| Mod | Save | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| STR | 10 | +0 | +0 |
| DEX | 16 | +3 | +5 |
| CON | 18 | +4 | +6 |
| Mod | Save | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| INT | 12 | +1 | +1 |
| WIS | 14 | +2 | +2 |
| CHA | 10 | +0 | +0 |
Blend In. The elder has advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made to hide in natural or pantry-like environments.
Barklash. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Hit: 12 (2d6 + 3) slashing damage. Target must succeed on a DC 13 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.
Spice Cloud (Recharge 5–6). The elder exhales a 15-foot cube of cinnamon dust. Each creature in that area must make a DC 14 Constitution saving throw or be blinded and have disadvantage on attack rolls and Dexterity checks until the end of their next turn.
Rootbind (Recharge 4–6). Roots erupt in a 10-foot radius centered on the elder. Each creature of the elder’s choice in that area must make a DC 13 Strength saving throw or be restrained by cinnamon vines for 1 minute. Restrained creatures can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of their turns, ending the effect on a success.
Description
The Cinnamon Stalker Elder is an ancient, sentient plant creature born of wild druidic magic and long-forgotten culinary rituals. Towering slightly above a halfling and shaped like a woven bundle of cinnamon sticks bound by living roots, this creature exudes a powerful and heady aroma—sweet, spicy, and deceptively soothing.
Unlike its smaller, more reactive cousins, the elder radiates a cunning and patient intelligence. Deep knots in its bark resemble wise eyes, and when it moves, it does so with a rustling whisper like dried leaves in autumn wind. Its limbs unfurl like coiled vines, snapping with sudden ferocity. The cinnamon dust that constantly drifts from its form isn’t just aromatic—it stings the eyes and overwhelms the senses, clouding perception and dampening reflexes.
Some say it was once a guardian spirit of a sacred harvest grove, now warped by centuries of isolation and residual magic. The Cinnamon Stalker Elder does not attack without cause, but trespassers who disrupt the spice-flow of its realm or threaten the delicate balance of its grove will find themselves ensnared in spice-slick vines and choking on cinnamon stormclouds.
Lair and Lair Actions
Hidden deep in a thicket of overgrown brambles and forgotten farmland lies the Cinnamon Grove, the elder’s lair—a once-hallowed spice garden now reclaimed by wild enchantment. The air is thick with the scent of cinnamon, clove, and dried applewood. Shafts of golden light pierce the leafy canopy, catching on floating particles of cinnamon dust that sparkle like amber motes.
The ground is soft with layers of mulch and fallen herbs, while gnarled cinnamon root systems rise above the soil like ribs of a sleeping beast. The grove’s trees appear petrified, but upon closer inspection, they are hollowed-out stalks fused together by twining bark and vines. Magical spices grow in unnatural harmony—ginger bulbs pulse with warmth, while peppercorns hum faintly with latent heat.
Vines twitch in response to sound. Every snapped twig or misplaced footfall could awaken the elder’s ire. When threatened, the grove itself comes alive: roots erupt from the earth, molasses-like sap slows intruders, and a sudden downpour of powdered spice can blind and confuse.
In the heart of the grove rests a circle of cinnamon stalks shaped like a throne or nest, woven with strands of sage and thyme—this is where the elder rests, dreams, and remembers the ancient flavors of the world.
Lair Actions
On initiative count 20 (losing ties), the elder can take one lair action:
-
Molasses Roots. Roots burst from the ground in a 20-foot radius. All creatures of the elder’s choice must succeed on a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw or be restrained until the end of their next turn.
Comments