MEAZEL – 5e stats

Medium humanoid (meazel), neutral evil

Armor Class 13
Hit Points 35 (10d8 – 10)
Speed 30 ft

Proficiency Bonus +2
Proficiency Bonus +5 (5th Edition Advanced Mode)

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
8 (-1)	17 (+3)	9 (-1)	14 (+2)	13 (+1)	10 (+0)

Saving Throws (suggested) Dex +5
Skills Perception +3, Stealth +5
Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 13
Languages Common
Challenge 1 (200 XP)

Shadow Stealth. While in dim light or darkness, the meazel can take the Hide action as a bonus action.

ACTIONS

• Multiattack (suggested). The meazel can make two attacks with its clawed hnds or one attack with its weapon.
• Clawed Hand (suggested). Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d4 -1) slashing damage, plus 3 (1d6) necrotic damage.
• Garrote. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target of the meazel’s size or smaller. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) bludgeoning damage, and the target is grappled (escape DC 13 with disadvantage). Until the grapple ends, the target takes 10 (2d6 + 3) bludgeoning damage at the start of each of the meazel’s turns. The meazel can’t make weapon attacks while grappling a creature in this way.
• Garrote (suggested). Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target of Large size or smaller. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) bludgeoning damage, and the target is grappled (escape DC 13 with disadvantage). Until the grapple ends, the target takes 35 (10d6) bludgeoning damage at the start of each of the meazel’s turns. The meazel can’t make weapon attacks while grappling a creature in this way.
• Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) piercing damage, plus 3 (1d6) necrotic damage.
• Shortsword (suggested). Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) piercing damage.
• Shadow Teleport (Recharge 5-6). The meazel, any equipment it is wearing or carrying, and any creature it is grappling teleport to an unoccupied space within 500 feet of it, provided that the starting space and the destination are in dim light or darkness. The destination must be a place the meazel has seen before, but it need not be within line of sight. If the destination space is occupied, the teleportation leads to the nearest unoccupied space. Any other creature the meazel teleports becomes cursed by shadow for 1 hour. Until this curse ends, every undead and every creature native to the Shadowfell within 300 feet of the cursed creature can sense it, which prevents that creature from hiding from them.

DESCRIPTION

The meazel is a cruel and wicked creature that hunts down other subterranean dwellers or anyone else in the area. The meazel is slightly smaller than a human, with an average height of 4‒5 feet (1.2‒1.5 meters). Its skin ranges from light gray to dark green, but most meazels (85%) have patches of angry red color that cover most of their bodies. These patches are caused by a noncontagious skin disease that makes the meazel’s skin leprous and disfigured. The eyes are jet black and the thick, waxy hair is dark green-gray. The toes are partially webbed, giving the meazel a swampy appearance. Males and females are nearly identical in appearance and behavior.

COMBAT

Meazels attack with their clawed hands or their weapon. They can also use a cord to strangle a victim seven feet tall or shorter, if they can surprise them from behind. If they do this, a successful attack roll means the cord has wrapped around the victim’s throat; the victim will die in two rounds unless the meazel lets go or the victim breaks the cord or frees his throat. Meazels rarely attack openly. They prefer to hide, sneak up from behind, and then either strangle stragglers or pick pockets for gold.

HABITAT / SOCIETY

Meazels are solitary and reclusive creatures, rarely seen away from their lairs. They prefer marshes, caverns, or other cold, dark, damp places as sites to build their squalid homes. Such homes are disgustingly dirty. Each meazel’s possessions are gathered into a pile that also serves as the creature’s bed. Rats and insects overrun the mess, devour the leftovers, and also serve as snacks.

Meazels only congregate willingly for two reasons: the need for cooperation against a foe, and the infrequent urge to mate. Meazel females give birth to one or two whelps. The whelps are independent at three years and mature in six years. The whelps are incapable of being tamed even if captured at birth and raised in a kind environment, but they still grow malevolent — although probably more intelligent and cunning.

Meazels are too mean-spirited to make reliable allies. However, they occasionally can be tricked into acting as unwitting pawns or recruited against a common foe.

Meazels are greedy and will strip a corpse of anything they find valuable. However, they either do not understand or recognize magical items as valuable, hence such items are not generally found in meazel hoards. On the other hand, they might grab items that they are unable to use properly, such as human armor or large weapons.

The bones of past meals are often stored in sacks near the meazels’ lair. The sacks also contain any gems that the creatures may have found among their victims’ possessions. Meazels do not recognize gems and semiprecious stones as treasure, hence they throw these away. Most of their treasure is coinage, silver and gold.

ECOLOGY

Meazels hunt anything that roams the subterranean realms. They are carnivorous and prefer humanoid flesh. Meazels hunt mainly on orcs and kobolds, although they also attack anyone else who is available. Because of this, almost any subterranean dwellers attack a meazel on sight. Meazels are unique in that hatred of them unites virtually all other subterranean travelers.