Planar Bestiary
When in their native form, a dwimmershrike's crystal carapace sparkles with visible light, as well as with light from the magic they feed upon. However, these fey creatures spend much of their time pretending to be ordinary mundane objects in locations where spellcasters and magical items are likely to pass, because dwimmershrikes feed on magic. If interrupted, they defend their food source with vicious tenacity.
Once each year dwimmershrikes return to the special mountainsides in the Feywild where they hatched, where they lay clutches of eggs in hopes of bringing new generations into existence. Luckily for wizards the multiverse over, many Feywild creatures preferably predate these eggs.
A dwimmershrike, shaped like a chair or an old chest, might be responsible for random failures of magic in a wizard's laboratory or magic shop.
Motive: Hungers for magic
Environment: Anywhere near spellcasters, hiding in plain sight
Health: 15
Damage Inflicted: Moderate wound (5 points)
Armor: 2
Movement: Short; short when climbing
Modifications: Speed defense as level 5 due to small size; disguise as level 6
Combat: A dwimmershrike can use their action to magically shapechange into an ordinary object ranging in size from something as small as a kettle to as large as an end table, or return to their normal shape as part of another action. But they prefer to stay hidden, passively absorbing magic by targeting a creature, object, or magical effect within immediate range.
The dwimmershrike can use their action to target and feed upon one magic item within immediate range that they can see. The feeding automatically succeeds against an untended cypher or artifact of level 7 or less. If the item is in a character's possession, the character must succeed on an Intellect defense task to resist. Affected cyphers are expended, and a depletion roll must be made for an affected artifact.
If the dwimmershrike attempts to absorb the magic of an ongoing magical effect created by a spellcaster in an area or on a person, the spellcaster must succeed on an Intellect defense task to keep the effect active. When they successfully feed, the dwimmershrike regains 5 points of health, and the creature briefly glows, hindering their disguise task by three steps for about a round.
If discovered, a dwimmershrike can take their normal shape as part of an action either to escape or attack.
In their true form, they can bite twice each round.
They can feed on magic in their true form, and if they do so successfully, as part of the same action, they can exhale magic energy targeting up to three creatures within short range, inflicting a moderate wound (6 points) from shimmering lightning if the targets fail their Speed defense tasks, or 2 points even when successful.
Interaction: Dwimmershrikes are clever animals, knowing enough to retreat if they are overmatched. Other than their need to feed on magic, dwimmershrikes are drawn to the Feywild once every year, usually the spot where they were born where they can spawn in turn.
Use: A spellcaster has unwittingly brought a dwimmershrike with them on their adventures, in the form of a small sculpture or oddity. They don't realize the oddity is what's responsible for magic items in the spellcaster's vicinity spontaneously depleting, one every handful of days.
GM Intrusion (Group): Instead of lightning, the dwimmershrike's spell breath entangles and holds helpless up to five creatures within short range with glowing magical threads until they can escape.