Prismokai
Large Aberration, Chaotic Neutral
Armor Class: 16 (natural armor)
Hit Points: 100 (12d10 + 36)
Speed: 40 ft., Climb 30 ft.
Challenge Rating: 7 (2,900 XP)
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | 20 | 16 | 12 | 15 | 18 |
Saving Throws: Strength +7, Dexterity +9, Constitution +7, Wisdom +6, Charisma +8
Skills: Stealth +13, Perception +6, Deception +8, Acrobatics +9
Damage Vulnerabilities: none
Damage Resistances: Radiant; Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from Nonmagical Attacks
Damage Immunities: Psychic
Condition Immunities: Charmed, Frightened
Senses: Blindsight 60 ft., Darkvision 120 ft., Truesight 30 ft., Passive Perception 16
Languages: Understands Common and Primordial but cannot speak.
Spellcasting
Spellcasting. The Prismokai is a 5th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 15, +7 to hit with spell attacks). The Prismokai has the following spells prepared:
Cantrips (at will): *Dancing Lights*, *Minor Illusion*, *Prestidigitation*
1st level (3 slots): *Color Spray*, *Silent Image*
2nd level (3 slots): *Mirror Image*, *Misty Step*
3rd level (2 slots): *Hypnotic Pattern*, *Daylight*
The Prismokai often casts *Minor Illusion* and *Dancing Lights* to confuse and distract foes before combat. Its use of *Color Spray* and *Silent Image* allows it to hamper adventurers as they approach hidden treasures. Note that the Prismokai may utilize *Misty Step* to reposition during combat, enhancing its evasion tactics, while *Hypnotic Pattern* is typically reserved for when it is outnumbered, hoping to incapacitate multiple enemies in one striking burst. The strategic use of *Daylight* can scatter shadows and illuminate the battlefield, further enhancing its ability to control the environment.
Actions & Abilities
Multiattack: The Prismokai makes two attacks: one with its **Lethal Tongue Attack** and one with its **Claw Swipe**.
Lethal Tongue Attack: *Attack:* Ranged Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target.
– **Hit:** 2d6 piercing damage. The target must succeed on a DC 15 Strength saving throw or be pulled 10 feet closer to the Prismokai.
– **Description:** The Prismokai lashes out with its bioluminescent tongue, striking unexpectedly at a target, ensnaring them with surprising speed and precision.
Claw Swipe: *Attack:* Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target.
– **Hit:** 2d8 + 4 slashing damage.
– **Description:** As the Prismokai strikes, it swipes its powerful claws with elegant precision, utilizing its agility to avoid detection before delivering a devastating blow.
Reflective Aura (Recharge 5-6): The Prismokai unleashes a dazzling display of shifting lights in a 30-foot radius. Each creature in that area must make a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw.
– **On a failed save:** The target is blinded until the end of its next turn and takes 3d8 radiant damage.
– **On a successful save:** The target takes half damage and is not blinded.
– **Description:** The Prismokai radiates an aura of refracted light, creating a mesmerizing but deadly spectacle that disorients and harms foes caught within its shine.
Mirage Dance (Recharge 5-6): As an action, the Prismokai can create an illusion affecting up to three creatures it can see within 60 feet. Each target must succeed on a DC 15 Intelligence saving throw or be temporarily blinded and confused, suffering penalties to attack rolls and ability checks until the end of their next turn.
– **Description:** The Prismokai shifts its form into an array of colorful patterns, inducing hallucinations and distracting its enemies, rendering them vulnerable to its assaults.
Ambush Predator (Tactic): The Prismokai deals an additional 2d8 damage with its **Lethal Tongue Attack** or **Claw Swipe** if the target is surprised.
– **Description:** Exploiting its ability to camouflage, the Prismokai waits until the opportune moment to strike, catching the unsuspecting adversary off-guard and delivering a deadly attack.
Dodge: The Prismokai can take the Dodge action as a bonus action on its turn.
– **Description:** Emphasizing its agile form, the Prismokai becomes elusive, making it harder for enemies to land a hit as it gracefully evades potential threats.
Illusionary Evasion: When an attacker that the Prismokai can see hits it with an attack, it can use its reaction to impose disadvantage on the roll, as it momentarily creates an illusion around itself to misdirect the attack.
– **Description:** The Prismokai’s mastery of light allows it to trick foes with a flicker of color, avoiding the brunt of incoming attacks through clever illusions.
Hypnotic Flicker (Costs 2 Actions): The Prismokai can cause a target within 60 feet to make a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the creature is charmed until the end of its next turn and must use its turn to move towards the Prismokai.
– **Description:** The Prismokai briefly flashes brilliant colors, entrancing the target’s senses and leading them to act against their better judgement.
Color Shift (Costs 1 Action): The Prismokai magically changes its coloration to become invisible until the start of its next turn or until it attacks.
– **Description:** Utilizing its natural camouflage capabilities, the Prismokai effortlessly blends into the surroundings, making it a ghostly presence in the desert sands.
Appearance
In the shimmering expanse of the desert, the Prismokai stands as a towering figure, reaching an impressive height of 7 feet with a lean, serpentine build. Its elongated limbs and graceful contours create a striking silhouette that blends beauty with an unsettling air of majesty. Poised magnificently, the Prismokai surveys its surroundings, embodying both elegance and a sense of latent power.
The creature’s coloration is a breathtaking kaleidoscope of iridescent hues. Shifting effortlessly from dazzling golds to deep azure and warm sandy browns, it captures the essence of the sun’s rays and the shifting sands. The glossy scales reflect light like fine gemstones, creating an optical symphony that can dazzle the eyes of onlookers and prey alike. Intricate patterns reminiscent of stained glass decorate each unique scale, contributing to the creature’s enchanting appearance while also serving as a natural camouflage against the shifting backdrop of its environment.
As you gaze upon the Prismokai’s face, you’re immediately drawn to its large, multifaceted eyes. They glisten with vibrant colors, reflecting a heightened awareness of the world around it. With a wide mouth framed by sharp, translucent teeth, the Prismokai exudes both allure and danger. Its long, flexible tongue, glowing softly with luminescent hues, flickers in and out, mesmerizing and enticing those who dare to approach.
The creature’s limbs, four slender appendages ending in claw-like fingers, exhibit dexterity and grace. Each claw is sharply tapered, expertly designed for both climbing and ambushing. The agile limbs allow it to navigate the most challenging terrains with ease, while a long, sleek tail unfurls behind, enhancing its balance and fluid movements. In moments of stealth, the Prismokai can flatten its body against the ground, blending seamlessly into its surroundings.
Adding to its captivating nature is the creature’s remarkable bioluminescent tongue that glows in various colors, used both to allure prey and communicate with others of its kind. As it moves, the shimmering patterns across its scales pulse in a mesmerizing dance of light, capable of creating stunning visual illusions that disorient potential threats. Each marking on its skin hints at ancient scripts, whispering secrets from celestial origins, making it a guardian of profound desert legends.
Displaying an elegant and agile posture, the Prismokai strikes a dynamic pose as it prepares to strike or ambush. Every movement is a fluid blend of grace and power, reminiscent of dancing shadows. When it activates its Reflective Aura, a subtle, pulsating glow emanates from within its core, further enhancing its otherworldly presence. The Prismokai is a creature that transcends mere physical beauty, embodying the allure and dangers of the arid landscapes it roams, a living legend cloaked in vivid colors and magical vibrance.
Tactical Information
Behavior in Day-to-Day Life:
The Prismokai thrives in the shimmering expanse of the desert, where the intense sunlight dances across a landscape filled with mirages. During the day, it can often be found basking in the golden rays, allowing its scales to reflect the vibrant colors of the sun or the fleeting shadows of clouds. Primarily a solitary creature, it maintains its territory fiercely, marking bounds with shimmering trails through sand and rock that only perceptive wanderers can discern. The Prismokai exhibits a cunning intelligence, watching for intruders and potential threats from its concealed vantage points, using its Color Shift ability to become nearly invisible among the dunes.
For sustenance, the Prismokai relies on the small creatures that inhabit the desert, using its Lethal Tongue to snatch them from the sandy expanse. However, it also possesses a more opportunistic streak, luring greedy adventurers towards its hidden oasis with mesmerizing displays of light, serving both as hunter and guardian of the sacred site. These displays are not merely for show; they serve a dual purpose, as the Prismokai feeds on the egos and fears of those who seek its hidden treasures, reveled in knowing they will never truly understand the secrets of the oasis.
Combat Behavior:
In combat, the Prismokai embodies the essence of cunning ambush and deceptive tactics. When it senses intruders in its territory, it waits patiently, blending seamlessly into its surroundings using the Color Shift ability. With its significant stealth advantage, the Prismokai prefers to remain undetected until it has assessed its opponents, often favoring vulnerable or overconfident targets. Upon revealing itself, it strikes with speed—a combination of Lethal Tongue and swift, slashing attacks reinforced by its Ambush Predator tactic, dealing devastating damage to unsuspecting foes.
Once engaged, the Prismokai employs its Reflective Aura generously, utilizing blinding light to disorient and disable multiple opponents at once. It thrives in the chaos of battle, darting in and out of shadows, striking before retreating to safety—having decided whom to isolate next. Should the tide of battle turn against it, it deftly navigates environmental elements, using its agility to escape, regroup, or strike from a distance, always favoring the terrain that maximizes its advantage. If cornered or overwhelmed, it will unleash its Adaptable Wrath as a desperate measure to incapacitate foes and cover its retreat, transforming the vibrant colors of its scales into a dizzying explosion that momentarily steals the advantage back.
Roleplay/Narrative Interactions:
The Prismokai’s behavior during non-combat encounters is as alluring as it is treacherous. It seldom engages directly, preferring to keep its distance while observing intruders with its multifaceted eyes. Should wanderers approach its territory, they may first witness a series of enticing lights and colors that compel them to draw closer—a magical illusion designed to beguile the unwary into its domain. If approached, the Prismokai may emit curious sounds akin to chimes or tinkling crystals, utilizing a form of non-verbal communication that conveys both intrigue and warning.
If a party attempts diplomacy, the Prismokai’s motivations can become inscrutable. While it has no true spoken language, it can be responsive—offering cryptic gestures or illusions that may hint at its intentions or treasures nearby. Bribery in the form of precious items may amuse it, prompting it to reveal knowledge of the oasis, though it may only disclose fragments of crucial information. Should intruders display aggression or greed, the Prismokai’s behavior shifts dramatically; it becomes a shadow among shadows, a predator on the prowl, ready to ensnare the heart of the greedy.
If cornered, the Prismokai may initially feign innocence or desire to retreat; however, if its back is against the wall, it exhibits a fierce protective nature, unwilling to relinquish its secrets. In such moments, it channels its cryptic power into dazzling displays of light, reflecting the intensity of its dual nature—one part beautiful guardian, one part deadly beast—responding to the adventurers with a chilling elegance that leaves them uncertain of whether they are witnessing a grand spectacle or facing a perilous end.
