Boneclaw

Large fiend, chaotic evil

A boneclaw is what happens when a Void fiend attempts to inhabit a corpse and the result is neither a clean possession nor a failure, but something far worse. The fiend's essence fuses with the skeleton of the dead, warping it into a towering, emaciated horror --- a skeletal giant with arms that end not in hands but in blades of bone that extend and retract with whip-like flexibility. Boneclaws are assassins bound to a master --- typically a necromancer or cult leader powerful enough to have attempted the summoning that created them. If their master dies, the boneclaw becomes unbound and rampages until destroyed.

Armor Class:16 (natural armor)

Hit Points:127 (15d10 + 45)

Speed:40 ft

Challenge:CR 8

STR

19 (+4)

DEX

16 (+3)

CON

16 (+3)

INT

13 (+1)

WIS

15 (+2)

CHA

9 (-1)

Saving Throws:DEX +6, CON +6, WIS +5

Skills:Perception +5, Stealth +6

Damage Resistances:Cold, necrotic; bludgeoning, piercing, slashing from nonmagical attacks

Condition Immunities:Charmed, exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed, poisoned

Senses:Darkvision 120 ft, passive Perception 15

Fear Check:DC 14 Wisdom save when first encountered.

Traits

Bound. The boneclaw is psychically bound to its creator. It knows the direction and distance to its master at all times. If its master dies, the boneclaw becomes unbound: it gains 20 temporary HP, advantage on all attack rolls for 1 hour, and loses the ability to be controlled.

Rejuvenation. If the boneclaw is destroyed while its master is alive, it reforms within 1d6 hours within 30 feet of its master at full HP. To permanently destroy the boneclaw, its master must be killed first.

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

Actions

Multiattack. The boneclaw makes two claw attacks.

Piercing Claw. Melee: +7 to hit, reach 15 ft. Hit: 15 (2d10 + 4) piercing damage. If the target is a creature, the boneclaw can pull the target up to 10 feet toward itself, and the target is grappled (escape DC 14). The boneclaw has two claws, each of which can grapple one target.

Shadow Jump (Recharge 5-6). The boneclaw targets one creature it is grappling. Both the boneclaw and the grappled creature teleport up to 60 feet to a space in dim light or darkness that the boneclaw can see, arriving in adjacent spaces. The target must succeed on a DC 15 CON save or take 17 (5d6) necrotic damage and be stunned until the end of its next turn.

Deadly Reach. When a creature the boneclaw can see moves within 15 feet of it, the boneclaw can make one piercing claw attack against it.