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The Hollow-Prowler - AI-generated fantasy Monster

The Hollow-Prowler

Local woodsmen speak of a 'shadow that limps' through the Silk-Wood. Unlike most of its kind, the Hollow-Prowler has survived dozens of venomous bites, building a unique resistance to the toxins of the canopy-dwellers. It is said to be smarter than a common beast, capable of recognizing individual hunters who have escaped it before.

Monsters
Large monstrosity · Hard · Unique

The Hollow-Prowler

A veteran scavenger displacer beast that has adapted to life beneath giant spider colonies, covered in scars and obsessed with territorial dominance.
AC14
HP93/93
CRHard
Init
STR
DEX
CON
INT
WIS
CHA
ConditionsNone

Combat

AC 14 · HP 93 · Hard

The Hollow-Prowler

Large monstrosity (fey-touched), lawful evil
Armor Class14 (natural armor)
Hit Points93 (11d10 + 33)
Speed
40 ft.,
climb 20 ft.
STR
DEX
CON
INT
WIS
CHA
Saving ThrowsDexterityConstitution
SkillsStealthPerceptionSurvival
Damage Resistances
Poison
Immunities
None
Weaknesses
None
Senses
darkvision 60 ft.,
passive Perception 14
Languages
None (understands Sylvan but cannot speak)
ChallengeHard
Proficiency Bonus+2
Avoidance. If the Hollow-Prowler is subjected to an effect that allows it to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, it instead takes no damage if it succeeds on the saving throw, and only half damage if it fails.
Displacement. The Hollow-Prowler projects a magical illusion that makes it appear to be standing near its actual location, causing attack rolls against it to have disadvantage. If it takes damage, this trait is disrupted until the end of its next turn. This trait is also disrupted while the beast is incapacitated or has a speed of 0.
Spider-Scarred Resilience. The Hollow-Prowler has advantage on saving throws against being poisoned or restrained by webbing.

Actions

Multiattack. The Hollow-Prowler makes two attacks with its tentacles.
Tentacle. Melee Weapon Attack: to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 8 () bludgeoning damage plus 3 () piercing damage from the serrated ridges.
Crushing Coils (Recharge 5-6). Melee Weapon Attack: to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 13 () bludgeoning damage and the target is Grappled (escape ). Until this grapple ends, the target is Restrained and takes 7 () bludgeoning damage at the start of each of the Hollow-Prowler's turns.

Reactions

Scuttling Shift. When a creature misses the Hollow-Prowler with a melee attack, the beast can move up to half its speed without provoking opportunity attacks.
Role
Stalker / Ambush Predator
Built for
4

Gear

  • Broken Spider-Fang Collar (Trophy, 15 gp (as curios))A collection of giant spider mandibles tied around its neck with old silk.

Feats

Athlete
Tough

Notes for the game master

CR 4
Displacement makes it much tankier than its AC suggests
The Scuttling Shift reaction allows it to reposition frequently

Tactics

  1. Opening

    It begins the encounter hidden in the brush, using its high Stealth to get close to the party's backline. It targets the smallest or most injured member first.

  2. Mid-fight

    It uses its tentacles to strike from reach, trying to trigger its Scuttling Shift to stay out of the melee fighters' reach while maintaining its Displacement bonus.

  3. End of the fight

    If a target is isolated, it uses Crushing Coils to finish them off and begins dragging the body away toward the dense thorns.

  4. Retreat

    If its Displacement is permanently suppressed or it falls below 25 hit points, it lets out a raspy hiss and retreats into the dense spider-webs of the upper canopy where it knows the pathing better than the players.

How it fights

Stay at 10-foot reach to force enemies to move and provoke Scuttling Shift
Focus on targets wearing light or no armor
Utilize cover from large trees to hide after attacking if Displacement is down

Who it attacks first

Weakened or wounded travelers
Small-sized humanoids
Spellcasters lacking heavy armor

Works well with

Giant Spiders (the beast waits for them to poison a target then steals the kill)
Ettercaps (the beast follows them to clean up their traps)

How to beat it

Area of effect spells that deal damage and suppress Displacement (e.g. Fireball, Spirit Guardians)
Faerie Fire (negates Displacement)
Magic Missile (guaranteed hit to drop Displacement for a turn)

Ways to avoid a fight

The party can offer a large quantity of meat (at least a deer's worth) to distract the beast and pass through its territory.
A successful DC 15 Animal Handling check while offering food might make it indifferent for 1 hour.

Ecology

A massive, panther-like creature with six legs and shimmering blue-black fur that seems to blur at the edges. Its body is heavily marred by circular spider-bite scars and deep, ragged furrows. One ear is jaggedly notched, and it smells of pine needles and decay. Two thick, muscular tentacles sprout from its shoulders, tipped with serrated, horny ridges.

Behavior

It moves with a calculated limp that does not affect its speed, keeping low to the ground to avoid detection from the canopy above. It is intensely jealous of its scavenging grounds, viewing any other hunters or travelers as thieves trying to steal the spider-dropped carcasses it relies on.

How it lives

The Hollow-Prowler lives in a symbiotic, yet antagonistic, relationship with the forest's giant spiders. It waits for the spiders to drop drained husks or partially paralyzed prey, rushing in to claim the remains before other scavengers arrive.

Lair

A hollowed-out, rotten cedar tree trunk surrounded by a 'fence' of discarded bones and dry silk webbing.

Habitat
Old-growth forests, specifically those infested with giant spiders or ettercaps.

Signs that it is near

Blurry, overlapping tracks that look like eight paws instead of six
Hollowed-out carcasses of deer with strangely crushed ribcages
Chunks of displacer beast fur caught in low-hanging web-strands
The sound of heavy breathing that seems to come from five feet away from where it actually is

Tags

Scavenger,
Displacer Beast,
Territorial

Lore

Local woodsmen speak of a 'shadow that limps' through the Silk-Wood. Unlike most of its kind, the Hollow-Prowler has survived dozens of venomous bites, building a unique resistance to the toxins of the canopy-dwellers. It is said to be smarter than a common beast, capable of recognizing individual hunters who have escaped it before.

What drives it

To secure its territory and ensure its next meal by eliminating any perceived competition.

After the fight

Once killed, the local giant spiders become much more aggressive and bold, as their primary terrestrial predator and scavenger is no longer keeping the forest floor clear.

“Unlike most of its kind, the Hollow-Prowler has survived dozens of venomous bites, building a unique resistance to the toxins of the canopy-dwellers.”
From its lore

Variants

Web-Wrapped Hollow-Prowler: Can shoot a web (replaces Crushing Coils) as per the Giant Spider statblock.
Fey-Touched Prowler: Can use Misty Step once per short rest.

Hooks

Plot hooks

A local hunter's lucky notched-ear hat was stolen by a 'blur in the woods' and he wants it back.
The party finds a path blocked by strange, mangled carcasses that 'nothing in this forest should be able to kill'.
An herbalist is being stalked by a shadow that matches her every move but never strikes.

How to use it

Solo boss for level 3 party
Elite hunter for level 5 party
Part of a chaotic three-way battle between the party, the beast, and giant spiders

Treasure

The beast's shimmering pelt (worth 250 gp to a skilled tanner or wizard)
A partially digested signet ring (worth 50 gp) found in its lair
6x Giant Spider fangs

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