Actaeon

Sometimes called an elk centaur, the solitary actaeon is a 9-foot-tall blend of human and elk: a human torso, arms and face, with elk antlers and lower legs, all covered in brown elk hide. It speaks its own language and the woodland sylvan tongue, and some speak common.

Its many tricks make it a formidable fighter, and other clever forest dwellers hold it in awe. In light or dense woods it blends in so perfectly it is effectively invisible, and when angered by needless killing of forest creatures or similar crimes it bursts from hiding, foes taking -5 on surprise rolls.

It fights with big spears of wood and bone and gores with its antlers. Its speed allows two spear attacks per round, and its strength and the weapons' size make each spear hit 1d6+6.

Once per day it can exhale a warm green mist filling a 10-foot cube. Those inside must save vs. breath weapon or permanently become a common forest animal such as an owl, squirrel, deer or boar, with its mind and habits too. Only another polymorph, or dispel magic from a caster of at least 12th level, reverses it. Even on a successful save the change happens, but lasts just 24 hours. Also once a day it can call 1d6 woodland creatures, which arrive in 1d4 turns (choose or roll 1d6 on the summoning table). A few very old actaeons are druids of up to 8th level.

Actaeons live alone except during spring mating, which comes once every three years. The next autumn a female bears one fawn, which spends the winter learning to survive: browsing bark and twigs, shaping spears and simple tools, and digging roots from beneath the snow with sharpened sticks and bones. Many fawns die of hunger, cold or predators; survivors leave in spring to live alone.

They like treasure, hiding small hoards in safe spots like hollow logs or under stones. Knowing others value coins and gems, they trade them for tools, or for food in a hard winter.

Actaeons belong to the forest community of centaurs, dryads and their kind, who see these bold, rare creatures as heroes. They sometimes join druids to protect the woods, especially against a grave threat.