M'shra 'Puddles' Koda — The Honey-Hearth Wanderer

Ability Scores

STR

10

+0

DEX

18

+4

CON

14

+2

INT

10

+0

WIS

16

+3

CHA

14

+2

Combat

Armor Class: 16; Studded Leather + Dex
Hit Points: 100; Hit Dice: 12d10
Initiative: +4
Speed: 30 ft., climb 30 ft.
Proficiency: +4
Passive Perception: 17

Attacks

Honey-Dipped Shortbow+81d6+4 piercing

Claws+41d4 slashing

Personality

Puddles speaks in a slow, rhythmic purr, often interrupted by the sound of him smacking his lips. He carries a small wooden spoon tucked behind his ear and will reflexively offer a dried berry or a honeycomb chunk to anyone he meets, regardless of their disposition.

Ideal

Gastronomy. A well-seasoned meal is the shortest bridge between two enemies.

Bond

The Sun-Wasp Hive. These buzzing little gluttons are the only family I need, and they have excellent taste in pollen.

Flaw

He will willingly walk into a dragon's lair if he smells a rare spice being used in the dragon's hoard.

Backstory

M'shra was once a lean and lethal scout for the Koda pride, a shadow in the high veldt who lived by the philosophy that the hunt was a silent, bloody business. That changed the day he tracked a wounded displacer beast into the Glimmer-Glade and discovered the 'Solar Bloom'—a flower that blossoms only once a century. Instead of the kill, M'shra found himself mesmerized by a colony of golden Sun-Wasps protecting the bloom. He watched, fascinated, as they harvested a nectar that smelled of summer rain and baked bread. When he finally dared to taste a fallen drop, the explosion of flavor shattered his worldview. He realized that the world wasn't a battlefield to be conquered, but a pantry to be sampled.

He abandoned his pride’s militaristic traditions, earning the nickname 'Puddles' for his tendency to sit for hours in muddy fens just to watch spice-reeds grow. The Sun-Wasps, recognizing a fellow glutton of high standards, followed him. They became his 'Cloud of Connoisseurs,' a shimmering golden swarm that assists him in reaching high-hanging fruits or warding off those who would interrupt his lunch. Now, Puddles wanders the realms with a wooden honey-jar in hand, viewing every dungeon as a spice rack and every monster as a potential critic of his latest glaze. He isn't running from his past; he's just too busy looking for the perfect truffle to look back.

Abilities & Actions

Savor the Buzz (Signature Item)

As a bonus action, Puddles takes a lick from his wooden honey-jar. He or one creature within 5 feet of him regains 2d8 + 3 hit points. Additionally, the target has advantage on the next saving throw it makes against being Frightened, as the lingering taste of summer honey provides immense comfort. He can use this ability 3 times per long rest.

The Sun-Wasp Gale

Whenever Puddles hits a creature with an attack, he can call upon his swarm to assist. The golden wasps can cause the attack to deal an extra 1d8 force damage, or they can buffet the target, forcing it to succeed on a DC 15 Strength saving throw or be moved up to 15 feet horizontally. Alternatively, the wasps can lift Puddles, moving him 5 feet in any direction without provoking opportunity attacks.

Aromatherapeutic Cloud

As an action, Puddles commands his wasps to release a cloud of sweet-smelling pheromones in a 20-foot radius centered on himself. For 1 minute, the area is lightly obscured, and any friendly creature that starts its turn in the cloud gains 10 temporary hit points as the soothing scent of cloves and citrus bolsters their resolve. Once used, he cannot do so again until he finishes a short or long rest.

Wrath of the Gourmet

Puddles can cast 'Wrath of Nature' (5th level spell), but instead of trees and vines, the effect is themed around rapidly growing giant fungal stalks and stinging swarms of golden wasps that coat the ground in slippery, fermented nectar (difficult terrain).

DM Notes

Puddles should be played with an air of distracted brilliance. He might interrupt a tense negotiation to ask the villain if the local moss is edible.

Sample Dialogue: 'Oh, do put the sword down, dear heart. It’s far too heavy for such a lovely afternoon. Have you tried these sun-dried currants? The wasps fought a manticore for them, so you know they’re top-tier.'

Signature Gesture: He constantly wipes honey from his whiskers with the back of a paw and 'whispers' to his favorite wasp, a particularly fat one named 'Ziz.'