Ash, The Carrion

Amorphous Anatomy. The Carrion can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch wide without squeezing. It can also spend 5 feet of movement to escape from nonmagical restraints or being grappled.

Mimicry. The Carrion can mimic any sounds it has heard, including voices. A creature that hears the sounds can tell they are imitations with a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Insight) check.

Regeneration. The Carrion regains 15 hit points at the start of its turn if it has at least 1 hit point.

Shapechanger. The Carrion can use its action to polymorph into a humanoid it has previously consumed, or back into its true form. Its statistics, other than its size, are the same in each form.

Camouflage. While the Carrion remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from an ordinary object or surface in its environment.

Adaptive Physiology. If the Carrion takes acid, cold, fire, lightning, or thunder damage, it gains resistance to that damage type until the end of its next turn.

Terrifying Presence. As an action, the Carrion can unleash a terrifying presence. Each creature of the Carrion’s choice within 60 feet of it and aware of it must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. If a creature’s saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the creature is immune to the Carrion’s Terrifying Presence for the next 24 hours.

Predatory Senses. The Carrion can sense the presence of living creatures within 60 feet of it. This sense works through walls and other barriers, but it cannot discern the exact location or number of creatures.

Multiattack. The Carrion makes two attacks: one with its bite and one with its engulf or stretch.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) piercing damage.

Engulf. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: The creature is grappled (escape DC 16). Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained, and the Carrion can't engulf another target. At the start of each of the Carrion's turns, the engulfed target takes 15 (3d6 + 5) acid damage.

Stretch. The Carrion extends its limbs or other parts of its body to make a melee attack against a target within 10 feet. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 15 (2d10 + 4) bludgeoning damage.

Flesh Whip. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d8 + 5) slashing damage. The Carrion can use its body to create whip-like appendages, striking at a distance.

Amorphous Grasp. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 10 ft., one creature. Hit: 12 (2d6 + 5) bludgeoning damage, and the target is grappled (escape DC 17). While grappling the target, the Carrion can use its bonus action to constrict, dealing an additional 10 (2d4 + 5) bludgeoning damage.

Mimic Weaponry. The Carrion can form part of its body into a simple or martial melee weapon it has seen before. As an action, it makes a melee attack with this weapon form with a +9 to hit, dealing damage appropriate to the weapon (DM's discretion) plus its Strength modifier.

Explosive Expansion (Recharge 5-6). As an action, the Carrion can rapidly expand its flesh in all directions, unleashing a devastating attack. Each creature within a 20-foot radius of the Carrion must make a DC 19 Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes 4d10+10 bludgeoning damage and is knocked prone. On a successful save, the creature takes half damage and is not knocked prone. After using this ability, the Carrion's size increases by one category (Medium to Large), and its speed is reduced by 10 feet until the end of its next turn due to the strain of the expansion.

Quick Morph. The Carrion can rapidly alter its form to gain a temporary combat advantage. It can choose one of the following effects:

• Spiked Defense: Until the beginning of its next turn, any creature that hits the Carrion with a melee attack takes 1d6 piercing damage.
• Elongated Reach: Increase the reach of its next attack this turn by 5 feet.
• Accelerated Regeneration: Immediately regain 1d10 hit points.

Flesh Tendrils. The Carrion extends thin tendrils of flesh to manipulate or interact with objects or creatures within 15 feet. It can perform simple tasks, like grabbing a small item, opening an unlatched door, or tripping an enemy (forcing them to make a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw or fall prone).

Disperse Form. The Carrion can momentarily disperse its form, making it difficult to pinpoint its exact location. Until the beginning of its next turn, attack rolls against it have disadvantage.

Assimilate Knowledge. If the Carrion is in contact with a creature, it can attempt to absorb surface thoughts or memories. The target must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or reveal thoughts or images the Carrion seeks. This ability does not work on creatures without a brain or those immune to mind-affecting effects.

Absorb Impact. When the Carrion takes bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage, it can use its reaction to reduce the damage by 10 and make a slam attack against a creature within 5 feet.

Body Shield. As a reaction to taking damage, the Carrion can harden its flesh to reduce the damage by half. This ability can be used once per round.

Absorb Elements. Once per day, when hit by an attack that deals acid, cold, fire, lightning, or thunder damage, the Carrion can absorb some of the energy. The Carrion gains resistance to that damage type for one minute and can release the absorbed energy as part of its next Slam or Flesh Whip attack to deal an extra 2d6 damage of the absorbed type.

The Carrion can take 2 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature's turn. The Carrion regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.

• Move. The Carrion moves up to its speed without provoking opportunity attacks.
• Engulf (Costs 2 Actions). The Carrion makes one engulf attack.
• Stretch (Costs 2 Actions). The Carrion uses its Stretch ability.