Okavango Trickster
Medium Fey, Chaotic Neutral
Armor Class: 14 (Natural Armor)
Hit Points: 38 (7d8 + 7)
Speed: 40 ft., climbing 30 ft.
Challenge Rating: 2 (450 XP)
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | 18 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 17 |
Saving Throws: Dexterity +6, Intelligence +5, Wisdom +4
Skills: Acrobatics +8, Deception +6, Perception +4, Stealth +8
Damage Vulnerabilities: none
Damage Resistances: Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing damage from nonmagical attacks
Damage Immunities: Poison, Psychic
Condition Immunities: Charmed, Frightened
Senses: Darkvision 60 ft., Truesight 10 ft., Keen Smell
Languages: Understands Sylvan and Elvish but cannot speak
Spellcasting
Spellcasting. The Okavango Trickster is a 3rd-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 13, +5 to hit with spell attacks). The Okavango Trickster has the following spells prepared:
Cantrips (at will): *Minor Illusion*, *Druidcraft*
1st level (3 slots): *Entangle*, *Faerie Fire*
2nd level (2 slots): *Pass without Trace*, *Barkskin*
**Descriptions:**
– **Cantrips (at will):**
– *Minor Illusion:* The Okavango Trickster can create a sound or an image of an object within range that lasts for 1 minute. It loves to use this cantrip to distract or confuse intruders.
– *Druidcraft:* The Trickster can create a miraculous display of nature, such as changing the weather in a small area, which it often uses to enhance its playful nature.
– **1st level (3 slots):**
– *Entangle:* The Trickster can call upon nature to hinder intruders, causing grasses and plants in a 20-foot square to ensnare foes (DC 13 Strength saving throw).
– *Faerie Fire:* It can outline enemies in a glowing light, giving advantage on attack rolls against them for the duration.
– **2nd level (2 slots):**
– *Pass without Trace:* The Trickster can create a veil of shadows and silences, allowing itself and its allies within 30 feet to move through the woods stealthily, providing a +10 bonus to Dexterity (Stealth) checks and making them nearly impossible to detect.
– *Barkskin:* It can use the enchantment to toughen its own skin, increasing its Armor Class to 16 for the duration, reinforcing its playful but deceptive nature during encounters.
**Notes:**
The Okavango Trickster can cast *Entangle* or *Faerie Fire* before combat to set the stage for its mischievous games, using its environment to create advantages or confuse opponents. It often employs *Pass without Trace* when fleeing or ambushing intruders, taking full advantage of its woodland home.
Actions & Abilities
Claw Attack: Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Hit: 1d6 + 2 slashing damage.
Description: The Trickster swipes at a target with its powerful claws, using its agility to deliver a quick and precise strike.
Toss Fruit: Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, range 30 ft., one target.
Hit: 1d4 bludgeoning damage.
Effect: The target must succeed on a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw or be knocked prone by the sudden impact of a tossed fruit or pebble.
Description: With a playful flick of its wrist, the Trickster hurls a small fruit or stone, catching its opponents off guard and potentially bringing them down.
Illusory Terrain (Recharge 5-6): Action: The Trickster creates an illusory terrain effect within 30 feet of itself.
Effect: This can obscure obstacles, alter the appearance of the landscape, or create phantom walls. Affected targets must make a DC 13 Intelligence saving throw to see through the illusion.
Description: The air shimmers around the Trickster as it weaves illusions, transforming the environment to confuse and mislead those it deems a threat.
Nature’s Trickery (1/Day): Bonus Action: The Trickster can choose itself or an ally within 30 feet.
Effect: Target gains advantage on the next attack roll or ability check it makes.
Description: A surge of natural magic flows from the Trickster, inspiring confidence in its companions or itself, as the woodland seems to rise in support of their cause.
Mischievous Leap: Action: The Trickster makes an Acrobatics check to leap into trees or across difficult terrain.
Effect: If successful, it gains advantage on Stealth checks until the beginning of its next turn.
Description: With a blend of agility and grace, it bounds into the trees, disappearing into the foliage, leaving only rustling leaves behind as it prepares to ambush next.
Dodge: As an action, the Trickster can take the Dodge action to increase its evasiveness, making it harder to hit until the start of its next turn.
Defensive Retreat: If the Trickster is reduced to half its hit points or lower, it can use its reaction to retreat hastily into the trees, gaining temporary advantage on Stealth checks until its next turn.
Climbing Speed: The Trickster has a climbing speed of 40 feet, allowing it to traverse through trees and terrain with ease, enhancing its mobility during combat.
Camouflage: When in natural woodland surroundings, the Trickster has advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks due to its fur blending with its environment.
Appearance
In the heart of the Okavango Delta, the Okavango Trickster embodies a mesmerizing blend of agility and intrigue, standing at about four feet tall yet often adopting a hunched, nimble posture that conceals its true robust form. Its silhouette is striking, merging the strength of a simian with the playful grace of a mythical jackalope, ensuring that it leaves an indelible mark on those fortunate enough to catch a glimpse.
The creature’s fur forms a stunning tapestry of dark chestnut interspersed with lighter patches, perfectly mirroring the dappled sunlight filtering through the thick underbrush of its lush environment. This coloration grants it exceptional camouflage, allowing it to weave effortlessly through its surroundings. Adorning its impressive branching antlers are vibrant flowers in shades of purple and blue, glowing with a soft luminescence, casting a magical aura that enchants onlookers, especially under the moonlit sky.
Soft and dense, the Trickster’s fur not only offers insulation from the cooler air of the night but also retains moisture, reinforcing its deep connection to the verdant Delta. Patches of moss and lichen cling to its coat, enhancing its organic appeal and camouflage, allowing it to blend even further into the natural landscape.
Its wide, expressive face is a canvas of intelligence, featuring large, shimmering emerald-green eyes that radiate with mischief. Framed by elongated eyelashes, these eyes express a playful charm, hinting at the creature’s cunning nature. Below, its mouth displays small, sharp teeth, often curled into a grin that balances allure and an underlying predatory instinct. Its elongated snout and long, twitching ears capture the delicate sounds of the woodland, embodying alertness and curiosity.
The Okavango Trickster’s limbs are long and powerful, well-suited for both acrobatic leaps and delicate manipulations of its environment. Its large, dexterous paws, equipped with retractable claws, offer both agility and strength, allowing it to navigate its habitat with remarkable ease. Slender yet muscular legs facilitate swift, graceful movements, whether leaping between branches or darting through the underbrush, emphasizing its whimsical nature.
Most captivating are its elegant antlers, rising like a crown from its head, adorned with phosphorescent flowers that emit an enchanting glow. This magical feature not only enhances its beauty but also serves a protective purpose, casting a soothing veil over allies nearby, guarding them from fear and enchantment. The slight shimmer surrounding the flowers adds an ethereal quality, evoking a sense of wonder and enchantment.
As the Trickster moves, it embodies a graceful dance, swift and fluid, navigating its territory with stealth and unpredictable flair. Its characteristic hunched posture resonates with the essence of mischief, making it as elusive as it is alluring. In this striking pose, the Okavango Trickster stands poised to enchant and intrigue, an embodiment of nature’s magic and mystery wrapped in a tapestry of color and light.
Tactical Information
Okavango Trickster – Tactical Information
Behavior in Day-to-Day Life:
The Okavango Trickster thrives in the rich, chaotic beauty of the Okavango Delta, moving seamlessly among the plants and shadows. Each day, it champions the balance of the ecosystem, playfully interacting with both flora and fauna. Its existence dances between protector and prankster, driving it to ensure that the natural order remains undisturbed while expressing its whims in charming yet perplexing ways.
The Trickster often engages in elaborate games with nearby animals, encouraging them to participate in mimicry and playful encounters. This enriches their bond with the surrounding ecosystem. Its keen intelligence makes it an adept problem solver—often it sets challenges for creatures that infringe upon its territory, testing their intent rather than launching a direct confrontation.
For sustenance, the Trickster forages for fruits and nuts, enjoying an occasional nibble of flowers, particularly the vibrant plants that grow atop its antlers. It possesses a lore-like relationship with the land, returning to favorite spots to bask in the sun or to create new illusions. Trees and thickets become both its playground and sanctuary, where it combines its instincts for self-preservation with a desire to ensure harmony in the wild.
Combat Behavior:
When the Okavango Trickster feels threatened, the air around it becomes charged with a distinct energy, shifting from playful to cunning in an instant. During combat, the Trickster relies on its agility and environment to turn the tide rather than facing foes head-on. It prefers to observe enemies first, evaluating their strengths and weaknesses, while preparing its illusory tools for battle.
The ideal initiation for the Trickster is through a sudden disappearance, creating confusion among foes by vanishing into the foliage. The Illusory Terrain ability becomes integral at this point, allowing it to mislead attackers into the dangers of hidden thorns or turbulent waters as they chase after imaginary shadows.
Once engaged, the Trickster uses its Mischievous Leap to stay mobile, darting around the battlefield, leaping from trees, and maintaining a constant distance from enemies to avoid being caught. In a tactical retreat, it can cleverly feign injury before bursting back into the trees, leaving behind a flurry of illusions to distort its actual path.
The Trickster prefers to target opponents that seem wise or methodical, like spellcasters or rogues that don’t fall for its tricks. When outnumbered, it relies heavily on its abilities to confuse, retreating when necessary. With its shimmering antlers, it bolsters allies for both reassurance and encouragement, ensuring they remain unfazed even amid attacks.
In a predicative twist, if the Trickster senses combat is going poorly, it may call forth woodland creatures, using Nature’s Trickery to instill courage in its allies, boosting their morale against more formidable foes. As a guardian of the wild, it understands when to pull back, seeing itself as a challenge rather than a conqueror.
Roleplay/Narrative Interactions:
In non-combat situations, the Okavango Trickster is a spirit of delight, embodying playful curiosity that encourages interaction rather than hostility. It communicates through an array of gestures and mischievous expressions, its wide eyes sparkling with intelligence and impish charm. The Trickster is known for its penchant for riddles or games, often testing intruders to determine their intent.
When adventurers first encounter the Trickster, it may observe them from a distance, mimicking their gestures or playfully moving just out of reach. If approached cautiously, the Trickster could scamper closer, perhaps prompting a social test—like attempting a dance or performing a quirky trick of its own to gauge their reactions.
Should a threat arise, the Trickster displays a blend of courage and caution. Its interactions turn lighthearted but can swiftly shift if it perceives hostility. Rather than an outright confrontation, it might engage in a witty back-and-forth, coaxing adventurers into revealing their true goals. In cases of bribes, the Trickster may respond positively to offerings of food or tricks—accepting simple gifts as signs of good will while just as likely setting playful traps to test their sincerity.
Upon cornering or pressuring it into a corner, the Trickster can become feisty, using hissing sounds and dramatic leaps to escape rather than fighting directly. It might lead its pursuers into a confusing dance of illusions, misdirecting them until it vanishes. Given its dualistic nature of desire to protect and entertain, the Trickster’s demeanor remains humorously enchanting—even when evading adversity. If adventurers gain the Trickster’s trust through genuine interaction, it may lead them to hidden treasures or uncover secrets of the woodland, enriching their experience with the wonders of the natural world.
