b'Vodenjak \n'b'  Medium   monstrosity ,  lawful evil  \n'b'  Armor Class  15 (natural armor)  Hit Points  104 (16d8+32)  Speed  30 ft., swim 30 ft.\n'b' STATS STR: 14 (+2) DEX:  15 (+2)  CON:  15 (+2)  INT:  14 (+2)  WIS:  14 (+2)  CHA:  16 (+3)  \n'b'\n'b'\n'b'\n'b'\n'b'\n'b'\n'b'  Skills   Deception  +6,  Insight  +5,  Perception  + 5  Damage Resistances  bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks not made with silvered weapons  Senses   darkvision  60 ft., passive  Perception  15  Languages  Aquan, Common, Sylvan  Challenge  6 (2,300 XP) \n'b' SPECIAL TRAITS \n'b'\n'b'  Amphibious . The vodenjak can breathe air or water. \n'b'  Brute . A melee weapon deals one extra die of its damage when the vodenjak hits with it (included in the  attack ). \n'b'  Innate Spellcasting . The vodenjak\xe2\x80\x99s innate spellcasting ability is  Charisma  (spell save DC 14). The vodenjak can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components: \n'b'\n'b'  At will : animal friendship,  disguise self ,  fog cloud ,  shillelagh  (duration of 24 hours),  speak with animals  (aquatic beasts only), spray of water (like  gust of wind  but water) \n'b'  3/day :  divination ,  entangle ,  scrying  \n'b'  1/day :  bestow curse ,  conjure animals  (summons two giant pikes, see page 297),  polymorph  (aquatic creatures only) \n'b'\n'b'  Riverman\xe2\x80\x99s Bargain . Once per month, a vodenjak can grant a limited wish to a creature. It cannot grant a wish to another vodenjak or another creature capable of granting wishes. This  wish  is limited to duplicating the effects of a spell 6th level or lower, undoing or modifying an effect that can be affected by a  wish , forcing a future die roll to be re-rolled, or effects of a similar scope. However, this  wish  always comes as part of a bargain, and the creature receiving the limited  wish  must agree to accept a  geas  from the vodenjak, which the vodenjak can invoke from any distance up to a year and a day after granting the  wish . This specialized  geas  does not allow spell  resistance  or a saving throw, and if the  geas  is removed before the task specified by the vodenjak is completed, the benefits of the limited  wish  are immediately ended (or undone, if the effect of the  wish  has already ended). If the  wish  cannot reasonably be reversed or negated, the  wish  recipient instead is affected as  bestow curse  (no saving throw) when the  geas  is broken. If the target is killed before the  geas  is completed, its soul is taken by the vodenjak as if it had successfully used its soul drinker ability. A vodenjak cannot have more than one riverman\xe2\x80\x99s bargain in effect at a time. \n'b'  Soul Preserve . The vodenjak can assemble a collection of 10 or more soul essences. The vodenjak can sense when someone disturbs its collection, as the spell  alarm . As an action, the vodenjak can use  word of recall  to return to its collection, though doing so destroys 1d4-1 soul essences. The range of these abilities is unlimited provided the voldenjak has a clear path to the collection, which can be through water but not solid barriers. A vodenjak\xe2\x80\x99s collections are often hidden in the open on remote sand or gravel bars or on tiny uninhabited islets so they are not disturbed. \n'b'  Soulchemist . A vodenjak can use soul essence to craft common, uncommon, or rare potions. Crafting a potion requires 8 hours of work and frees the trapped soul essence. These potions retain their potency for one week and then evaporate into nothingness. \n'b'\n'b' ACTIONS \n'b'\n'b'  Multiattack . The vodenjak makes three  melee attacks . \n'b'  Staff .  Melee Weapon Attack : +6 to hit (+5 without  shillelagh ), reach 5 ft., one target.  Hit : 12 (2d8+3) bludgeoning damage, or 9 (2d6+2) without  shillelagh . On a critical hit, a target of Medium or smaller  size  must succeed on a DC 13  Strength  ( Athletics ) or  Dexterity  ( Acrobatics ) check, if the vodenjak chooses; on a failure, the target is shoved 10 ft. and knocked  prone . \n'b'  Change Shape . The vodenjak magically polymorphs into a giant pike fish, or back into its true form. It reverts to its true form if it dies. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying is absorbed or borne by the new form (the vodenjak\xe2\x80\x99s choice). In a new form, the vodenjak retains its game statistics and ability to speak, but its AC, movement modes,  Strength ,  Dexterity , and special senses are replaced by those of the new form, and it gains any statistics and capabilities (except class features, Legendary Actions, and Lair Actions) that the new form has but that it lacks. \n'b'  Soul Drinker . The vodenjak can try to extract the soul of a dying or suffocating creature adjacent to it, drawing it forth as a liquid and storing it in an open container, such as a goblet, chalice, or teacup. The creature must succeed at a DC 14  Wisdom  saving throw or die. A creature that is underwater has disadvantage on this save. Using a spell on someone whose soul has been taken is difficult; casting  raise dead , speak with the dead, and the like, requires a DC 14  Wisdom  check or the spell is wasted. Destroying the soul essence removes this difficulty. \n'b'  Consume Essence . The vodenjak drinks one soul essence, gaining the benefits of  false life , and the essence is destroyed. \n'b'  Sip . The vodenjak tastes one of its essences, and gains  guidance . \n'b'  Speak with Soul Essence . The vodenjak can use  speak with dead  to interrogate any of the souls in its possession. It may divide up the questions among several souls. \n'b'\n'b' REACTIONS \n'b'\n'b'  Drowning Soul . The vodenjak uses soul drinker on a creature within 30 ft. that is drowning. \n'b'\n'b' ABOUT \n'b' Vodenjaks are supernatural ferrymen, sometimes called vodnik or vodianow, closely related to hags though always excluded from their covens. Like hags, they often wander in disguise through settled lands, plying their wares and offering temptation to the unwary. Unlike hags, however, vodenjaks have no interest in devouring the creatures they inveigle with their cunning. Instead, they are far more interested in a creature\xe2\x80\x99s soul. \n'b'  Pay for Passage . Vodenjaks stay close to rivers, lakes, and marshes, sometimes using their phantom skiffs to speed passengers from place to place. They often ask a dear price for passage, and can be swift and sure in their transit, but often they will simply ask for whatever payment their passengers  wish . Those who deal generously with a vodenjak will have few problems, but those that seek to cheat or insult him draw his ire and often cause him to disperse the phantom skiff in the midst of a journey, often amidst dangerous waters or when hungry aquatic predators have gathered about in his wake (including those the vodenjak summons himself). Vodenjaks enjoy riddling talk and may challenge passengers to contests of boasting, riddles, or storytelling to pass the time on their journey. They will also offer to read the fortune of passengers, telling them what may come to pass. Their divinatory gifts are real, but how much they offer and how truthful they are about what they see depends on their opinion of their passenger. The same is true of their offers to craft magical potions, as they may slip poison into the vials of customers that have angered them. A vodenjak always feigns friendliness and never shows anger outwardly unless he is  ready  to  attack . Their powers of temptation go beyond potion-making and  divination  to the granting of small wishes, but always bound up with a promise of service on the vodenjak\xe2\x80\x99s behalf. \n'b'  Soul Collector . All of a vodenjak\xe2\x80\x99s affable pretensions work to the goal of gathering souls, which it collects as others might collect fine wines. They use these souls as ingredients in their potions and for their personal power, but mostly they love the sense of control over mortal life and death, and the satisfaction of luring someone into giving up a portion of their soul willingly. A vodenjak has the power to seize it by force at the moment of dying but gaining them through guile is far more delicious. Vodenjaks are very protective of their collections and will  attack  in a fury anyone who threatens to disturb their soul containers.'