Kamaitachi

Despite having bony sickles for paws, this large weasel moves adroitly as snow and ice whip around it.

Related to Wind Weasels. Kamaitachis derive from a family group of wind weasels that migrated and acclimated to far northern forests. As a result, they lost their connection to the fey, shrinking and devolving into more natural beasts. Their claws fused to become one large, sickle-like claw on each paw. They retain the wind weasels’ jealousy of humanoids and aggressively attack intruders.

Stinging Winds. Like their fey cousins, the kamaitachis can turn into a swirl of wind, but they incorporate ice and snow instead of leaves, chilling their victims. Even in their weasel forms, they surround themselves with wintry precipitation that obscures them from sight.

Summer Migrations. Kamaitachis thrive for most of the year in arctic forests. Prior to summer, they migrate closer to the pole to stay in contact with frozen water, most of which disappears in their forests during the warmer weeks. Once snows begin to fall again, they return to their forests and relentlessly drive out creatures that moved in during their absence.

Kamaitachi

Small monstrosity (shapechanger), chaotic neutral
Armor Class 14
Hit Points 84 (13d6 + 39)
Speed 30 ft., climb 15 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
12 (+1) 19 (+4) 16 (+3) 9 (-1) 12 (+1) 13 (+1)

Skills Acrobatics +6, Intimidation +3, Stealth +6
Damage Resistances cold
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 11
Languages understands Common and Sylvan but can’t speak
Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)

Air Form (Wintry Swirl Form Only). The kamaitachi can enter a hostile creature’s space and stop there. It can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch wide without squeezing.

Concealing Snow (True Form Only). As a bonus action, the kamaitachi sheathes itself in blowing ice and snow, causing attack rolls against it to have disadvantage. The kamaitachi can use this trait only if it is in snowy terrain. Flyby (Wintry Swirl Form Only). The kamaitachi doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks when it flies out of an enemy’s reach.

Keen Smell. The kamaitachi has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell.

Shapechanger. The kamaitachi can use its action to polymorph into a swirl of wintry weather. It can revert back to its true form as a bonus action. Its statistics are the same in each form. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying isn’t transformed. It reverts to its true form when it dies. While a wintry swirl, it has a flying speed of 40 feet, immunity to the grappled, petrified, prone, and restrained conditions, and resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical attacks.

Snow Devil (Wintry Swirl Form Only). Until it attacks or uses Wintry Assault, the kamaitachi is indistinguishable from a natural swirl of snow unless a creature succeeds on a DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) check.

Actions

Multiattack. The kamaitachi makes two sickle paw attacks.

Sickle Paw (True Form Only). Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 18 (4d6 + 4) slashing damage.

Wintry Assault (Wintry Swirl Form Only). Each creature in the kamaitachi’s space must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, the creature takes 9 (2d8) slashing damage plus 9 (2d8) cold damage and is blinded until the end of its next turn. On a success, it takes half the damage and isn’t blinded.

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