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Padfoot - AI-generated fantasy Monster

Padfoot

In Yorkshire tales, a barguest is a monstrous black dog whose appearance foretells death or misfortune. Padfoot has been mistaken for several such creatures over the years, and has encouraged the confusion when it suited him. He knows Ewan as an acquaintance, not a master, and may come to his aid while still refusing to explain his reasons. Padfoot used to terrorize roads, especially those traveled by the cruel, the boastful, or anyone who mistook a warning for a challenge.

Monsters
Large fey · CR 20 (25,000 XP), deadly solo threat for four level 20 characters · Unique

Padfoot

A Yorkshire barguest and uncanny black hound, once a terror of lonely roads and now an unpredictable acquaintance of Ewan.
AC19
HP285/285
CR20 (25,000 XP), deadly solo threat for four level 20 characters
Init
STR
DEX
CON
INT
WIS
CHA
ConditionsNone

Combat

AC 19 · HP 285 · CR 20 (25,000 XP), deadly solo threat for four level 20 characters

Padfoot

Large fey (barguest), neutral
Armor Class19 (natural armor)
Hit Points285 (30d12 + 90)
Speed
50 ft.,
Climb 30 ft.,
Padfoot can move across difficult terrain made of earth, stone, or vegetation without spending extra movement.
STR
DEX
CON
INT
WIS
CHA
Saving ThrowsDexterityConstitutionWisdomCharisma
SkillsIntimidationPerceptionStealthSurvival
Damage Resistances
Cold,
Fire,
Lightning,
Bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical attacks
Immunities
Necrotic damage,
Poison damage,
Charmed,
Exhaustion,
Frightened,
Poisoned
Weaknesses
Direct sunlight suppresses Padfoot's road-haunting escape powers and its Howl Along the Road.
Padfoot cannot teleport through a threshold warded against fey or teleportation magic.
It will not knowingly harm Ewan, though enemies can exploit that restraint.
Senses
Darkvision 120 ft.,
Truesight 30 ft.,
Passive Perception 22
Languages
Understands Common and Sylvan but cannot speak,
Telepathy 120 ft. (only with creatures it can see)
Challenge20 (25,000 XP), deadly solo threat for four level 20 characters
Hit Dice30d12
Proficiency Bonus+6
Initiative+8
Passive Perception22
Spell Save DC21
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). Padfoot has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Legendary Actions. Padfoot has three legendary actions, regaining them at the start of its turn. It can use only one legendary action at a time and only at the end of another creature's turn.
Unspoken Understanding. Padfoot can understand and communicate telepathically with any creature within 120 feet that it can see. It communicates in images, emotions, and brief impressions rather than words.
Between Worlds. Padfoot can enter or leave the Ethereal Plane as a bonus action. While on the Ethereal Plane, it can see and hear the Material Plane out to 60 feet.
Roadside Vanishing. When Padfoot is in dim light or darkness, it can take the Hide action as a bonus action. It has advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made in such conditions.
Mist-Bound Form. Padfoot can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch without squeezing. It cannot end its turn in another creature's space.
Sunlight Disquiet. In sunlight, Padfoot cannot use Howl Along the Road or Between Milestones, and it loses its resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical attacks. It still has its other resistances and immunities.
Old Road Sense. Padfoot knows the location of every road, path, bridge, and crossing within 1 mile, even if it has never visited the area. It can teleport between two such routes it can see within 120 feet, unless it is in sunlight.

Actions

Multiattack. Padfoot makes three attacks: one with its Bite and two with its Claws.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 25 () piercing damage plus 14 () necrotic damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or its hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the necrotic damage taken. This reduction lasts until the target finishes a long rest. The target dies if this effect reduces its hit point maximum to 0.
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 18 () slashing damage plus 7 () psychic damage.
Howl Along the Road (Recharge 5-6). Padfoot exhales a road-spanning howl in a 60-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, a creature takes 45 () psychic damage and is frightened for 1 minute. On a success, it takes half as much damage and is not frightened. A frightened creature repeats the save at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. A creature that succeeds on this save is immune to Padfoot's Howl for 24 hours. Padfoot can use this action only while it is not in sunlight.
Between Milestones (Recharge 4-6). Padfoot magically vanishes, reappearing in an unoccupied space it can see within 120 feet. Each creature of Padfoot's choice within 10 feet of the space it left or the space it enters takes 13 () psychic damage.

Reactions

Slip from the Way. When a creature Padfoot can see within 10 feet hits it with an attack, Padfoot halves the attack's damage against itself and moves up to 15 feet without provoking opportunity attacks.

Legendary Actions

Pace the Verge. Padfoot moves up to half its speed without provoking opportunity attacks.
Rake. Padfoot makes one Claw attack.
Omen in the Fog (costs 2 actions). One creature Padfoot can see within 60 feet must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be frightened of Padfoot until the end of its next turn. A creature that succeeds is immune to this effect for 24 hours.
Take the Old Way (costs 3 actions). Padfoot uses Between Milestones, if available. It cannot use this legendary action in sunlight.
Role
Mobile controller and supernatural road guardian
Built for
Four characters of level 20 for a deadly solo encounter; use as a recurring ally or noncombat presence at any level.

Notes for the game master

Padfoot is a custom creature inspired by Yorkshire barguest folklore, not a canonical 5E monster.
If Padfoot is reduced to 0 hit points outside sunlight, it vanishes instead of dying and reforms at a crossroads known to it after 1d10 days.
Padfoot's attacks are magical.

Tactics

  1. Opening

    Padfoot appears at the edge of the road, watches the party approach, and uses Howl Along the Road to frighten them into scattering. It prefers to begin by frightening rather than immediately killing.

  2. Mid-fight

    Use Howl Along the Road when several foes are within the cone. Bite the most dangerous isolated target, then use legendary movement to break away before the party can pin it down.

  3. End of the fight

    Once wounded, Padfoot uses Between Milestones to isolate a vulnerable target, then retreats through terrain or a route it has made impassable to pursuers. It does not fight to the death unless Ewan or the road itself is threatened.

  4. Retreat

    Padfoot leaves when reduced below 80 hit points, unless Ewan is in immediate danger or the party has trapped it away from every escape route. It can depart by its Vanishing Step trait without provoking opportunity attacks.

How it fights

Keep moving and use the battlefield's lanes, walls, and hedges to frustrate pursuit.
Use the Howl to divide the party, then focus on a target separated from allies.
Avoid trading attacks with several melee combatants at once.
Use legendary actions to reposition after enemy turns.

Who it attacks first

A creature threatening Ewan
A healer or spellcaster who is isolated
A frightened creature attempting to flee down the road
A creature that has restrained or cornered Padfoot

Works well with

Fog, darkness, and winding terrain make it easier for Padfoot to use its mobility without being surrounded.
A party or creature that can restrain targets makes Padfoot's Howl Along the Road more dangerous.
Ewan can influence whether Padfoot regards the party as guests, threats, or trespassers.

How to beat it

Bright sunlight suppresses its most frightening powers and its road-haunting escape magic.
Protection from evil and good, calm emotions, and similar effects can blunt its fear tactics.
Force Padfoot to fight in a confined space without nearby routes or open ground.
Spread out to reduce the number of characters caught in Howl Along the Road.

Ways to avoid a fight

Padfoot can lead the party along a hidden route if they offer a sincere apology to someone they have wronged on the road.
It can identify which traveler in a group is concealing a dangerous intention, though it may refuse to say how it knows.
It can serve as a courier between Ewan and someone who cannot safely meet him.
It can frighten away ordinary bandits simply by appearing at the road's edge.

Ecology

A colossal black hound with a broad, shaggy head, shoulders high as a pony, and eyes like two dim coals seen through fog. Its paws make no sound on stone, yet each step leaves a momentary impression of wet earth. A faint collar-shaped ring of pale fur circles its throat, though no collar can be found there.

Behavior

Padfoot comes and goes as it pleases, often appearing beside Ewan with the familiarity of an old acquaintance. It once terrorized travelers for sport, chasing riders until their horses broke or fled. Now it is watchful, proud, and difficult to command. It gives warnings in the form of a low growl, a blocked road, or a long stare before violence.

How it lives

Padfoot is sustained by old roads, local memory, and the fear travelers leave behind. It needs no food, but sometimes hunts deer or takes a little warmth from a carcass. It is not a natural predator and leaves ordinary wildlife largely undisturbed.

Lair

Padfoot has no fixed den. It favors an abandoned tollhouse, a stone bridge, or a stretch of road that seems longer at night than by day. While it is present, lantern flames lean away from the road and distant milestones appear to shift.

Habitat
Yorkshire moor roads, old coaching routes, crossroads, ruined causeways, and misty lanes between isolated villages.

Signs that it is near

A large set of paw prints begins and ends in the middle of a dry road.
Horses refuse to pass a particular stretch of lane, even when led.
A low, distant growl seems to come from just beyond the reach of lantern light.
Travelers recall seeing a black dog but disagree about its size and how long it followed them.

Tags

barguest,
black dog,
folklore,
road-haunter,
teleportation,
fear

Lore

In Yorkshire tales, a barguest is a monstrous black dog whose appearance foretells death or misfortune. Padfoot has been mistaken for several such creatures over the years, and has encouraged the confusion when it suited him. He knows Ewan as an acquaintance, not a master, and may come to his aid while still refusing to explain his reasons. Padfoot used to terrorize roads, especially those traveled by the cruel, the boastful, or anyone who mistook a warning for a challenge.

What drives it

To remain free, preserve the secrecy of the old roads, and decide for himself when Ewan deserves help. He takes an interest in travelers who show courage without cruelty.

After the fight

When Padfoot is defeated, its body collapses into black mist and the sound of paws recedes along an unseen road. It may return if its bargain with Ewan, or the road's unresolved history, remains unfinished.

“Padfoot has been mistaken for several such creatures over the years, and has encouraged the confusion when it suited him.”
From its lore

Variants

A gentler Padfoot may use its howl only to frighten trespassers away, dealing no damage unless directly attacked.
A wrathful Padfoot may be bound to a single road and unable to leave until an injustice there is corrected.
A twilight Padfoot can be encountered in a low-level story as a reduced-threat version with 120 hit points, AC 16, and no legendary actions.

Hooks

Plot hooks

Ewan asks the party to find Padfoot after the hound vanishes for longer than usual, but the villages along its old route are reporting fresh attacks.
A local magistrate offers a reward for Padfoot's head, unaware that the hound has been driving a more dangerous creature away from the road.
Travelers are found alive but unable to remember why they were fleeing. Padfoot insists it was warning them about a betrayal among their companions.
An old milestone has been uprooted, severing Padfoot's ability to appear on a stretch of road and trapping it in the mortal world.

How to use it

Use Padfoot as a wary ally, omen, or obstacle rather than an automatic boss fight.
Introduce it at a distance on a road at dusk, allowing the party to decide whether to approach, flee, or call out to Ewan.
A full CR 20 confrontation is suited to four characters of about 20th level, or a particularly well-equipped party of 17th to 19th level characters.
For a nonlethal meeting, have Padfoot test the party with a chase, a warning howl, or a demand that they turn back.

Treasure

A pale, collar-shaped ring of fur remains for a minute after Padfoot vanishes, then crumbles into ash.
A nearby abandoned tollhouse may contain old coins and a map marking roads that no longer exist.
Padfoot may offer information, safe passage, or a favor instead of accepting material treasure.

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