The colorful creature reared back, its golden eyes turning to independently inspect the slowly approaching barbarian and ranger. A chittering cry arose from it before it turned, presenting the bulb of its segmented tail. It nimbly waved to and fro before unleashing a purple cloud that swiftly consumed the adventurers who tried to cover their mouths against the noxious mist.
I actually built the pukei-pukei in the early days of Monster Monday before I started up the blog and apparently never updated it since! I've finally returned to this venomous vandal to give you all another low-level drake for your games. Central to the design of the pukei-pukei is its Toxin Spray, its breath weapon type ability. Except the pukei-pukei isn't limited to just using its breath - it can also expel these poisons from its tail. This is why this ability, which deals limited use area ability damage and has a high DC, can either affect a single larger cone or two smaller cones on opposite side of the pukei-pukei. In MH, the pukei-pukei is able to eat different mushrooms, nuts, or berries to add different effects to its poison. This is represented through its Adapt Toxin, translated into a simplified single action that can add stunning effects based off of its daze, persistent poison damage instead of poison clouds, and slippery puddles.
These effects can also be applied to the pukei-pukei's Tail Spin, letting it make a tail Strike against all enemies around it. This is at a penalty in an attempt to keep it from being the most obviously effective of any actions that the pukei-pukei can take, but that is dependent on how the party groups up during the fight. The inclusion of effects from Adapt Toxin is inspired by the puddles of poison and globules it can toss around with its attacks and movement, simplified slightly. Tying it into its draconic nature is Draconic Frenzy, a great action economy compressor to let it maneuver about and still get in some swipes. Finally, the pukei-pukei has some hilariously clumsy movement that lends to its Buffeting Wings. This is a chance to protect and preserves the pukei-pukei by shoving back a creature that Strikes it, meaning that they have to Stride up to it again instead of getting in another Strike.
For its item, I settled on a rune that I was surprised wasn't already part of the game - just another of the elemental runes though one that deals out poison damage instead of the types we have already.
Pathfinder 2e:
Poison is not a type of damage in Pathfinder 1e, which means instead of being able to simply have that for its breath weapon, I had to make it into its poison that creatures are simply exposed to. Since this poison simply deals damage, toxic spray simply deals Constitution damage to creatures afflicted by it. What takes up the most space for the PF1e pukei-pukei is its adaptive toxin, letting it deliver those debilitating effects. With the fact that it is an actual poison in 1e, I designed its gaseous state in an attempt to catch foes that succeed on their initial saves against it. Attacks like Tail Sweep aren't as common in PF1e, which leads to forgoing it, but it does slip in Flyby Attack instead so that it can strike as it soars by its enemies.
Pathfinder 1e:
Blue's D&D 5e:
ENCOUNTER HOOK
Poisonous Peril: The party is hired to hunt down a pukei-pukei following the poisoning of a noble or other figure that can afford the work of the heroes. A variety of different antidotes can be brewed from the toxins of a pukei-pukei, but actually hunting it down may prove difficult as it proves flighty. This may lead the heroes on a chase before they tire it out and force it into a fight.
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Have a monstrous Monday!