Sound of silence. Living animals and the undead can sense a wendigo a mile away and either flee or become dreadfully silent and still. Living creatures and humanoids are immune to this ability. Living creatures and humanoids must pass a DC12 Perception roll or have a Passive Perception of 12 to notice the eerie silence around them. The aura fades if the wendigo moves further than a mile away.
Scent of a hunter. The wendigo's keenest sense is smell. It relies on its sense of smell to differentiate prey from animals. It does have darkvision up to 30 ft, but it cannot see clearly beyond 100 ft even in bright light. Its sense of hearing is normal and it prefers not to touch anything living or dead except for its prey. It cannot tolerate any taste except the flesh of its own original race. It craves it, sometimes to the point of single-mindedness. If a particular prey creature has eluded it several times, the wendigo will memorize its smell. If it detects that particular scent nearby, the wendigo will stop whatever it's doing, including combat risking opportunity attacks, to hunt down that prey.
Ambusher. Wendigo has advantage on attack rolls against any creature it has surprised.
Mimicry. The wendigo can mimic any sounds it has heard, including the voices of children and adult humans. A creature that hears the sounds can tell they are imitations with a successful DC 14 Wisdom (Insight) check.
Masks of the Wild. The wendigo can attempt to hide even when it is only lightly obscured by foliage, falling snow, mist, or other natural phenomena. But it has disadvantage during heavy rain and/or if thunder and lightning are present.
Magic Resistance. The wendigo has advantage in saving throws against magic attacks.
Flesh Consumption. The wendigo temporarily gains 1d8 hit points after consuming living humanoid flesh and 1d6 temporary hit points after consuming dead humanoid flesh. It only regains 1d4 hit points from consuming flesh from any other creature, living or dead.
Aura of Starvation. The wendigo is in a constant state of starvation and this is projected to the environment around it. Any living creature within a 120 ft radius of the monster must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or be frightened. If the creature is near fire, then they have advantage for this saving throw. The creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of their turns, ending the frightened condition on itself with a success. Once passed, the creature becomes immune to the wendigo's aura for 24 hours.
However, if the creature fails the saving throw, it must roll 1d4 and suffer one of the following consequences:
4 - The creature rolls with disadvantage on all saving throws until they pass their repeated Con save, the wendigo leaves, or the wendigo is defeated.
3 - The creature flees the area of the wendigo in fright, unable to stop until it starts raining, or it passes its initial Con save.
2 - The creature freezes in terror and becomes unable to move until it is passes its Con save or it takes damage.
1 - The creature feels an insatiable gnawing hunger in their stomach and begins to desire humanoid flesh. If this occurs, the creature must roll a DC 10 Wisdom saving throw once every other round if in combat or once a minute until they pass their initial repeated Con save. Otherwise, this effect ends when the wendigo leaves, when the wendigo dies, or when they give in and eat humanoid flesh.
These effects can be reversed at any time with a greater restoration spell.
Multiattack. The wendigo makes three attacks: two with its claw and one with its bite. Alternatively, it uses its bite twice and cannot use its claws.
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (2d6 + 3) slashing damage.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (2d6 + 2) piercing damage and 10 (3d6) necrotic damage. The wendigo regains hit points equal to necrotic damage dealt, unless the target is a construct or undead.
Horrifying howl (3/day). Each creature within 25 ft of the wendigo must pass a DC 12 Wisdom saving throw or become disoriented has disadvantage on all attack and saving throws for one round. The creature may repeat this saving throw at the end of each of their turns. If the creature passes the initial save, the creature gains advantage for on all attack and saving throws for one round or until their next turn. If the creatures fails the Con save 3 times in a row, they take 6 points psychic damage and the frightened condition ends.
Description
Lore. The wendigo is a very rare creature that thrives in places where fear and starvation are prevalent. But both must have existed in tandem long enough for the darker aspects of the living (i.e. hate, anger, fear, despair) pervade even the landscape itself. Should a humanoid crumble under the weight of one or any combination of those emotions while starving and then eat the flesh of a humanoid of the save race, then the irreversible transformation begins and a wendigo is born.
The wendigo are solitary by nature. They have no desire to procreate. They know nothing except anger at their fall to depravity, hate for the their prey who never starve, unquenchable hunger for humanoid flesh, and the unconquerable fear of fire. They cannot be reasoned with and cannot be charmed. They will hunt by night or day in whatever environment they choose as their hunting ground.
This wendigo was once a ranger who appeared in Barovia with their party of 4. They materialized in the snow and ice on the slopes of Mount Ghakis. Although they found some shelter in the front tunnel of the Amber Temple, their rations dwindled to nothing. One party member froze to death and was given a pseudo-burial in the snow. But the ranger refused to give in so easily, went out into the icy mountain that night, and devoured their dead friend. This triggered the transformation into a wendigo.
The two party members left, saw the change in their ranger and fled in fear for their lives. The ranger-turned-wendigo hunted them relentlessly, but they escaped through Tsolenka Pass. Furious at its failure to hunt, the wendigo has haunted the slopes of Mount Ghakis, eventually venturing out into the Fields of Ravenloft to hunt for the ones that escaped and to sate its bottomless stomach, forever curse to starve.
Lair and Lair Actions
Lair. The wendigo prefers cold, damp, and dark places to hide and appreciate its meal alone. It will keep its prey alive for as long as possible to preserve the fresh meat. But should it prey die, the cold will help increase its shelf life. The wendigo may have temporary hideouts, but it will always have one, true lair.
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