Treeglide.
The Akidron can move through trees, roots, undergrowth, and natural forest terrain as though they were empty space.
It leaves no tracks, broken branches, or disturbed vegetation.
While inside a forest, swamp, hills, or any environment with dense vegetation, it can move through trees and brush as though using incorporeal movement.
Forest's Wrath
Plants within 120 feet of the Akidron become hostile terrain.
Enemy creatures treat the area as difficult terrain.
The Akidron ignores these effects.
Blight Aura.
A faint toxic pollen surrounds the Akidron.
A hostile creature that starts its turn within 30 feet must succeed on a DC 19 Constitution save or become Poisoned until the start of its next turn.
If already Poisoned, it instead takes 14 (4d6) poison damage.
Multiattack.
The Akidron makes three attacks: One Bite, Two Root-Limbs
Melee Attack - Bite:
+14 to hit, reach 15 ft., 1 target. Hit: 32 (4d10 + 10) [piercing] damage plus 13 (3d8) [poison] damage. The target must succeed on a DC 19 Constitution save or become Poisoned until the end of their next turn.
Melee Attack - Root-Limbs:
+14 to hit, reach 20 ft., 1 target. Hit: 27 (3d10 + 10) [bludgeoning] damage. If the target is Large or smaller it must succeed on a DC 22 Strength save or be knocked prone.
Crushing Canopy (Recharge 5-6):
The Akidron slams both forelimbs into the ground. Trees erupt upward in a 60-foot-radius area centered on a point within 120 feet. Creatures in the area must make a DC 19 Dexterity save.
On a Failure:
45 (10d8) bludgeoning damage, and restrained by roots
A restrained creature may use an action on their turn to make a DC 19 Strength check to escape.
On Success:
Half damage, not restrained
Venom bloom (Recharge 6)
The Akidron exhales a cloud of glowing spores in a 90-foot cone.
Creatures inside make a DC 19 Constitution save.
On a Failure:
36 (8d8) poison damage
Poisoned for 1 minute
On Success:
Half damage.
Reactive Growth
When a creature within 10 feet damages the Akidron with a melee attack, the Akidron can cause roots and thorn-vines to erupt from its hide toward that creature.
The attacker must succeed on a DC 19 Strength or Dexterity saving throw (their choice) or become Grappled and Restrained by living roots.
While restrained in this way, the creature takes 10 (3d6) poison damage at the start of each of its turns.
The creature can use an action to make a DC 19 Strength (Athletics) check, freeing itself on a success.
The Akidron can have up to three creatures restrained this way at once.
Forest Reclaims
When a creature hits the Akidron with a melee attack, the Akidron may partially Treeglide into the surrounding vegetation, up to half of it’s movement.
The attacker must succeed on a DC 19 Strength saving throw.
On a failure, roots erupt beneath the creature and drag it up to 20 feet into the nearest tree, stump, thicket, or dense vegetation. The creature becomes Restrained.
At the start of each of the creature's turns, it takes 7 (2d6) piercing damage from thorns and 7 (2d6) poison damage.
The creature may repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns.
The Akidron has 3 Legendary Actions per turn.
Treeglide Step (1 Action)
The Akidron moves up to half its speed.
If it enters a tree, it may emerge from another tree within 120 feet.
Root Slam (1 Action)
The Akidron makes one Root-Limb attack.
Grace of the Beastlands (1 Actions)
The Akidron gains an additional Reaction this turn.
Predator's Aura (2 Actions)
All creatures within the Akidron's Blight Aura must make a DC 17 Wisdom save or be frightened of the Akidron until the end of their next turn.
Mythic Action Name. Enter the description for how mythic actions work for your monster here.
Mythic Action Name (Costs # Actions). Enter the description for your mythic action.
Description
The Akidron is among the most feared predators of the Beastlands, a gargantuan planar beast believed to emerge when the natural world itself has been grievously wounded. Standing taller than most watchtowers and capable of crossing vast forests without leaving so much as a bent blade of grass, an Akidron is less often described as an animal and more as a living calamity.
At first glance, an Akidron resembles an immense wolf, but closer inspection reveals that its body is formed from the forest itself. Its hide is covered in thick layers of bark-like fur, tangled roots, hanging mosses, thorny vines, and fungal growths. Massive forelimbs resemble entire tree trunks, ending in root-like claws capable of shattering stone and uprooting ancient trees. Poisonous sap drips from its jaws, and its pale green eyes glow with an unnatural intelligence that many druids find deeply unsettling.
Despite its tremendous size, an Akidron moves with impossible grace. Through a phenomenon known as Treegliding, it can pass through dense forests without disturbing leaves, branches, or undergrowth. Witnesses often report seeing the creature vanish behind a stand of trees only to emerge moments later hundreds of feet away. Hunters have tracked an Akidron for days only to discover it left no footprints whatsoever.
The arrival of an Akidron is considered an omen of disaster. Forests it inhabits begin to change. Animals flee or become unusually aggressive. Rivers grow bitter. Vegetation thickens into nearly impassable barriers, and the land itself seems hostile to civilization. Some druidic traditions believe the creature is a manifestation of nature's vengeance, dispatched to punish those who have despoiled the wilderness. Others argue that Akidrons are simply apex predators native to the Beastlands whose presence inadvertently reshapes the environment around them.
Whatever their true origin, one fact remains undisputed: when an Akidron appears, entire regions can be abandoned. Villages are evacuated, roads are rerouted, and even powerful adventurers tread carefully.
Lair and Lair Actions
The realm of forest occupied by the Akidron slowly but inevitable becomes a Gravewood. Hostile and dangerous to the unprepared, predators within the Gravewood become aggressive and persistent. The trees themselves twist and deceive those traveling through, and it seems as though the forest communicates directly with the Akidron nearby.
Lair Actions
On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), the Akidron takes a lair action to cause one of the following effects; the Akidron can’t use the same effect two rounds in a row:
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The Forest Closes
Trails vanish and vegetation shifts.
Choose a point the Akidron can see within 300 feet. A 30-foot-radius area centered on that point becomes heavily obscured by thick roots, hanging moss, and tangled branches until initiative count 20 on the next round.
Creatures other than the Akidron treat the area as difficult terrain. -
Grave Sap
Black sap seeps from nearby trees.
The ground in a 20-foot-radius sphere becomes coated in toxic resin.
Creatures entering or starting their turn there must succeed on a DC 18 Constitution save or take 14 (4d6) poison damage and have their speed reduced by 10 feet until the start of their next turn. -
The Wood Remembers
The forest itself rejects intrusion.
One creature the Akidron can see within 120 feet must make a DC 18 Strength save.
On a failure, roots erupt from the ground, dragging the creature up to 20 feet toward the nearest tree and knocking it prone.
Regional Effects
An Akidron's presence corrupts a forest, wood or swamp over time. Within 6 miles of the Akidron:
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Within 6 miles:
Predators become unusually aggressive.
Herbivores migrate away.
Water develops a bitter taste.
Trees grow thicker and darker.
Roads and trails become overgrown overnight.
If the Akidron remains in the area for a month or more:
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The forest becomes known as a Gravewood.
Natural healing restores only half the normal amount.
Nonmagical crops not permitted by the Akidron fail.
Druids can sense the Akidron's location from miles away.
If the Akidron dies or leaves the area, these effects fade over the course of 30 days.
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