Sand strider

Fri 15 December 2023 monster

Sand Strider

large beast, unaligned

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
15 +2	13 +1	12 +1	5 -3	10 0	3 -4

Armor Class	14
Hit Points	25 (4d10 + 3)
Speed	40ft, climbing 20ft
Skills	Athletics +5, Stealth +7
Resistances	Resistant to magical spell effects and damage.
Senses	Passive Perception 10
Languages	Lizardfolk

Lithe. Sand Striders ignore movement penalties due to difficult terrain while in the desert.

Hardy. Sand Striders can survive for up to two weeks without water.

Ornery. Unless given a command by its rider, a Sand Strider will use its movement to approach the nearest target and make a bite attack.

Bonded. A bonded Sand Strider acts on its rider's initiative. As a bonus action, the rider can command the strider to use its Bite or Spit attacks.

Actions

Bite. +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d8+3) Piercing damage.

Spit. Recharge 5-6. The Sand Strider spits a jet of magical fluid in a straight line 5ft wide and 30ft long. Each creature in the line must make a DC13 Dexterity saving throw. A creature that fails the save takes 2d6 damage, or half that if it succeeds. The damage type depends on the Sand Strider's sub-species variant.

Sand Striders are 6-legged giant lizards evolved to survive in the harsh magical climates of the Sahwat Desert. Despite their large size, standing nearly 5 feet at the shoulder and up to 10ft long from snout to tail, striders are quick, silent predators that move with ease on difficult terrain and resist the Desert's magical effects. While experienced hoppers quickly learn to stay well clear of the beasts, Lizardfolk tribes have been known to ride Sand Striders. Just how they are able to tame the great lizards is unknown.

There are numerous sub-species, each with its own distinct coloration and elemental affinity, which determines the type of damage done by their spit:

Sub-Species	Damage Type
Blue	Lightning
White	Frost
Red	Fire
Green	Poison
Black	Acid