Barghest, Greater Creature 7

Uncommon CE Large Fiend Mutant

Senses Perception +16; darkvision, scent (imprecise) 30 feet

Languages Abyssal, Common, Goblin

Skills Acrobatics +15, Athletics + 15, Deception +18, Diplomacy +14, Intimidation +16, Stealth +15, Survival +14

Str +6, Dex +2, Con +4, Int +3, Wis +3, Cha +5

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AC 25; Fort +17, Ref +15, Will +12

HP 105; Weaknesses good 5, lawful 5; Resistances fire 10, physical 10 (except magical)

Attack of Opportunity

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Speed 35 feet

Melee jaws +17, Damage 2d10+6 piercing

Melee claw +17 (agile), Damage 2d8+6 slashing

Divine Innate Spells DC 25

4th blink (at will), confusion, dimension door, enlarge; 3rd levitate (at will); 2nd invisibility (at will); 1st charm

Change Shape (concentrate, divine, polymorph, transmutation) As barghest.

Mutations The process of consuming corpses to evolve into a greater barghest results in odd and unpredictable physiological changes. A greater barghest has one mutation, typically chosen from the following options.

• Fangs (poison) The barghest grows elongated fangs that seep poison. Its jaws deal 1d6 additional poison damage and 1d6 persistent poison damage.
• Toxic Breath (divine, evocation, poison) The barghest breathes a cloud of toxic gas that deals 8d6 poison damage to all creatures in a 30-foot cone (DC 25 basic Fortitude save). It can't use Toxic Breath again for 1d4 rounds.
• Vestigial Arm Strike Frequency once per round; Trigger The barghest completes a Strike. Effect The barghest makes a claw Strike with a shriveled third arm hanging from its torso. This attack doesn't count for the barghest's multiple attack penalty, nor does that penalty apply on the attack.
• Wings The barghest has malformed wings extending from its back. It gains a fly Speed of 25 feet.

About

Once a barghest has eaten enough to grow into a greater barghest, it typically seeks a method to leave the Material Plane and return to the Abyss, there joining other fiends as yet another of that plane's horrors. As barghests have no innate ability to travel the planes, though, the time it takes for most greater barghests to engineer such a return can usually be measured in years, if not decades. During that time, greater barghests continue to play the roles of gluttons, hunters of humanity, and tyrants of goblinoid tribes. More than a few grow accustomed to such lives on the Material Plane and wholly abandon the end goal of returning to the Abyss, despite the fact that those who do make such a return home often grow even more powerful over time, gaining eerie new abilities and qualities absorbed from the raw chaos of the Abyss itself.

In addition to greater barghests being more powerful than typical barghests, the process of transforming into a greater barghest results in hideous mutations that often grant deadly abilities. Some barghests grow large bat-like wings upon their transformation. Others develop toxic breath or vestigial limbs. The options detailed in the stats below represent only the tip of the proverbial iceberg for barghest mutations—feel free to use these as inspiration for coming up with new mutations of your own design.