Large elemental, neutral evil
Armor Class 15 (Natural Armor)
Armor Class (suggested) 15 (front and flank), 17 (rear)
Hit Points 90 (12d10+24)
Speed 30 ft.
Proficiency Bonus +3
Proficiency Bonus +5 (5th Edition Advanced Mode)
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 (+4) | 14 (+2) | 15 (+2) | 11 (+0) | 10 (+0) | 12 (+1) |
Saving Throws (suggested) Str +7
Condition Immunities (suggested) charmed, paralyzed
Damage Resistance bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
Damage Immunities fire
Damage Vulnerabilities cold
Senses Darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10
Languages Ignan
Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)
Heated Body. A creature that touches the salamander or hits it with a melee attack while within 5 ft. of it takes 7 (2d6) fire damage.
Heated Weapons. Any metal melee weapon the salamander wields deals an extra 3 (1d6) fire damage on a hit (included in the attack).
ACTIONS
- Multiattack. The salamander makes two attacks, one with its spear and one with its tail.
- Spear (two-handed). Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) piercing damage plus 3 (1d6) fire damage.
- Spear (one-handed). Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) piercing damage plus 3 (1d6) fire damage.
- Spear. Ranged Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) piercing damage plus 3 (1d6) fire damage.
- Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) bludgeoning damage plus 7 (2d6) fire damage. The target is grappled (escape DC 14) Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained, the salamander can automatically hit the target with its tail, and the salamander can’t make tail attacks against other targets
5th Edition Advanced Mode
Limiting the power of a character and making the overall difficulty of the game harder, does not reduce the creativity, indeed it does quite the opposite.
The Game Master has the option to use any and all of the instances proposed in this guide, or just some of them according to their preference.
It is the lack of something that move and motivate characters, not the abundance of it
DESCRIPTION
A fire salamander is a large, reptilian creature with a humanoid torso and a snake-like lower body. Its skin is covered in red and orange scales, and its eyes glow with an inner fire. A fire salamander has two arms that end in clawed hands, and a long, whip-like tail that can grasp and constrict its foes. A fire salamander’s body radiates intense heat, and any metal weapon it wields becomes red-hot and sears its enemies with fire.
A fire salamander originates from the Elemental Plane of Fire, a realm of endless flame and scorching heat. These cruel, evil creatures come to the Prime Material plane for reasons known only to them. The head and torso of a fire salamander is copper-colored and has a human-like appearance. Most of the time, this aspect is a male, with flaming beard and moustache. The female version has flowing, fiery red hair. Both aspects have glowing yellow eyes that sometimes switch to fluorescent green. All aspects carry a shiny metal spear, resembling highly polished steel.
The lower torso is that of a large snake, with orange coloring shading to dull red at the tail end. The entire body is covered with wispy appendages that appear to burn but are never consumed.
COMBAT
A fire salamander is a fierce and aggressive combatant, preferring to fight with its spear and tail in close quarters. A fire salamander’s spear is a metal polearm with a curved blade at one end and a hook at the other, allowing it to slash, stab, and trip its opponents. A fire salamander’s tail is a powerful weapon that can bludgeon, grapple, and burn its enemies. A fire salamander can also spit globs of flaming saliva at distant foes, or breathe a cone of fire if surrounded by multiple enemies.
A fire salamander can be affected only by magical weaponry or by creatures of a magical nature. They are impervious to all fire-based attacks. A favorite fire salamander tactic, if the creature is encountered in a lava pit or roaring fire, is to grab its opponents and hurl them into the flames. The victim would naturally take damage from contact with the fire salamander, then take even more from being thrown inside a roaring conflagration.
A fire salamander is vulnerable to cold damage, which can slow it down and weaken its fiery abilities. A fire salamander is resistant to nonmagical physical damage, and immune to fire damage. A fire salamander can also sense heat and see in the dark, making it adept at hunting in dark and hot environments.
HABITAT / SOCIETY
A fire salamander lives in groups called clans. A clan is led by a noble salamander, a larger and more intelligent variant of the fire salamander. A noble salamander commands respect and loyalty from its clan members, and often has several consorts and offspring. A clan may also include other creatures that serve the noble salamander, such as azers, efreeti, or mephits.
A fire salamander clan is territorial and hostile to intruders, especially those who threaten its sources of heat or treasure. A fire salamander clan may also raid nearby settlements or caravans for food, slaves, or metal. A fire salamander clan may ally with other clans or elemental creatures for mutual benefit or protection, but such alliances are often unstable and prone to betrayal.
A fire salamander clan prefers temperatures of 300 degrees or more; they can abide lower temperatures for only a few hours. Their lairs are typically at least 500 degrees. Any treasure found there is the sort that can survive this heat, such as swords, armor, rods, other ferrous items, and jewels. Things of a combustible nature, such as parchment and wood, soft metals such as gold and silver, and liquids, which quickly boil away, are never found in fire salamander lairs.
Having a nasty disposition and an evil bent, fire salamanders respect only power, either the ability to resist their fire or the capability to do great damage. Anyone else is dealt a painful, slow, burning death. It is rumored that they have some sort of dealings with the efreeti.
When encountered on the Prime plane, fire salamanders can be found playing in forest fires, lava flows, fire pits, and other areas of extreme heat. They usually appear on the Prime plane for a purpose, and if in the middle of a task they do not take kindly to being interrupted.
ECOLOGY
A fire salamander is a carnivorous creature that feeds on any living or dead flesh it can find. A fire salamander prefers cooked meat over raw meat, and often uses its fire abilities to roast its prey before eating it. A fire salamander can also consume metal objects as a source of minerals and heat.
A fire salamander reproduces by laying eggs that hatch into smaller versions of itself called fire snakes. A fire snake is a worm-like creature that resembles a miniature fire salamander without arms or legs. A fire snake grows into a full-sized fire salamander after ten years of feeding and maturing. Some fire snakes never grow into fire salamanders, but remain as loyal pets or guardians for their parent.
A fire salamander is an elemental creature that embodies the destructive and chaotic aspects of fire. A fire salamander enjoys burning things for fun or profit, and has little regard for the consequences of its actions. A fire salamander is also proud and arrogant, believing itself to be superior to other creatures. A fire salamander may respect those who show strength or cunning, but will not hesitate to betray or enslave those who are weak or foolish.
These fiery creatures’ ichor is useful in the creation of potions of fire resistance, and the metal of their spears can be used to create rings of fire resistance.
Fire Salamander is employed as component to empower the following spells: