Medium fiend (demon), chaotic evil
Armor Class 12
Armor Class (suggested) 16 (natural armor)
Hit Points 37 (5d8 + 15)
Speed 20 ft.
Proficiency Bonus +2
Proficiency Bonus +3 (5th Edition Advanced Mode)
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 (+2) | 15 (+2) | 17 (+3) | 5 (-3) | 12 (+1) | 6 (-2) |
Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning
Damage Immunities poison
Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, poisoned
Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 11
Languages understands Abyssal but can’t speak
Challenge 2 (450 XP)
Crippling Fear. When a creature that isn’t a demon starts its turn within 30 feet of three or more rutterkins, it must make a DC 11 Wisdom saving throw. The creature has disadvantage on the save if it’s within 30 feet of six or more rutterkins. On a successful save, the creature is immune to the Crippling Fear of all rutterkins for 24 hours. On a failed save, the creature become frightened of the rutterkins for 1 minute. While frightened in this way, the creature is restrained. At the end of each of the frightened creature’s turns, it can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on itself on a success.
Magic Resistance (suggested). The rutterkin has advantage against all spells from the Transmutation school of magic.
ACTIONS
- Multiattack (suggested). The rutterkin makes three attacks: two attacks with its claws and one attack with its bite.
- Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: + 4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit : 12 (3d6 + 2) piercing damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw against disease or become poisoned. At the end of each long rest, the poisoned target can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on itself on a success. If the target is reduced to 0 hit points while poisoned in this way, it dies and instantly transforms into a living abyssal wretch. The transformation of the body can be undone only by a wish spell.
- Claws (suggested). Melee Weapon Attack: + 4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit : 5 (1d6 + 2) slashing damage.
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.
DESCRIPTION
Rutterkins are twisted and deformed demons that were once humanoids corrupted by the Abyss. They have mottled green and violet skin, pointed skulls, backward-pointing ears, and red eyes filled with malice. Their bodies are asymmetrical and constantly changing, causing them great pain and anger. Some of them are so mutilated that they can barely walk or use their limbs. They have no hair, except for some patches of wiry bristles. They can understand Abyssal, but they cannot speak it or any other language. They communicate with each other through telepathy or guttural noises.
Rutterkins are tanar’ri mutated by energies unknown. They are complete outcasts, not even cannon fodder in the Blood War. They are outcasts among the demonkind, and they are despised by most other demons. They have no loyalty or hierarchy, except for the strongest or most cunning among them.
Ancient stories of the origin of the rutterkin say that many millennia ago, a race of humans in a distant corner of the Prime Material Plane experimented with plane and probability travel. These cerebral beings explored the Prime Material Plane and eventually expanded into the Inner and Outer Planes. When they discovered the Abyss, they were enslaved by the tanar’ri, who had never before encountered beings other than themselves. Originally, tanar’ri abuse changed the rutterkin into what they are, but now other types of creatures can become rutterkin as well.
COMBAT
Rutterkins are savage and undisciplined fighters, who rely on brute force and numbers to overwhelm their enemies. They are not very skilled with weapons, and they prefer to use their claws or fists, even though doing so hurts them as well. They have some innate magical abilities, such as creating darkness, flying, moving objects with their minds, and teleporting short distances. They are resistant to cold, fire, and lightning damage, and immune to poison and some mental effects. They are vulnerable to silver and holy weapons, which can cause them to flee or surrender.
Rutterkins so hate their position that they wander the Abyss in solitude. There, they never attack any tanar’ri save for least tanar’ri. However, they savagely attack non-tanar’ri they see. Although the rutterkin are usually far too weak to stop intruders, these pathetic creatures try to gate in reinforcements, thereby spreading the alarm.
HABITAT / SOCIETY
Rutterkins wander the planes of the Abyss in mobs, looking for intruders or weaker creatures to attack and devour. They sometimes serve as scouts or fodder for more powerful demons, who treat them as disposable slaves. They have no culture or religion, only a primal urge to destroy and consume.
The nalfeshnee might create the rutterkin directly from the life forces of evil but incompetent beings who come before them for judgment. Rutterkin more truly represent chaos than their kin, for they are bound to no cause, have no society, and serve no master. Even the chasme ignore them.
ECOLOGY
Rutterkins are carnivorous and will eat anything that is alive or dead. They have no need for sleep or rest, and they do not age or reproduce. They are created by the Abyss itself, from the souls of humanoids who were corrupted by its chaotic influence. Sometimes, they are also created by other demons, who torture and mutilate their captives until they become rutterkins. Rutterkins have no natural predators, except for other demons who might prey on them for sport or spite.