Thrumbos
The gigantic, graceful thrumbo is perhaps the rarest and most astonishing beast native to the material plane. Of its ancient origins, nothing at all is known; even the thrumbos themselves have forgotten. What is certain is that the power of magic runs deeply through the very fiber of their being, and from it they draw incredible strength and vitality.
The thrumbo is gentle by nature, but extremely dangerous when provoked. While its long fur is exceptionally beautiful, its hide is also incredibly resistant to damage. Its razor-sharp horn is used to cleanly fell the large, hardwood trees that are the thrumbo's favorite meal, but when applied in self-defense it can disembowel attackers with a single strike.
Legends say that an old thrumbo is the wisest creature in the multiverse—it simply chooses not to speak.
Originally created by: Tynan Sylvester.
King of Terrestrial Beasts
While scores of powerful monsters call the prime material their home, the thrumbo is by far the greatest that can claim to be a true native. Unlike a monstrosity—which typically originates due to a curse, experiment, or other magical effect—as far as anybody can tell the thrumbos are the product of perfectly natural development. Though unquestionably powerful beyond any other natural beast, they reproduce naturally (though extremely slowly).
Forest Dwellers. Most thrumbos are found in dense, ancient hardwood forests. Although a particularly lush grassland can sustain a thrumbo's voracious vegetarian appetite, their preferred diet consists of whole trees. A fully-grown tree will typically sate a thrumbo for only a day, and so out of necessity a thrumbo's territory must be vast in order for the beast not to deplete its food supply.
Solitary Pilgrims. Generally, a thrumbo will leave the forests only once during its lifetime, if it is forced to relocate at adolescence to find a new forest to call home. Such an occasion is usually the only time people will ever set eyes on a thrumbo. A migrating thrumbo will wander the lands consuming vast swathes of foliage to sustain itself until it finds a suitably large forest. This level of consumption can cause great disruption to local farmers, but thrumbos always take care to move on swiftly so as not to cause devastation.
Voracious Herbivores. In ballpark figures, an adult thrumbo eats one tree a day. If a tree takes 30 years to fully grow on average, this means a thrumbo's territory must contain over 10,000 trees for food alone. Thrumbos prefer not to impact their territory so heavily, however, and so this number typically becomes 1 million trees. With a reasonably dense forest having trees at a density of 200 per hectare, this leads to a single thrumbo's territory being close to ten square miles.
Wise Guardians
As gentle and intelligent beasts, most thrumbos fall naturally into the role of stewards and custodians of the forests they inhabit. Through careful dietary pruning of old or damaged trees they make space for fresh growth and renewal. Many thrumbos also learn to wield their connection to magic more effectively, and use it to enrich the land they call home, encouraging the growth of the flora and fauna they share it with. A forest that plays host to a thrumbo will always be subtly, but noticeably healthier and more vibrant than one that does not, and distinctly lacking in monstrous creatures.
Stalwart Defenders. Thrumbos will resolutely protect their territory against incursion. A logging camp established in a thrumbo's forest will meet a swift, if usually bloodless, end. A thrumbo is smart enough to know that most humans pose it absolutely no threat, and so will usually leave the loggers themselves alone as it obliterates their equipment and operation with extreme prejudice. Against intruding monstrosities or evil creatures, however, a thrumbo shows no mercy. Even dragons must be wary around thrumbos of similar age, and green dragons in particular frequently come into conflict with families of thrumbos when establishing their domains.
Variant: Thrumbos as Innate Spellcasters
Thrumbos are innately magical creatures that can master a few spells as they age, using this variant.
A thrumbo's spellcasting ability is Wisdom. It can innately cast a number of Druid spells equal to its Wisdom modifier. Each spell can be cast once per day, requiring no components, and the spell's level can be no higher than one-third the thrumbo's challenge rating (rounded down).
Young Thrumbo
Large beast, neutral good
- Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
- Hit Points 225 (18d10+126)
- Speed 80 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 19 (+4) 14 (+2) 24 (+7) 16 (+3) 22 (+6) 18 (+4)
- Saving Throws Dex +6, Con +11, Int +7, Wis +10
- Skills Insight +10, Nature +7, Perception +10
- Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
- Condition Immunities charmed, frightened
- Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 20
- Languages telepathy 120 ft.
- Challenge 9 (5,000)
Innate Spellcasting. The thrumbo's innate spellcasting ability is Wisdom. The thrumbo can innately cast the following spells, requiring no components:
At will: commune with nature, detect evil and good, detect magic, druidcraft
Magic Resistance. The thrumbo has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Magic Weapons. The thrumbo's attacks are magical.
Siege Monster. The thrumbo deals double damage to objects and structures.
Speak with Beasts and Plants. The thrumbo can communicate with beasts and plants as if they shared a language.
Trampling Charge. If the thrumbo moves at least 20 ft. straight toward a creature and then hits it with a horn attack on the same turn, that target must succeed on a DC 19 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone. If the target is prone, the thrumbo can make one stomp attack against it as a bonus action.
Actions
Multiattack. The thrumbo attacks once with its horn and once with its stomp.
Horn. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 17 (2d12+6) slashing damage.
Stomp. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d8+6) bludgeoning damage.
Image credit: /u/CurrentlyTakenName
Adult Thrumbo
Huge beast, neutral good
- Armor Class 18 (natural armor)
- Hit Points 290 (20d12+160)
- Speed 80 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 22 (+6) 14 (+2) 27 (+8) 17 (+3) 25 (+7) 21 (+5)
- Saving Throws Dex +7, Con +13, Int +8, Wis +12
- Skills History +8, Insight +12, Nature +8, Perception +12
- Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
- Condition Immunities charmed, frightened
- Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 22
- Languages telepathy 120 ft.
- Challenge 16 (15,000)
Innate Spellcasting. The thrumbo's innate spellcasting ability is Wisdom. The thrumbo can innately cast the following spells, requiring no components:
At will: commune with nature, detect evil and good, detect magic, druidcraft
Legendary Resistance (3/day). If the thrumbo fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Magic Resistance. The thrumbo has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Magic Weapons. The thrumbo's attacks are magical.
Siege Monster. The thrumbo deals double damage to objects and structures.
Speak with Beasts and Plants. The thrumbo can communicate with beasts and plants as if they shared a language.
Trampling Charge. If the thrumbo moves at least 20 ft. straight toward a creature and then hits it with a horn attack on the same turn, that target must succeed on a DC 19 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone. If the target is prone, the thrumbo can make one stomp attack against it as a bonus action.
Actions
Multiattack. The thrumbo can use its Awesome Presence. It then attacks once with its horn and once with its stomp.
Horn. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 25 (3d12+6) slashing damage.
Stomp. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 19 (3d8+6) bludgeoning damage.
Awesome Presence. Each creature of the thrumbo's choice within 300 ft. of it and aware of it must succeed on a DC 18 Wisdom saving throw or become charmed for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, with disadvantage if the thrumbo is within line of sight, ending the effect on itself on a success. If a creature's saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the creature is immune to the thrumbo's Awesome Presence for the next 24 hours.
Legendary Actions
The thrumbo can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature's turn. The thrumbo regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.
Stomp. The thrumbo makes one stomp attack.
Move. The thrumbo moves up to its speed.
Heal Self (Costs 3 Actions). The thrumbo magically regains 43 (8d8+7) hit points.
Image credit: https://picpanzee.com/7_does_art
Ancient Thrumbo
Gargantuan beast, neutral good
- Armor Class 20 (natural armor)
- Hit Points 410 (20d20+200)
- Speed 80 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 27 (+8) 15 (+2) 30 (+10) 19 (+4) 28 (+9) 24 (+7)
- Saving Throws Dex +9, Con +17, Int +11, Wis +16
- Skills History +11, Insight +16, Nature +11, Perception +16
- Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
- Condition Immunities charmed, frightened
- Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 26
- Languages telepathy 120 ft.
- Challenge 23 (50,000)
Innate Spellcasting. The thrumbo's innate spellcasting ability is Wisdom. The thrumbo can innately cast the following spells, requiring no components:
At will: commune with nature, detect evil and good, detect magic, druidcraft
Legendary Resistance (3/day). If the thrumbo fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Magic Resistance. The thrumbo has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Magic Weapons. The thrumbo's attacks are magical.
Siege Monster. The thrumbo deals double damage to objects and structures.
Speak with Beasts and Plants. The thrumbo can communicate with beasts and plants as if they shared a language.
Trampling Charge. If the thrumbo moves at least 20 ft. straight toward a creature and then hits it with a horn attack on the same turn, that target must succeed on a DC 23 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone. If the target is prone, the thrumbo can make one stomp attack against it as a bonus action.
Actions
Multiattack. The thrumbo can use its Awesome Presence. It then attacks twice with its horn and once with its stomp.
Horn. Melee Weapon Attack: +15 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 34 (4d12+8) slashing damage.
Stomp. Melee Weapon Attack: +15 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 25 (4d8+8) bludgeoning damage.
Awesome Presence. Each creature of the thrumbo's choice within 300 ft. of it and aware of it must succeed on a DC 22 Wisdom saving throw or become charmed for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, with disadvantage if the thrumbo is within line of sight, ending the effect on itself on a success. If a creature's saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the creature is immune to the thrumbo's Awesome Presence for the next 24 hours.
Legendary Actions
The thrumbo can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature's turn. The thrumbo regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.
Stomp. The thrumbo makes one stomp attack.
Move. The thrumbo moves up to its speed.
Heal Self (Costs 3 Actions). The thrumbo magically regains 61 (8d12+9) hit points.
Image credit: https://www.tumbral.com/blog/cowboysandunicorns