) piercing damage.
Hooves. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (3d6 + 4) bludgeoning damage.
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 5) slashing damage.
Crushing Hug (Human Form Only). Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 28 (8d6 + 4) bludgeoning damage, and the target is grappled (escape DC 14 if it is a Large or smaller creature. Until the grapple ends, the target takes 28 (8d6 + 4) bludgeoning damage at the start of each of the water kelpie's turns. The water kelpie can’t make attacks while grappling a creature in this way.
Bind (At will, Horse Form Only). The water kelpie can bind any creature that is touching it to its body. The creature gains the grappled condition and is stuck to the water kelpie. The creature can attempt to break free on its turn with a Strength ability check, the DC is 14. This ability will function through a saddle (or other things of similar thickness, such as a blanket).
Description
The water kelpie appears as a powerful and beautiful black horse inhabiting deep pools of rivers and streams preying on any humanoids it encounters. Its hooves are reversed as compared to those of a normal horse and entices victims onto its back by singing.
Water kelpies have the ability to transform themselves using a silver token into non-equine forms, and can take on the outward appearance of human figures, in which guise they may betray themselves by the presence of water weeds in their hair and their large size. They often adopt the guise of a wizened old man or as a "rough, shaggy man. The water kelpie sometimes transforms itself into a handsome young man so as to woo young maidens.
Lair and Lair Actions
Water kelpies are fey creatures living beside rivers, streams, or any body of water. Seen variously as "useful", "hurtful", or seeking "human companionship"; in some cases, water kelpies take their victims into the water, devour them, and throw the entrails to the water's edge.
Lair Actions
On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), the water kelpie takes a lair action to cause one of the following effects; the water kelpie can’t use the same effect two rounds in a row:
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Flood. You cause the water level of all standing water in the area to rise by as much as 20 feet. If the area includes a shore, the flooding water spills over onto dry land.
If you choose an area in a large body of water, you instead create a 20-foot tall wave that travels from one side of the area to the other and then crashes down. Any huge or smaller vehicles in the wave's path are carried with it to the other side. Any huge or smaller vehicles struck by the wave have a 25 percent chance of capsizing.
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Part Water. You cause water in the area to move apart and create a trench. The trench extends across the spell's area, and the separated water forms a wall to either side. The trench remains until the spell ends or you choose a different effect. The water then slowly fills in the trench over the course of the next round until the normal water level is restored.
- Redirect Flow. You cause flowing water in the area to move in a direction you choose, even if the water has to flow over obstacles, up walls, or in other unlikely directions. The water in the area moves as you direct it, but once it moves beyond the spell's area, it resumes its flow based on the terrain conditions. The water continues to move in the direction you chose until the spell ends or you choose a different effect.
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Whirlpool. This effect requires a body of water at least 50 feet square and 25 feet deep. You cause a whirlpool to form in the center of the area. The whirlpool forms a vortex that is 5 feet wide at the base, up to 50 feet wide at the top, and 25 feet tall. Any creature or object in the water and within 25 feet of the vortex is pulled 10 feet toward it. A creature can swim away from the vortex by making a Strength (Athletics) check against your spell save DC.
When a creature enters the vortex for the first time on a turn or starts its turn there, it must make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, the creature takes 2d8 bludgeoning damage and is caught in the vortex until the spell ends. On a successful save, the creature takes half damage, and isn't caught in the vortex. A creature caught in the vortex can use its action to try to swim away from the vortex as described above, but has disadvantage on the Strength (Athletics) check to do so.
The first time each turn that an object enters the vortex, the object takes 2d8 bludgeoning damage; this damage occurs each round it remains in the vortex.
Regional Effects
The region containing a water kelpie's lair is swampy and foggy, which creates one or more of the following effects:
- Deep pools develop in separate bodies of water. They are interconnected with a system narrow tunnels leading to the water kelpie's central lair.
- Flowing water changes its course and quickly carves out new rivers often destroying bridges and obstructing roads.
If the water kelpie dies, these effects fade over the course of 2d4 days.
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