Monstrous Monday: Pigeontoad (D&D 5E)

 Today's entry once again comes from "(Not Necessarily) the Monstrous Compendium?" from Dragon #156 (April 1990). The pigeontoad was submitted by John Hamilton.

Pigeontoad

These amphibians have olive-green, toadlike bodies fading to a pale-yellow underbelly, with gray-green leathery wings and black birdlike talons. They are always found near water: usually in marshes or swamps, but they might be found anywhere damp with easy access to bodies of water. They are more common in warm climes, but their sonorous croaks can be heard in less temperate zones as well.

An individual pigeontoad is usually not aggressive to-wards creatures larger than themselves. If they are hungry or feel threatened, they attack with a surprisingly-powerful bite and hang on until their prey is dead; if they are dis-lodged or the prey proves to be particularly powerful, they let go and flee.

Pigeontoads gather in flocks of two or three dozen. When they are gathered in a flock, they are much more dangerous, attacking pets, herd animals, and other creatures of Medium size. The flock attacks en masse and does not fear humans except in great numbers. Their normal diet consists of snakes, lizards, and other swamp creatures, but pigeon-toads eat whatever they can kill, and a flock can kill quite a variety of things.

About 15% of all pigeontoad flocks are poisonous; poisonous and nonpoisonous flocks never mix.

Lizardfolk enjoy the flavor of pigeontoad eggs and have been known to domesticate small flocks of the creatures, using them as guards and to produce jellylike masses of eggs for consumption and trade.

Pigeontoad
Tiny beast, unaligned
 
Armor Class 12
Hit Points 4 (1d4 + 2)
Speed 5 ft., fly 30 ft., swim 10 ft.
 
STR    DEX    CON    INT    WIS    CHA
3 (–4)    14 (+2)    15 (+2)    3 (–4)    12 (+1)    6 (–2)
 
Skills Perception +3
Senses passive Perception 13
Languages —
Challenge 0 (10 XP)              Proficiency Bonus +2
 
Amphibious. The pigeontoad can breathe both air and water.

Standing Leap. The pigeontoad's long jump is up to 10 feet and its high jump is up to 5 feet, with or without a running start.

Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +0 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 2 piercing damage, and the target is grappled (escape DC 12). Until this grapple ends, the pigeontoad can't bite another target.

Swarm of Pigeontoads
Medium swarm of Tiny beast, unaligned
 
Armor Class 12
Hit Points 37 (5d8 + 15)
Speed 0 ft., fly 30 ft., swim 10 ft.
 
STR    DEX    CON    INT    WIS    CHA
6 (–2)    14 (+2)    17 (+3)    3 (–4)    12 (+1)    6 (–2)
 
Skills Perception +3
Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, slashing
Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, prone, restrained, stunned
Senses passive Perception 13
Languages —
Challenge 1/4 (50 XP)        Proficiency Bonus +2
 
Amphibious. The pigeontoad can breathe both air and water.

Swarm. The swarm can occupy another creature's space and vice versa, and the swarm can move through any opening large enough for a Tiny pigeontoad. The swarm can't regain hit points or gain temporary hit points.

Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature in the swarm's space. Hit: 5 (2d4) piercing damage, or 2 (1d4) piercing damage if the swarm has half of its hit points or fewer. A creature hit by this attack is grappled (escape DC 12).

Poison Pigeontoads
About one in seven flocks of pigeontoads are poisonous. Replace the Bite attack of poisonous pigeontoads with the following:

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +0 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 2 piercing damage, and the target must make a DC 12 Constitution saving throw, taking 5 (2d4) poison damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

     Additionally, a creature that fails the saving throw is poisoned for 1 minute. The creature can make a new saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the poisoned condition with a successful save.

Replace the Bite attack of poisonous pigeontoad swarms with the following:

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 5 (2d4) piercing damage, or 2 (1d4) piercing damage if the swarm has half of its hit points or fewer. In addition, the target must make a DC 12 Constitution saving throw. If it fails, it takes 5 (2d4) poison damage and is poisoned for 1 minute; the creature can make a new saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the poisoned condition with a successful save. If the save is successful, the target takes half as much damage and is not poisoned.