AC 16 (natural armor)
HP 85 (10d8 + 40; bloodied 42)
Speed 30 ft., fly 90 ft.
Proficiency +2; Maneuver DC 14
Saving Throws Con +6, Wis +7, Cha +6
Skills Perception +7, Persuasion +6, Religion +7
Damage Resistances psychic, radiant; damage from nonmagical weapons
Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 17
Languages all, telepathy 120 ft.
Innate Spellcasting. The couatl’s spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 14). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:
At will: detect evil and good , detect magic
3/day each: create food and water , detect thoughts , lesser restoration
1/day each: dream , greater restoration , scrying
Lawful Good. The couatl radiates a Lawful and Good aura.
Nondetection. The couatl can't be targeted or perceived by divination magic.
ACTIONS
Constrict. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one Medium or smaller creature. Hit: 14 (3d6 + 4) bludgeoning damage, and the target is grappled (escape DC 14). Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained , the couatl can’t constrict other targets, and the couatl has advantage on attacks against the target.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d6 + 4) piercing damage, and the target makes a DC 14 Constitution saving throw . On a failure, it is poisoned for 24 hours. The target is unconscious until the poisoned condition ends or a creature uses an action to shake the target awake.
Heal (1/Day). The couatl touches a creature, magically healing 20 hit points of damage and ending the poisoned condition on that creature.
Shapeshift. The couatl magically changes its form to resemble that of a humanoid or beast, or back into its true form. It reverts to its true form if it dies. If its form is humanoid, it is equipped with clothing and a weapon. While shapeshifted, its statistics are the same except that it can’t use Constrict and Shielding Wing and it may gain a swim speed of 60 or lose its fly speed if appropriate to its new form. If it’s a beast, it can use its bite attack. If it’s a humanoid, it may make a weapon attack, which functions identically to its bite attack.
REACTIONS
Shielding Wing. When the couatl or a creature within 5 feet is attacked, the couatl can interpose a wing and impose
disadvantage
on the attack.
Combat
The couatl constricts its most dangerous or wicked foe and then bites it with advantage . It uses Shielding Wing to protect allies first, itself second. It retreats only if the stakes are minor.
Legends and Lore
With a Nature or Religion check, characters can learn the following:
DC 15 Legends tell of flying snakes that inhabit holy places.
DC 20 Couatls are wise, celestial beings that guard holy places and possess lost knowledge. They can cast spells and adopt the forms of humanoids or beasts.
The couatl is breathtaking in its beauty and benevolent in its demeanor. A solitary being of wisdom and insight, the couatl is rarely seen outside its lair. Most civilizations consider couatls the stuff of legends.
Solitary Guardians. The gods created couatls to guard places of power or to carry out a single task of divine importance. Some couatls have completed their tasks and are free to wander the planes—these couatls are drawn to buried libraries, ruins of forgotten civilizations, and other sources of lost knowledge. If another couatl already guards its destination, the couatl continues on; otherwise, it remains in that location as its de facto protector until it feels it is no longer needed, or until another call lures it away.
Knowledge Seekers. Occasionally, a couatl is drawn to a populated settlement. In these cases, the couatl disguises its appearance and walks among the people, learning what it can from the living, teeming civilization around them.
1 In its lair, guarding a jewel-like egg or holy treasure
2 In human form, with a treasure, message, or request for help
3 Waiting to fulfill its part in an ancient prophecy
4 With a mystical sense it will die soon; in the meantime, willing to enter into any dangerous scheme that advances the cause of good
1 Flying snakes fluttering peacefully nearby
2 Brilliant foliage and jewel-like flowers
3 A shrine heaped with offerings
4 Dragonflies buzzing around bright flowers; DC 13 Perception or Nature check reveals that the dragonflies are actually tiny winged snakes
Couatls most often inhabit forests and jungles but can be found guarding any holy place.
CR 3–4 couatl ; couatl with 1d4 winged snakes ; couatl with 1 or 2 acolytes ; couatl with faerie dragon
Treasure broken sword (if reforged under certain circumstances it may become a magical weapon), necklace of prayer beads
Celestials are creatures native to divine realms or heavens. Celestials have alignments, such as Lawful Good. Most celestials are good, although the servants of evil deities can be evil. Angels are celestials.