Art: Alex Konstad
Creatures: Tundra
This section contains statistics for various taiga creatures. Individual lore for each creature is written below. The stat blocks are organized alphabetically by creature name.
The following creatures are described:
| Creature Name | Size/Type | CR |
|---|---|---|
| Boreal Stag | Large beast | 1 |
| Snowhorn | Huge beast | 7 |
| Winter Mink | Tiny beast | 0 |
Boreal Stag
In the northern regions of Cerise, the snowy forests are home to many seemingly familiar creatures with a unique twist. One of these creatures is the boreal stag. On first impressions, the boreal stag doesn't look different to an elk or stag found in the southern woodlands. What makes the boreal stag unique is its relentless endurance to the cold, it's easily domesticated nature, and it's signature glacial horns which sprout from its head.
Creatures of the Taiga. Boreal stag live in groups as large as 100 individuals and are lead by a dominant male and female pair. Boreal stag are a common sight in the tundra and taiga, roaming the grasslands in search of brush to feed on. Boreal stag are typically hunted by large predators such as the dire wolves that inhabit their region.
Glacial Beasts. Like some of the other creatures that inhabit their region, the boreal stag sports antlers made from a hardened magical ice. This gives them an incredibly powerful weapon to use against the creatures that hunt them. Boreal stag will choose to hide over fight, using their fur and their ability to blend into the background to hide from predators. However, when they are forced to fight,
boreal stag can hold their own, using their numbers
and their powerful charge to their advantage.
Stag and the Outlanders. Boreal stag are easily
tamed, especially by those who have spent years
around their kind. Those who live in the northern
Cerise cities such as Sinovia have an entire industry dedicated to training the boreal stag as a mount
for use in the colder northern climates.
Many wanderers and nomadic folk, especially
the outlanders who live in the forests around
Sinovia, rely extensively on the boreal stag for their
way of living. They are used in everything from trading
caravans to combat mounts. The outlanders tend
to outfit their stags with various equipment,
armour, briding, and train them for all kinds of
purposes. They fulfill a similar role to horses in the
rest of Sanctum.
Boreal Stag
Large beast, unaligned
- Armor Class 13 (natural armour)
- Hit Points 37 (5d10 + 10)
- Speed 50 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 17 (+3) 13 (+1) 14 (+2) 3 (-4) 11 (+0) 6 (-2)
- Skills Athletics +5
- Damage Resistances cold
- Senses passive Perception 10
- Challenge 1 (200 XP)
Proficiency Bonus 2
- Avalanche Charge. If the boreal stag moves at least 20 feet straight toward a target and then hits it with a ram attack on the same turn, the target takes an extra 7 (2d6) cold damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 15 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.
- Hooves of the Winterlands. The boreal stag ignores difficult terrain created by ice or snow.
- Mask of the Wild. The boreal stag can attempt to hide even when the boreal stag is only lightly obscured by foliage, heavy rain, falling snow, mist, and other natural phenomena.
Actions
Ram. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) bludgeoning damage.
Boreal Stag
with Rider
Snowhorn
A large and hulking beast, the snowhorn is a massive herbivore found in the taiga and tundra of northern Cerise. It's four legged shape is akin to a bulkier rhinoceros, with strong front legs that help it traverse the deeper snow of its environment. The single horn that extends from its skull is made from a magically hardened icicle that gives the snowhorn its name and reputation.
Territorial Loner. The snowhorn spends much of its life alone, traveling its territory which can be hundreds of square miles large. Snowhorns are fiercely territorial, fighting each other over every inch of their land. Many nomadic people in the northern regions of Cerise have to take extreme caution when dealing with snowhorns.
Snowhorn
Huge beast, unaligned
- Armor Class 11
- Hit Points 157 (15d12 + 60)
- Speed 40 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 25 (+7) 12 (+1) 19 (+4) 2 (-4) 14 (+2) 6 (-2)
- Saving Throws Con +7
- Skills Athletics +5
- Damage Resistances cold
- Senses passive Perception 12
- Challenge 7 (2,900 XP)
Proficiency Bonus 3
- Avalanche Charge. If the snowhorn moves at least 20 feet straight toward a target and then hits it with a horn attack on the same turn, the target takes an extra 14 (4d6) cold damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 20 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.
Actions
Horn. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 23 (3d10 + 7) piercing damage.
Winter Mink
Art: Magali Villeneuve
Life of the Snowhorn. Despite its aggressive nature, the snowhorn is a herbivore, feeding mainly on various plants, nuts, berries, and brush in the taiga. While they are solitary animals, they do gather to mate during the later half of Summer and the earlier days in Harvest.
Gestation lasts just over a year, after which time the female gives birth to a single calf. Calves are cared for by their mother for around three years, after which time they will become independent.
A snowhorn will reach full maturity at age seven and typically live up to 40 years, but some have been documented to live as long as 50 years.
Winter Mink
The winter mink is a small mammal with a long, narrow body and short legs. They're relatives of the weasel and can be found commonly in the frosty forests of Cerise, the northern regions of Arcanis, and a few locations in Valonde.
Soft Companions. Like their common cousins, the winter mink is prized for its soft fur. Villages in the tundra regions often hunt these creatures for their valuable pelts. In recent times, a number of theses towns have chosen to domesticate them as companions to help navigate the difficult terrain in these regions.
Winter Mink
Tiny beast, unaligned
- Armor Class 13
- Hit Points 2 (1d4)
- Speed 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 3 (-4) 16 (+3) 10 (+0) 2 (-4) 12 (+1) 3 (-4)
- Skills Perception +3, Stealth +5
- Senses passive Perception 13
- Challenge 0 (10 XP)
Proficiency Bonus 2
- Snow Tunneler. The winter mink has a burrow speed of 10 feet when digging through ice or snow.
- Winter's Dash. The winter mink ignores difficult terrain created by ice or snow when it takes the Dash, Disengage, or Dodge action.
Actions
BIte. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1 piercing damage.
Variant: Familiar
The winter mink makes for a good option for a familiar. When you cast the find familiar spell, your Dungeon Master may let you create a winter mink instead of one of the options listed.