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Zuishin, Kami of Doorways, Gates, and Shrines

Within this elaborate suit of armor can be seen the partial form of a determined warrior.

ZUISHIN

Medium celestial (kami), lawful good
Armor Class 19 (natural armor)
HitPoints 127 (17d8 + 51)
Speed 0, fly 50 ft. (hover)

STR

DEX

CON

INT

WIS

CHA

19 (+4) 21 (+5) 16 (+3) 14 (+2) 12 (+1) 18 (+4)
Skills Athletics +8, Intimidation +8
DamageResistances acid, fire, lightning; bludgeoning, piercing and slashing from nonmagical attacks
Damage Immunities necrotic, poison
Condition Immunities poison
Senses Darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 9
Languages Common, Spirit Tongue (Kami, Oni); Telepathy 100 ft.
Challenge 10 (5,900 XP)

Innate Spellcasting. The kami spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 18, +10 to hit with spell attacks). She can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:

  • At will: cure wounds (8th level), deathwatch (as true seeing except when the kami looks at a creature the kami knows how close to death it is providing the kami how many hit points it has left as a percentage of its total hit points)*, druidcraftfly*, foresight*, haste*, true seeing*
  • 3/day: greater restoration, slow
  • 1/day: finger of death, time stop, waves of exhaustion (as fireball but instead of doing fire damage each creature in the area of effect gains 1d4 levels of exhaustion).

* These spells are active before any combat. The kami may maintain multiple concentration spells though each can be interrupted as normal.

Constantdetect evilsee invisibility
At willcure light woundsdimension door
3/dayalarmbreath of lifedispel magicneutralize poisonremove curseremove diseaserestoration
1/daydispel evil (DC 20), healtrue seeing

Local Knowledge. As a nature spirit, a kami is intimately familiar with the natural world in the area where it lives. A nature spirit automatically has access to the information learned from the commune with nature spell.

Magic Resistance. The kami has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Regeneration. As long as a kami is within 120 feet of its ward, it has regeneration 10 so long as it has at least 1 hit point remaining. However, it dies if its ward is killed or destroyed.

Ward. Each kami is mystically bound to a natural feature — small spirits to a branch, small stone, or stream, medium spirits to a tree, flower, rock, or bamboo grove, and large spirits to a mountain, boulder, ancient tree, or small island. The nature spirit cannot stray more than 300 yards from its feature. If it does, it becomes ill and dies within 24 hours. If the feature to which it is bound is destroyed, the nature spirit dies. Animal kami can move around freely as they essentially fuse with their animal ward permanently.

Exception: A kami may move anywhere within the same natural feature its ward resides in. For example, a tree kami could move anywhere in the same forest that its tree ward grows even if it is more than 300 yards away.

Fearsome Presence. Any non-kami creature that starts its turn within 60 feet of the kami must make a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the creature becomes frightened of the kami for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, 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 any kami’s Fearsome Presence for the next 24 hours.

Fey Step (Recharge 4–6). As a bonus action, the kami can teleport up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space it can see.

Healing Arrow. As part of an attack action, a zuishin can infuse an arrow it fires to carry any of the following effects: cure wounds, lesser restoration or greater restoration. Using one of these effects consumes a use of the same spell-like ability. The zuishin must make an attack with his holy yumi to deliver the effect to the target — the target takes no damage from the arrow.

Holy Weapons. Any weapon wielded by a zuishin is treated as a holy weapon. A zuishin creates arrows out of nothing as part of its attacks with any bow it wields. Holy weapons do an additional 3d6 damage against evil-aligned creatures and 6d6 vs oni.  This damage is not included in the kami’s attacks.

Actions

Multiattack. The kami makes two weapon attacks.

Holy Naginata. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) slashing damage, or 15 (2d10 + 4) slashing damage if used with two hands, plus 4 (1d8) radiant damage.

Holy Yumi. Ranged Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, range 150/600 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d8 + 5) piercing damage plus 4 (1d8) radiant damage.

Reactions

Parry. The kami adds 3 to his AC against one melee attack that would hit him. To do so, the kami must see the attacker and be wielding a melee weapon.

 


DESCRIPTION

While all kami are enemies of oni, none are so fervent as the zuishin. Known also as shrine kami, zuishin take as their wards gates, doorways, religious places, and the spiritual archways known as torii, ensuring that the gates are respected. Zuishin can use many weapons but tend to favor the bow. A zuishin treats its equipment with the utmost care, viewing weapons as extensions of itself. It never discards its bow voluntarily; if the weapon is ever lost or destroyed, a zuishin can craft a new one in a month.

Zuishin treat other kami with respect and are always willing to lend a helping hand. Creatures other than kami must earn a zuishin’s trust before receiving its aid, and do so by honoring the gate it guards or providing an offering to the kami, such as a tree branch or other small piece of nature.

Zuishin manifest as suits of armor with a partly manifest warrior within and wield glowing weapons. They stand 5 feet tall and weigh 120 pounds.

Original.

Posted in 5e, Dungeons & Dragons, Monstrous Compendium, Oriental Adventures

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