Loping forward, eye fixed hungrily on its target, this grotesque creature sports a rictus grin on its almost skeletal face. The smell of death and brine surrounds it.
Tupilaks are constructs created via ritual to attack a hated enemy, often a rival spellcaster. A tupilak doggedly tracks its victim until it devours the prey and steals a portion of its soul and magical power for the tupilak’s master. All tupilaks are animated by a spirit of Ginnungagap, which resides in a tupilak idol embedded in the creature’s body where its heart should be.
The tupilak is a hideous creature with a bony carapace and bestial head. Wounds to its bone-and-ivory body reveal its innards of vine, seaweed, and tiny, broken limbs. Its head is made from the skulls of savage beasts—bears and wolves being favored— and it usually sports a hideous, skeletal grin. Although mindless, its eyes burn with an evil longing.
Tupilaks have no sense of loyalty but only hunger and anger, and this makes them risky to create. Once set loose, a tupilak cannot be recalled but it can be redirected; if dispel magic is cast successfully on the construct, the golem is released from the magical restraints placed on it when it was created and its creator becomes the sole target of its homicidal impulse. The original target is forgotten, and the golem’s creator can save himself or herself only by destroying the construct.
Tupilak
Medium construct, unalignedArmor Class 10
Hit Points 90 (12d8 + 36)
Speed 30 ft.
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 (+4) | 9 (–1) | 16 (+3) | 3 (–4) | 11 (+0) | 1 (–5) |
Damage Immunities lightning, poison, psychic; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical weapons that aren’t adamantine
Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10
Languages understands the languages of its creator but can’t speak
Challenge 4 (1,100 XP)
Aversion to Fire. If the golem takes fire damage, it has disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks until the end of its next turn.
Immutable Form. The golem is immune to any spell or effect that would alter its form.
Lightning Absorption. Whenever the golem is subjected to lightning damage, it takes no damage but instead regains hit points equal to the lightning damage.
Magic Resistance. The golem has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Magic Weapons. The golem’s weapon attacks are magical.
Relentless Pursuit. A tupilak golem knows the direction and distance to its quarry as long as the two of them are within 2 miles on the same plane of existence.
Servant of Strength. A successful dispel magic spell cast on the tupilak does not harm the golem but instead turns it against its originator, who becomes the golem’s target.
Actions
Multiattack. The tupilak makes two slam attacks.
Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) bludgeoning damage.